Technology – Page 3 – The Cameraphone Diaries

Finally changed my contacts today. I probably waited too long. The brand I use is super expensive for some reason – I should probably go to an eye doctor and switch to a different brand. One pair of contacts is supposed to last me 3 months. I definitely wear them longer than that though. Four pair come in a box, and I just switched over to the third pair of four. Since moving back to California. In July of 2009. I figure I probably went nine months on these babies. They must be wrecked.

I just looked up the cost of Lasik. Under $5000 for both eyes? I am excited to make this happen one day. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to open my eyes in the morning and see clearly.

Recently I teetered on the edge of a disaster – having to go all day without my cell phone. Luckily, I found it in Michelle’s car and all was well. But maybe it was all just foreshadowing.

Last Thursday I checked my Verizon online account and noticed that I was getting perilously close to going over both my minutes AND my texts. It’s bad enough I was close to my minutes: but I spent a lot of time on the phone this month for the teaching stuff, and then with our insurance trying to ask questions about our plan. So I accept that. But 1500 texts this month? I try to make it sound less bad by saying it’s sent and received texts, but I know the truth: I just text too much. I feel slightly ashamed.

That was Thursday. So I’ve just been limiting my phone usage, and over the weekend I could use it to make calls to my heart’s delight, but I’m finding this whole thing restrictive, overall. NO tweeting, NO Facebook status updates, and NO FEWER pointless texts to Drew (“Hi! What are you doing?” etc). It also means no texting things to my email, which I do all the time, either pictures or reminders of things I have to do.

Either I don’t always realize, or I purposely block out, how much I rely on texting to keep me entertained. I text so much at work, disregarding all rules, although I did refrain from that while in the classroom, my mom would be happy to know. I’m one of those people texting while walking, while eating dinner, texting without looking at the phone. Texting while talking. I have truly embraced texting.

There are many useful things about it, especially in terms of my job. It’s a great quick form of communication, instant and no pressure. “Can you please turn over the laundry?” “Are we still good to carpool?” Things like this don’t require a phone call and who has constant access to their email? (I know, I know: people with smartphones, that’s who.) I don’t like some of the texting abbreviations (UR, nite, C U L8R), and I struggle to maintain grammar and punctuation, although sometimes I have to sacrifice those for 160-character limits. But I do find myself using LOL, bc, and np on a regular basis. So who knows, maybe it’s just a matter of time.

I have a friend who doesn’t text. She says she could get a text plan on her phone for $10/month, or she could save that $120 every year. And texting isn’t worth that $120/year to her. I wish she texted, I’d love to have her just a “how’s your day going?” message away, but I’m not going to drop her just because I have to make a little more effort to talk to her. (Dare I say I appreciate our conversations more because they don’t get watered down?)

I have just about made it through the end of my billing cycle (an hour and 25 minutes to go!) with 11 texts and 14 minutes to spare! Tomorrow I can text and talk to my heart’s delight. And my phone will no longer be just a calculator/timekeeper. Glory be to God for dappled things and electronic communication!

Update: It’s after midnight! Time to email myself some of the pictures you’ve been missing out on.