The bright side of being ghetto.

My experience last week with the DTW has made me very conservative when it comes to making plans.  The less ambitious you are with your time, the better.  I had two things on my To-Do-List for Monday: get a phone, get new passport pictures.  Easy enough.  Scott took me to a shopping center nearby.  They have a photo shop and a place that's supposed to have good deals on mobile phones.  We figured it'd be easy enough to knock out both my birds with one stone.  We went to the photo shop first.  The metal door was closed.  There was a hand-written sign taped to it: Closed.  Be back tomorrow.  One bird got away.  We headed back for the phone store.  No good deals.  There went our first stone, and we hadn't killed any birds.

We got back in the car and drove 10 minutes or so to another shopping center.  Craig had mentioned that they had a photo shop upstairs.  It took us two laps around the small second level to find the photo store tucked between two bigger shops.  In a little more than 5 minutes I had two new not-so-flattering-you're-not-allowed-to-smile passport pictures.  One bird down.

Getting a phone took a little longer.  I needed something cheap that could hold me over until I can get something better.  The sales guy showed me his recommendation.  It's perfect for talking and texting, he said.  Plus it only cost 10 euro.  I figured anything would be a step up from the phone I left behind in the States (which was held together by a couple layers of packing tape).  Bird number two.

Two birds.  Two stones.  Things could've been worse.

When I got back to the Karnes' house I figured I should send a text out to everyone with my new number.  I went to the "message options" menu to turn on my predictive text.  It wasn't there.  I looked under "language".  Not listed there either.  I pulled out my manual.  No mention of predictive text anywhere.  Seriously?  This phone has a stopwatch and four languages and FM radio but no predictive texting?!?!?!  How can a phone be "perfect for talking and texting" and NOT have predictive texting?

It's taken me a few days, but I've accepted the idea that I may be destined for a life of being cellularly ghetto.  I did accidentally leave the phone in the park yesterday.  It got rained on for about 30 minutes.  No one stole it and it still works... I guess that counts for something.

Note:  I have to go to the US embassy (to renew my passport) and the Irish immigration office (to get my student visa) tomorrow.  Denise is coming with me for moral support.  Please pray that everything will go smoothly.  I know that "the one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it!"--1 Thess 5:24