iCloudy

For the last few years, I've viewed my iPad like a third child. You would think this would be to the chagrin of the real children. However, because they had full rights to play apps on my iPad, they gave me a free pass. In fact, they even treated my iPad better than they treated each other.

I wish I could say the same about myself.

About 3 weeks ago, while departing from a NJ Transit train, I dropped my iPad. I shouldn't say drop, it was more like it decided to go bungee jumping. Yes, it was in a case. But it didn't matter. The case opened and it fell face down onto the concrete. To be honest, it almost felt like a suicide.

The results were about the same. The glass cracked in several places and diagonal fault lines appeared across the entire 11" circumference of the screen. Somehow, it still functioned, but it was like looking at the world with cataracts.

I was furious with myself for being a klutz with such a delicate device and my kids weren't too happy when they discovered that one of their siblings was headed to the emergency room, perhaps forever.

I just couldn't be without the iPad for too long, so I bit the financial bullet and ordered the latest version. My friends accused me of sabotage, like some pyromaniac trying to take advantage of the insurance company. Did I subconsciously drop the iPad 1 on the ground so I could give myself a convenient excuse to buy a new one? Not a chance. The new iPad comes with a $729 price tag plus tax. That's the equivalent of two whole hours of charges from my divorce attorney. Accidents happen and you pay for them, so I did.

I ordered a new one by mail, and about a week later, I was back in business.

Now, I just had to set it up. You optimize, sync, download, back-up, register, restore, all in the name of bringing my third child back to life. In this process, the system asks for a variety of passwords. You have one for iTunes, another for your work email, an additional one for the new iCloud, and one needed to lock your iPad.

I was a champ. I pressed every button that they required and got back to full functionality. I tested the new cameras, the dictation button, admired the clarity of the screen, watched a video and then placed it down for a few minutes. When I came back, the iPad acted normally and locked...asking for a password.

That was easy enough. I slapped one in, but it was wrong. Hmmmnn.... Let me try this again. I tapped some more and I was 0 for 2. During the third try, Apple raised the ante.

"Try back in two minutes"

Two minutes later, I failed again.

"Try back in 5 minutes".

5 minutes later, I was 0-5.

"Try back in 60 minutes"

What? 60 minutes? I kept thinking that I could have stayed up all night and this this pace, I would have eventually waited longer to get in than it took for the device to ship. Maybe, by the time I figured it out, Apple would have released the iPad 4.

I know what you're thinking. How could I have possibly forgotten a password that I created just a half an hour before? But how many passwords to you have in your life? 15? 20? On any website I use, I'm probably the biggest abuser of the "Forgot Password?" button. I've hit that for Facebook, Linked In, my bank, my office computer. You name it, and I've forgotten it.

Apple told me to start again and restore to factory settings. This time I had a pad and pen.

So mind became a little iCloudy. It happens to all of us at one time or another. Or have I finally crossed over into that age where you forget the names of movies, actors, and the restaurants you've been to?

I hope not. But I shouldn't worry. I just have to wait a few more months before someone creates an app for memory loss.

Now, if I can only remember my iTunes password.