Phones, life

Friday morning, I purchased a used phone through a friend at work. It is an iPhone 7, red. It belonged to a teenage daughter of the friend of the friend. I was willing to make it work, but I started off with some difficult issues. There was no icon for the App Store on the phone so I could not upload the apps I needed to make the phone serviceable to me long term. There was no Safari icon on the phone, further limiting the functions I needed. Last, but by far, not least, there was no audio. When I put my sim card into the phone and did the required updates, I could make a call, but I could not hear or be heard. That pretty well negated any ability to use the phone.

I got off at lunch Friday so Mama and I took the phone to the Cricket store to see if there was an issue that they could help me resolve. The staff there found out that the issue was with the latest software update recently released by Apple. If the audio chip is not 100%, the software will not recognize the audio chip. Hence, no sound. Apple was aware of the glitch but the only place to get that addressed was at the Apple store, an hour away. Mama and I went there next. Queued in for a two hour plus wait to see a technician and went to dinner. When we arrived back at the store – having been notified by text that we were in the short queue, we met with a reformed tech who was now in sales. He quickly explained that the only fix was to replace the phone - $399. Disappointed, we shopped briefly for a phone, but the prices were prohibitive. In the end, we were given a gift card for $150. The price offered when trading in the phone. We left without a working phone, but with the gift card. That was Friday.

Saturday, Mama spent the day with Cheyenne and Aubrey. It was Cheyenne’s birthday and her parents could not get off to do anything with her. Cheyenne spent the night with us Friday night – chattering endlessly – and Mama and Victoria picked up Aubrey Saturday morning for a day of eating out, shopping and a run through the trampoline park in Denton. They were home in the early evening. I stayed at the farm so I could get our trailer tires replaced in order to get it back in service. When I got back from picking up the cattle panels last week, I noticed that one tire on the left side was completely shredded and the other tire on that side was worn thin. Finding replacements proved difficult and expensive – but doable. Once that was done, I worked on little projects around the farm.

Saturday night, Victoria talked me into getting onto her cellular plan. When we explored the options, she was able to add me for about what I now pay on my separate plan – phone charges included. She was able to upgrade Mama’s phone as well. So, Mama and I will have new phones on the way. I am not sure that was the best answer, but it was the path chosen. That being set in motion, I gave the gift card to Victoria who used it to buy a refurbished Apple Watch. I suppose it was a win-win-win. Time will tell. Today I am still without a phone, but that should be short-lived. I was able to return the phone to the seller and get my check back.

Yesterday, Dr Carl Baugh was at our church. It is always fascinating to hear him speak. I asked him a question about getting the message of Creation to a culture not trained to consider it as an option. I asked if there was one particular thought we could share that could spark a question in their minds to consider Creation. He offered the following thought. Only life begets life. Chemistry does not, cannot produce life – ever. The Big Bang, the primordial soup, the proteins available cannot produce life; especially in the diverse complexity we have all around us. Only life produces life. Every life reproduces after its own kind. Without exception. A simple, amazingly complex thought.

I will have to stew on that.