Holy broken phone Batman!

My phone is broken. Why? I do not know. I took it out of my pocket last night and it said "Insert SIM." Now, this had happened to me before, so i shut off my phone, took out the battery, took out the SIM card, and put it back in. I tried starting my phone up again, but to my dismay, "Insert SIM" came back on the screen.

Needless to say, I am not a happy camper.

I called the Cingular people for some help. I got a lady who sounded like she knew what she was doing, but in all reality, could do nothing for me but tell me to go to the nearest Cingular store. I asked her why the phone would just stop recognizing the SIM card and she told me that sometimes the phone malfunction. Wonderful! I don't drop my phone in water or step on it, but it still decides to malfunction.

Needless to say, I am still not a happy camper.

So, this morning, i get up at 8:15am in order to shower and get ready before making a journey to the Cingular store on University. I planned my bus trip on the Madison Metro site and had my bus pass ready to go. I get on the bus outside Chadbourne which takes me to the corner where the Cingular store is. I get out and walk up to the door to find out the store doesn't open till 10am. I got there at 8:55am.

Needless to say, I am starting to be an angry camper.

It is partially my fault for not looking up the hours of the store (I just assumed the open at 9am). I have to be back by 10:30am for work, so waiting until 10 is out of the question. Instead, i get a bagel from Panera and head to the bus stop to wait for the buss that will take me back to campus. However, I find that the bus i planned to take no longer stops at that corner.

Why is this happening to me?!? It seemed like everything was going wrong!

Well, instead of stressing out anymore, I decide to just get on the first bus that comes and ride it around for a while. It was an interesting trip. It went south for a while, then west, then back east till it finally got to Johnson Street. I got off the buss and walked home.

What I thought would be a very productive morning turned into an adventure of sorts where nothing but consuming a bagel and riding around aimlessly on a bus were accomplished. My phone still says "Insert SIM," and I am more confused about the transit system than i was before this morning.

What this morning has shown me is that not having a phone, as much as i don't really want to admit it, makes me feel disconnected from the world. Technology is so important in today's society that if one thing malfunctions, a feeling of hopelessness ensues. If you are without technology, it is almost as if you cannot function as a member of society. People rely so much on technology, using it for many different things, like e-mail or phones or calendars.

...It has also shown me that I need to take the bus (other than the 80,81, 82, or85) more often.

To conclude, if anyone is good with phones (or bus routes for that matter), let me know. I am open to suggestions on how to fix this problem.