Everyone is asking, so I guess I’m telling the story of my crossing over.

So I wrote a song about it (not really) wanna hear it? It goes something like this:

I had done a little research before going on this jaunt.
As I suggested before, the move from landline to cellular was weighing on my mind, as I was moving into a house with literally no phone lines attached to it. So it made sense to make the jump.

But to where?

See, I knew enough to be dangerous, but knew so little at the same time.

I asked close, local, friends, first. I went to The-Evil-Doctor-Merlin-Channing-Lowe-Jr., first, as, since his Med School Days, he had at least two pieces of cellular technology attached to his belt at all times. (It made swimming awkward, but Chan was a master.)
He suggested that I go with Sprint.
I took that suggestion to Growler, who is a lover of all things cellular and wireless. He also suggested Sprint.
Sprint seemed to have the best coverage (and word of mouth net promoter VOC) for the area. Plus add that Joe and Ang are on Sprint, the provider made sense.

Growler also suggested that I visit the local Sprint Store to get things started (and get answers to the questions he could not answer)

So, picture it, Monday November 9, 2009: A shuddering 98 Buick Regal rolls into the Parking Lot of the Sprint Store.
There were two customer service agents there, and three customers. I was the third. I was patient. I wont say if my hands were shaking or not, but I was feeling a little overwhelmed.

I centered myself around the female attendant, hoping she would soften the blow of this massive lifestyle change. After bidding her previous customer goodbye, she greeted me, this tech-savvy Generation Xer. “How can I help you?”
I paused. I was at the point of no return. I took a deep breath.
“This is a big step for me.” I admitted. “This is my first Cell Phone purchase.”
She just looked at me with a face of disbelief. “You’re kidding.”
I hung my head in shame. “No.”
I knew I was the fool.

I asked if I could move my landline to this phone, and she said it was possible, and I would need to do some homework on my end, but we could get started that night, and supply me with a temporary number until we “ported” the old number to this new account.
She immediately walked me over to the phone models. I knew this part, I wanted the Cheap-As-In-Free model. And I had a choice of two. I chose the one with the least frills, because I knew I would also be getting one of the no-frills plans, so I would not need any dazzle on my phone.
I even objected to the camera.

So, like a small child, I was lead into the dark forest of cellular contracts. The attendant was very kind, realizing that I had a fragile ego at this point. I was fortunately able to laugh at myself, and my predicament, and she appreciated my sense of humor, even if it was extremely self-deprecating (even for me.) And complimented me at laughing at her jokes. I could not help it, I was nervous.

Finally, I signed my soul away with a 2-year contract. And I knew the worst was over.

Well, not the worst.

She handed my new, activated, cell phone to me.

I think it burned.

The other customers did not appreciate my impression of the Wicked Witch of the East.
(Okay, that didn’t happen.)
But, when I left the store, I felt like a defeated man.

I arrived home, and saw Growler, I just made a face. He inquired, and I pulled the black box assassin of joy from my pocket.

Jeff pointed at me, and laughed.

That is probably the best reaction to what had just happened.