Me and the man-made physical world often don't get along. If I don't lose something, I break it. I think part of this has to do with my high expectations regarding quality. I believe if you pay good money for something (or even if you don't) it should last until you lose it. Got frustrated with my chapstick for running out today. We never stay together long enough for that to happen so it was really quite shocking.
Both my iPod and phone developed new habits this week. My iPod won't turn off, even when it's on pause so the battery runs down in about a day. And last night the screen on my phone went blank. It was on. I just couldn't see anything. I tried to negotiate with it- took the battery out and the SIM card, put them back. Banged on it. This probably happened because of all the times I've dropped it, so thought maybe another jolt would change its mind. People texted throughout the day, then my texts filled up so it started dinging every minute to let me know. Since a friend was coming into town, I couldn't turn it off. It was like suddenly becoming blind and having to find my way home. My fingers remembered a lot of commands from their massive repetitions, so I was able to return texts informing folks of the situation and change my voicemail. Then I ran into a friend with the same Razor and was able navigate with hers and stop the dinging problem.
The guy at T-mobile tried half heartedly to fix it then showed me the new phones. He told me I could pay it off with no interest over the length of my contract and I had a $500 limit. Ha!
"What are you looking for?"
"Something durable. Basic."
"Hum, well I have this phone here and love it! It costs about the same as the Razor, has a 2 megapixel camera and you can store music on it!"
"What's the price?"
"$158 without a new contract. $20 off with one."
"What's your cheapest phone?"
He led me over to the funky clunkies, ugly. One was a flip for $70, no camera. One was open-face for $60, with a camera. I sit on my phone all the time and knew I'd be calling people from my jeans with the open-face. I got the $70 one and he cut me some under-the-table deal with a status change on the computer. Said I could have it for $50 if I bought it today. He moved all the numbers over and I was delighted about that. Overall, it was a pleasant experience and I was impressed with the T-mobile guy, which almost never happens.
I got home and played with it. The Razor was by far the nicest phone I've ever owned and was free, so I felt an even deeper affinity for it. She and I had a relationship and she knew me well. A pain in the ass, but intuitive. If I made a phone call while emotional or got angry in the middle of a call, she'd often shut herself off. Really. Amazing. I knew where everything was and it was fast. This new guy, well, it's like getting a slower cat. You know how you really connect with some animals? They seem to get you, listen to you when you talk, meet you at the door, snuggle with you at night. This transition is like moving from one of those kitties to a duller one, one that just stares at the mouse when it runs across the floor. I'm sure we'll get used to each other and I'll drop it enough for it to develop it's own personality too.
The iPod, though, I dunno. As long as it's slightly functional, I guess he'll be around for a while.
Both my iPod and phone developed new habits this week. My iPod won't turn off, even when it's on pause so the battery runs down in about a day. And last night the screen on my phone went blank. It was on. I just couldn't see anything. I tried to negotiate with it- took the battery out and the SIM card, put them back. Banged on it. This probably happened because of all the times I've dropped it, so thought maybe another jolt would change its mind. People texted throughout the day, then my texts filled up so it started dinging every minute to let me know. Since a friend was coming into town, I couldn't turn it off. It was like suddenly becoming blind and having to find my way home. My fingers remembered a lot of commands from their massive repetitions, so I was able to return texts informing folks of the situation and change my voicemail. Then I ran into a friend with the same Razor and was able navigate with hers and stop the dinging problem.
The guy at T-mobile tried half heartedly to fix it then showed me the new phones. He told me I could pay it off with no interest over the length of my contract and I had a $500 limit. Ha!
"What are you looking for?"
"Something durable. Basic."
"Hum, well I have this phone here and love it! It costs about the same as the Razor, has a 2 megapixel camera and you can store music on it!"
"What's the price?"
"$158 without a new contract. $20 off with one."
"What's your cheapest phone?"
He led me over to the funky clunkies, ugly. One was a flip for $70, no camera. One was open-face for $60, with a camera. I sit on my phone all the time and knew I'd be calling people from my jeans with the open-face. I got the $70 one and he cut me some under-the-table deal with a status change on the computer. Said I could have it for $50 if I bought it today. He moved all the numbers over and I was delighted about that. Overall, it was a pleasant experience and I was impressed with the T-mobile guy, which almost never happens.
I got home and played with it. The Razor was by far the nicest phone I've ever owned and was free, so I felt an even deeper affinity for it. She and I had a relationship and she knew me well. A pain in the ass, but intuitive. If I made a phone call while emotional or got angry in the middle of a call, she'd often shut herself off. Really. Amazing. I knew where everything was and it was fast. This new guy, well, it's like getting a slower cat. You know how you really connect with some animals? They seem to get you, listen to you when you talk, meet you at the door, snuggle with you at night. This transition is like moving from one of those kitties to a duller one, one that just stares at the mouse when it runs across the floor. I'm sure we'll get used to each other and I'll drop it enough for it to develop it's own personality too.
The iPod, though, I dunno. As long as it's slightly functional, I guess he'll be around for a while.
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