Adventures in Cell Phones

So, after two years, my $75-a-month Sprint contract (don't ask) is finally up, and I'm using my new Alltel phone.

I hate talking on the phone. I would rather send an email than make a phone call any day. But I love having a cell phone because it makes everything so easy. If I'm stuck in traffic, I can call for takeout and have it be ready by the time I get there. I can make plans with friends such as, "Let's hang out Wednesday. What time do you get up? Okay, I'll call you at noon and see what you're in the mood for." And so on. (I'm sure I don't need to enumerate all the uses of cell phones.)

My problem is that I almost never use my phone. I could easily go five days without placing or receiving a call. So monthly service plans, which, in C'ville, seem to start at $40, are a huge rip-off for me. I'm going with a prepaid phone. $15 for the phone, $35 activation fee, and 15 cents a minute for all my calls, anytime, anywhere. And no contract, which is nice. If I try this for, say, two months and it's awful, I will have spent less than two months' worth of $40 service with a regular plan, and I can jump ship. I've had no problems with reception so far in Pittsburgh, except in the middle of the furniture section at Target, where I could never get a signal on my old phone, either.

One of my summer-before-law-school activities is catching up on all the "24" I never saw. I watched six episodes of season two today. Why must I always get immersed in shows that demand to be watched marathon-style? I want to go out and get the next couple of DVDs tonight, but I'll try to do something productive. Like maybe that laundry I've been putting off for a week or so.