Text messaging

Recently I told the Facebook world, which shares little overlap with this one, that I had two consecutive +~$35 phone bills due to the addition of 5¢-charges stemming, one at a time, from sending or receiving texts after the 300/month limit has been reached. I think it's 300. I do know that the two lines can't "share" their quotas, that one phone (mine) uses far too many while his uses very few. Obviously we have the wrong product.

As an aside, another example for an approximation of service would be the dental insurance offered at my husband's job. He gets fairly good coverage for $10.06 a month. How much do you think it would cost to add me, one other person? [answer forthcoming, though you can guess which way this story is headed, I'm sure]

After I lamented my stupidity and put a ban on texting, I proceeded to "text just a little," since I wasn't near that month's limit (though, admittedly, it is very hard to tell without logging onto the company's site … the "press # something #" to see minutes remaining and messages unused has never worked / always generates a network error), and it must have broken the psychic barrier of protection around my edict, because all kinds of people have been texting me for all kinds of stupid things. Short responses in 20-text "dialogs." Addenda, in same. Double answers. Texts at 6:14 and 8 a.m., asking things that have already or should be handled in free e-mail, the kind of thing one checks upon waking but does not wish to be woken up for.

I guess people don't understand the meaning of meaningful. Probably, they are oblivious due to their unlimited-type plans. Sprint tempts with their art-building ads (filmed locally in Block) and $70 offers for all-minutes-all-texts-all-Internet (to other mobile phone number users) service. Their revenue, however, is predicted to drop by $250 million soon, due to loss of a contract with the main cable provider, which gives this household its Internet and raised rates $3 after 5 years of our paying them $49.95 for consistent coverage and speed.

In this online version of me, has the job situation been announced? Seems we left you all hanging with, "The cat died, and I'm dying." Never fear, for though I remain consistently overcommitted, I have erased the 46-hour routine from the week's 168.

It is confusing to me why I was unable to eat, shop, bathe, clean, travel to and from jobs and shops, do Facebook, pay bills, and "enjoy my family" in 36 hours a week. That is the figure I arrive when subtracting work-hours and 56 (8/night) sleep-hours. I do know that there was a problem in finding a repeating 8-hour block that came at the same time every day and also was able to offer an undisturbed environment for the production of sleep. If I lived alone, it might have happened.

So, after about a fortnight of manic behavior and life-on-coffee-and-hope, I succumbed to what most of you will peg as inevitable, and I quit. It started as a mere calling in for a sick day, paid or unpaid, it did not matter, for I was in an odd situation of mental anguish, an exhaustion that, while entertaining — especially given the boost of super-self-esteem one feels when accomplishing so much — was just too taxing. Puns are good, yes? Anyway, I was also unable to stay hydrated and was feeling the precursors of cold-like things all the time. And I know it took a toll on my teeth, which is "all that I need."

Wait! I forgot school. That's 4 more hours (class and travel for attendance) and about 3 for reading. During paper weeks, an additional 13-20 is required.

Anyway, it was "worth" $910 (net). Don't remind me that it could have been multiplied six or seven times.