Can You Hear Me Now?

I do not have a good history with cell phones.

Or maybe it is that cell phones don't have a good history with me.

I think I used my first cell phone for 3 years.  When I finally went for an upgrade it was because the phone was so dead that it would no longer charge.  At all.  They couldn't even get the phone to turn on at the Altell store (yep, it was Altell...).  I would have to reenter all my contacts manually.  No transfer available. 

Bring on phone #2 and another 2 years.  This was probably my favorite phone.  Indestructible and had a great ring.  Again, I used this one up until it would no longer charge.  It died the same way the first one did.

Phone #3 was a mistake.  I was not thinking about my future.  I upgraded after phone #2 died and signed on to another 2 year contract with Verizon.  By this time I already knew that Ethan and I were going to get married.  He had T-Mobile.  We planned on eventually getting on the same T-Mobile plan.  Still, I signed up for another 2 years with Verizon.  Stupid.  Plus, phone #3 does not have a happy ending.

Phone #3 did not last near as long as my previous two.  As I took KC for a walk one day, I accidentally left the phone on the side table of the grill.  Breck, it appears, was not too happy about being left behind.  She took the phone and tried to eat it.  Phone #3 ended up with cracked, split in two, and bite marks all through it.  Needless to say, it was done.

Bring on phone #4.  Replacement phone.  Not a great one.  Cheap to get me through the next two years of my contract with Verizon and had no bells and whistles. 

Phone #5 happened by chance.  As luck would have it, Ethan's good friend works for T-Mobile.  They were running a special where they would pay for part of the cancellation fee of breaking the contract with one company and you could sign up for T-Mobile right away.  We were sold.  Not only would we be consolidating two bills into one, it was still cheaper than paying Verizon cost for another year and a half.  Done.

Phone #5 was my first "cool" phone.  Touch screen.  Slide out for easy texting.  Internet.  Apps.  Definitely cool.  However, come to find out, I don't like touch screens, I didn't use the apps other than calculator every now and then, and I think I got on the Internet a handful of times. 

Which brings me to today and phone #6.  The touch screen decided to stop working.  Touch in the bottom right corner and the icon in the top left is selected.  Other places wouldn't register a touch at all.  Crap.

I'm not up for an update until July.  JULY! 

And as much as I hate to admit it, I have become dependent on having a phone with me.  (Plus in the next two months it might be important for me to have a way to contact my husband in case I go into labor...just maybe.)

So.  Now we have to sit down and look at the options.

Option 1:  I get a new phone.  We pay full price.

Option 2:  Ethan gets a new phone.  We use the "Early Upgrade Plus" to get it at a cheaper price and sing another 2 year contract.  I use Ethan's old phone.

Option 3:  We add a 3rd phone to our cell phone plan.  Keep one phone hooked up at home at all times and use it as our "Home Phone."  I take the new one.

Option 4:  Get a used phone for me, which will still cost about as much as a cheaper new one, let Ethan upgrade in April when his contract is up.

We decided on.  Option 2.

Ethan got a new phone. 

At least one of us will be up to date technologically.  And as long as I can contact him when my water breaks.  I'm good.