Did I tell you about the $3 phone?

In this post, way long ago, I told you of The Big One's love of cell phones. And his neeeeed for one. The child who WILL NOT talk on a phone. A friend could call with tickets to see Hannah Montana (and don't you DARE tell him I said Hannah Montana ... just tell him I said the Jonas Brothers ... yeah, say that) and he WOULD NOT take the call OR call them back. I've explained propriety, manners, all that stuff. But, the phone will NOT go to his ear.

And the want for the cell phone is not for the phone. It's for the ring tones, the games, the wallpaper and stuff. And because there's a pocket on the strap of his messenger bag just the right size for a CELL PHONE!

We dropped by the garage sale of a friend last weekend because we said we would ... not because we needed $.35 worth of Hot Wheels cars OR the first Bridget Jones book. (Why would I want to read it when I can WATCH Hugh Grant?) Lo and behold, lying in a box just waiting for The Big One was a Motorola/T-Mobile cell phone ... remarkably unscratched and w/ a cordy thing that The Big One determined was the charger. We had a quick lesson in bargaining and a $5 phone went home w/ us for $3. "This thing even takes pictures!" he screeched. He couldn't wait to charge it at home, and I think his father and I were secretly excited too. "Ohhhh, lookee what we gohhht ... for three buckkkksss. And it'ssss newwwwww."

And it was a long ride home, for this was the first of many Saturday errands which included buying six stretchy book covers AND worms fer fishin'.

I'm not sure what that cordy thing was, but it wasn't a charger ... at least not for this cell phone. So, because we're parents who say we AREN'T but because we ARE, evidently, parents who believe in INSTANT GRATIFICATION, we picked up a cell phone charger later that evening for The Big One ... to the tune of $14.44 -- still less than I paid for my recycled phone on eBay.

That night, The Big One returned from the gratification of a Wii and pizza party to the gratification of his new cell phone charging atop the kitchen counter.

Fully charged doesn't mean SQUAT when you are without a SIM card. This means "super important memory" and w/o it you evidently can't play SIGS ("super important games.") This is a SIP ("soooooper important problem.")

To further gratify our son, we did a quick search online for memory cards ... $25. So, now we're at what? Um, bout $42.44. That's not "garage sale" anymore.

In an effort to throw more money into this garage sale phone and order a SIM card, our child attempted to remove the charger from the phone to search for the model number ... and RIPPED THE DAMN THING OUT OF THE PHONE LEAVING EXPOSED WIRES HANGING OUT OF THE CHARGER! The charger was mayyyybeeee 74 minutes old. Oh, the wailing.

Despite the 3-year warranty, I was ready to write off $14.44. I THOUGHT I knew there was no way Big Box Retailer (BBR) would accept our mangled charger. But, my secret weapon in the war to return used merchandise and "items sans receipts" is The Tall One to Whom I am Married. He once returned a flour sifter WITH flour still in it. Lampshades w/ no plastic wrappings OR receipt. Extension cords he bought at ONE Big Box and returned to another BIGGER BOX. He, The Tall One, is the type of customer who makes life hard for us law-abiding shoppers to return ANYTHING. And the reason we have to show two forms of ID and condescend to the ugliness, pettiness, and judgmental sneers that is just about every BBR "Courtesy" Clerk. (Except here.) So, because it was HIM and not ME, BBR took the charger back with a smile and probably a handshake. In return for the mangled WALL charger, he and The Big One decided upon the CAR charger cuz it was cheaper. $9.44.

And this is the happy part. SOMEHOW, the boys scored a FREE SIM card from the salesmen at T-Mobile. Now, I've heard some of you rip T-Mobile over little things like ... service and billing. To clarify, we do not buy or receive service from T-Mobile ... poor or otherwise. And we certainly didn't sign up for cell service on THIS garage sale phone. So, right now, until they do something to fall OUT of my good graces, and I can't imagine what that would be since WE AREN'T CUSTOMERS, we are LUVIN' on T-Mobile.

THEN, (if you're still reading) yesterday I got a call from the garage sale friend who miraculously FOUND the Motorola charger for the blasted phone.

Sooooo, $3 garage sale phone WITH charger+Free SIM card = WAAAAAY overly-indulgent parents and an 8.5 year old w/ a fully-charged cell phone who is happy to make NO calls, but content to take pictures of the dog and our upholstery.