phone death

Let's be honest - we all love technology. We've gotten so used to being able to google, mapquest, text, and call anyone and anything. It's convenient and useful. But sometimes, when things go awry, our dependence on technology can backfire on us.

Flash back to Tuesday night. It's my long day teaching piano. I'll be in Mapleton from 3:00-5:30 and then in Provo from 6-8. McKay and I have a gift card to Outback Steakhouse that we've been waiting for the perfect time to use. I get the idea that tonight is that perfect time. So I text McKay and ask him if he wants to meet me in Orem for dinner at Outback. He agrees to the adventurous plan and asks me what time. I reply. Then a few minutes later I realize that he'll need to get the gift card from the blue Christmas box in my closet (that I put all our gift cards and fun things in). So I text him the instructions and finish my day.

Hungry, I head in the rainy dusk to University Parkway. On my way I called McKay to touch base on his status. No answer. I figure he must be taking care of some work things so I wait a bit and call again. Once again, no answer. So I send him a text telling him to call me. As I get closer to the restaurant I wonder what is going on, so I begin calling him over and over and over until I arrived at the restaurant. Well, maybe his phone died and he's waiting for me there, I thought. So I scurried through the rainy parking lot and stepped inside the restaurant. No McKay.

Hmmmm. I sat down and began a series of frantic/desperate/funny texts and emails to McKay. If his phone died he could at least get an email, if he was near his computer. Five minutes passed, ten minutes. I couldn't leave, what if McKay showed up? Maybe he got caught up in traffic, maybe he was close! But should I just wait? What if he fell asleep at home or something? What if he would never come and I'd wait to eat until closing time?? Fifteen minutes. I used the bathroom. Twenty minutes. Maybe I should just get a table and get some dinner for myself. Twenty-five minutes.

FINALLY McKay calls me. Here's what happened. He was in Draper doing a few things before going to Outback when his phone died. The phone death occurred right after I told him what time to meet me, but before I gave him the gift card instructions. When he was about half way to Orem he realized that I probably didn't have the gift card on me and he turned around to look for it at home.

Once home he frantically searched nooks and crannies hoping to spot the gift card. Unable to locate the card (which was in a pretty remote place, I'll admit). He plugged in his phone to see if he could reach me. While he waited for it to charge he checked his email which contained the frantic messages from me. Then a series of text messages came pouring in on his phone. Laughing/hating the situation, he called me back and told me the sad tale.

So we were faced with two options. I could either drive the 30 minutes home and we could scrounge around the pantry for dinner. Or I could get a table, start some drinks and appetizers and wait 30 minutes for McKay to arrive with the gift card. Easy decision!

I got a delightful Wild Berry Coconut smoothie and got munching on a bloomin' onion while McKay cruised down. When he arrived we perused the menu and ordered up steak and seafood and heaps of mashed potatoes.

The only problem . . . by the time the food arrived I was pretty full from the smoothie and bloomin' onion. But it made for a great story, a great date night, and great leftovers!

Fun memory.