I have a fully functional communication device!

 Got contacts loaded, photos synced and all is copacetic except for the apps but those are easy peasy compared to everything else.

We went to the cricket store and apparently all it needed was to restart it to get on the network. And even just now was double checking it still said to finish updating phone, it is now restoring all my apps and other stuff. All I had to do was enter the pin code from my other phone (which is the same as ever) and am now waiting for the restoring to finish.

It has been only a week but seems like longer than that. Just getting used to a thinner phone until I can get a case for it and the controls being somewhat different. The back button on the bottom of the screen is on the right instead of left, but I think this layout matches up with what Jon has so it's going to be easier to compare screens and stuff.

So yeah!. That's a weight off my shoulders and only about a week and a half more until I can get a case for it. I don't know why I was so ballistic during all of this. We're getting down to the wire on food and only a few dollars left between all the accounts. The equivalent of running on empty with the gas station a mile away.