I now have a smart phone. I knew it would be trouble, and the trouble started even before I got my hands on it. It was due for delivery between 12.30 and 4.30 yesterday, not a problem since Chantal was at home. By 4.30 it hadn’t arrived. It transpired that the house number on the package was wrong, and of all the house numbers that they chose, they selected 5. There isn’t a 5. Richard and Chris have converted 2 semis, originally 3 & 5, but now just “3”. The driver asked the neighbour if he knew an N. Cooper, but chose a neighbour that only knows our first names. No, said the neighbour, there are no Coopers on the Lane, and so the driver phoned me. 15 minutes earlier this would have been successful, but I was driving to work for the night shift, I didn’t answer the phone, and he didn’t leave a message. By the time I realised who the missed call may be from, the driver had gone home.
I have the phone now. I couldn’t turn it on. I jabbed this, pressed that, and decided it must be a flat battery, and it took Chantal to point out the tiny power symbol on a tiny button. Since the new SIM was the same type as my old, at least transferring my contacts was unexpectedly easy.
I had to activate my new SIM on line, and logged on using the password that I have used several times over the last few days, but it was not recognised. I set up a new one, and had to wait an hour or so for it to be registered. After successfully logging on, I went through the activation procedure, only to get an error message requiring me to phone Orange. I did so using my old phone, but the chap at the other end did not recognise my password. The computer said No. I tried my old password, the one that had been rejected an hour before. Oddly, this was acceptable to the computer. The new SIM was activated, and I was advised that at some point my old phone would not be usable, at which point my new phone would work. “When?” “Between 1 and 24 hours”.
The activation had been completed by the end of the evening dog walk, and I was able to phone Chantal, and she phoned me. I could text her, but her reply took ages to arrive. I do not get internet. I found the Samsung instruction book online on my PC – 160 pages that took 30 minutes to almost download before timing out, but at least I could view it on the web site. It told me to select the Internet option. What did it think I had been doing?
I still have no Internet. Simon has told me that the phone will give me all that I want, and more – all I have to do is embrace the technology. I can’t even locate the technology, let alone give it a cuddle.
I am tired and grumpy, having got home at 3.00am. The new SIM is now in my beloved old Nokia, which works a treat. Anyone want to buy a Samsung Galaxy Ace?
Technically we live in Oaktree House, but sadly the tree had to go.
We now have a thriving Oakstump at the front of the house.
