easy as pi

I hate to shop.

My idea of going into a store is to have a very good idea what I want, grab it, and be on my way.  Oh, yes, and pay.  Abbie Hoffman I am not.

Three years ago ago, I told you about my land line.  (dial c for chuckles)  About 90% of the calls I received on it were wrong numbers.  They still are.

Because I do not have voice mail on the telephone, I stop whatever I am doing, and run to answer.  For the 10% of calls I want to receive.

The only reason I have the land line is for my internet connection.  If I could get some form of cable connection, the land line would be yesterday's news.

When I was in Oregon, I devised an elegant solution.  Let me pause right here in my narrative to explain "elegant." 

Even though I refer to it often, I am not a big advocate of Occam's Razor.  My solutions are seldom based on succinctness, economy, and parsimony.  Think Rube Goldberg.  Lavish, convoluted, and complicated.

So, here was my idea.  I would buy a cordless telephone with voice mail.  If I was outside, I could take the handset with me and screen (or answer) my calls without doing my Jesse Owens impression.

I looked at several brands, and discovered a new function.  Some of the telephones come equipped with bluetooth capability.  That means (or I thought it meant) I could pair my cell phone with the handset and be able to answer my land line calls on my cell phone.

As I said, elegant. And John of Occam is rolling in his grave.

Then I made a big mistake.  I decided to wait until I returned to Mexico to buy.

I long ago reconciled myself to paying more for electronics in Mexico than I would in The States.  But I needed to factor in the convenience of not toting a telephone in my luggage.

So, off I went last weekend to Manzanillo to find a cordless telephone with bluetooth.  There were two possibilities -- designed solely for iPhones.  But nothing for those of us who have escaped the gravity of Planet Apple.

That leaves me with two options.

The first is obvious.  I return to Oregon in less than two weeks.  I could simply schlep one down with me when I return in March.

Or I could disinter Occam's Razor.  Turn off the ringer on my land line and tell everyone to call me on the cell phone I always carry with me.  (By the way, I have since discovered that bluetooth allows the land line to pick up my cell calls -- not the other way round.)

Based on my past record, I will let you guess what I end up doing.