The one with a CrackBerry

Today a terrible thing happened....I was washing my hands, since I didnt' have pockets I was holding the corner of my BlackBerry between my lips, & it slipped. The 1/2 second where it was falling & my soaking hands tried to save my phone felt like cinimatic slow-motion. I can still play the heart-breaking scene in my head. I didn't save it, & it was caught under a rush of water. I frevently tore off the back & battery as I dried my phone & hands, but as I shook it, water continued to come out. :(

This was the first time I've thus destroyed a phone, & I can tell you it is not fun in any way. Firstly, if you're like me, you'll have to take your break early so you can go run to the nearest grocery store to buy rice & plastic baggies. Yes, my co-workers convinced me that the only way to save my phone would be my sealing it in rice (since it's so naturally absorbent) for 24 hours & praying all the water is rightly absorbed.

Once my phone was packed away & surrounded by rice (which I stood in the aisle for about 5 minutes asking the question "Which brand of rice will work the most efficiently for THIS application?") the full feeling of being perplexed & lost set in. I was shaky simply at the thought that if I got into an accident, I couldn't call the police. As I continued to drive these realizations became worse. I couldn't call my friends to tell them how ridiculous I was, I couldn't call my cousins (who I'm babysitting for the week) to tell them they couldn't call me, I couldn't text my boss when he asks for updates. I couldn't check Facebook, or TFLN! As I drove to get the one thing which is assured to bring me relax & satisfaction (Starbucks) I realized I couldn't check the balance on my gold card, or reload it, because that is one of my phone's apps! I couldn't even take notes about these revelations because I've stopped carrying pen & paper because my BlackBerry takes care of that! These revelations rushed over me as I looked down at the baggie of rice sitting on my passenger seat, knowing my phone was within & I truly came into fruition that CrackBerry is a very accurate phrase. I was nearly shaking at the anxiety the loss of this little device which keeps me connected in so many ways.

I used to love the ability to be disconnected when I lived in Italy & my phone (which only made phone calls) was the ONLY way anyone could reach me. If I left it at my apartment or its battery ran out, NO ONE outside friends in Florence which I happened to stumble upon could reach me -- period! Now I found myself addicted to my smart phone. OH, & another one, when my co-worker thought it would be funny to sit in the IT bin we use to move heavy equipment from one side of the office to another, & got STUCK -- I couldn't take a picture.

What they don't tell you is that the bits of rice find their way into your phone! Yes, I could hear it rattling in my phone & had to shake every last piece out before attempting to turn on my phone. When I did, the lights flickered & the hour-glass turned for about 5 minutes before I gave up complete hope. Off to the Veriozon store I go...