Three Calls and a Blessing



How Our Project Began

 I just got back from a trip "up North" to work on the house I am rennovating (with the generous help of my family). It is several hours' drive, so we go up to work infrequently, but it is a whole-family project that we are working on together and we are finally getting to the point where we can actually SEE progress being made. It is really quite rewarding.

For this visit, I drove up to the house in advance of the rest of our party. This is the year that we have called in a contractor to help with the things we cannot do for ourselves and Vern, our contractor, could only come to get [most of] the electricity working on Wednesday. So I went up to open the house for him and point to things that needed to be fixed. (The lights in the house now work. Hallelujah!)

After plugging Vern's phone number into my cell for purposes of connecting when I got to the family project, I put my dog into the car, placed my cell in the cup holder in case anybody might call me (which almost never happens because I generally do not give out my cell number) and started the long drive to the project site. The time was about 8:00 am.

Two and a half hours down the road, my cell rang. I figured it was probably my mom with something she wanted me to ask Vern, but a glance at my Caller ID showed an unfamiliar number from a strange area code. I answered the phone to find that it was Vern, calling from his company cell to set a time for him to be at the house. That was good. It saved me from worrying that he would get to the door before I was there. I put my cell back in the cup holder.

Not too long later, my cell rang again. It was another unfamiliar, but I recognized the area code as the Austin, Texas area. Every time I see an unfamiliar number from that area code, I catch my breath and HOPE my estranged husband is calling from his work. Not this time. It was a woman calling for "Denise." My name is not Denise and I have had the same cell number since 2000, so I asked what number the lady was trying to dial. She read me my number. I don't think she believed me that she was reading my number correctly and I was not Denise, but she did not call back.

A little while later, along the same stretch of road, my cell rang yet again! This time I recognized the area code and the first three digits of the number as belonging to the immediate area where I now live, but the last four digits were unfamiliar. I answered. It was Best Buy, calling about my computer. I was so happy that I actually shouted, "Hurray!"

A year ago, February, I was having such trouble with my old laptop computer that I bought a little netbook to replace it. Fortunately for me, I also invested in the Best Buy service plan. Nine months after I originally purchased it, my netbook began giving me troubles. One problem after another found me at the service counter having one or another of the help me, and wishing I had purchased a laptop rather than a netbook. My computer problems became so frequent that I am now recognized on site by some of the the Geek Squad -- and they know my name. (Of course, they could just know my name because I am FAMOUS. . . ?)

The last time I took my netbook in for repairs, it had to be sent away to have the specialist technical people replace the motherboard. This was very bad because I am in the middle of writing my first Story Unfolding (visit http://www.storyunfolding.net/ to see what I am talking about), I am still building my reader base, and I had to leave the present story unfinished for a few weeks because of computer problems. Needless to say, I have been itching for the return of my computer. When Best Buy called, a little early even, I was so happy the "Hurray!" came out before I could stop it.

The first thing I asked was if my computer was ready to be picked up. But even as I asked the question, I was thinking, "What bum luck that I am too far down the road to turn around and pick it up." The Best Buy lady seemed a little reluctant to tell me the bad news: My computer is not going to be fixed. I was approved for a refund of store credit. Hallelujah, once again! I could now spend the extra money to buy a laptop without losing my original investment in the netbook. Now for the best part.

On Sunday morning, the morning after the family got back from the project house, I went to look at new computers at Best Buy. That morning, a good laptop computer from a U.S. manufacturer that makes all its own parts and rarely has trouble with their laptop computers went on sale at Best Buy. Its purchase price was only one hundred and fifty dollars more than the store credit from my refunded netbook computer. I am now able to type my stories and blog entries on a reliable laptop computer. ((HUGE GRIN))

What a Blessing!!