First Nerd Problems

Yesterday was one of those days where Murphy seemed to be above me making sure that little rain-cloud never strayed too far. Ah, a mixed metaphor is always fun on a Saturday morning.

Anyway, to get to school I take two buses and a train. It takes about 90 minutes which is not ideal but for a reader like myself, it's really not too bad. I've been spending three mornings a week deeply enthralled with my new best bud, George R.R. Martin (or GRRM if you're super cool and constantly tweet about #ASoIAF). But, more about that later.

My first bus was 20+ minutes late, and that borders on the line of being late for class (as in missing half of it because of missed connections). So I rushed over to catch a different bus that required a two block run to catch the train — which was also late. I was so stressed I couldn't read (which is the most frustrating feeling in the world). I finally got onto the third bus of my journey and pulled out my eReader to delve into A Feast of Crows. I have a Nook Color, one I received for my birthday the year before last and up until the last few days I have loved it. I read The New York Times on it, I've read all the GRRM books that I have on it, so on and so forth. But out of nowhere it's started turning itself off randomly and once awakened it's lost my page. Ack! GRRM tends to write pretty exciting things at the end of chapters and it's a huge pain in the butt to have search around and not have the event spoiled (I hate spoilers like River Song).

Source

By the time I was on my return trip it stopped doing the irritating thing so I was happily re-immersed into A Feast for Crows. And that's where I went wrong — I'm the kind of person who walks down the street reading, I sometimes read in the shower, even. When the bus hit the end of the line/my stop I got up, reading, and got off the bus. As the bus pulled away I realized that my iPhone was no longer in my pocket.

...

I asked a fellow at the stop if I could use his phone to call mine, maybe if the bus driver saw it light up or heard it buzz he could hold it for me? I'm such an optimist. Anyway, lawyer dude looked at me like I'd asked for a firstborn to nom on. I guess my demeanor reads "I'm going to steal your phone by lying and sell it for drugs", maybe I wasn't meant to teach Elementary School. My mood did not improve. So I hopped on the next Northbound Train hoping that two stops up I could find a Transit Cop or someone to radio in to the driver before my phone disappeared.

I don't know if you've ever had to report a lost phone to Transit Police but they look at you like, "Dude, it's over. Move on." And say things like, "Have ya heard of an app called 'JailBreak'?" to which I tried not to explain how jail-breaking and phone theft work in reality because that just wouldn't help my situation. Then they tried not to laugh at me as I explained that it must have fallen out of my pocket. So embarrassing. Also, the first thing the cop did was tell me "Call Lost and Found, the number is blah-blah-blah". "Okay, is there a payphone nearby?" I asked. Then he laughed. I sighed and tried not to cry in public.

Eventually I got a hold of my husband, after running around three different buildings and almost crying at someone. I got into the car and bawled.

"I just wanted to buy The Hobbit tote bag I saw, go to the library and fill said tote bag with books and then go to the Book Festival! Why is today so bad?!" 

That, my friends, is a First Nerd Problem.

I went home and prepared to zap my phone from a distance (sorry, Better Midler is now in my head, too). But because I am apparently a hopeful person (it goes with that whole Chaotic Neutral thing) I sent a plaintive text from DH's phone to mine: "If found please call this number: ### ### ####". I sat at home and drank bourbon and apple-cider, bemoaning my First Nerd Problems and eating Indian Food. My Gandalf the White iPhone 4 was gone. I was Frodo sad.

And then my phone called me! A bus operator had found my phone and kept it safe so no one would steal it! She was glad I'd texted because she wasn't sure what to do at first.

Holy heck, +2 faith in humanity!

And to think, I'd been musing about sending rude messages to the thief!

My favorite plan was because my Lock Screen is the image below so I thought about texting:

 Valar morghulis

Good thing I didn't! It might've made this kind woman creeped out and I may never have been re-united with my lil phone! Rejoice!

So, I've got 9 Nerd Problems but a Phone Ain't One.

But I did receive sad news about my eReader. Apparently, B&N have decided to move on to brighter pastures with a Nook HD and HD+ tablet, essentially kissing off the Nook Color. There will probably be another update (maybe two if we're lucky) but they are not producing any more of the tablets and it's not even on the Nook front page anymore. Sigh. If that is the future, do I want to be a part of it? Do I want to shell out $199 or $269 for a  new Nook later this year? Do I really like the eReading experience that much? 

I hate when I have to worry about the battery dying, especially in bed, and I miss the smell of paper. I do like that it can stand on my chest and my arms are free to pet the beagle. I also like that I don't get hand cramps from 1000+ page books. But, as the Book Hoarder that I am I feel like I don't entirely own the books I have on there. For a few crappy ones, that's fine, but for GRRM books and Christopher Buckley novels that I'd lend to friends it doesn't quite feel right.

Part of the Budget Deal I made with DH for October is that I would go one whole month without buying a book — unprecedented — which will give me time to mull over this whole Nook situation. Am I a tech geek or a stickler for the classics? Or am I, in fact Chaotic Neutral?