Casper and Jasper

So, when Rojo turned 15 last July, we got him a cell phone. Said cell phone promptly got named, Casper, and became an appendage. Rojo was never without it except to sleep, where it then lay on the kitchen counter charging, so he'd have it bright and EARLY the next morning. We had to set up some rules, "Don't text ANYONE more than 5 times a day." (I believe Nancy holds the record at 62 texts in one day. Most of them the same text sent multiple times, as she had the audacity to be driving when he wanted her Right. That. Minute.) Another rule was, "No texting before 7:00 AM on the weekdays, and 8:00 AM on the weekends."

The point of him having a phone was to be able to reach him when he was over at the dog park, and for him to be able to reach us, should there be a problem. For the most part, he is excellent about responding to our calls and texts, but there have been times when he's had it on silent, "So nobody would bother him," thus, completely making the whole point of having a cell phone, well, pointless.

We were smart and bought the insurance for Casper, knowing that the reality was, the phone was going to get lost, broken, or dropped in a toilet. We had several 24-hour periods where Casper went missing, always to be found by me, of course, in the most unlikely places.

Last Friday I picked Rojo up from school and he had Casper. He told me the weather forecast for the next 5 days. He told me the frozen yogurt flavors they posted on his favorite place's Website. He texted his friends. He had the flippin' phone. Then it disappeared. Completely went missing. We checked the car. Three times each. We moved seats, pulled out all the crap in there and tore the thing apart - no phone. We/I tore the house apart. Under beds, every drawer, closet and cupboard, behind cushions, you name it. No Casper.

I told him it had to be missing three days before ordering him a new phone. On day #4 I called, plunked down the $45 replacement fee, and was instructed it would be at our house between 7 AM and 6 PM the next day - and a signature would be required to receive it. I cleared my calendar. I stayed home all damn day. I didn't even go in the backyard to pull weeds in case the doorbell rang and I didn't hear it. I showered and dried my hair prior to 7 just so that wouldn't interfere with anything. I cancelled my walk with a friend. I arranged someone else to pick up Rojo and his friend from school. Finally, about 3:00 PM UPS came, I ran to meet the driver. He handed me the package and jumped back in his truck.

"What? No signature? That's it? I can just have it?"

"No, you're all good," he said.

Grrrrrrr...

I set about activating the new phone, entering in all the contact information I had in my phone, that I knew he'd want in his. When he got home from school it was all ready to go. "Oh, Jasper, you're here! I love you, Jasper!" He immediately took Jasper and headed down to see his dogs and their owners.

Yesterday, I had to give STM's parents a ride in my car, and I opened up the back door and moved the towel that is in there for Flicka to lie on, and there was the flippin' phone. I looked under that towel once. Twice. Three times. Possibly four. Or maybe five. That phone was NOT under that towel, then it was. Just like that.

It's silly to get all worked up about a lost cell phone and the better part of a week spent looking for it. Sometimes what we need to do is stop looking for what alludes us, and let it find us.