So two weeks prior to my exciting writer’s trip to the Grand
Circle area of the Southwest U.S., I brought home Isabella, the beautiful
iPhone 6. I downloaded some key apps for my trip and practiced photography at
the Wild
About Game event. I wasn’t wild about my photos but was determined to do
better soon.
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| Acoma Pueblo |
As we traveled we talked, toured, photographed and ate. It
was a great tour. But what was especially needed was tutoring. And, much to my
surprise, a wonderful writer from New York City, noted author of the bridal and
lifestyle site, The Anti Bridezilla,
took me on as a student. Soon Isabella was taking panoramic shots, videos and
more. Instagram hearts grew in number as I relied more and more on my iPhone
for trip photography.
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| Journalist Dorian, the Anti-Bridezilla, was instrumental in helping me rely more and more on my iPhone for photos. |
Eventually, it was time to return home. I took a last
photograph of the modern but small Grand Junction Colorado airport and put my
iPhone away. A short turbo-prop flight took me to Denver where I walked into
the terminal and immediately was hit with the fact that I wasn’t in the rural desert
anymore. I also had not been flying for some time and one forgets what air travel is like nowadays.
The terminal was huge and I had to rush from one end to the
other to pick up luggage and hand transfer it to my next flight on Southwest
Airlines. I took a motorized cart ride to the inter-terminal train, arrived at
the main terminal, found my luggage and took my iPhone out to show the agent my
boarding pass. It was then that everything went to Hell in a hand basket as
they say.
The image didn’t come up, the agent asked me to remove the
tags from my suitcase, I put the iPhone down to do that and the agent quickly
handed me a printed boarding pass. I had yet to pass through TSA security so
grabbed it and walked briskly to the HUGE security area under a HUGE American
flag.
Meanwhile Isabella, unbeknownst to me, was abandoned…. left
at the check in counter, alone. Ultimately some kind soul found her and turned
her in. But I was busy disrobing and tossing my carefully packed belongings
into bins. Barefoot, I went through the de-humanizing process of the security
checkpoint. I quickly picked up my gear and put my shoes on. Where to next? The
train again!
I boarded the train to my gate area and noticed how crowded
it was. I thought a photo was in order. I reached for Isabella but … she was
gone! The train stopped, discharged passengers and I found my gate.
Meanwhile Isabella was frantic. She knew she’d miss the
flight. I was frantic. I went through everything I had, checking all pockets.
No Isabella! I approached the gate agent and told him my story. He did call the
ticketing area but they hadn’t seen my iPhone.
He was kind enough to send an E-mail to my friend who was picking me up
in Portland and was expecting a confirming phone call.
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| The multi-level Denver Airport isn't easy to navigate when you are in a hurry. |
Later I was told they paged me but I didn’t hear or see
anything. By then I was no longer human. I was B-1 in line to board.
On board, after the drink and snack service, I asked to
speak to the flight attendant. I told him my story. He said to contact the
Baggage Department in Portland as that is who would be responsible for lost
items. (By then I was praying that Isabella was still in the hands of SWA
employees because I had faith in their systems and growing fear of anything
related to the Denver Airport.)
Once in Portland, I rushed to the Baggage Office. The staff
member there gave me the phone number for the SWA Baggage Office in Denver. Safely
in my friend's car, I borrowed her phone and called… no voice mail came on and
no one answered. I was pretty stressed by then.
I arrived home, jumped in my car and went back to the
airport area to the Verizon Store in Cascades. There we logged on to the iCloud
and found that Isabella was no longer on and was not transmitting her location.
It was there that they kindly allowed me to use the phone and I did reach DEN SWA
Baggage. Mary answered… a real human being. She said there were several cell
phones there and she would check for mine and send me an email (since I had no
phone). She was very accommodating.
I rushed home and stopped to pick up dinner on the way. I
looked down at the iPad Mini that I brought with me for email. There was an
email from Mary. Isabella had been found! She was there! All that I needed to
do was to get a FedEx account and let Mary know so they could send Isabella
home. I was so excited!
The next day I headed over to the FedEx office near my home.
I signed up for an account on their computer and the next step was to receive
the account number via email. I had hoped to get everything taken care of at
the FedEx office but they would NOT let me use the computer to get the email
unless I rented some time. And they would NOT let me use the phone to call DEN SWA
Baggage. I was NOT pleased.
So I went home, picked up the FedEx email with the account
number and, via Facebook messaging, asked my friend to make the call for me.
She did so and communicated with me via email that Isabella
the iPhone would be riding on a huge FedEx jet in order to get home the next
day. And, I was told, I’d better be at home so sign for her!
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| Home again! |
So Isabella’s adventure is now over and she is happily
recharging here in the office. This has all happened thanks to the good folks
at Southwest Airlines, at the Verizon Store in Cascades and to my patient
friend, Wendy. I can soon continue my
adventures in iPhone photography. And, I have learned my lesson. I will get
insurance on my phone!
It has taken a village to bring little lost Isabella home
and I’ve appreciated the kindness of the people along the way.
And, if you want to see the quality of iPhone 6 photos that
Isabella produces, follow me on Instagram.
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