It Can't Be This Hard...Can It?

Yesterday, Jay sent me on an errand, so I headed off to the big city. It was in a really rough part of the city, with many building and houses having windows boarded up (including the business I had to go to) . There wer apartment buildings, and you could tell by the condition of the buildings that they were probably low income housing. And there were quite a few people on the ground. Literally, on the ground. There were some sitting on curbs, some leaning against trees, laying down, etc. The one thing they all had in common was they were either drinking something that had a brown paper bag around it, or they were smoking something...and it was not a cigarette. To say that I was out of my comfort zone is a HUGE understatement.

I didn't want to be judgemental, and I realize that it's only by the grace of God that I'm not having to live in that environment, so I prayed that God would take away my uneasiness. I had to walk one block to the shop I needed to go to and I was shaking by the time I got there, dropped off the part to be repaired and made it back to my vehicle. As I started to leave the parking lot, 2 men came towards me asking me to roll down my window. They said they wanted to talk to me. These men were in all baggy clothes, with many gold chains around their necks, bandanas on their heads, and both had several gold teeth and they kept laughing. I got a very bad feeling in regards to them and why they would supposedly have any reason to talk to me. I shook my head and said "No, I'm sorry" through the glass and I waited for a break in the traffic so I could pull out. They kept walking closer and then one of the men knocked on the glass. Honestly folks, I nearly wet my pants I was that scared. I pulled out praying that whoever I was cutting off would get stopped in time (thankfully they did), and I went to a place I am familiar with and pulled in to the parking lot there and cried with relief that I was away from that previous area.

You have to understand that were I live is 4 miles from the nearest town, and in the roughest part of that town there would be a place with maybe some garbage piled up out back. You don't see people passed out on the street from alcohol or drugs. You don't see crime daily. We have 2 policemen for 4 towns and they take turns! This was a different world for me. And it was a world that scared the bajeezies out me and my farm girl self.

Jay is good about calming me down, so I called him and told him I would not go back to that area alone after that day. I explained what had happened and he was sorry that I felt so scared and had he known that's what the area was like, he wouldn't have sent me there. He said that he had a surprise for me that might help me to feel better....


He had been looking into the Blackberry phones and was going to get me one for my birthday, which is in 2 months. He said "Since you are only down to that city a few times a year, why don't you go pick it out today instead. That way you'll know which one it is that you like". Does this man know how to make me feel better or what? ~If she's down, send her shopping!~ LOL

So I drove the extra 20 minutes to the store, and within the next half hour I had my new pink Blackberry Curve in my hands. I was so excited! I have wanted one of these forever. I've read all I can about them. I have gone back and forth on which one I wanted. I had talked to several people and all of them loved them, and gave them rave reviews. I wanted the PDA capabilities, and email, and voice notes, and I just knew that this phone would make my life so much easier.



So far, I hate this phone.



I'm hoping I am just being dumb when it comes to using this phone, and I'm hoping some of you can help me, because I really do want to love this phone. I can make calls, and I have finally figured out how to send and receive text messages. The little book that comes with it, doesn't give much help to the other areas in which I struggle, and neither does their online site. It tells me to go to a different site and when I go there, it just tells me what options are available, but not how to get them. So I'm asking for help here. Please do not talk in technical terms or you will find me sitting here looking at the screen with my head tipped sideways. Oh and could you please either email me, or leave me your email address, so I can ask any questions your reply might bring up.


Ok, here's my questions:


#1 I want to sync my calendar. I have a gmail account that has my calendar already set up and that's the one I use. The only option I see on my phone is for Yahoo. I don't have a yahoo account and don't really want to start one just for the calendar, but is that my only option? Can I somehow get it so it accepts my gmail calendar? or even an MSN calendar (since that's where I have another account?) If so, how?


#2 Is there a way to stop having all emails sent automatically to my phone. Oh my gosh, my phone vibrates & beeps 4-5 times in succession for each text message and each email. This morning alone, it has gone off 16,789,249 times...oh no, I'm not exaggerating. It's about to make me crazy! I like the idea of being able to check and read emails when I'm out and about, but only when I want to, and I don't want to have them sent directly to me and I need to know how to somehow stop the crazy beeping and buzzing.


#3 On my old phone I had 3 songs as my ringers. I had one for Jay, one for the kids, and one for everyone else. I love those songs and chose them because for me they were the perfect choices. Now they are gone, and I can't seem to get them back. So far, the only thing I have been able to figure out is that for a $19.99 sign up fee, I can pay $10/monthly to have unlimited downloads. I don't want unlimited. I have had these same 3 songs FOREVER and I only want these 3 songs. Isn't there some way (like the old "Get It Now" I used to have) that I can just go and download those 3 again?


#4 Where in the heck is the "select all" option to be able to delete all text messages that have come in or been sent? It's a pain in the backside to have to go through and delete each one, one at a time. Yes, I clicked on options, but "select all" is one option I haven't seen.


Ok, I'm sure I have other questions, but these have been the most irritating, or should I say, these are the ones with the most urgency for me.


This is why I should never try anything new...*sigh* I'm sure I'm making this much more difficult than it is. LOL