Katie Dyer and Jane Perkins of Newport are travel connoisseurs. The mother-daughter pair shares ownership of Cadeaux du Monde, the only alternative trading organization in Newport. Alternative trade organizations allow for developing nations to grow without losing sight of their culture heritage.

DALLAS _ Ellen Savage dropped her cell phone one time too many. Kevin Brown went swimming with his cell phone, and then its replacement. David Stixroot knocked his phone into a hotel toilet, then dropped the replacement phone into a swimming pool skimmer.

The method of phone death may differ, but all three and many others have faced the same predicament _ how can one replace a broken, lost, stolen or dunked cell phone without going broke?

If you’re at or near the end of your contract, the cellular company usually will provide a new one for free or at a subsidized price.

WHO TO SEE: Those Guys

WHY: A favorite with Salve students and locals alike, this five-man-band is a blast to see with friends. Playing covers like Coldplay’s “Clocks,” to a medley of Duran Duran hits with crisp vocals, clear guitar riffs, and fantastic keyboard solos provides a rocking good time on those Newport club nights.

Customers call the Army Navy Surplus, “The store that’s like a museum.”

Richard Backman, 63, is the owner of the Navy Surplus Store on historic Thames in Newport, Rhode Island. Originally from the Boston area, Backman moved to Barrington 28 years ago.

Friday morning I left my house a girl. That wasn’t exactly the case an hour later when I returned home. I had short blond hair, thick eyebrows, a patchy beard and sideburns. I pulled in my driveway and was met by my roommate, who could barely walk or talk upon seeing me, and who remained hunched over and hysterically laughing even after I ran inside the house and closed the door.