Technology--ain't it grand?

Last night we went to get our oldest child the Christmas present that will be the biggest hit in his short life thus far. We held out on giving him a cell phone despite the fact that "I'm the only 6th grader in the whole school who doesn't have one." (Hyperbole: we all rock at it.) But he's been to a few middle school events lately where D. or I have to give up our phone to him so we can find him in the crush afterwards and that was getting old. So we're caving, about two years earlier than planned, and he'll be ecstatic on Christmas.

Anyway, in order to get him a phone on our existing plan, we had to change our existing phone numbers to the Charlotte market (my number, since I am number challenged was from Ohio--3 moves ago--and D.'s was from Michigan). I may never learn my new cell phone number or my husband's but my kid will be happy and that's the most important thing, right? Harumph! So now my cell number is chock full of odd numbers when I like and find even numbers easier to remember (I know, I'm weird but then that shouldn't be news to anyone reading this by now) and absolutely no one knows the number, including me.

Cut to this morning when I go to log onto the computer and find I am without internet. Then I head to the phone to check that (we have one of those infernal bundles that claims to save you money but really just ensures that *all* of the technology in your house crashes at once so you can't reach anyone to complain bitterly that this is the umpteenth time in 2 months that you've had no phone or computer access). Just as suspected, no dial tone. As regularly annoying as this is, it has happened so frequently that I actually know how to solve the problem (at least temporarily). I scooted back to the computer and reset the modem four different times in order to bring the phone back up. The computer decided to mock me and stay dead but once ignored it for several hours, it finally pulled its act together. But, and this is the fun one, for a few hours this morning, no one could get a hold of me for love or money. Dead land line and new cell phone number and I felt like I was back in the old days when our lives weren't run by technology. I'd say it felt good but I'd be lying. We're so dependent on this stuff that all I felt was yet more seasonally inappropriate rage and frustration. Good fun. I'd give the phone and the computer up if I weren't so addicted to them. ;-)