New City, New Phone Number.

Matt and I just recently changed to Edmonton phone numbers from our previous Ottawa ones. I thought I was being devious and fancy and chose a number that spelled my name. So clever! A word of advice, don't do this. Try to get a new number as you may run in to a whole host of problems like I did.

A week after having my new number, I received a panicked facebook message around 1130pm from a good friend that said: "I need you to call me now!!". I messaged her back immediately asking if everything was ok. She responded with: "Are you screwing with me? Are you Todd?".

Let me explain.

My new to me number was previously owned by someone else in Edmonton (coincidentally, her name was also Erin). This person decided on getting a new phone and a new number. Then, gave her old phone (also with a new number now) to her parents. I know all of this because my good friend, while trying to contact me through text, ended up having all of her texts sent to a person named "Todd". How strange! How is it that a phone with a new number is receiving the text messages for its old number that is now owned by someone else. Riddle me that. After talking to Bell (dear, sweet Bell), I found out that this is a known bug with apple phones. The imessage system in the phone, if not restarted will retain the old number and share the contact list of the new person that has the old phone number. The only way to fix this issue is to turn off imessage and turn it back on again and there was no way that Bell could contact them. Now, I knew was dealing with someone who was a parent and was probably not all that tech savvy. My friend managed to get the actual number of the supposed parent who was receiving the texts and gave it to me. I texted them with instructions on how to fix the problem fully thinking they were going to panic and think that I was trying to scam them in some sort of way. Who listens to a strange text from an unknown phone number? Nobody that's who!!!!!

Fortunately, I ended up talking to the daughter (Erin) on the phone and we eventually sorted it out. She was uncomfortably easy to find through a google search. My old phone number is linked to many of her accounts for things such as etsy and her old blog. This then led me to her new blog/current facebook page/at home business. I know that she is starting out a baking business and wants to sell her goods at farmer's markets. She also enjoys vintage clothing and jewellery. I found this out in less than 5 minutes along with her current phone number. Yikes.

Anyway, the point of this uber long post is...I am now the official owner of my phone number!