Three hours later...

I went in for a simple battery and came out with a new phone.

A persons cell phone has become an extension of an individual, a person's phone says a lot about them. It is scary how dependent we have all become on a device that makes us accessible 24/7. When it goes on the fritz, all hell breaks loose - which is where I was.

My battery on my phone has really been giving me issues. The other day it said it was charging, and wasn't even plugged in. So, I decided it was time to visit the cell store to see if I could get a replacement or maybe they could tell me what was wrong with it. It sounds simple - nothing is ever just that simple.

When I asked about the battery they took my phone apart and looked up my account. Well, the good news is the battery is replaceable - the bad news, it's $40. I stared across the counter. "I pay insurance."

"Yes, the policy will cover a portion, but the warranty and policy are over two years old."

I thought for a moment. The battery is $40 and a new phone is $50. Let's see here, I'll weigh the options. I went for the upgrade.

As I'm browsing the store the sales guy comes over and is chatting about the Blackberry and its features. I finally got tired of hearing him talk and said.

"Look, let's cut the bullshit. I'm going to buy a phone, from you, so let's just get one that has what I want. I want functionality and ease of use," yes, those were my words, verbatim.

"Well, for the exact same price I'd get the touch screen," he tells me. "Might as well get something that will last."

I played around a bit and decided on the newest phone instead of the 'going out of commission soon' phone. He got me all set up, well almost. Forty minutes into the process he sees a problem. Great, I've picked the only evil phone in the entire store. It's probably some sort of karma or sign that I shouldn't have made the leap.

"It's a software glitch," he says. "The software just came out yesterday. Let me make some calls."

So I sit, and I watch people, and I sit some more. Now, I will give the store credit. They were amazing when it came to customer service. Multiple times the floor minion came over to update me on the 'progress' of the technicians troubleshooting. I finally left to go get some lunch because I hadn't eaten all day - I figured an hour in and out, no sweat - I'd have time to eat. Wrong.

When I got back from my parfait and small coke he had my phone done. Almost. He tells me that the hour on the phone to the Yoda of software says that the glitch is somewhere and they are working to find it. He also tells me that it's only a small inconvenience and it should be fixed within days and my phone will automatically update and fix the problem. I can live with not sending emails from my phone. No problem.

He thanked me for being patient and I thanked him for helping me out and I was out the door. Three hours later.

It will take me at least six months to figure out the phone. I tried to send a text, but when I realized I'd actually sent four text messages...I figured I needed more time to do some playing.

Note to self, the back arrow is not a back arrow - it's the send button.