Well I'm not sure where to start this story but i have to share the experience! I arrived in Madison Wisconsin, mid day last Sunday. Met with my great friend Rick Trummer just the day before my event with the the South Central Photographers Association.  We head out for a nice dinner, at a local Hibachi restaurant, laughing having fun, tweeting, tagging others on Facebook you know the routine! When dinner comes, trying to be respectful of everyone I put my phone in my coat pocket, 40 minutes later I reached into my pocket to check the time, and much to my surprise my phone was gone! Now there was not a place for it to go, a solid seat, no openings anywhere and only 11 people in the place that had not moved. It was a scenerio right out of an Agatha Christie novel, thats when the fireworks began! The manager tried every excuse to put the blame on me, the chef had bumped me on the way out, I thought it may have simply fallen on the cart. The ensuing search turned up nothing, we even offered up a reward, backs turned, and no questions asked for its return. 

Until your phone is missing you really have no idea how much of our lives are there! I asked the manager to please let the staff know that I would really love to have the phone back, and wouldn't be mad or call the police. It was at this point the others in the restaurant got involved, fortuneately they stayed as witness' to the event. I think they were actually more upset than I, especially as the manager continuted to blame me for the loss of the phone. It was at that moment my new found friends son said hey use the find my iphone app on my phone! I log in, the manager says, I'm sorry sir but I really think you didn't bring your phone in here, this after 7 people tell her they seen me with it just 40 minutes ago, then the magic began. The gps goes off and says, your phone was here 7 minutes ago, and thus the search begins! Going through the kitchen, the layout of the building is now on the phone and I have a line on the phone, right down to the parking spot outside!

Now the police are on there way, I'm outside, and hot on the trail! Now I must say, I love the message and sound feature that we can send to the phone! A bell goes off, and a message appears, my particular message read " I see you with my phone, now bad things happen to good people, just imagine what is about to happen to you" two staff members offer me the keys to their cars to search, I'm looking around, seeing nothing and suddnely "RECALCULATING!" it shows my phone moving toward the lake, the local officer shows up asks if anyone else is out there, not a soul but me the chef, and assistant manager. We move toward the lake side the movement stops, we stand in a trianglar manor hitting the alert again, at that moment we feel we have it, a slight movement, one more tone, message and the assistant chef see's a smile pile of snow light up, and there it is! My iPhone sprouted legs and ran out the freaking door! 

As a result when we went back into the restaurant to thank my new friends, the patriarch of the group informs the manager, we've been coming here for 40 years, tonight will be the last time you will ever see us, our friends, and anyone else we know, "the way you treated that man, knowing his phone was stolen is just abominable, we will never be back" as for Rick I felt bad, they even threw his to go box away, or maybe someone stole it, and charged us for the meal. If you don't have the find my iPhone app, or have your phone set up for some sort of tracking, do so now it was so worth it. 

Thanks for listening gang, see you on the highway.

Lew