In the last month I’ve had 3 cell phones. I switched over to Sprint and got a new phone. Unfortunately it sucked. So I got another new one and made plans to send the old new one back. Sprint sent me a return package, and then it just took me awhile to do anything with it. I was busy and unmotivated and full of excuses.

Finally when I had 3 hours as a passenger in the car recently, I switched over all my phone numbers into the new phone (over 150; it took WAY too much time). And then I had my old new phone deactivated and the new new phone activated.

I let a couple few days go by and then decided I have to get this sent back!

So Monday night I deleted everything off the old new phone—all the pictures, all the text messages (sent and received), all the contacts in the address book… And of course I had to stop along the way and ponder over pictures I’ll never again see. I had to re-read messages that will forever be gone. Then yesterday throughout the day I packed everything up. Gathered up all the stuff they sent with the phone – the box, the charger, the instruction manual, a “Welcome to Sprint” booklet, etc. Put it all in the box, put the box in the big padded UPS envelope, and started to go about filling out the shipping form.

I went out to the UPS Store after work yesterday, had the store manager look over the form to make sure it was all correct, and off it went. Finally!

I went back home relieved to have it finally taken care of. I sorted thru some papers, made dinner, sat down to eat dinner, popped in an episode of Arrested Development, put my feet up on my ottoman and looked down and saw my old new phone sitting on my ottoman.

!!!!!!!

What?!? Wait, which phone IS that? Is that my old old phone? Is that my new phone? I knew which phone it was; I just couldn’t believe it was true.

I ran to the kitchen, found the UPS Store’ number in the phone book, and frantically called them up. “Hi, I was in there about an hour ago, dropping off a 2nd day shipment package. I forgot to include something in the package. Is there anything that can be done?” The manager remembered me and my package, “Was that going to Sprint?” “Yah.” “If you get here within 30 minutes, it’ll still be here.” “I’ll be there in 10!”

Ten minutes later, I was there, but he couldn’t find the package. “When did you say you were in?” “An hour ago.” “Hmmm, we had one pickup… Oh, here it is.” He cut a slit in the package, slipped in the phone, and taped it back up.

And off it went, this time for real with everything (hopefully) included!