Blackberry Storm ... and one week until takeoff!

Well folks, after drooling over smart phones with Web and e-mail capability for a while, I finally bit the bullet and got myself a Blackberry Storm. It will arrive tomorrow--I can't wait!

What can I do with this new gadget? Plenty!

• Check my e-mail from anywhere, with the unlimited Web / e-mail plan from Verizon
• Access the Web from anywhere
• Review and (mildly) edit Microsoft documents from anywhere
  
• Shoot photos and videos
• Talk on the phone
• Listen to music
• MORE!

The phone itself cost $99 with a two-year contract. And the unlimited Web and e-mail access adds just $30 a month to my existing Verizon cell phone plan.

And even better, I can use this phone to access the Web and Internet while I'm in New Zealand for no extra charge. I can also talk to my husband and anyone else on the Verizon network -- no extra charge! This is excellent, as it means I am not tethered to a physical location to be able to speak to my family while I'm away.

Speaking of away, in one week from today at about this time I will be arriving at Los Angeles International Airport to await the evening flight to New Zealand.

Our passports arrived on Monday. New gadgets and travel gear are en-route. So we're all set!

And speaking of travel gear, I'd like to give a SHOUTOUT to BackCountry.com for their unheard-of customer service. I ordered two travel pillows from them on Sunday based on a statement on their site that said "Most orders shipped within 24 hours." I also paid priority mail fees just to be sure. Then today, Wednesday, I get a notice that says my order just shipped.

Will it get here in time?!?

So I headed over to www.backcountry.com and engaged one of their people through the LiveChat system. And guess what? They offered to ship me two more pillows, with 3-day UPS shipping--ON THEM--and also send me a label so I could send the first order back when they get here. Now how awesome is that??? They didn't have to do this as their site clearly says, "MOST orders ship within 24 hours," not that ALL orders ship. So they could have said, "Sorry Charlie. Hope you get them on time" and left it like that. I somewhat expected it.

So I was pleasantly and happily surprised by their offer! And I will tell everyone I know about the good folks at www.backcountry.com!

Stay tuned for more updates, including reviews of the travel gear and accessories I purchased. I'll tell you what worked and what didn't ... what I loved and what I hated. Hopefully it's all good news, otherwise I've wasted my money! :)