This Is Why Cell Phones Are Important
On the last day of our Lake Tahoe vacation, the plan was to meet at the beach and just relax. Because of divergent time frames and interests, we had three groups. I led the girls to the beach first. The plan was to meet at a designated spot with the others to unload the kayaks. We would all be at the same beach. So, we get to the designated beach, which is totally packed. Since we are unable to communicate with the others, we camp out waiting for their arrival for over an hour.
Meanwhile, the other two groups had already modified the original plan. Part of Group 2 finally did show up, unloaded the kayaks, and sailed off. The remaining members were to stay at the beach waiting for the Group 3. No phones - either they were recharging, or, just forgot them. The third group decided to go shopping at Safeway and and other store before going to the beach. The problem was that no time allocations were mentioned. Meanwhile, my group grew impatient, the girls decided to go shopping nearby. I was left holding the picnic table under the tree and my little spot was quickly shrinking.
The group in the kayaks had also decided to migrate to another beach miles down the road. Luckily, this was verbally transmitted. While we knew that, the absence of the third party eventually caused concern because they did not know of the new beach Groups 1 and 2 were going to. So, once my group and Group 2 remnants gathered, we drove around looking for Group 3's car. That wasted more time. Finally, we went home for the cell phone and called his number, to which, there was no connection because of bad service. Because Group 3 would go to the original agreed beach at some point, I had the duty to hang around that beach as Group 2 remnants, ran errands.
Could this get more convoluted? Yes!
Another hour passed, and no Group 3. Group 2 came back and picked me up and then we went to other designated beach. I dropped off Group 2, and returned to the house waiting for Group 3. By now, four hours had passed. Group 1 and 2, were now at the new beach. Finally, Group 3, returns after the three hour shopping spree. Meanwhile, part of Group 2 in the kayaks had decided to return to the original beach. I took Group 3 to the new beach, thinking we all would be there, not so. By now, everyone was so irritated for the lack of having cell phones. I then drove back to the original beach waiting to load the kayaks. They never showed up. They had decided to stop at a small beach in-between and waited for me. How? None of us had cell phones. Not all of use had cell phone service. None of us possessed ESP.
Not knowing what to do, I simply return to the new beach and sat with the others and the dogs. Another hour passed, and we started to load up and go home. Someone then spotted Group 2 off shore. Ay carumba! So we waited, they arrived, finally for the first time in five hours, all groups were present for make plans to where to load the kayaks.
It would have been so easy had we all taken our cell phones. How did we ever do this in the old days?
