Christmas Technology

Just like my parents before me, Elaine and I broke down and bought cell phones for the twins at Christmas. With our crazy schedules and the twin’s school 40 minutes from our house, our store and my construction life; Elaine and I succumbed to the repeated requests.

I’m not sure it was a good decision. With the phones, I gave the twins the following “rule”.

Rule: Don’t text me. I won’t answer it.

Apparently they are following the rule. They aren’t texting me. However, they are texting EVERYONE else. Elaine received our first monthly bill since adding the twins’ phones. Thank God for unlimited texting.

Sadly, we do not have unlimited data on our monthly plan. We have televisions, tablets, and computers all with internet service. Girl Twin chose not to use any of them and burned through a month’s worth of data watching a movie on her phone.

I mentioned my parents bought cell phones for Christmas presents. My four brothers worked with my father in a family owned construction company. Me? I was more of the “black sheep” type and was encouraged to pursue employment elsewhere. That said, at Christmas time it didn’t matter what color my “wool” was or where I worked, our mother insisted my brothers and I received exactly the same Christmas present. One year our presents were cell phones.

My brothers and I opened our boxes containing the cell phones. Each one of my brothers’ cell phone boxes had their new phone numbers printed on the outside of the box. I noticed no number was printed on my box. I asked my mother, “Hey, what’s the phone number of this phone?” She replied, “The company is going to pay for the phone service of your brothers’ phones. You don’t work for the company so we didn’t hook your phone up.”

Yep, she bought me exactly the same present as my brothers, but mine was going to cost $150/mo. It was one of those old “brick” phones, which was exactly what I wanted to use it for; a brick.

By adding the twins’ cell phones to our monthly service plan we received a free tablet. Elaine, Ivy and the twins already have tablets, so I guess the new one is mine. Of course, it is now 2015 and in 2015 the word “free” actually means $10/month. My free tablet costs $10/month.

We bought the twins’ phones and the FREE tablet the week before Christmas. I took it out of my drawer last Sunday. I had trouble setting the clock, so Ivy helped me. When Ivy was finished setting the clock, she handed the tablet back to me. I put it back in the box. We use the tablet to separate our mail on top of my desk. For only ten dollars a month you can get a tablet to separate your bills from your magazines and catalogs.

Santa did bring me a piece of electronic technology I like. I have grown to like my step counting, calorie counting, sleep monitoring wristwatch. I have daily goals set on the watch that if/when I meet my goal the watch sends me emails telling me how wonderful I am. When I remember to wear it.

Strangely, I find myself climbing stairs, turning around and climbing the same stairs again. I walk to nowhere and then back. I wore the watch 5 straight days and am exceeding my goals everyday. Then I forgot to wear the watch shattering my streak.

When I realized I wasn’t wearing my watch I called home hoping Elaine could bring the watch to town. Sadly, Elaine informed me she wouldn’t be coming to town that day.

Me: Can you bring my watch to town? Elaine: I won’t be coming to town. I’m working at the house today. Me: I’m going to break my streak. There is no way I can get to 10,000 steps if I don’t get that watch soon. Elaine: Sorry! Me: I have an idea! Why don’t you wear my watch until I get home? Elaine: I am not wearing your watch. Me: The watch won’t know it is you. Just put it on and walk up and down the stairs about ten times and I can finish when I get home.