Game of Telephones

Actually, this is a game about telephone numbers. How many telephone numbers do you have committed to memory? And of those numbers you have memorized—how many are still valid? And how many of the numbers you have memorized belong to cell phones? Give your self one point for each valid number and three points for each cell phone number. Now subtract all the non-cell phone number points. Subtract three points for counting your own cell phone number. Seriously—that’s cheating. Subtract all the points you gave yourself for people whose cell phone number and former land line number are very similar or the same.

Anybody have more that 6 points? Because you are my hero.

I still remember my childhood home phone number, my best friend’s home number, the cute boy from high school’s home number, and my neighborhood party-line calling numbers--- but I can’t say I know ANYBODY’S cell phone number, because my cellphone knows all that. Knowing numbers is no longer my job. I have outsourced that to Siri.

Old school phone books--collect the whole set!

Which is a fine plan---until you decide to top off the battery on your cell phone before leaving for an overnight trip that culminates in an early morning airport pick up. Of course, you—and by you, I mean me—you leave your phone on the charger and it’s not until you’re two hours away from home and need to type in a directions request into your absent phone’s map app that you realize just how deep the doo-doo is. 

No phone, no directions to your overnight accommodations, no way to let your dinner companion know there’s a hiccup in the timing, no way to receive updates on your friend’s flight. Spoiler alert: the doo-doo is a least elbow deep.

Also—it is threatening to snow, did I mention that? The LAST thing you want to do is drive back home for two hours so you can start again...What to do, what to do? To be without a cell phone/crutch is like being a babe, lost in the woods. “Pretty,” helpless, and probably going to die before sunup.

Fortunately, this is not the first time I’ve ever done something “pretty,” so I’ve learned to think creatively. I’m pretty, but I can problem solve like a boss.