Sometimes I Feel like I Live in Grand Central Station.

Yes I did just quote Beyonce in her collaboration with Lady Gaga, but bare with me for a second here. The Ga has a point in her song 'telephone' when she talks about being sick of hearing her phone ring off the hook like she's being called by a collector. Haven't we all felt that way? Saturday I hit my boiling point with my blackberry when by 3pm I'd already gotten over 100 texts, pix, vids, calls, and e-mails. Where can you go to escape your phone? It dings all day and all night. In fact, mine went off at 4pm last night. Reeeally?

My generation it seems has some serious separation anxiety when it comes to 'being connected'. I'm including myself in this horrible phobia. Turns out the world doesn't stop turning when my crackberry is turned off. I tried it...once. So the new me is going to unplug a day or so a week and just be away from my phone and fully there, wherever there might be that day.

'Tonight I'm not taking no calls cause I'll be dancin'.

Love,

B

Enter: the Crackberry.

Over Christmas my sister (the baby one) & I both joined the world of the Crackberry. I learned this charming term from the Verizon rep who told me (and my stunned mother) to visit www.crackberry.com to learn all the crazy tips, tricks, and read about crazies with their blackberries. My Mom was mortified and whispered to me, 'Does he mean crack like the drug?!'. Lord help me.

Now, I should go ahead and admit that until I sing songed a little Beyonce 'upgrade me' to the Verizon reps, I didn't even have internet on my phone. That's right kids, I, Becca Christensen, was about 3 years behind the technilogical times. Have no fear though, I WILL catch up. So as I toted my macbook, my kindle, and my voyeger (my previous phone) around looking somewhat techy chic - I did not (insert shock and horror here) have internet on my cell.

So I'm two weeks in and while I wouldn't expect to find my picture on crackberry.com just yet, I do like having the internet. Being able to look up the phone number to Sam's Club and check their hours when I needed one last kitchen item was amazing. Checking my e-mails from the condo while my laptop is at my rental? Also helpful. Never having to say 'I'll look when I get home' - life changing.

Biggest drawback? It doesn't get good reception! I'm not sure if it's because the blackberry is like a forcefield all it's own or what but mine lacks reception in areas my old phone seemed to handle just fine. This could prove to be problematic as my new home in 'the C' as I fondly call it, does not have enough reception for a good length chat. Booo.

One other noteworthy drawback... did you know that Bath & Body works sends those crazy ad e-mails at 4:00am? Yeah, me neither until they starting haunting my sleeping hours. Eck. I unsubcribed from every e-mail list my online shopping had found me upon in the last oh, 24 years. No more middle of the night e-mails. No more junkmail to my phone. I say no no no!

A few days after the great unsubscribing of 2010, I practically shreiked at the girl at Bath & Body when she asked for my e-mail address. I promise I didn't mean too but before I could catch myself I practically leapt down her throat about their e-mailing habits. Oops. Don't worry I calmed and righted the situation. Without, however, re-giving them my e-mail. Boundaries are the spice of my shopping life.

Just wanted to share my thoughts with you all as I pioneer this new worth of a phone that is smarter than I.

Love,

B