Rushridge's Blog

My hubby hauled me to Fargo the other day…kicking and screaming all the way. OK, maybe I’m exaggerating just a little. But I definitely was not a totally willing partner in his latest endeavors to bring me up to warp speed in the technology department. To tell the truth, he was just trying to be nice and give me a present. But from the standpoint of a relatively computer illiterate person, this was down and out extreme torture. I liked my old tried and true flip phone no matter what kind of quizzical looks I received when I answered. Of course, maybe the raised eyebrows were from the extremely realistic coyote howl ringtones emanating from my rustic device. Or perhaps, the shocked bystander looks came from the handy cell phone holder I devised – guaranteed not to lose a phone even at a gallop or a dismount of the buck-worthy kind. However, due to the laws of gravity, I learned via the school of murky dunks, to remove my cell phone from its handy holder – my bra – while bending over the horse water tank. But that’s another story….

Anyway, a gal just can’t refuse a present from her hubby, no matter how intimidating it may be. So I gamely let the Verizon employee lead me to a Smartphone said to be “extremely user friendly.” I found myself dreaming longingly of the days when all phones did was call people who cared as he proceeded to show me all the bells and whistles of what this contraption was capable. I smiled politely, trying to disguise my panicked deer in the headlights look, and nodded in appreciation as he pointed out the camera with video, flashlight, internet and a baffling sundry of contraptions and applications even a Swiss Army knife would be jealous of. He then punched buttons and chatted idly as he programmed the beast and after a swift swipe of hubby’s credit card, sent us along our merry way.

Now hubby, being the supportive guy he is, tried to clue me in on the ways of the Droid. Honestly, I really tried to make friends with The Beast. Perhaps I should have paid better attention at the store because truthfully, it took me less than a half day to beat that new phone into submission…locking its programming up tighter than a lariat on a cantankerous bull. My hubs snorted and giggled until he was promised a cell phone suppository. Then I, red-faced and apologetic, bit the bullet and returned The Beast to the phone geek store where they managed to fix my mess without laughing…until I walked out the door.

With a newfound determination and cowgirl spirit, I steeled my mind and gritted my teeth. Perhaps if I just tried a little harder, I could tame The Beast. I punched buttons and Googled. I App’d and I synced.  Low and behold, after a few wet saddle blankets, The Beast and I were loping a victory circle to the fluttering of Angry Birds. Now when the coyotes howl, I’ll answer with pride as I whip out The Beast….if it behaves, I might even buy it a real cell phone holder!