Friday, July 14, 2006

Low Tech but High Maintenance

I am High Maintenance, meaning I like my salad dressing “on the side”, I’m a picky eater/shopper/movie watcher, I have high standards (in all things/people), I like to do things my way, I like things to be a certain way, I am never satisfied with my shortcomings in the things I create or do, I bring my small feather pillow on trips with me, I know what I don’t like or want, I’m strong-willed (read: stubborn), I’m still searching for the perfect pasta dish and purse, I don’t like to be like everyone else, and I don’t willingly compromise.

I am Low Tech, meaning I have no cell phone, no “hands free” phone extras, no laptop, no iPod, no videogame paraphernalia, no Universal remote, no air conditioning/CD player in my car, no PalmPilot, no Blackberry, no GPS system, no digital camera, no camera of any kind, no TiVo, no laser printer for my computer, no fax, no photocopier (color or otherwise), no multi-tasking answering machine, no Caller ID, no Broadband/Roadrunner/Digital cable, no WonderBra, no alarm clock, no convection oven, and no micro-chipped pets. I do have a dryer from the 70’s, CD/radio/tape player, VCR (with remote), DVD player (with remote), TV with cable and remote, Dell computer (several years old at this time), upright vacuum cleaner (still uses bags), microwave, Cusinart (new, got last Christmas), toaster oven, tiny dishwasher, tiny oven/stove, tiny refrigerator, dehumidifier, disposable cameras as needed, portable CD player, did have a motion sensor outdoor light but now it’s broken, hairdryer with ion-something or other, air conditioner, and several fans.

I have always been low tech. My brother is the opposite, he’s extremely high tech (has everything) and low maintenance (minimalist with everything else). I have him to thank for most of my newer gadgets and my parents for the older ones. When I first started living on my own, they let me have their old TV, the one where you had to get up and change the channel. I burned out the color tube in that one and got their second old TV. That one you also had to get up and change the channel but by that time I had cable so the cable box had a remote. My VCR was the one we’d had when I was in high school – in the late 80’s. It was a JVC top-loading VCR with its “remote” on an extremely long cord. It lasted up until 2002 when it stopped rewinding (so I got a rewind machine) and then playing altogether. I used my security deposit from my apartment to buy a new TV and my brother gave me a VCR and DVD player for Christmas. I also got my microwave at that time. I did have a short stint with a cell phone because my parents had a family plan. I only used it in emergencies or on the rare long car ride. Because I never used it, Dad finally took it away from me. Why pay for something you’re not using?

I have visited all the cell phone places in my town (they are like mushrooms, popping up after a hard rain). Apparently I’m High Maintenance because I want a Low Maintenance cell phone plan – use for emergencies, only buy minutes when I need them, no minutes that just keep collecting month by month (I would never use them up and end up with an outrageous amount), and with no extra frills on the phone itself. That plan doesn’t exist and will never exist. The phone guy said people like me fall through the cracks.

So I’m in a crack without a cell phone and liking it just fine.

2 comments:

Leonna said...

Welcome to Blog World. I am Robin's (quilt-antic) mother (in case you wanted to know "who the heck is this and how did she get on to my site) (you posted your site on her site). Anyway, back to your site.
I, too, do not use my cell phone for anything other than emergencies - I include calling home when I'm going to be delayed in that category. I bought my phone at Safeways (have also seen them at Wal-mart). They are running $49 now. Every three months I "refill" it with $20 worth of air time. As I look at the other plans around I think that $80 a year is cheap. I think you can play games and get different ring tones but that doesn't interest me. This phone deffinetly does not take pictures either. So look for a Virgin Mobil phone and see if it meets your needs.
Happy blogging.

Unknown said...

Hi Samantha, it's me Robin. You posted a comment asking about links. If you e-mail me at malae@hawaii.rr.com I could send you the html and tell you where to insert it in your template. I got mine from another blog template.