Lessons in Motherhood

On our last evening in Buffalo, we decided to go for frozen custard which is a typical Buffalo delicacy (one of maybe 5 or 6 that we MUST HAVE every time we visit). Anyway, on this particular trip we went to the most heavenly of all custard places, Fran Ceil’s, which is not to be confused with Francile’s, Franceil’s or Francine’s.  Nope.  It’s Fran Ceil’s. Don’t ask me why.  Another Buffalo mystery, like why anyone stays there during the winter (just kidding, Buffalonians…always on the defensive, aren’t you?)

Anywho, so Fran Ceil’s is the most creamy frozen custard on the planet (in this humble custard connoisseur’s opinion), but the ambiance is a bit lacking. In fact, it’s just kind of a shack with a blacktop driveway and one (count them one) metal picnic table.  See below…

Now, it was right after this picture was taken that Luke saw his entire electronic life flash before his eyes. He was showing us this picture on his iPhone4 when Hailey bumped his hand, causing him to drop his still-bumperless phone right on to the blacktop – POP!

You could hear it right away. The glass shattered. Hailey began crying immediately, but I have to say that Luke really held it together (as in he didn’t cry too). He was really quite calm and collected about it.

Here’s where the story gets a bit eerie. Last Tuesday, I had a little scare with my own iPhone4 wherein it just completely stopped working. And by not working I mean that it became completely unresponsive for about half an hour. That happened to be a critical half an hour in my life because I was waiting for the microwave-repair man to call me. Yes.  My microwave stopped working, my phone stopped working, and I was ready to jump out the window.  If ever there was a day to become a Luddite (or Amish), it was that day.  Anyway, after I locked the windows to prevent myself from jumping, I quickly made an appointment at the Apple store to have the phone looked at that evening at 7:15pm. Well, turns out, I didn’t make the appointment for that evening but for the following Tuesday because that was the first available appointment at the stupid Apple store (curses!).

Well, my phone eventually started working again, but I did not cancel the appointment because I was sure it would break again, and I would have to wait another 7 days for another appointment (how convenient!). So, I had this random appointment on this Tuesday at 7:15pm. How perfect it was when Luke’s phone cracked on Monday, we returned home Tuesday afternoon, and he was able to keep my appointment at the Apple store at 7:15 that night. What?!!?!? That’s some type of karmic Apple goodness.

But here’s the best part of the story. And maybe I should NOT tell you this part because we should have been sworn to secrecy lest everyone swarm the Apple store later today. But I’ll tell you anyway if you promise not to waltz into Apple and demand a free iPhone.  Oh crap…I just gave away the ending.  Well, anyway, do you know how much it cost Luke to replace his phone? NOTHING!!! Not a damn penny. Not that I’m complaining, but the Apple Dude just went in the back and drummed up a brand new iPhone4 for him. Like he was some type of Apple celebrity (I guess Luke failed to mention that Microsoft is his biggest client, although I’m surprised the Apple guy didn’t smell the stench of the Mother-Ship on him). Anyway, the replacement was supposed to be $200, and the Apple guy took such pity on him that he got it for free. So, does that mean that I have to take all of that stuff back about Steve Jobs because I don’t think that the $200 really makes up for the thousands of dollars in marriage counseling that he still owes me?

More pictures from the trip here.

PS: I just posted this and 2 minutes later received an email from AT&T with the subject: “Five reasons to upgrade to an AT&T BlackBerry smartphone.” Hello AT&T!?!?!? Did you not get the memo? Steve Jobs just personally handed my husband a brand new iPhone while he was at Microsoft’s headquarters mending fences….or something like that.