Dec 4

Dec 4 Cut off...Weekly Weight Update

Tale from the week – Cut off

I’m embarrassed to admit this but on Tuesday I dropped my phone on the concrete sidewalk and shattered the screen. That isn’t the embarrassing part. People have accidents and it isn’t uncommon for someone to drop their phone and ruin their screen. The embarrassing part was learning that I was completely and utterly reliant on a piece of technology that could be lost in a split second. I shouldn’t feel so lost.

I never thought of myself as the guy who was addicted to looking at his phone. I made it a point not to look at my phone during meals. I did my very best to keep from scrolling through Facebook and Twitter while playing with the kid. I even ignored the vibrating in my pocket of an incoming email while reading a book because I wanted to at least finish the page before digging into pants to retrieve the magical device.

Then, in an instant, it was gone. I was scrambling to get a new phone but the insurance company was giving me the run around. I submitted forms online only to receive email messages telling me to call a number to provide additional information. How am I supposed to call you when my phone doesn’t work? That doesn’t make any sense at all. I had to find a way.

I went into a Sprint store on Tuesday night (forgoing my workout) to try and get a replacement phone. Because I had the insurance I wasn’t able to procure a phone from the store but had to contact the insurance company. I used a phone in the store to call and then used the store’s fax machine in order to submit the appropriate forms. By 7:40pm on Tuesday night the claim had been submitted but with my phone being my only communication device for personal and business use I was very anxious to get the phone as soon as possible.

I woke up Wednesday morning and ran downstairs like a child on Christmas morning to check my email and hopefully the status of my phone claim. I was greeted with another email message asking me to call the insurance company to further discuss the claim. Seriously? How was I supposed to call the insurance company? I hopped in my car and made my way over to the home of the only person that I know that still has a land-line phone: my dad.

I’m lucky that it is only a few miles away. I got in the house, set up shop, and called the number. I was finally able to get through to someone in real life who processed my claim and got my new phone on the way. However, I wouldn’t be receiving my new phone for another 24-hours. The stress continued even though getting a new phone from an insurance company in less than 48-hours was a miracle of modern technology and communication. It was an odd feeling to be disconnected from something that I have come to rely on so much.

By 1:00pm on Thursday I had received my replacement phone. I was able get it activated and the various apps that I use on a regular basis downloaded and installed on the phone in a matter of hours. I got everything completed in time to make my business meeting by 4:00pm on Thursday afternoon. A great weight was lifted from my shoulders knowing that I was finally reconnected to the world around me.

The entire process made me feel uneasy and conflicted. It is embarrassing to think that I’m so reliant on a piece of technology that I could barely go about my day-to-day life without having this tiny chunk of plastic and metal in my pocket. On the other hand, it really isn’t any different than times passed except that the various machines and devices that past generations may utilize and rely upon have been combined into a single machine. An accountant that was working in the early- to mid- 1990s would still rely on all the same equipment (telephone, email, computer, fax, etc.) except they would have been multiple machines hard-wired into walls instead of in the palm of a hand. So, am I really any different from any other generation when it comes to work? An accountant in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s would have been reliant on an adding machine, 10-bar paper, and a red pencil. I just happen to use different equipment.

So, I shouldn’t be too embarrassed. It wasn’t like I couldn’t feed myself or cloth myself without the assistance of my phone. I was still able to go for a run. I was still able to read a book (yep, a real paper book and everything). I was still able to live. I just gave me a big wake-up call as to how reliant I am on technology for my livelihood.

Weekly Weight Update

Ugh. It is a good thing I’m not anywhere close to a scale this week because I’m sure I would break it. Okay, so the “ugh” might be a bit of an overstatement. The past few days were very much full of overeating and overdrinking. It is to be expected when I go away with Rizzo for the weekend, sans Cece, for a mini-vacation to see A Christmas Carol. The recap of that will be coming soon to your favorite blog site but needless to say, we did it up right and we didn’t work out once while we were in Minneapolis. Not to say I didn’t work out at all this week. I got in a few runs and even went out for a super early morning run on Friday morning before our flight to make sure I didn’t get too far behind. It will be challenge to get back in to the normal routine this coming week but I’ll do it and see how I’m doing at the end of the week.

For the second consecutive month, I have come out victorious in the Bring It On! challenge. It was a rough week, especially at beginning and end with driving back from North Carolina on Sunday and then getting in some flight days to and from Minnesota. The result was lower mileage for both Rizzo and I but I was able to squeeze in just enough to give me a victory of 167.6 miles to Rizzo’s 167.0 miles. Looks like I’ll be seeing movie real soon (either Doctor Strange, if it is still in theaters, or Rogue One). I’m looking forward to a big screen adventure. Rizzo did take a victory for the week with 38.4 miles to me 36.7 miles and that also gives her an early, .3-mile lead in December but there is lots of month left for me to bring that back.

P.S. Not too many bonus pictures from this week as most of them are from the trip to Minnesota and those will be part of that post but here are a few.