Techie alert
Ok - we now own TWO cell phones. Steve liked mine so much he bought himself a new watch (he always borrows mine when he’s in the position of really needing one - like when he’s got the kids in Burlington and needs to know the time to catch a bus home - not sure what’s happened to the ones we’ve given him!). It just so happens it’s a cell phone just like mine.
Being the techie he is, he discovered that our cell phone tells time (very handy - he’s quite excited about that), has a calendar with reminders he can preset to tell him to pick up milk when people’s birthdays are etc (kind of like a palm pilot I guess, not that I’d know), works for telephoning on the off-chance he actually needs to use it for that, has a flashlight (to use at night by the bed - don’t ask, he seems to think it will come in handy, I’m not sure why), includes a calculator (again, he thinks it will be useful - maybe in the car to calculate mileage?), has a handy address book of sorts such as if he needs to call someone from work he can look up their number even if he doesn’t use the cell, works for quick text messaging when he’s not at a computer (he’s already figured out how to email to and from it), and I’m sure it will be handy for more than that.
I like how he’s using it so far. Finally, he knows the time. And all the rest will be bonus. And if that’s not enough, the way he figures it, we’ll be able to afford both for about the same cost as owning just one, and we won’t have to share and will both be reachable when out and about without having to “debate” who takes the cell etc.
As for me, I think I know how to dial. Oh yes, and how to hang up too. 
Progress!
August 2nd, 2007 at 9:31 am
The flashlight on top of the phone is the most important feature! Frequently, I’m the one who turns out all the lights before heading to bed. I’ve noticed, with some consistency, that when the last light goes out, it’s dark in the house. And even though I can no longer see some of the sharp objects that are sometimes in my path to upstairs, they make themselves known just the same. This new device shoots out a beam of photons without deducting any minutes from my calling plan. The photons bounce off of the dangerous objects and some of them just happen to pass though the pupils of my eye, and I become aware of all the dangers and navigate safely around them, all the while knowing what time it is! Not bad for $15 bucks.
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:36 am
does the flashlight work even if you don’t renew your minutes?
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:24 pm
A secret photon phaser. Cool!
In the future you may find the two phones handy for calling each other when you’re both out, separated at the mall, etc.
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Flashlight (and clock and calendar etc) work even if it’s not activated. And the two phones when we’re both out (say me at church, Steve with the kids somewhere, or like you said at the mall), will indeed be helpful. That was a big piece of Steve’s consideration. It will allow us to coordinate sharing the car better in fact if when we are both out and about. All without having to negotiate who gets the phone and what time it is since we’ll both know (assuming we both keep our phones on our person…)
August 2nd, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Makes me feel good to see how much you are enjoying your birthday present and how it has lead to this. So often we get and receive things that are “nice” but not so “exciting”. Glad this has worked out so well for you both.