A Day with Verizon Wireless

Sunday evening on the way to our church Christmas banquet my Blackberry completely froze while attempting to shut down. I have had the Blackberry for all of two months and this was not the first incident I have had with it; however, this one did not miraculously repair itself before Monday morning. My husband and I work together and our first stop on Monday morning on the way to the office was the independent Verizon dealer where we had purchased the Blackberry. The store did not open until 11 a.m. So, in the meantime, we went Christmas shopping and found a great deal on a gift for someone who shall remain nameless lest she read this blog. When the Verizon store finally opened, we were told we had to go to the dreaded Verizon store on Little River Turnpike in Alexandria to see if it could be repaired. I'm envisioning three weeks without a telephone or email service while my Blackberry is shipped overseas somewhere for its diagnosis. I became more optimistic when we arrived at Verizon and were called within minutes to the counter. We were given a service ticket and told that my phone was number three in line in the service counter and we should be called within 45 minutes. My initial optimism was shortlived. Forty-five minutes came and went. Approximately one hour into our wait, someone went in the back to check on the status. "Should be about another 10 minutes." We were told the device couldn't be repaired and they were setting up a new Blackberry for me in the back. After another 45 minutes, the manager checked on the status and presented me with my old Blackberry in working order. I was told my battery was dead and I hadn't updated the programs for too long. The battery was fully charged when it froze and the device is only two months old. Finally, after outlining the numerous problems with the Blackberry in the two months I have owned it, the manager said he would replace it under the insurance/warranty on the old machine. After this progress, we were out of the Verizon store in another twenty minutes. We spent the next two hours getting the new Blackberry set up just like the old one (at least I think it is- we'll know for sure if the alarm doesn't go off in the middle of the night). All in all, my husband and I spent (excluding lunch) 6 hours getting my Blackberry issues resolved.

Gadgets, such as a Blackberry, are supposed to make our lives easier and more productive. This, however, is only true when gadgets operate according to their original specifications and promises. Today has been an unproductive day from a work perspective. From a spiritual perspective, I was given the opportunity to practice patience and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)and to leave a Gospel tract for a waiter at a restaurant we may not have otherwise had the opportunity to meet. Oh, and we also found a great Christmas present for someone special.

Today I began Christmas Shopping

Today I began Christmas shopping in earnest. Like many folks, we are scaling back our Christmas purchases this year. We are still buying for the children - my husband's two adult daughters, our nieces and nephews, and our seven year old granddaughter. I "conspired" with my mother-in-law as to purchasing some church-appropriate clothing for my granddaughter and her great-granddaughter. Last weekend, my husband, my Mom and I went shopping for a church dress for our granddaughter at a large nationwide retail store. After searching through dresses which, in my opinion (as well as my Mom's and husband's), were inappropriate even for adult women, we finally found a nice conservative dress for J. We then set out to find a full slip for her to wear with the dress in the same store. The only undergarments for children they had in the store (and also on their website) were underpants, a few tights/socks, and bras, including (no kidding) padded bras for little girls - no slips, no camisoles, no half-slips. What in the world would a seven year old girl need with a padded bra? Well, I thought, when we get back to computer access, I will look for a slip on-line. To my further surprise, a search for "girls slip" netted two websites selling traditional slips for girls. The other websites had slips for "pageant dresses" and "flower girl dresses." It should not be so difficult to find decent, conservative, age-appropriate clothing for children. When we locate purveyors of true "children's clothing", they should be commended. If you feel the same way, check out The Rosey Bear Boutique (roseybearboutique.com). I was pleasantly surprised; I actually had choices as to the slip I purchased for my granddaughter. Now, on to the Easy Bake Oven accessories!