More phone news, missing NJ?

The iPhone is dead. Long live Maggie’s old clunker phone. Actually, before the kids bought me the iPhone, I was carrying the phone Mama has had for the past year or more. It is the red color version of the same phone that Maggie just upgraded from. Her phone (mine now) is green. I have to admit that Maggie’s is in better shape than Mama’s so it should do for a while; at least until we decide what to do.


I miss the convenience of the iPhone but we lived without it for a long time and I think it was time to give it up. I calculated that I have spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $1000 on the data plan over the last two years. I’m pretty sure I did not get that much worth out of it, but there are many who would argue against that.

As we were in the AT&T store last night to get this taken care of I overheard a salesman “recommending” the iPhone to a customer because it was only $50. This guy did not need an iPhone but it sounded like a good deal to him – until the salesman recommended the most expensive data plan, the largest volume of minutes and unlimited text. After the $150 rebate ($265 up front) his bill would only be about $150 per month.

The poor confuse man looked at the salesman and asked, “Can’t I just get a phone?” “Sure. But this can help you multitask, internet, phone, e-mail, IM, Facebook, the works.” Listen,” the customer explained, “My idea of multitasking was listening to the radio while I was driving here. Can’t I just get a phone?” I did not hear the end of the discussion, but I hope he left with what he wanted rather than a $3600 contract (two years at $150/month).

Mama and Chase are still debating what to do; stay with AT&T, go to Sprint, or Virgin Mobile or some other carrier. The choice of phones, plans and providers is a little overwhelming – especially interpreting the fine print. Chase still hopes for a data plan with whatever he gets. I am not sure I want to give him that option since he is somewhat disconnected from us anyway – it’s that age. He has promised numerous times to pay for his phone when he gets a job. I told him, with that line of reasoning, he needs to work in the Congress.

Chase and Mama are both missing New Jersey pretty badly. I will not speculate as to what Chase misses, it would only embarrass him. Mama misses the children we constantly had around us. But I think what she misses more are the nine-year old relationships, our friend and our routines. I miss the music program at our church there. It is sadly lacking in our church here. I do not miss the job I had there.

It is a pleasure to be off of shift work.