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1L summer

The cost of freshness

Coffee cup

Yesterday, I drove to school so I could go to the Walter Library.

I park the car in the uber-expensive parking garage and decide it’s time to febreeze my seats.1

I febreeze the car from the back seat and then get my bag. My cellphone fell out of my pants pocket while I was driving, so I scoop the phone from the front seat and leave the ramp.

I am halfway across the Washington Avenue bridge when I decide to check my text messages. I pull my cellphone out of my pocket and notice that it is wet.

When I open the phone, the keys are drenched and the screen is white. I think, Crap! I febreezed my phone to death!

So I walk back across campus and go to the Sprint store. The guy at the Sprint store asks if the phone is water damaged. I say, “Hm. It shouldn’t be!”

Sprintguy tells me to come back in about a half hour, so I go to the Target across the street.

When I come back, one of the technicians says, “Dude, the phone is sooo water damaged. Water found its way to the interior of the phone and behind the screen! Buy a new phone, fool.”

…but smells amazing doesn’t it?

I got the second-cheapest phone, which was $200 since I wasn’t a new customer.

Sprint Samsung Phone

They said I could have gotten $75 off if I renewed my plan for another two years, but the plan is under my mother’s name, and I had no way of calling her to see if that was okay.

When I call madre and tell her about my cellphone’s death-by-febreeze, she asks “So why didn’t you just renew the plan?”

Ugh.

So now I have a new phone…and a very good-smelling dead one…


1 I enjoy a fresh car, and freshness takes maintenance.

6 Comments

  • Chere
    July 26, 2009 at 1:25 pm

    LOL…I was febreezing my apartment and accidentally got some on my printer and at first I was all, “Oh snap!” but then I just shrugged my shoulders because it smelt good 🙂

    Reply
    • Jansen
      July 26, 2009 at 2:01 pm

      I think it’s harder to kill a printer…

      …last time I heard of a printer dying was through roaches… I had a co-worker who discovered a nest of roaches in her printer, screamed, and then carried her printer to the dorm trash chute, screaming, as roaches flew from it.

      Reply
  • rebecca
    July 27, 2009 at 2:33 am

    Shady tip of the day: When you get a new cell phone…locate the little white sticker hidden carefully under the battery, then remove the little white sticker and put it somewhere safe. This little white sticker turns red when the phone is wet. I understand that the screen was wet but now you know…wait till the next day when the screen is dry and put your clean white sticker on and get a new phone…..FOR FREE. I learned the hard way.

    Reply
    • Jansen
      July 27, 2009 at 10:20 am

      Ooo…que sneaky!

      Reply
    • Jimmy
      July 27, 2009 at 5:23 pm

      Check the battery too, there’s usually another one on it (at least on crackberries).

      I’ve gotten in the habit of keeping my old phone when I get a new one so that I have a backup; my phones have been known to meet untimely demises. eBay is also your friend if you can wait a day or two.

      PS, would you say that your application of febreze is more of a pouring than a spraying? I wouldn’t think a good mist would kill a phone (I’m just sayin’).

      Reply
      • Jansen
        July 28, 2009 at 11:56 am

        Hey, I’m dedicated to freshness.

        Reply

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