Everybody Loves Cake!!!!!

This week seems to have been a week of frustration for many cell phone users across the nation.  I've seen so many Facebook updates this week proclaiming frustration with cell phones.  I've also noticed how much people talk about their cell phones in day to day conversation.

For instance, I was talking with a resident this week who suddenly felt the need to explain to me all of the intricate details of her recent cell phone dramas.  The charger broke.  She thought it was the cell phone.  She drove 45 minutes to a different mall because she thought the local mall would blame her for the damages.  Once she finally got a new charger her cell phone cover broke.  She had to buy a new one.  The new cover is purple, not pink, which is disappointing for both of us.

After having that discussion, I was glad I wasn't wasting my paycheck on mobile communications.  I already feel like I've saved a bunch of money, and yet, somehow I still suffer from broke college kid syndrome.  I've found a better way to spend my money anyway.

I'M GETTING A PUPPY IN JULY!!!  Yes, that's right folks, when I move home I'm getting a dog.  A labradoodle to be exact.  They are pretty close to hypoallergenic (although no dog is truly allergy free), so my mom will be able to live with it in the house.

I'm super excited.  I think a puppy is so much more worth my money than a cell phone. However, I did find these awesome little labradoodle cell phone charms:

 

I mean, c'mon, how cute is that!?

Anyway, if I have any money left over after puppy things (which is doubtful), I plan on investing in culinary adventures.  I want to try some different types of food.  The intention is to explore and be free after being sentenced to four years of college campus nutrition. Bleh.

I'm also going to attempt to learn how to cook & bake.  I want to bake cakes, and dog treats, and gluten/sugar free baked goods that actually taste good.  So, with these notions of grandeur, I will leave you some pictures of cake.

Cute dog cake by Julie Brooks.

Cool cell phone cake by Traci Wood.  Props to that guy (who's name I blurred out) for not having a cell for 50 years.

 Everybody Loves Cake!!!!!

Ups and Downs

So, I've had a mixed week without my cell phone.  It started with some ups, and ended with some downs.  One thing I noticed about this week, however, was that the topic of technology (cell phones in particular) continues coming up in conversation.

A couple of days ago, I got a really awesome message from my friend Patty.  I think the stress here at RIT gets the best of us sometimes, and technology doesn't help.  She wrote:

Hannah, I recently threw my phone on the floor of my car in a fit of rage because it keeps on turning itself off during phone calls. I haven't picked it up since. That little square box makes me so aggravated that it's just not worth it anymore. I don't know when I'll pick it up, but for now I am happily using my alarm clock, looking at the wall to check the time, and making plans via email.

My hats off to you girl. Perhaps you have the right idea.

It was really nice to get this message because it made me feel like I wasn't alone in all of my frustrations with gadgets.  It also spoke to the concept of this challenge, and the fact that disconnecting can be a release.

I want to point out that Patty's phone kept turning off on her unexpectedly.  Technology is not perfect, yet we depend upon it so much.  Our day to day lives are often kept on track by "that little square box", and sorry to tell you, but machines can be unreliable.

This dependence has also decreased the ability of tech users to depend on other people.  We trust our cell phones more than our best friends these days.  This may be another way technology is reducing the value of our interpersonal relationships.

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On the flip side of things, today I had a miss my phone moment (the first one so far, really).  I had told my resident (Caitlin) that I would go to lunch with her and her boyfriend today, and before lunch I had a meeting of sorts.

I journeyed across campus for my meeting, and arrived thinking I'd be back within the hour for lunch (I was actually hoping for 45 minutes, but that was clearly out of the question).  Well... two and a half hours later, I was still across campus and I had missed my lunch date with Caitlin and Shon.  

I realized when I got back to the dorms exactly what had happened, and I felt SO bad about it.  Granted, I didn't remember till well afterward (and a cell phone wouldn't have helped if I had kept it on silent).  However, I'm sure Caitlin would have texted me, "Where are you?" if I had a cell, and at that point I would have made it to lunch.

This is the first time that I've really forgotten something like that (I'm normally on time or 5 minutes early to all scheduled happenings), and that was frustrating.  Caitlin was a good sport, however, and agreed to reschedule on a day that I didn't have meetings scheduled.  I'm glad I have good friends who are forgiving and understanding.  That was one good aspect of the whole ordeal; I learned something about a positive quality in someone else... Maybe it was worth the mishap?  Well, that's probably a matter of opinion.

Breaking the Silence

Well, it has been over a month since my last post... so it's time to break the silence.

Today I was in a meeting with my boss (the one who STILL texts me after I've been cell-phoneless 2 months), and we were discussing giving things up.  She's thinking about giving up her Facebook account, and the first step in this process is crafting the explanation that she'll be dishing out to people when they exclaim, "You don't have a Facebook!?"

We had an intense heart-to-heart about our motives, and discussed what examples we would give in order to back them.  This conversation went on for a good part of the hour, and I quite enjoyed the revelations and conclusions that we made.  Sarah really helped me clarify why it is that I don't/won't have a cell phone for the next year.  However, I just want to say before I talk more about these reasons, that in retrospect, this conversation was ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!

Okay... My conversation with Sarah was not ridiculous, but the fact that we feel like we have to explain ourselves because people think we are crazy is DEFINITELY silly.  Seriously people, there was a time without cell phones (I can just imagine the dumbfounded look on some young teenager's face as they read this... "Whaaaaaaat?").

What a cutie! (image courtesy of Google Images)

Yes children, it's true.  There was once a day, in this land we call America, when people made plans and communicated without the assistance of the portable cellular device.  This is also true of Facebook, and the fact that people can no longer comprehend a life without these things is sad.  My boss and I should not have to explain ourselves just because we choose to forgo these modern indulgences.

The idea of communication via interaction brings me back to the reasons that prompted me into this challenge.  Yes, I was annoyed by people who thought they had me at their beckons call 24/7.  Yes, I was over the concept of shelling out the cash for a cell phone.  But there is more behind this madness, a method... a motive (or maybe a few of them).

Bonding is something that occurs when you spend time with someone.  You need to be engaged in your time with that person, and not engaged in other things while you are with them.  If you are not paying attention to the person you are with, then what is the point of spending time with them?

Sarah told me the story of when she went out to dinner with some of her friends, and one of those friends was poking away at her smart phone the whole time.  Finally, Sarah asked what this girl was up to, and the girl explained that she was updating her Facebook location, and tagging the girls at dinner in it.

Okay, first of all that location tracking thing on Facebook is freakin creepy.  If someone wanted to murder you and didn't know where you were, they could just check Facebook, and there you go (friends tagged with you are a serial killer bonus)!

Secondly, if you are out with friend, be out with friends.  You are negating the purpose of your stupid Facebook update by staying on Facebook the whole time.  By being disengaged from the situation, you have taken away it's significance in real life.

Facebook addictiions can kill.... a social life.

That's my rant against the Facebook situation, but I still love that crazy social network, and have no intention of getting rid of mine.  So, on to the cell phone rant.


I want to talk about how cell phones make people irresponsible.  There used to be this concept called "being on time."  It was polite to be on time for things like meeting with friends, meetings for work, classes.  Now, with one quick text, it is becoming more socially acceptable to be late.

Being late is not okay.  In my fathers house, "10 minutes early is early, 5 minutes early is on time, and on time is late!"  When you set a time to meet with someone (friend, boss, professor) you are making a commitment to be at the specified place at that time.  If you are not there at that time, you are breaking your commitment.

This is not excused by a text or quick call saying, "I'm running a few minutes late."  YOU ARE STILL LATE! It doesn't matter if you warn the person or not.  Although it is polite to give a warning, it should always be accompanied with an apology.  Take responsibility for your actions.  Also, totally standing someone up... not cool.

Anyway, probably have a ton more to say, but I'm tired.  I'm going to bed.  My cell phone (which I'll admit I had been using as an alarm clock) finally kicked the bucket, and the charger is broken.  So, I have invested in a real alarm clock - something I've only read about in books (wait... what's a book?).  The e-Reader rant is something for a whole other day.  Hahaha.