Forgotten Cell Phone Leads to a Frantic Search for a Friend

[Intrepid_Chef]

OK, first off ... an apology to any Wave 1 buddies who may have been trying to reach me on my cel phone.

This morning, a friend had agreed to drive me to the airport. With my clustermates calling me, my cel phone battery was low. (House charger was safely packed away, as it had been for most of the week.)

So I plugged it into the car charger and said to my friend, "PLEASE do not let me forget this!"

I get to the airport, grab my luggage and purse and got into the Skycap line. Noting the little forms to fill out, I figured I better put my cel number on it. Suddenly, I realized I forgot the phone.

Of course, where is my friend's cel phone number? IN MY PHONE? And he wouldn't answer a call from an unfamilar number anyway.

I called my own number, so he would at least hear it ring. No answer! So I called his friend, who turned out to be at his grandmother's house. I called a mutual friend of ours, who turned out to be taking her sister to an appointment. Finally, I remembered his dad's number from the depths of my memory banks.

Fortunately, his dad answered. I said, "I hate to bother you, but Dan has my cel phone. I don't have his number, and he won't answer a phone call from anyone he doesn't know. Could you please call him to tell him to come back and bring the phone to me right where he dropped me off?"

Called him back 5 minutes later, and asked if he reached him. He did. I said, "Did he happen to say where he was?" Nope, he just said, "Oh, OK."

So I checked with the skycap to see if he could tell me what time I had checked my luggage. He can't. A short time later, I found the slip, which said only 15 minutes had elapsed. It's still 1.5 hours before the plane takes off, and Skycap assures me I have until 30 minutes before. So I wait, and wait and wait .... worrying the whole time that the got a ticket or accident in my car!

After an hour, I gave up on him. I could not wait any more. I borrow some stranger's phone for the millionth time, call his dad and ask him to let him know I can't wait any more ...

 

[pampered.chris]

OH man!!! That is terrible! Are you going to buy a Tracfone or something like that to get you through the next few days? What a bummer.
Where did your friend go? Was he alright?

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

Fortunately ... my plane did not take off before I got through the checkpoint. I arrive, just as my clustermates were starting to call in the dogs. Mother Hen Roomate even called my cel phone and FINALLY got my friend to answer. By then, he was back in Akron!

Now why would he tell his dad he was coming ... then go on his merry way back home? GRRRRRRR!!!!

So I call him quickly, tell him I'm at the gate, and explain that I'm going to make arrangements for him to overnight it to me. He's like, "You really need it that desparately???"

MEN!

Later, I call him with the address of the hotel. He says, "I still don't understand why you need it THAT desparately."

I said, "Look, I'm trying to be patient here because you have absolutely no concept of where I am. I am here in a strange city with THOUSANDS of people. If someone wants to find me ... how do they do it??"

Not to even mention my Cheffer buddies I am going to meet ...

Anyway, after much drama and phone calls to the post office, FedEx and my friend ... it is being overnighted to me. I am guaranteed to have it by 10. So I am skipping the Newbie class, as one of my roomates is a director ... so she's out of here early ... nobody else is in this hotel ... which leaves Newbie Clustermate all alone ... and with no way to reach me.

Anyway ... we saw a lot of the city ... walked to the beach ... saw the waterfront ... and got in a lot of practice for the days ahead.

Any cheffer buddies with my cel phone number, feel free to call it by mid day but if you've tried ... this is why I did not answer!

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

Sorry ... it was such a long story I had to post it in two takes!

Overnighting was pricey ... but I think I am going to see about getting a cheffer discount applied retroactively. I know it costs more to overnight but still ... if I'd remembered to tell them I was a consultant I think they would have cut me a deal!

 

[Flamingo]

What a bummer!!!

 

[Morvin]

wow life without a cell phone is bad, but life with out a cell phone in an event like this is horrible!!!! i so would have overnighted it also the expense is justified!