IT shout-out
The reason that c* gets all my plaintive/rageful messages about the phone is because he's the one that gave it to me. With the enforcement of CA's new handsfree mobile in automobiles law, it was either get a wired earpiece for my dad's old phone, or switch to a new one with Bluetooth capability. c*'s all about the Bluetooth and happened to have a Treo he was refurbishing, so gave it to me when he was done with it.
The transition to the new phone does not compare with the transition to Mac OSX (which will go down in history for much the same reasons as Valentine's Day 2004). However, there was lots of frantic ranting as I found I had to adjust to something new. The template for these conversations is something like:
Me: My old [thing] was so much better. This new [thing] can't...
c*: Yes it can. See, look at...
Me: But that's so hard to figure out. My old [thing] made it easy to...
c*: How can you be such a Luddite?
etc.
c*'s come to expect churlish behavior in these circumstances and I'm usually not one to disappoint. In this case, though, I eventually had to remember that old saw about loving the sinner and hating the sin. So, when he chose an opportune moment (a seeming thaw in my icy response) and asked (again) if I were "loving it," I replied with:
The phone? No. This phone is of the devil. However, I am loving your generosity in deciding to give me this phone. I do really appreciate it.
I think that sort of made his day; he responded with a :#). And it bought me some leeway for the (slightly moderated) whining that came afterward.
The transition to the new phone does not compare with the transition to Mac OSX (which will go down in history for much the same reasons as Valentine's Day 2004). However, there was lots of frantic ranting as I found I had to adjust to something new. The template for these conversations is something like:
Me: My old [thing] was so much better. This new [thing] can't...
c*: Yes it can. See, look at...
Me: But that's so hard to figure out. My old [thing] made it easy to...
c*: How can you be such a Luddite?
etc.
c*'s come to expect churlish behavior in these circumstances and I'm usually not one to disappoint. In this case, though, I eventually had to remember that old saw about loving the sinner and hating the sin. So, when he chose an opportune moment (a seeming thaw in my icy response) and asked (again) if I were "loving it," I replied with:
The phone? No. This phone is of the devil. However, I am loving your generosity in deciding to give me this phone. I do really appreciate it.
I think that sort of made his day; he responded with a :#). And it bought me some leeway for the (slightly moderated) whining that came afterward.