Cell-Phone on the Go via a detour to the US of A!

You know that there’s a slight “problem” when your cell phone inadvertently ends up “visiting” the United States, while your pink sneaker clad tootsies have remained planted on firma terra on the other side of the border.  And, to further complicate matters, I had forgotten to take along my passport.

Confused?  So am I.  So, let me just backtrack and start at the beginning.  Or, better yet, speed the entire process up and instead highlight snippets of the events that led up to that oh so pesky and unsettling cross-border issue.  After all, Imagination and Inspiration had flown the coop and so why even attempt to embellish the situation with a whole lot of superfluous words and phrases.  Creativity would be having a ball partying it up on the other side of town, doubling over in laughter at my pathetic attempts at explanation, as I struggled to come up with a theme and string a few measly sentences together.  

Yep.  Exactly why we were on a road trip to track down the wayward trio.

Jamming to golden oldies, belting out one off-tune Karaoke hit after another, Travel Bud and I were having the time of our lives, practically bona-fide rock stars on the road to super stardom.  Or not.  Nonetheless, we were in our glory, crooning with Sinatra, Cher and Adele, trundling along in our jalopy on routes unknown and paths yet undiscovered.  The autumn foliage was a kaleidoscope of crimson hued orange and merlots, a National Geographic cover shot showcasing the splendour of a Canadian October.










Even overcast skies and a light drizzle couldn’t dampen our spirits, as the scenery was a picture perfect postcard and the company, superb.

What could go wrong?

And then.  The unthinkable.

A screech.  And.  Then.  Another.  A scream so hair-raisingly frightful, it had the capability of waking the dead on both sides of the Atlantic.  The crazed woman’s pitch was an earth-shattering howl so gut-wrenchingly piercing I actually thought that my eardrums would burst.

Impending crash?  Did our vehicle just run over some stinky ol’ trash?  Had a herd of caribou bashed head first into our trusty ol’ clunker? 

Nope.  Nada.  Zilch.  Nothing of the sort.

A simple ping.  That’s all it took to send me over the edge.

A text message from my cell phone provider welcoming me to the US of A!

HELLO??????   Who’s calling??  You’re texting me from WHERE????



But I’m still in Canada and haven’t stepped foot into the States!!

Yikes!!  Now what? 

Addendum:  Apparently my cell phone had inadvertently picked up an American signal, for we were about 8 or 9 miles away from the border.  Nothing like being slapped with unplanned roaming charges and the astronomically high rates charged by out of country cell phone providers. 

Let the screaming commence!

Oh, and did I happen to mention that Travel Bud was none too pleased with you know who, as I did cause quite the ruckus howling and shrieking about my new state of poverty, as I now had to dish out mega bucks for my Cell Phone on the Go. 

And, let’s not even get into the near fender bender or screeching to a halt on the side of the road and the near miss of that ever so messy ditch, all because of a certain someone’s ear-splitting screech.

Let the squabbling begin…

Come hang out with Travel Bud and I as we sing, screech and squabble our way to Quebec City.  And, remember, don’t freak out if your cell phone pings or picks up an American signal if you’re a few miles away from the border.  You won’t get charged, as I found out a few weeks later when I received that month’s invoice.  I was in quite the traumatized state, unsure if I would end up owing hundreds or thousands of dollars for my cell phone bill.  All is well that ends well and the extra cash that I had stashed away is accumulating in my piggy bank for my next adventure on the Go!

Next blog post -  In four weeks!  Wednesday, March 22nd!!  Catch up with the adventures of Cuckoo ol’ Auntie Nora and Sidekick Oz on the road to somewhere but who really knows where - wish we had a map - guess it will take us that much longer to meander along paths unknown to Quebec City.  The sojourn continues....