Pond-ed!!

So I decided it would be nice to read by Botany Pond. It's a lovely little corner of a campus already designated as a Botanic Garden, with lilies and nice shrubs and ducks and fish and turtles. As I perched on the stone edge of the bridge over the water, I swung my bag around by its shoulder strap, and was reminded instantly of the downside of keeping my two most used--and most important--possessions in the outer, open pocket as I watched my cell phone and UC ID plop neatly into the pond below me. Seeing them sink rapidly into the murky, algae-rich depths, I didn't think twice before rolling up my pant legs and sleeves, taking off my shoes and watch, and lowering myself tentatively in after them. Oh good! It isn't that deep! The ID I snatched up right away--that was close. But the phone was giving me more trouble. It was right there, wasn't it? Forging ahead without the least concern for my quasi-nice pants, I started blindly groping through the mud and plantlife at the bottom of the pond. A lady nearby seemed...intrigued...by my actions. "I dropped my cellphone in here!" I called out, laughing. She stood by for support. Soon another couple came over. I explained again. "If you put it in an oven on really low temperature it'll dry out. A friend of mine did that. Though it melted a little." At this point it did seem foolish to think the phone would still work but I felt compelled to fish it out, because it shouldn't be so danged hard to find it anyway, because there was still a chance I could salvage it, because why would I just leave an old cell phone in botany pond? and because I'd gone that far already, I wasn't going to give up then. I was encouraged in the pursuit by the spectacle that it must have made for passersby (there was even a tour group marveling at the pond in awe just as the incident happened!!) And it made me feel very in tune with nature...having to rely solely on tactile sensation to feel for the lumpy, out-of-place technology amid a world of natural wonder, and, well...guck. Man, it was taking a long time though. It was nice to have that lady to keep me company...Finally: I decided to approach the task with more of an algorithm by going to the far edge of the space I knew it had to be contained in and working by way back to the ledge it fell from. Gently, carefully, back and forth and forward, like a...lawnmower...ish... What's that? Oh, an altoids tin...hmm...hopefully whoever put it there didn't litter intentionally...a little further and...AHA!!! Victory!!! Oh dear, little thing, let's get you cleaned up. I had a brief urge to do the backstroke, prolong the spectacle while I was already wet, but, my purpose being satisfied, it would be inappropriate...and startle the ducks. I crawled out and biked home, beeming at the adventure. Processing only very absentmidedly the prospect of having to get a new cellphone, I separated the parts, wiped off the traces of mud, and waited for them to dry. I tried a little later in the day to put it back together and test it, but all that happened was a slight change in the color of the screen and a dreadful static noise. Ah! Separate again...wait until tomorrow. I tried again the next day and suddenly-miraculously-everything seemed in tip-top shape! Maybe a few little shortcut keys have switched functions, but everything's operating. Yay! So this time it definitely wasn't a vain pursuit, and the hassle was well worth the adventure and the story to be told. :)