I put on a vintage wrist watch today.
I needed to be able to tell what time it was while we went to the beach. I didn’t want to rush the little trip by being anxious about what time it was and I also wanted to make sure we got back home at a decent time. Normally I’d do this with my phone, but I don’t have a phone right now.
It’s 2017 and the idea of being without a phone seems archaic. Normally I’d not go anywhere if I thought my phone may die whilst out because a part of me is terrified of breaking down and being unable to call for help. These past few days, I’ve realized it does so much more for me. Like tracking time.
So yes, I broke my phone. And because phone companies require you to pay off your phone in monthly installments (or pay the whole $800+ up front), I still owe another $180 if I want to upgrade. If it wasn’t broken, I could trade it in to waive that remainder. But it’s very broken. Anyways, I grabbed a book (Bohemian Manifesto) and my great grandmother’s vintage Bulova watch and we set out for the beach.
Speaking of the book. I happened to have a $50 Amazon gift card. And while grabbing the heating element for my broken dryer, I also grabbed a set of macrame plant hangers, bedroom pillow cases and the book- Bohemian Manifesto. Did you know Goodwill sells used books (and possibly other merchandise) through Amazon? I grabbed it for just a couple of dollars including shipping. I haven’t gotten very far because my son asks three thousand questions every five minutes, but I am enjoying it so far.
Oh, and I realize it may seem odd to be visiting the beach just a week before Halloween, but we only have intermittent days of coolness up until the last few days before Halloween. Then it will go cold. My son played in the water and we walked the whole length of the beach and we collected all sorts of interesting shells, coral, and crab parts left behind from earlier high tides.
Even though it’s been warm, the mosquitoes have still been bad enough to keep us indoors more than I’d like. I’m quite a sunshine junkie and it makes sense now that I know a good chunk of my joint paint is from vitamin D deficiencies. I also have arthritis and hypothyroidism, but even when those were being managed, I was still experiencing joint pain and blood tests confirmed that I also end up deficient in vitamin D, primarily this time of year through mid Spring. This year I started feeling that familiar paint about a week and a half ago. So I started taking my favorite multi-vitamin and I’m back to the usual. It’s vegan, but it’s so well rounded that I think anyone should use it.
The phone thing really sucks though. The reality is, trying to live without any cell communication just isn’t feasible. I have a young child who I wouldn’t want to leave stranded in a broken down car or worse, a car accident. And it’s our only means of calling for help should the house catch fire, etc. I’ll owe the remaining $180 balance regardless of what route I’d choose to go. Or $175 should I file a claim for a new phone. Considering I just did that this past March, it stings worse. I had it in an Otterbox (this one) and had one of those “self healing” screen protectors. But a 2 foot drop demolished the screen. I can’t view anything.
I think all of this has led me to the conclusion that I don’t want to continue buying top tier phones here on out. They’re expensive long term and fragile which leads to more expense. I do a lot of photography and videography and editing from my phone so it can’t be a clunker, but I don’t think I’m prepared to spend another $1,000+ for two years worth of phone again. Just… no.
I’m so sorry to hear about your phone! I hope you can get a new one soon. It’s amazing the things we use them for, and it definitely hurts to be without one. I don’t blame you for not going for the top tier phone – I am going to pay my iPhone 7 Plus off as soon as I can (first Verizon told me that if I made monthly payments, I couldn’t pay it off…but two different reps have since told me that I can). Meaning, it will be a while. But before I got contract service, I always had a phone that was two generations behind, because it was what I could afford to outright buy, and I was on prepaid. I never thought I’d feel this way, but I am trying my best to pay my phone off so I can get back to prepaid.
What kind of phone are you considering? I had some friends switch from a Galaxy and an iPhone to the Pixel, and they love it. When I priced that and the MotoX I thought I wanted, they were all going to be as expensive as the iPhone. Not the MotoX, but to buy the accessories that made me want to switch drove the price up.
Love your pics! I’m so jealous that you live close enough to drive to a beach – I’m here in the south, and while I’m a few hours from the nearest ocean beach, our weather seems the same – intermittent cool weather through October, but mostly warm. Then just unbearably cold for several months.