What do you give a girl who has four cameras?

A camera phone!

This all started during the New York trip. When the flight attendant reminded us that we needed to turn off our cell phones, I dutifully did so, even though I NEVER get calls (barring the one I got this morning from some guy asking for Mike). As I slipped it back into the pocket of my bag, I heard a slight “thunk” sound. I looked down but didn’t see anything. I figured it was just the phone hitting the bottom of the bag. Besides, I’d spent plenty of OCD moments on the trip double- and triple-checking the location of my boarding pass. I was in no mood to second-guess my ability to return my phone to its proper place.

Bad decision.

As I munched hurriedly on a chicken burrito in Detroit Metro, I reached for my phone to call my hubby – and IT WASN’T THERE!!!

I rushed back to the gate. Door closed. No attendants.

I told my traveling companions and they suggested I talk to the flight attendant at our new gate. She had a line ten deep waiting for her attention. I was defeated. Tired of traveling. Disgusted with myself for not being paranoid enough to check out the “thump” sound. Whatever.

Annoyed, I proceeded with my trip. Left a message with Scott from Susan’s phone. Headed home.

After a few days I checked Northwest’s website. Lost and found? Apparently no one loses anything. I just didn’t have the heart to hunt it down. So it was left up to my husband to contact the phone company and the insurance agency. That’s right, we had insurance. Wise folks that we are. The only problem was that it took hours — HOURS — for him to wrangle with Veri*zon and with the insurance company they contracted with. They gave him the ultimate runaround. He was peeved. Steamed. PISSED.

The result of my husband’s anger? The big V gave me a phone upgrade for $53 and a rebate of $50 to cover the insurance deductible. So I get a snazzy camera phone for $3. Not a bad deal.