2020-05-25 - 8:07 p.m.

An accomplishment this week was successfully getting my cell phone to work without having to purchase a new phone.

I received a messsage that TRAC phone was no longer supporting my phone as service was being upgraded. I knew from years in telecom that is an oversimplification.

Otherwise known as a lie.

Bullshit

I suppose because I knew this I was determined to find the work around.

So the first thing I did was comfirm my suspicion by looking at phones for sale to new users hoping to turn on service.

Sure enough my phone model is still being sold.

So next step was google to find out how to re-set up an existing phone and switch the # off the existing network to be active on the upgraded one.

Really trac phone could do this, and I am sure its not that hard. I am sure its a matter of a data file to delete data operationally at one point on the 2G network ( likely Verizon network) and then uploading same data points of imed, sim , phone # onto the new 3G or 4G network.

But rather than operationally work with Verizon on some set up files, the first method Trac Phone employs is to try to get customers to buy into the notion the HAVE to buy new phones.

So much wrong with that customer service. Yet the business choice is profitable as many like an excuse to upgrade their phones.

I feel irritated at the fact I made the bad choice to upgrade already as frankly quality of life decreased for me when more connected to technology. I missed the simplicity of the old phone without all the distractions on it.

So after finding a work around to keep the phone one already owns active on the new network has been successfully done by others, I followed their guidance and ordered a new SIM card .

It came, about a week or two ago.

Oh in the interim I had two weeks with text only working. (Maybe more- cause work was BUSY and setting up a phome takes time and at end of day it wss the last thing I cared to spend my limited free time on! No one uses the phone anymore anyway....its oasse. People don't even have time for the courtesy of listening to voice messages left anymore.)

So once the SIM card arrived with the Bring Your Own Phone set up instructions I fully understood why my 19 year old still has no phone service.When she went off as a freshman other parents were typically freaking out at their kid leaving and not being connected. In our case we were half way on the drive to drop her off at college when it occurred to me she has a phone on which she uses internet and text only and perhaps it would be a good idea to add phone service , just in case she wants to call. ( all phones have 911 functionality even without service so it is not needed for emergencies)
So we stopped at a grocery store and I bought her a phone card with minutes, but I think she did not have the missing piece of the SIM card.
In her case just as well as frankly she would never call anyway and ot may be just a bit less hurtful to know she can't easily.
She will reach out when she wants or needs something from me.
She is with Dad, along with the youngest I called and left a message to have them call back but that didn't happen. Fine they are there finishing up school work for the year.Dad wont bring then to me until the Covid ban on unnecessary travel lifted. Of course the ban accounts for allowing kids to go between homes. Their Dad did not trust if they came here they would be protected from Covid , so early on attested he wont bring them here until its over

I think we are just all too tired to argue with him. It wears one down and just not worth it.
I would argue if the girls wanted me to,but they don't . They too assess it's not worth it.

I figure its not so bad for them to be there where he makes sure they are engaged in tmkeeping the household chores done. It wont hurt them to take care of their home there. They should have plenty of time for schoolwork.(Unlike when we ran a farm and the chores just never seemed to end.)

Soren is currently enjoying tending to his garden, growing beautiful herbs and veggies. Lovely phoyo of basil he shared.
My oldest is house sitting and took care of the backyard garden as it was fetting kind of wild. She sounded like she enjoyed that. I recall how much she actually enjoyed weeding. We would sit and weed row after row if Kale, radish, green beans and zuccini and pumpkin.

We grew potatoes and sunflowers and marvelous melons.

Its funny to not have a garden plot this year. It just felt sad last year to not have anyone excited to garden with me. June had a fabulous house rented fir just a year or so and last summer she asked if I would help her garden at her new place. I barely had time to get over there and help her let alone get out to twnd to my plot in the town garden.

One teen did help me plant last year, one Spring day, but after that had no interest or energy to come out again.

Anyway, back to the phone story. Thu night I tried to set up the phone after getting my teen to help me open up the phone to put in a new SIM card . After the SIM card I ordered for .99 arrived a week (or so) prior , I had been excited to try my hand at the work around of setting up the phone as if it was an existing number being added to TRAC phone service for the first time. I however quickly lost enthusiasm and motivation to keep trying in that moment when I couldn't figure out how to open the phone. So here it was weeks after only having use of text ( which works as honestly only my boss regularly texts me anyway, and no one calls. I really don't use the phone much as all).

I just prefer the simplicity of my old fashioned land line (and cant bring myself to see value in paying for an intrusion of a cell phone. To me they seem downright intrusive to people's peace of mind.)

Yet I am here hypocritically typing on this cell phone.

It is like a computer to me.(Since I dont current have A computer)

I am the anti tech contract manager subject matter expert on technology contracts.

So after my teen helped I swapped out the SIM and promptly lost the texting history of my phone number. I tried to activate the phone and got a message " this # is already activated"
"Call tracphone"

Hell no.
I know they will not be of help with a work around to their marching order of telling folks the phone is not supported.

So...
I gave up.
It was Thu night and I was tired.

I had not even washed dishes from dinner but left them in the sink ( something I truly rarely do but of late if work a 10 hr day , then cook and eat at 8 or later sometimes, I just have no energy left ans rinse and stack to take care of in the morning).

Friday I recall I awoke and took Bellatrix for a nice walk and returned to make my coffee and log on at 8:30 sharp. We have a morning team call, and Igit in the zone working on mastering an application I really needed to get hands on with and learn. I FORGOT that when I swapped and tried to set up the new SIM it did not work the night before!

Oops...around 10 I checked application on my work computer to see my boss was tryimg to reach me!

She called and left a voicemail on the office line ( which was supposed to be forwarded to my land line! Not sure what happened there)
And it started "Boy when you disconnect. You REALLY disconnect....call me ..."

Oops. It was fine as I did reach her and apologized.

Friday was an unusual day as it was NOT busy like usual!
Around 3pm I tackled my phone project again. This time I again got help from my teen, and swapped out the new SIM with the old one that had been in my phone. All my texts came back.
I then bought minutes and a 30 min plan; unlimited texts and 3Gigs data for 19.99 I think. It worked! I tuned the phone off and back on and messages started coming in....
From my boss..
From friend that sent kitten pics that would not download when no service other than simple text ( from last weekend) , from my neighbor (Unavailable Lover....he seems to go about three weeks and then can't stand the thought of me not being a possibility so feels some compulsion to call. He's that kind of guy.Stokes his ego to think he has options, even if yet again its only himself he is deceiving.)

Do I have phone service again.
Has it impoved my quality of life?
Only thing thus far it has offered for me really is this somwhat banal topic to write of.
Therefore, NO
However it is gratifying to still be successful in avoiding supporting those that profess to aspire to "Rule the Air".
My one act of resistance.

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