B IS FOR BLACKBERRY

In April of 2004, I lost my corporate job. Consequently, in the small town I live in, over the 18 months that followed, so did 600 others (both salaried & hourly) when the automotive manufacturing plant closed.

Unsure what I was going to do, I decided to go into business for myself. Actually, I remember promising my husband if I couldn’t be back to my current level of earning in 24 months, I would go and get another desk job; it took me less than 12 months to reach that specific goal.

At that time, cell phones were the newest trend and Blackberry was King. As my business grew, so did my contact base so I decided to invest in myself and purchase a Blackberry. The one on the far right was my first and I still have the receipt for the $300 it cost me with a 2 year plan with my service provider. Yup, I got that puppy at the kiosk in our local Home Depot.

Who says loyalty since 2004 doesn't have its privileges?!
TAKEN: APRIL 2nd, 2017

Since then, I've steadfastly committed to stay with Blackberry until their dying breath. Though they still may appear to be on life support, when they announced last fall that they were no longer going to manufacture their own phones, I folded like a lawn chair and bought a Samsung Edge 6. Six months later, I still haven’t activated it.

Don’t get me wrong, I take both phones with me everywhere (that’s my Blackberry Classic on the far right) but I still can seem to wean my thumbs from those magical buttons.  I have to admit that one of my crew is missing in my photo. My Blackberry Curve; it was my absolute favourite. It died a death within 48 hours of my graduating to the next level and my husband killing it.

You know what? The fact that he busted it still pisses me off!

AM I JINXED... OR IS IT JUSTICE?

For a very long time, years in fact, I've been debating replacing my beloved Blackberry. The truth of the matter is because it was once such a stellar Canadian company, I swore I would stay loyal until their ship officially sunk. Recently (via my cell phone provider) I discovered that Google's bought a large chunk of Blackberry and has hammered home an Android only application mandate. With all ongoing support quickly evaporating, I realized that my Blackberry Classic rollerball/keypad buttons/happy hub days were officially numbered.

Adamant that I would never EVER buy an iPhone, I began to research Samsung. My first purchase was their tablet, next their television, then first of November past I bought their S6 Edge cellphone. Still unsure I could ever let my Blackberry go, I bought this very sexy phone previously used. You know, so that we could date for a while before making any kind of long term commitment to each other.

Well, from the get go I immediately struggled. I hung in so not appear bias; then I left for Mexico and all hell broke loose. About half way through my two week vacation, my new to me Samsung shut off and wouldn’t reboot. I trolled and scrambled online to find out the issue but short story long, I assessed that it was probably toast. I was heartbroken. Not because I had become attached to the phone but because my great quality vaycay pics had been lost. As a result, I had to retrieve my trusty Blackberry from the resort safe. It had been locked in there since the very first day.

When I got back to Canada I didn’t deal with my new to me phone issue head on, just simply tried to start it every day, in hopes of some technological miracle. It never arrived.  So after Christmas, once I was mentally prepared to lose all my pictures, I took it into our local iRepair shop. They told me that all it needed a new charging port. The next day, and another $73.95 invested, I had my device and all of my pictures back.

Grateful for my vaycay pics back. Great view from my room!
Photo Credit: Blackberry Classic
TAKEN: DECEMBER 30th, 2016

All of that said, I was still not 100% committed to changing, so I continued use both phones in tandem.... Fast forward to last weekend. Which is where I get pissed off.

I've never carried my phone in my pocket, always in my purse. Last Saturday my extremely expensive cellphone (with the sexy curved screen) inadvertently landed in my unzipped coat pocket. Pissed off at a specific moment in my day, I hopped in the car slammed the door. With something jamming it, it wouldn't close.

Thinking nothing of it, I reefed on the door again putting all my frustration behind it, I heard a crunch. Finally, I adjusted my coat and tried a third time and it closed. Unbeknownst to me, the noise I was hearing was the shattering of the (newly repaired) S6 screen.

A lengthy stream of profanity later, all I’ll say is that the repair cost almost $300 and I’m spent. I am not putting another dime into this phone, nor am I investing close to $1000 for a new one, I don't care how good the camera is!

That said, I have to wonder if my luck is simply Blackberry karma for my swift shift in company loyalty. If so, I guess I should apologize.... I'm sorry for looking elsewhere Research In Motion. I only chose Samsung as a 'just in case' so that if they acquired you we'd always be together. Who and the hell knew Google was going buy into the game and win the race?

Not this totally jinxed Samsung... and very reflective Blackberry user!

MY BABY NEEDS HELP!

I had to zoom into the cottage the Sunday before I left for my trip to pick up a few things I was missing. A couple of them were personal items but more importantly, I’d discovered I left a large media storage card behind that is dedicated to one of my favourite cameras.

As I sat and sipped my hot cup of coffee this past Saturday morning, I decided to take a boo at what I'd transferred off my card before I left. Much to my surprise, I found a folder with a series of pictures I had taken outdoors during one of the last summer downpours I endured. The last pic discovered in the folder was the one I’m sharing now (if you look closely, you can see the raindrops that remained on my lens after entering the cottage).

Came in from the storm and there she was... Proud as a Peacock!
TAKEN: AUGUST 11th, 2015

As you know, I am a “...I'll proudly own a Blackberry phone until the company officially..." fill in the blank, kinda Canadian.

What can I say, I love my Q10 and its very sexy buttons. The sound of them clicking at the speed of light, is like music to my ears.

That said, I’ve never considered myself a technology follower, yet I would be lying if I said I hadn't looked at other products on the dark side.

I may have looked but I've never truly entertained abandoning my best friend. I guess the truth of the matter is, I know I never will. Like I said, my Blackberry has always kept me totally satisfied; that was, until I decided to take my latest BFF on a late night November swim.

Yup, since she went swimming with me, she's really been hurting. From the morning after I bailed us us out of that frigid Muskoka water, she can’t hold a charge like she use to. To magnify her woes, this past weekend a tell tale sign that the end is near appeared; she was officially unrecognizable by any USB port I tried to connect her with. Now, I don’t know about you, but when one gravitates to and financially supports a company whos name is RIM, any/all USB port insertion & connection most definitely become critical for personal user satisfaction!

As I look to pull her SIM card and trade her in on a new Blackberry PRIV, I can only hope she's been as happy with me, as I have been with with her. Here's hoping that during that last summer storm, her USB connection threw her a little extra jolt and tiny power surge of satisfaction. On second though, nix that somewhat playful and sexy thought.

...I'm sure Ontario Hydro wouldn't be able to deliver that right either!!

A 9.5 FROM THE AMERICAN JUDGE

Last week I discovered a very good friend was unexpectedly going through a very tough patch. So, after texting back and forth all week, we hatched a plan to try and make her feel better. In the end, we decided to head out to Orilla Lake; enjoy a bonfire and ultimately howl at the moon.

Well, the good news is that once we arrived and got settled in we never went back outside. The bad news is that because we drained the pump last weekend, we had to draw our Saturday night dish water out of the lake. No big, that’s how things roll out there until we stop going in at Christmas. The difference being, at Christmas we fill all our buckets in the daylight (not after dark when there’s been a light sleet that’s super slicked the stairs and ramp to the dock). Suffice is to say, imagine my surprise when bucket in one hand and cellphone flashlight in the other, I slipped off the ramp and tumbled into the lake.

Getting water this morning via Toby's Rock...NOT the dock!
Taken: November 8th, 2015

Because it was black dark out and I wasn’t sure what I’d hit nor where I’d land, I relaxed and went into the water so I could get my bearings. Problem was, because I was so heavily clothed (and my bucket was filling fast) I wasn’t floating back up. 

When I finally did head to the surface, it was with a fully stretched arm reaching for the moon that was clenching my phone. THAT's what came out of the water first. 

As a person whom when given lemons always tries to make lemonade, I have a couple of important notables I'd like to report from the events of last night:

A) Since purchasing the cottage, I’ve never swan in November before, so that was a first.

B) I’ve never gone off any dock (at that time of night) wearing a stitch of clothing ever; yet another first.

AND...

C) Using international judging rules, the American judge gave me a 9.5 for my dive.

Not a bad score I suppose. Though when I filed an appeal this morn and questioned why I wasn’t awarded the 10 I felt I deserved... The bitch told me it was because my arm was bent when my cell phone came out of the water and that my reach for the moon was lacking the proper creative emotion. 

I guess I should be thankful for the mark and be glad they didn't hear my language. That shit was full of emotion and the one thing I didn't need last night was to be disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct. 

Peeps.... Ya Gotta Laugh About It!

FINALLY BIT THE BULLET

When it comes to my technology habits, I’m pretty old school. I love my Blackberry for its buttons, the same way I love my desktop computer for my keyboard. I love the sounds they both make as I plug along through my day; combined with my mouse, hearing them click offers me a productive feeling that I am accomplishing what I've set out to do. Yet, for some time now, I have been mentally preparing myself for Black Phone Day. 

You know the day? When Blackberry is either taken over or goes under. Until that day I refuse to make a change. I’m a proud and loyal customer that will remain a customer until it’s no longer an option for me. If I can contribute to saving just one Canadian job… You know the spiel.

Enjoying my one application wonder this morning over coffee!
TAKEN: NOVEMBER 12th, 2014

Knowing that I may eventually move from RIM, I've chosen Samsung as their successor. The practical kinda gal I am, going to that type of tablet seemed obvious.

What made me finally bite the bullet? Well, I gave in for a couple of reasons. Heading away, I thought it may back-fill taking my laptop so that I can still write and fulfill my SM & web obligations.

WRONG on all accounts! 

I don’t like typing on it (...Peter tells me I just have to get the hang of it) and my eyes are failing me so badly that I find the text too small on the social media apps to be truly productive. Suffice is to say, the only thing I use it for is to play Candy Crush. With those three things admitted, it doesn't make the purchase very practical does it? 

That said, neither does the fact that I play Candy Crush. Oh my goodness, I can't believe I just admitted that. It's official... I'm going to hell in a hand basket!

Glass half full?

At least I know my new one app tablet is small enough to come along for the ride!!

Vacation Talks Have Officially Started

In mid February 2012 Tony and I ventured to an amazing resort in Negril Jamaica.  It was a well planned trip (that we both really looked forward to) but truth of the matter is it came at kind of an inopportune time.

Heading to meet Heidi & Brian for dinner.
Riu Tropical ~ Negril Jamaica
Taken: February 2012

Another day older and half a dollar wiser we have talked the last couple of weeks about how we would like to see next winter unfold.  I guess the ten million dollar question is, will our vacation time be pet free or pet friendly?

The hard reality is that I have to either book the beach house in South Carolina for Christmas or let it go. The more frustrating part is that if I don’t book personal vacation time now, I will once again end up working straight through. 

My intent tonight isn’t to whine about crappy vacations yet pull from the last three or four experiences and ask myself what I would I do differently? A few things come to mind.

I would suggest we not take a return night flight into YYZ ever again (it was exhausting). I would definitely confirm my daughter has her passport with her before trying to cross the border into the USA. But first and foremost, I would not take my Blackberry; it distracts me, literally alters my mindset, and Tony deserves better.

I am seriously embarrassed to admit my roaming charges in Jamaica were over $300. Last Xmas? Almost $200. And in April about $120 bucks (but that's only because I'd discovered remote WI-FI spots). NOT taking my Blackberry to the islands just upgraded our room or paid for Staci to dog sit for our week away.

WHAT?! Don't tell me you're going to bitch about the number of shoes I usually take? Whatever happened to three outta four ain’t bad? Hey there bucko ~ everyone knows that a girl's gotta accessorize her tan and her toes with really great shoes! It's right up there with thou shall always wear sunscreen... AND... I will not bring my Blackberry on vaycay!

What is an ELECTRONIC FRIEND?

I’m sitting here sipping my only cup of coffee for the day, waiting for a reply to a BBM text message I just sent. Like any relaxing Sunday; I awoke this morning, headed to my desk, and with Blackberry in hand, sparked up a conversation with my very best electronic friend.

Your Sunday Morning Funny!

What do I classify as an electronic friend? Someone that I chat comfortably with but I spend very little time with face to face.

In the case of this particular thumbster, the amount of time spent together is in direct relation to how often young people actually chat on the telephone. Never!

Texting for me is something relatively new. Matter a fact, it’s exactly a year ago this week that I discovered my very first electronic friendship. (I had no idea what the hell they were doing scanning my PIN barcode but we’ve been great friends ever since.) I suppose up until that very moment, I was one of the eccentric few that used my mobile to actually talk, not text. In hindsight, since discovering Messenger, I find it hard to believe I only ever used my Blackberry for business and never pleasure.

All of that said; electronic friendships have their own set of challenges. For every great photo you share of your day, or sarcastic comment you make at the others expense, there’s always a chance that something may be misunderstood or taken out of context.

It may be the most convenient way to communicate but in the flash of a couple of sentences it can easily become the hardest. Think of it like a texting trapeze so to speak. There may be unified glory involved but there is always very extreme risk. Electronic friendships are like any trapeze, a very tricky balancing act.

As my my desk vibrates signaling that my phone family is ready to start the day, I can't help but I wonder what they are up to? I’m sure I’ll see pictures, bust a gut laughing, and sarcastically judge each and every iPhone/iPad user for the sheer joy of making my electronic day brighter. Then, after I enjoy this really great day (no matter by which means or medium), I'll thankfully hug my Blackberry for its contribution, as it reassuringly tucks me into bed tonight.

Back to my Muskoka reality at hand. I have to wash the kitchen floor, clean the bathrooms, and then head to the grocery store. Cheers Peeps and have a really great day!

Out Of The TWEET Blue Yonder…

Out of the blue I chatted with an acquaintance today and I must admit it took me a little by surprise. With our lives mutually hectic, it seems it's usually something quirky that has one sending the other a quick note.

Like most of my electronic friends; he and I usually catch up via BBM. I literally scroll past his name and face every single day but I seldom send a text and neither does he (hence why we've remained acquaintances).

Anyway, after I updated Twitter for work this morning, I logged onto my personal account and there he was. I couldn’t resist sending him a quick Tweet. Because he reads his Twitter feed on his Blackberry, mine buzzed almost instantly with a reciprocal Tweet and BBM had us catching up all morning.

I love Twitter. I enjoy Facebook but I absolutely love everything about Twitter.

I love that it's more of a social networking "service" as a pose to mainstream social networking. I take from it what I want, with the added bonus of getting a snapshot of where the world is "at" instantaneously. For those of you not on it, the only way I can describe #Twitter is that it gives the information injection I crave, keeping me in that ‘microblogging’ loop I love so very much.

While Twitter is great way to keep in touch with my "old friends", my new “call Friday friend” seems uninterested.  (I’ll remind him again this Friday, exactly what he’s missing!) For all others curious, I can be found @Rhon2TheDee.

I only have about 100 followers, but the key is to check out who I am following, and who they are following. A combination of any of these selected feeds will turn you into 'A Very Well Rounded Monday Morning Water Cooler Conversationalist’.

Try it, you just may like it. Better yet, you may end up loving it as much as I do.

The First Sign of Addiction is Denial. Who's in Denial?

As you all know, and I readily admit, I am a social media junkie. I could easily stand up at a meeting and say “Hello, my name is Rhondi, I am a Crackberry addict, and it’s been an entire week since my last Facebook update.” I can hear the applause now!

Seriously, this morning I was walking to work, when a builder pulled up alongside me. He rolled down the passenger window and hollered; “headphones in, head down and texting, I should fine you for distracted walking!" All I could do was laugh and acknowledge the reality of the situation at hand, “BUSTED” I yelled.

As I continued on the home stretch to the office, his comment sounded like a bit of a reality check. So I decided make a list (go figure) of my so called 'indulgences'.

I Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and let’s not forget my beloved blog.  I chat; BBM, MMS/SMS, Yahoo, MSN, WhatApp and Facebook takes the lead with a second nod. So I am sure you’re wondering if I have an e-mail account? Let’s see, work (x’s 2), Yahoo (x’s 2), Hotmail, Gmail and Cogeco.  Holy Doodle, could I really be addicted?

It’s a hard question to ask oneself, but I did, and here is my answer: “the first sign of addiction is denial”. Keeping with that premise, “I know I’m a social media junkie; therefore I am not in denial, so therefore I’m not a social media junkie!” Pretty self-explanatory if I do say so myself.

Honestly, I know there have been times I thought maybe getting a little excessive. Last summer was pretty bad. (Pleased to report that Saturday of last Labour Day long weekend was quiet. May have been because I couldn’t find my phone.)

Hectic fall, but forgot my phone at home a couple of days in January so that was significant. I also really tried to minimize my usage in Jamaica, so for the first few days I never took my phone to the beach. As a result, my roaming for the week was only $354.72. Way to go me...

I guess with the kids gone, my Crackberry has become an extension of me. Yesterday, I was sitting in a golf cart waiting to tee off, when I began to respond to a BBM message from Smartie, who was sitting at YYZ waiting to head back to Whitehorse.  Paying no mind to the amazing company I was keeping he said “Geez, can you type any faster?”

My response? ”What the hell !?! Just because your piece of crap iPhone doesn’t make a cool clicking sound when you type is not my problem!” There you have it. Not my fault I have fast thumbs combined with razor sharp wit. 

All Inclusive trip to Negril, Jamaica     $6,000

Spa Treatment on the beach                 $350

Snorkelling and a trip to Rick’s Café     $150

The ability to upload photos and update my Facebook status from anywhere? PRICELESS!