Fell Off the Wagon - and Right Onto my Smartphone

Yeah. That's right. I have broken my fast. 10 months early. I couldn't hack it in the smartphone-free world. I just felt grumpy all the time, and started questioning why I was purposely making my life harder. I wanted some of those conveniences back. On top of that, the last two weeks have continued to be rough. The hits just kept on coming. I felt like I had been caught where the waves hit the shore and every time I got close to making it back safely to dry ground (or even got my head above water long enough to breath), another huge wave would come up out of nowhere and knock me down. Over and over and over.

A few days after I realized I was having a miscarriage, I discovered that the floor of my car was soaking wet. I hadn't noticed because we have rubber mats on top, which I love, but dang! They were hiding the white mold that was starting to grow up the sides of the mats.  No biggie. I just got this car a year ago, and we have an extended warranty, it would be fine. (You see where this is going, right?) Only no it wouldn't. Not if the extended warranty doesn't cover any issues with the body of the car (or the seals...). I would need all of the carpet and insulators replaced. (cue waves crashing) I started crying right there on the spot at the service center. Jasmine, my service rep, was obviously uncomfortable with this girl sobbing in front of her, unable to speak, but it couldn't be helped.  It would cost anywhere between hundreds and thousands. It cost nearly $3,000 in the end.

Then, the next day my harddrive crashed. The one with all of the pictures I had taken since starting the fast. I had tried to back them all up, but our frickin' wireless is so slow, not all of them made it. I lost a lot of pictures (the photobooth ones included) and all of the edits I had done since I started relearning Photoshop.  This was probably more painful than the car. I cried all day. "Why, God?! WHY?!"

And finally when the nurses couldn't get hold of me to give me my blood test results because my voicemail didn't work on my new phone, I was done. I had reached my limit. BRING BACK MY PINK SPARKLY, WONDER! I needed a reliable phone and I wanted to listen to my audio books, dammit! I just needed a little instant happiness in my life, and sending emojis to my friends and waiting to see how long it would take them to notice that I was using my smartphone again was a heck of a lot of fun! (It took some of them ages, btw!)

So, I'm back on the sauce, and I don't want to go back to living without my phone. I tried, but it was just too damn inconvenient and it made life just a little bit harder. Plus, I felt like I was spending an exorbitant amount of time talking to customer service representatives.

And in that time I spent way too much of it trying to figure out new ways to have the same luxuries my smartphone provided, the three biggest being my camera, my music/audiobooks and a phone that had voicemail, easy texting (with emojis) and a text message inbox that didn't fill up every other day. Buying all of those devices just seemed  ridiculous, though, because it would cost me more money and then I'd have a shit ton of devices to carry around and potentially lose. Plus, let's be honest, an ipod basically does the same thing as a smartphone. So does an ipad, a Kindlefire, a laptop...  I was still using a device, just not my smartphone.

I also realized that if I used my smartphone efficiently I would actually have more time with my family (seriously, I had never thought about this before!). Whenever  I was stuck waiting (and I was hyper aware of these moments without a smartphone to distract me), I could have taken advantage and done the tasks online I needed to do get done, like ordering dog food or replying to emails or figuring out what the weather was going to be like for the next week.

I realized that the rest of the stuff, though, like Facebook and email and even a ferry schedule, I could live without having attached to me at all times.

I have no idea how I made this, and it has nothing to do with anything, except it was on my first hard drive that croaked. I still cry when I think about all of the photos of my kids as babies that I lost. At least I have the low rez images to look at here!

I have been talking to a lot of people about how they manage their smartphone use. I still think we have a big problem and I still want to figure out ways to control my smartphone usage rather than it controlling me. One trick I recently read, and I think this can be related to many areas of life, is to check in with yourself from time to time and ask, "is what I am doing right now making me happy?" Often we are killing time or trying to fill a void, but sometimes we are actually using our phones for purposes that add joy (like texting gifs and emojis...)  I think checking in with yourself can help. I also have friends who have taken apps off their phones that tend to suck them in.

I can't live without my phone. No, let me rephrase that. I can't HAPPILY live without my phone, so I am just going to have to figure out ways to feel happy about how I am using my phone. Suggestions are welcome!

A Month and Half In - Stuck in a Funk

I haven't written in a few weeks. I've been going through a rough patch, and haven't been able to muster up the energy or humor or even an ounce of motivation. Even though this blog is something I love doing and has been a bright spot for me, I keep turning away and choosing to lie on the couch and space out instead. 

I find myself here every now and then - in a funk and knowing what I need to do to get myself out, yet refusing to do anything that will make me feel remotely better. No candles! No essential oils! No fires in the fireplace! No friends! No wilderness! No walks! No happiness, period! As I once said to my good friend, Gerrie, after an entire night of partying that led to us falling asleep two hours before our train left, missing our train home (shocking, I know), and stumbling through San Sebastian toward the bus station the next morning, totally hungover and grumpy - 

"I am not in the mood for happiness."

 Just saying that pulled me out of my funk and sent us both into hysteric laughter, because who purposely chooses NOT to be happy?! 

 I do, it turns out.

Not having a phone isn't what's put me into this dark place, in case you are wondering, but it hasn't made it any easier. Back then I could at least listen to some inspirational audiobook or go into my Pinterest dreamland and imagine all the wonderful things my life could become. I could have spent hours texting other depressed friends funny GIFS or emojis (don't bother sending me any emojis, by the way. I only receive boxes, and that makes me kinda sad. I used to have some serious emoji texting skillz. : ( ) 

This funk was brought on by a combination of things -  worries about my daughter and her friends at school; feeling burnt out and overworked - stretched thin in a million directions and feeling like a failure across the board. And then finally to top off, being blessed with a pregnancy after nearly a year of trying, and then abruptly losing it for the second time this year.  

Heartbroken.

It has been a rough few weeks.

Going Smartphone free has just been the icing on the cake. And for the sprinkles? I actually got so pissed off with Cricket's terrible customer service, that I told the representative that it was the worst telephone company I had ever used, and to cancel my service immediately. 

Days later, I realized I hadn't started up a new service yet, so I had unwittingly cancelled the phone number I have had for the past eight years as well. Doh! (So, if you text me and I don't text you back, now you know why.) 

And you see? My attitude is not doing me any favors. My mom told me should could feel my pain and frustration through the phone yesterday. I started wondering why my life has become such a shitshow, and then something I recently read finally registered.

 I am in a downward spiral because I keep choosing to see the rain instead of the rainbows. 

You attract the energy you put out. I truly believe that, and guess what kind of energy I have been putting out? That's right - toxic energy. Again and again and again. Then, all I see in life are the things that bring me down. Things that aren't going right - my patience waning, how tired I am, the rude person who cut me off, my dog eating deer poop once again...

I'm not sure why I sometimes choose to wallow, or let the little things get to me and break me down. I obsess about stupid stuff that I have no control over. It wakes me up in the middle of the night, and I imagine writing letters to all the people who have wronged me. What the hell? Like that is going to help me. All that does is perpetuate more anger until I am so worked up, I can hardly breath (and have you ever tried sleeping without breathing? It's not as easy as it sounds).

Do you have any idea how many self help books I have read in my lifetime?! I absolutely know what I am supposed to do in these situations. I need to turn it over to the universe; let that shit go; accept the things I cannot change; focus on the power of now; stop sweatin' the small stuff; remember I am a badass; realize I can heal my life; see the the miracles in every day life...  (I could go on loosely quoting the titles of books I have read, but I think you get the picture.) 

Why is this so hard? It's easy when things are going well, but it's so easy to see the negative, when you are struggling. How do we turn this energy around?

Based on my extensive research in the Self Development genre, I know I need to devise my action plan and STICK TO IT! I always start with great intentions, and then, BAM! someone criticizes the way I teach and all I can think about is how mean and unfair that is. And does she have any idea how hard I work every day? I can't believe she can be so condescending and smug...  

Yes, then I end up back here, all offended and wronged. 

Not this time, bitches! I am in it to win it. I am all about making lemonade this time around. Bring on the lemons! (Maybe give me a few weeks to steady myself, though, just to be on the safe side... ; ))

And now for my miracle plan:

Step 1: Finish the Book I was reading and DO THE WORK!! 

I had started reading the book, May Cause Miracles by Gabrielle Bernstein about focusing on happiness and positivity and even trying to give those jerks a break by responding with love.  It required a one minute meditation in the morning and some reflection time in the evening, and a whole lot of determination and focus during the day, but it was really helping. Then I got off course because people kept pissing me off (so much left to learn, Young Grasshopper). I will go back to that and really REALLY focus on the good stuff , as hard to see as those things may be right now (like my dog cuddling up to me once we have washed her mouth out with doggie Listerine, or seeing the sunshine, or just feeling how loved I am). 

Step 2:  Turn it over to the Universe (or God, or a higher power, or whatever you call it!). 

I forget that I am not the one that gets to control everything. I am used to being the boss, and this one can be hard, but in reality, I don't get to decide what happens next. I have no control over other people or whether my body can hold onto a pregnancy. I just need to turn it over and ask for the strength to handle whatever happens like a badass. I get a choice - I can worry about every single little thing that goes wrong or might go wrong and get stuck in a scary, dark, mind labyrinth, or I can stay here, in the present moment where the sun is shinning, and just take it as it comes. (Am I really even debating this?) And when those bad things do come, I can pray for help to start seeing the good once again.

Step 3: I'm not really sure what step 3 is, and those first two steps are hardcore, so I think I will just focus on them for now! Maybe Step 3 is to take a nap, and I am all over that. 

Anyway, I know there are a lot of you who can relate to this. Choosing happiness is hard work, but  it's what so many of us want more than anything else. Why not work hard for it?

Better get to it...

Thankful Thursday - Renewed Passion

I used to be obsessed with photography.  I would drag Bella around with me and bribe her with lollipops and Dumbo to get her to stay still (Mom of the Year of Award a few times in a row!).  And once I tucked those little rascals into bed, I would start editing until I was bleary eyed, often not until  two in the morning. It was always hard to pull myself away. I was hardcore!

I quit photography in 2012 when I started up a home daycare.  I was going through a divorce and couldn't be a single mom with two small children and successfully run two businesses. That would have been insane, so I focused on the more lucrative of the two. Slowly, I stopped pulling my camera out altogether.  My computer sat unused (I had a smartphone! What did I need my computer for if I wasn't editing?!).

I kept saying I wanted to take pictures again, but I could never get myself to start. Looking back on it, I think part of it was the fear of my obsession taking over. It was, in part, an addiction as well, because I couldn't control it. I thought about it all the time. I would see beautiful light and I'd be so grumpy if I didn't have my camera.  I stalked my kids with my camera, and I started feeling that I was always partly absent from life because I was watching it through a lens. (Has my problem always been not being present? Escaping from the now? These are definitely things I have been pondering.)  I only picked my camera up for special occasions for six years! Isn't that crazy? I loved it so much, yet I put it away and ignored it for six years!

Thanks to my Smartphone Fast, I have picked my camera back up, and the two of us are simpatico again. To be honest, though, I think my true romance is with Photoshop (don't tell my camera).  I love making pretty photos even more beautiful. I have so much fun just screwing around with one picture for days to see what it can become.

Guess what happens when you don't use a skill for six years though? I don't know about the rest of you, but I apparently forget absolutely everything. When I first started learning about photography, I studied Photoshop for hours on end. I took so many online courses and joined forums and watched tutorials and read Photoshop books, but when I went to start using it again, it was all gone. All of it.  I couldn't even remember how to do basic things like open a new image, use layers, or a mask. Things that used to be second nature to me were gone. I had to start reading articles again and watching tutorials and I was so freakin' pissed that I had spent so much time learning, and now had to start all over.

Oh the agony!!!!

(Don't worry, this story doesn't end on such a depressing note. Leave those Kleenex alone. You'll probably need them this winter. Don't waste them on my story. People don't call me "Sunshine Sarah" for nothing. )

Once I started messing around, though, my fingers just took over a few times. I would push the letter 'Q' and wonder what I was doing! It was bizarre. Muscle memory is amazing.

For the past three weeks I have been playing around again and it is coming back, little by little! (Can I get a Hallelujah?!) I am not anywhere near where I used to be, but my skills have not been completely lost, and for that, I am thankful.

Balance is my biggest nemesis. I am always drawn to extremes, yet I crave balance because I know it keeps me sane. This year is about trying to figure out how to balance life. I mean, I doubt I will figure it out in a year. This has been my goal for the past 5 years, but I'm working on it. I am just happy to add the element of passion back into my life. I hope I can keep it in check, but I am so happy to have it back.

Last Sunday, I talked my youngest daughter into doing a photo shoot with me by letting her put on makeup and a fancy dress and telling her I could make her look magical. I didn't really deliver on my end of the bargain, but to be fair, she gave me exactly 11 minutes. No joke. We ran out between rain showers, caught some sunlight, she did some posing, lots with peace signs and weird arm poses that I couldn't get in the frame, and then she was done. I was impressed I got so many images I was happy with. I may even print some of these up! Crazy, huh?

I still can't remember how to get my images crisp like I used to for the web. I'm sure it will come with more practice.

I love the bokeh (those pretty circular light spots in the background)  in this one!

Pretty sure she is on her way to being my professional little model. Look how she holds that eucalyptus!

Thankful Thursday - The Wilderness

Life can be hard. That's not news to most of us. We have lived through heartache and disappointment and things not turning out the way we imagined. We've seen loved ones leave us, or watched our parents get sick, or have worried about the choices our kids will make, or regretted some of the choices we've made in own lives. There are a lot of rocks among the diamonds, and the longer I live, the more I have come to accept that there are ups and downs and a lot of in betweens in life.

More importantly, though, I've learned that our happiness isn't determined by the ratio of highs to lows.  My mom has had some real lows. She has had terrible luck with her health ever since I can remember, and yet, she has one of the brightest smiles I have ever seen. It isn't about the luck of the draw. It is about how we play the hand we've been dealt - how we deal with each extreme and all that lies between.  How we cope, how we bounce back, how we keep getting up each time we get knocked down, and whether or not we can accept a situation without trying to change it, regardless of how uncomfortable it makes us, is what determines our happiness.

Up until last year, I was shit at dealing with life.  My tried and true coping mechanism was alcohol. When I was up high, celebrating something wonderful - "Hey! Let's go get a drink to celebrate!" And when I was down really low  -  "Let's go get a drink to numb this pain." Alcohol was a loyal friend to me for years. It made me the life of the party - I was friendly and funny and fearless.  It was always there to loosen things up in any stuffy social situation where I wouldn't know a lot of people. It made really long Mariners games so much more entertaining, and after a rough day, it made all of my problems go away. I knew that when I took that first sip of prosecco, I would immediately feel a big heavy weight lifted, and from there, all of the stress and frustration would slowly start dissipating until it was forgotten altogether. It had this extraordinary way of  masking all of life's problems while simultaneously making them worse, and the most miraculous thing about it was that I didn't even think it was a problem because it was so socially acceptable.

"Alcohol couldn't be the problem! Everyone I know drinks it, and who will I hang out with if I stop?"

It almost felt like I was going against societal norms when I decided to quit drinking.

How was I to know that all of those problems I thought were dissipating were still there under the surface?  I had no idea how to cope with life, and I didn't even know it.


For the past year I have been learning ways to handle life's ups and downs without alcohol. At the beginning I was completely lost. Candy was my answer. Then buying things, and then finally after feeling all wound up with no place to go for what felt like an excruciating amount of time, I started learning about things I never understood before like God, meditation, acceptance, exercise, breathing and the wilderness.

I grew up surrounded by nature. We played outside in the streams every day, we built forts, we trail-blazed, we picked berries and caught frogs.  As I got older, though, I started hanging out with my friends and going to parties and dinners and brunches, and little by little stopped playing outside.

And little by little, I forgot about all of the magic.

When I quit drinking, I had all this time on my hands. I wasn't meeting friends for brunches. I wasn't starting a Football Sunday with a mimosa, and I didn't have plans after work to go to Happy Hour with my colleagues. I had to start finding other healthy ways to fill my time, and one of those became walking on the wild side.

There is something therapeutic about being surrounded by wilderness. It holds me and releases me at the same time. I can visualize the weight I have been carrying in my chest being set free all at once. I don't know if it's the act of noticing my surroundings - the trees coated in moss, the light sneaking through the branches, the clean air, the crackle or squish under my feet. Is it the act of being in the present moment that releases the anguish and stress and worry that I have been holding onto? I don't know exactly. Maybe. I definitely need to experience more of it to figure it out, and maybe I don't even need to figure it out. I just know that afterwards, I feel refreshed and renewed. I can handle the ups and downs when I am coming from a place of peace.

It is much harder to take on any more when you have deceived yourself into thinking you handled a situation when, in reality, you were just stuffing it down deeper. Nature helps me reset to a place of peace and tranquility. I am not holding on to anything when I walk out. I am not burying my feelings. I can think about them and feel them and release them.

What started out as a way to fill my time is becoming a form of therapy. It is becoming a tool I can use to help me handle this life that will continue to throw me and hurt me and knock me down between those moments of  serenity, joy and rapture.

Week One - Withdrawal

Wow. This has been quite a week. Not only did I decide to stop using my smartphone, The Universe decided I would stop using any cell phone at all (I Broke My Doohickey). Then, after endless hours of searching for the perfect basic phone (which, I'm pretty sure only existed in the early 2000s), waiting the four days for it to arrive, then waiting 24 hours for the battery to charge (remember that?!), I find out it is incompatible with Cricket (and this is after hours of research on networks and compatibility, which is now taking up space in my brain that could be used for much more interesting facts).

(This blog is not supposed to be about "why you should never give up your smartphone", but it's sure starting to feel like that!)

So, here I am, still without a phone and after some pretty rough days, I will admit that it has become manageable. I am still here, breathing, living, existing. The world hasn't stopped spinning. Life does go on without a smartphone, but I also have to admit that a life of  extreme convenience has been lost. No more dictating while my phone magically writes a text message. No more Googling the lyrics to the Family Ties theme song while on a boat in the middle of a lake. Yes it can be done, and through the murky haze of transitioning to this point, I have even found a couple of bright patches - like being present! (Hello people right in front of me! Nice to notice you!) That has really felt great, but those moments have still been few and far between, (mostly because I have been obsessed with the loss of my smartphone).

For first few days I felt like I had just been broken up with. I couldn't stop thinking about my smartphone. Everywhere I went, everything I did, reminded me of her. From the moment I woke up in the morning, to sitting on my couch at the end of a long day, to reaching for my "book" before I went to sleep at night, it all reminded me of that special time we had shared.  Sometimes I would reach for her, and be jolted back to reality when I came up empty handed. Where were my texts? What was going on in the rest of the world? How was I suppose to confirm meetings if I couldn't check my calendar or send a text beforehand? Would that person still be planning on my visit? How was I to know?

What?

You think I'm being melodramatic or "over-romanticizing" life with a smartphone?

Moi?

Ok, maybe just a tad. My smartphone never kept me warm at night or whispered sweet nothings in my ear, but it was a close second to my husband. The truth of the matter is that it hasn't been as easy as I thought it was going to be. It has finally registered that I was basically addicted to my electronic partner in crime, and as with most addictions, you have to deal with the low lows before you can rise up and prevail!

When you try to kick any addiction or habit, you plan on it kicking your ass for the first few days, but it still always seems surprising and unexpected when it happens, nonetheless. I didn't expect to experience any withdrawal symptoms, because, you know, it's my smartphone. Everybody's doin' it. But there they were.

Some of you already know this, but smartphone addiction is a real phenomenon. Just Google "smartphone addiction" and you will get millions of results (and I'm actually not exaggerating here). The following list was taken from American Addiction Centers about typical withdrawal symptoms that occur when abstaining from alcohol.

The bulk of withdrawal symptoms will be present during the acute withdrawal phase and may include:

• Tension
• Panic attacks
• Tremors
• Difficulty concentrating
• Short-term memory loss
• Anxiety
• Irritability

• Disturbed sleep
• Headache
• Heart palpitations
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Muscle pain and stiffness
• Hypertension
• Irregular heart rate

At the time, I didn't recognize them as withdrawal symptoms. I thought I was just being super bitchy, but upon reflection, I remembered a few of them from quitting other habits or addictions.  Anxiety, tension, irritability and difficulty concentrating were my biggest offenders. It's rough stuff!

Whew! Glad I got that out of my system. I am starting to feel normal without my extra appendage.  Now comes the adjustment phase. I have stopped twitching and am not nearly as panicky when I get into my car without my smartphone. I don't know how long this next part of the journey is going to last, but the first week has been a doozie! I won't say it can't get any worse, because I just lived through last week. I'm just looking forward to more of the "being present" part of this journey.

Thankful Thursday - Color in Winter

Winters here in the Pacific Northwest are rough. For the longest time I didn't realize why they drained me so much. Where did my energy go? The rain makes it harder to get outside, and the days are so short that you only have daylight during working hours, but that's not what causes the gloomiest of gloom. It's the endless gray that does me in. Without color it all looks the same.

I've really started celebrating the bright sunrises and sunsets, and the orange morning light that we get from time to time. What a contrast from the gray! I tell my girls that they are our miracles for the day. I also wear bright clothes. Last week I called my outfit "pink explosion". I wish I had a picture. I even went out and bought myself a rainbow umbrella last week. What can I say? It was a rough week! Color makes me feel better. I feel brighter when I'm around it. I love to light a fire and a bunch of my Glassybabies and then just enjoy the glow.

I truly believe in finding those things that bring you joy in life and then seeking them out. Do what you can to be surrounded by them. Call them miracles (it just feels more exciting!), and then focus on all their goodness. I know it's hardest when you are feeling like crap. Sometimes I forget that there are things that can help pull me out of the pit of despair, but I'm trying to remember. Lighting candles and looking for mother nature's little miracles are two easy ways.

We spend so much time bogged down by all the things that aren't going right. I say we start putting more of our energy towards all the things that are. Gratitude is an amazing tool.

Pollyanna out!

Day 3: I Broke my Doohickey

My feelings, exactly.

Seriously. I broke my new phone.

I wish I were making it up.

As you may recall, I was having a difficult time loading my contacts onto my new phone. Well, I contacted Cricket's online chat and they suggested I get a SIM adapter. Cool! I'm all over that. If it's between sitting for days on end, manually transferring my contacts and paying five bucks, that's a no-brainer. Anyway, I got home yesterday and my package with the SIM adapter was already waiting for me. It looked easy enough with the limited word-less instructions:

Put little SIM card onto big adapter.
Put big adapter with little SIM card into little metal pocket.

Got it!

At least it looked like I had, but when I went to turn it on again my phone said "Insert SIM card". Not a good sign since I had just finished doing that. I checked it and thought I would take it out and put it back in again (one of my three go-to tricks when it comes to fixing anything that involves electricity). Uh oh. Card not coming out. "Never fear! I have tweezers! Fixed!"

Only now my phone just says "Insert SIM" all the time and does nothing else.

At first I found it kind of humorous. Really? One full day? That's how long this phone is going to last? I was all grumpy and going through withdrawals because my new phone doesn't connect to my car and I can't listen to my audio books, and what about voice to text, and is there really no speakerphone? (And yes, I know that I sound like a spolied first world brat. That doesn't change the fact that I was really annoyed and frustrated! Raaawr!) The Universe was basically saying, "Oh, poor baby. You can't use your smartphone. Imagine if you had no phone... Poof! Taaadaaaa!"

Touche, Universe.

It is much suckier with no phone at all.

I have spent the last three hours (plus a couple last night) trying to figure out how to return the phone and find a replacement. Andres, my first Cricket friend I made, told me that I had to try out the SIM card in a different phone, but I told him I didn't have another flip phone I could try it out in. Well, too bad, I would have to take it into a Cricket store. A what? I have never even seen a Cricket store, and definitely not on Vashon.

Then I tried again and got Felix. He was much more helpful, but told me I needed to call the warranty people.  I asked him if he knew what the warranty was and he proceeded to give me the definition of a warranty. I liked him though. Sweet guy. He told me I had been "awesome" and I appreciated that, especially since I was feeling super twitchy by this point.

Today, I called the warranty people and I talked to two very nice Cricket reps and after about an hour of being put on hold and calling back and waiting, I finally returned that $30 clamshell.  V is for VICTORY!

There's only one problem remaining...
I still don't have a phone I can use.

If I try to buy a new one from Cricket, they make me pay a $25 upgrade fee and, believe me, there is no one on the web support chat that can override that. I can, however, buy a phone that is compatible from another retailer and just use that one.

I know you may find this surprising, but there aren't many choices out there when it comes to basic phones. It's tricky business. Who knew you had to find one that is unlocked and compatible with a gsw network instead of a cdma network, and it's better to get a 3g lte or 4 g lte... Friends, these are just letters to me! Oh, and it goes without saying that I have to do my research to find one with good reviews...

Universe to me: "Um yeah, don't press your luck".

I ended up with a $22 phone that is blue and black. I don't even know what brand it is. I have no idea if it will work with Cricket, but to tell you the truth after talking to six different reps, I will just be happy when I can text again. I am going to cross my fingers and leave it up to the Universe. (And no funny business this time, Universe!)

So much for all the free time this new smartphone-free lifestyle was going to award me.