![\"Screaming](\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/western-grebe-spring-open-bill-mia-mcpherson-2176.jpg\" "\\"Screaming")
Screaming Western Grebe<\/span><\/p>\nWas how much craziness would ensue. And yes, there have been times this week I felt like screaming.<\/p>\n
The grebe above isn’t actually screaming, but it does look like it was. Sometimes I edit photos of my bird and animal subjects that make me laugh and save them in my files in case they work well with something I might write about. This was one of those funny images.<\/p>\n
My new cell phone was scheduled to arrive on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, my old cell phone decided to go crazy. I couldn’t get past the lock screen.<\/p>\n
At first, I simply couldn’t see the keypad to enter my pass code. Then I figured out where the numbers were and managed to get into the phone. For all the good that did. Every screen I tried to access was black. I couldn’t do anything.<\/p>\n
My phone toyed with me for a while, and then the lock screen completely froze. It stopped responding to my touch altogether.<\/p>\n
The problem was that I needed my old cell phone to approve a message in their app from my previous carrier for a number transfer PIN, but I couldn\u2019t view those messages or approve them on the phone.<\/p>\n
The only thing I could do was use the Phone Link app on my laptop, which was connected to the old phone, to view and send text messages or make phone calls. More accurately, I used the app to dial numbers and then talked on my phone.<\/p>\n
I spent hours chatting with my old carrier Wednesday night and Tuesday morning while logged into my account through my laptop browser. I talked with at least 11 technicians (possibly more), but nothing worked or was resolved.<\/p>\n
Whenever they texted me a link to grant access, I kept ending up on the security page of my account. I desperately wanted to keep my old phone number, I\u2019ve had it for 24 years.<\/p>\n
I logged out of my account and waited for the carrier\u2019s “normal hours” to call them. That last technician was able to text me a link, and when I clicked it, I could finally generate the number transfer PIN. I could have danced!<\/p>\n
My troubles weren\u2019t completely over, but I finally managed to activate my new phone with the new carrier.<\/p>\n
I lost my contacts but was able to retrieve text messages from my bricked old cell phone and used them to rebuild my contact list. It took a lot of time, but hey, I ended up weeding out quite a few numbers I don\u2019t need anymore.<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t shut the old phone off, it doesn\u2019t work, but sooner or later, the battery will go flat, and that hunk of junk will be toast.<\/p>\n
Maybe my old phone took revenge on me because it knew it was about to be replaced. Who knows?<\/p>\n
Anyway, yes, there were moments this week when I felt like screaming. But this morning, I\u2019m heading out into nature and away from technology for some peace, relaxation, and joy.<\/p>\n
Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n Mia<\/p>\n P.S., I switched to Visible<\/span><\/a>, which for a single person has much better pricing than my previous carrier.<\/p>\n