Calling the little mermaid

A few months ago there was an incident with water and an electronic device in my home. Lucky for the girls and me unplugging the device and letting it sit for 24 hours solved the problem and the electronic device worked once again. The best thing about the whole thing was we solved the problem on our own and didn't need to involve the husband.

Yesterday another device that shouldn't come in contact with water did just that. I dropped my cell phone in the toilet.

It was in the pocket of my new shorts (on clearance at Target) which is a small pocket and not intended for cell phones. I used the toilet, stood up, turned to flush, and with a plop and a splash the phone landed in the urine-filled toilet. I did hesitate for three seconds wondering what had happened, but then my hand reached in and extracted the phone. Then it reached in again and pulled out the battery. Then it reached in again and pulled out the back of the phone. Jeez...three times I had to put my hand into the toilet. I think I also yelled, "Shit" at the top of my lungs, but since the bathroom door was shut no one heard my cry.

I couldn't decide to dry my phone first or wash my hand, but remembering that someone had once told me urine was more sterile then water, and remembering the anger from my husband when I washed my last cell phone in the washing machine, I opted to dry the phone first and wash my hand last. I shook the water out and kept drying and muttering, "Shit" over and over.

The phone is now lying out for the prescribed 24-hour wait. I did try it soon after the incident and it did power right up, but the address book wanted to keep moving quickly from name to name without settling on a name to call so I took the phone apart and decided to air it out overnight. Unfortunately, with a father-in-law in the hospital, I had to come clean with my husband, who in situations like this, becomes my father. "Well, you're going to have to just be without a phone for like the next two years until the contract allows you another free phone."

And treating him like I would have my father, I did not mention the other water/electronic device incident in which we solved the problem with a 24 hour drying period.

Better to fix the problem and then smile smugly. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Because if it doesn't work this blog will be my only communication with the outside world...