Monday, October 20, 2008

Phone Home


It started out as a mere annoyance, but as the afternoon gave way early evening and then with Lukas finally down for the evening after being sick all day, it began to really bother Mrs. LIAYF, and therefore myself as well. She couldn't find her cell phone.

All the usual household hiding places (pockets, drawers, countertops) had been checked and crossed off the list, all the time the assumption being that the phone would turn up before the day was done. But it hadn't, and she desperately needed it for a busy Monday, so we began retracing her steps since she last used it.

She had gone to work Sunday morning and had called me on her way home from the phone, so I checked the car, but the phone was not there. I asked her what was next, and a look of recognition and regret crossed her face. "Remember earlier when we loaded Lukas into the CR-V before you left this afternoon?" I did. "You handed Lukas to me to go get his diaper bag and before I grabbed him I set what was in my hands on top of the car. My phone was one of those things, but I am sure I didn't grab it off the roof!" We just looked at each other with a look of resignation. I too have left things on top of the car often. It's especially easy while loading a kid into a car seat!

It was late and dark, so I grabbed a flashlight and went to the street for a look around. Nothing. I walked down the block with the flashlight perusing the curb hoping to get lucky, but the incident had been several hours earlier. It could be anywhere. As I came back to the house, already forming a plan of how we were going to get Mrs. LIAYF a new phone, as an afterthought I pointed the flashlight one last place and amazingly found her phone.

On top of the car!

I had driven over bumpy streets, up and down hills, a total of at least 5 miles round trip, but that phone remained where it had been placed. Mrs. LIAYF recently confessed to coveting an iPhone. It's a good thing we had not purchased one for her because I'm convinced it would not have survived the trip.

The free phone we received for signing up for our plan 3 years ago. It found it's way home!

7 comments:

Jason Roth said...

It's amazing that it stayed on the roof. You definitely don't drive like I do.

Is it insured?

Ed (zoesdad) said...

It's like sunglasses. The $150 pair I'll lose in 3 days. Give me a $1.99 dimestore pair and I'll keep them for years!

Glad you found it.

Anonymous said...

My Timex made its way to NC and back on the roof of my car. Talk about taking a lickn and keep on tickn.

Anonymous said...

That is incredible. I am not sure if it a testament to the "stickiness" of the phone or possibly of you driving like a Grandma.

James (SeattleDad) said...

@VegasDad - I am not a tame driver by anyones stretch.

@Ed - That is the weird law I'm talkin bout! cheap shit stays with you for some odd reason.

@DC - See above, Timex not Rolex!

@MTAE - Well I am pretty cozy with my new space heater!

Anonymous said...

That's one hell of a loyal phone, James :-) My wife wants an iPhone, too. Let me know what y'all end up doing, but I'd say that phone just earned itself a free pass for another year!

James (SeattleDad) said...

@Rob - At the rate we are getting around to renewing our plan, that is a distinct possibility!