The Latest Thing

Adam's phone went kaput yesterday. Adrienne called me about 2:30 p.m.--Adam had texted her and wanted to get a new phone. He was in class, so he must have borrowed someone else's phone to text his Mom. It couldn't wait until he got home from school. Adrienne was out delivering flowers for Valentine's day. At 3:10 p.m. (school had been out for 5 minutes), Adam called to say that he would meet me at the At&t store. Fifteen minutes later, he called to say that he was on Brand Blvd. Jade drove him and she must have let him use her phone. So I met him at the store. I had given the kids money at Christmas and Adam still had some left, so I had no problem getting him a phone and as it happens, I need a new phone also, since my phone does not have bluetooth. I got one of those hands free remotes for the car, but my phone has to have something called bluetooth (fine, you all know what that is and I'm the only dinasour).

So we look around. There were lots of phones, but is it me--they look like they are getting bigger. Anyway, of course, they have only one phone that does not have a camera (I can't take a phone with a camera into federal court), but that phone does not have bluetooth. Do I want a go phone? Does it have bluetooth? No. I already have a phone with no camera that has no bluetooth, so you can understand my frustration with the person helping us.

Meanwhile, Adam is wandering aimlessly about. He didn't look interested in anything. He picked up one, but when the guy rattled off all the wireless stuff it could do, Adam was uninterested--I'll never use all that stuff, he said. The guy did tell us that Adam's phone was still covered by the warranty, but the fastest it would be replaced is 2-3 business days. Since Adam was having withdrawal after 2 hours, waiting 2-3 business days was quickly shot down with a sneer.

Do you ever hear crescendo music in your head? My memory of what happened next includes beautiful crescendo music leading up to the pinnacle moment that I first saw the iphone in person. It is really cute and awesome on tv in the commercials, but in person--wow! So our salesman pulls out his own to show me one that has not been battered by thousands of customers and kids playing with it. He has wireless internet right there in the store--I could pull up my e-mail right there on his phone. The screen is surprisingly big. The keyboard, easy to use (although it is activated by the heat of your finger and your fingernail will not do anything--I would have to cut my nails, something I haven't had to do for the keyboard or the piano--although the little extra clipping sound of my nails on the piano did somethings annoy my piano teacher--but I digress). Luckily, my e-mail took a really long time to come up, so that I had time to get over my first infatuation and look up to see Adam saying he doesn't like it. He'd never use all the stuff on it and it requires a monthly fee. Only $20 per month and the phone is only $400--I can so totally do that, I'm thinking and then I too could have the latest thing. You can download and watch video's on your phone!!! Deep breath, I told myself.

If I can't have a phone that has no camera and bluetooth, then I really can't have it both ways. I either have to have a phone I can bring to court or a phone that I can use hands free in the car or two phones. Hmmm. I have my phone with no camera and in 2-3 business days, Adams broken phone will be replaced with a phone that has bluetooth. OK, I don't need a phone anymore.

Adam did find something he liked and the price was even reasonable. Our sales person didn't seem too too disappointed that I had put away my lust for the iphone--I don't think he has much trouble selling them. They really are all that.

She Wakes Up

I went to dinner with some old friends last night. We'd gone out twice in the last few months after not seeing each other in years, so we'd already caught up on all the personal stories and to me it felt like we were running out of things to say. Back in the day (in the time of Magic and Kareem) we went to many a basketball game and shared all the latest and greatest in the world of basketball. But Kareem retired and Magic retired and Michael Cooper coaches the Sparks--in short, I've moved on and away from basketball so that now I recognize few names and fewer faces in the sport. Not so my two friends, who spent much of the dinner discussing trades and all stars. Shaq in Phoenix--oh my. Thank goodness I didn't put my foot in it and ask why that was bad (apparently, Phoenix wears purple and the Lakers wear purple, so there you go. I'm thinking what you are thinking, unless you get it.)

One friend recently got a job at a Production company and she told us about their antiquated coding system. Again, I've been away from that job for over 18 years. I gave her the appropriate "oh that's too bad" and had little else to contribute. She had gone 14 months looking for a job, but was going to take off early for a doctor's appointment and balked when they suggested that she could take some work home. I'm kind of a work-a-holic who has no trouble leaving work at work, yes, yes, that's me, an oxymoron. What can I say to her--take work home to preserve your job, but leave work at work to preserve your sanity. You can't eat peace of mind. My motto is, if you are not part of the solution, keep your mouth shut.

Then she said something about staying up all night to watch sports and off handedly added, tennis. I practically screamed "and then they replayed the match the next day--five hours!" Yes, she said, extremely surprised. I animatedly recounted the match and then we talked about all the different players and then the other matches that I went to last summer--Nalbanian is short--Safin is so cute and tall and Annie said that Tsonga looked like Ali way before the commentators picked up on it and favorite players and favorite tournaments and we even discussed tennis fashion. Wow, my friends said, Kathy woke up. That was fun.

The Cough

Twenty-one days ago I felt a tickle in my throat and thought--this is not good. It was not a little tickle--it was a real pain. I'm catching a cold, I thought and immediately took vitimin C and went on Storm Watch, I mean Cold Watch. Every twinge was suspect--was this part of the flu? Every sneeze was blown out of proportion--is this pnemonia? I did not get a fever, but I was very acky over that weekend and I decided to bite the bullet and stay home from work sick for the next three days. The problem was that I couldn't sleep much.

It is my opinion that my nose is different from all the other noses in the world--mine would win the gold medal in running. In the past twenty-one days I have filled large garbage bags with kleenex--I really ought to buy stock.

Anyway, trooper that I am, I went back to work on Thursday, still pretty sick. I left after 1/2 the day. Then I went in again on Friday, but again left after 1/2 the day. I went in the whole next week--still not getting better. I stayed in on the weekends and as quiet as possible. When I am very quiet and I don't move, I start to feel better. So then I think maybe, just maybe I can do one of the millions of things piling up while I am on sick leave. So I do one thing--no problem, then I do another-no problem. I'm fine I say to myself and I plunge into the work. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I start coughing. Deep, horrible coughs from the bottom of my toes. I get dizzy from the coughs and I can't stand. I'm sick I think--I should be home in bed. But when I stay in bed, I'm fine. Is this bug that has stricken me trying to put me in jail?

Well I've been at work for two weeks while coughing like a crazy person. The receptionist is sick, and now one of the other attorneys is sick. They seem to have the same symptoms as me, so I feel guilty. How long is long enough to be off sick--I mean 21 days is a long time to stay in cough jail.

p.s. I went to the doctor this week--she said it's bronchitis and she gave me antibiotics. Now I just have to stop procrastinating. I'm fine--if I don't move. Reminds me of babysitting an infant when they just nod off to sleep after screaming for hours--you don't want to move for fear of waking them up. I'll just sit at my desk very quiet and type--typing won't make me cough-right?