Worx was. . .

rather productive, actually. Although not necessarily for the company. :)

I got a plot for the SQ contest!

It's darn good, too. And I have 3 handwritten pages done. I'm afraid to type it up, 'cause I still have a ways to go and I'm sure it's going to be over the 1,000 word limit.

It's a crossover fic, too. In a way. Kinda.

Ooh, more questions! Thanx chicagoamy!

1. No limit in regard to money or time, where do you go and what do you do?

I'd go and visit all the places I've read about in books. I'd go to France, to England, to P.E.I., etc. And I'd make sure to stop at every city that has someone I've met online in it, and spend a goodly amount of time hobnobbing with my fellow wizards. :)

2. Has a book ever made you cry (and by cry I mean more than just tear up, but full out cry) and if so, which one(s)?

Oh, too many to count. I absolutey *bawled* at Mistress Pat by L.M. Montgomery (even though it has a happy ending), and I cried rather hard after finishing OotP, though my reaction was a bit delayed on that one. I think the book that made me cry most, though, was volume 6 of The Work and the Glory, which is an LDS historical novel based on the early history of the Mormon church. Its title is Praise to the Man, and it's the one where the martyrdom of Joseph Smith takes place. Over the course of the previous books I'd gained an even greater appreciation of who Joseph was as a man, and not just as a prophet. I knew it was coming (of course), but I still bawled. What a tragic loss-- he was killed at only 38 years of age, which is seeming younger and younger to me as I get older. I cried a lot in that series, actually. Whenever people died it was a real wrench. 9 books worth of association will do that to a person.

I've also had similar emotional reactions to scripture, and to certain other church books.

3. If you could live out a fairy tale, which one would you want it be and who would you play?

Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale, but I was never able to think myself into the role of Beauty herself. I'm just not very good looking. Until I read Robin McKinley's Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast, where not only the Beast but Beauty herself discovers that she's beautiful. So it would be Robin McKinley's version of Beauty and the Beast that I'd like to live.

4. Stealing one of seviet's question, because it rocks.... if you could produce a Patronus, which happy memory would you use and which form would it assume?

Hmm. I'd have to say that one of my happiest memories is when my brother came home from his mission after 2 years in Hungary, with only letters and 4 phone calls to keep in touch with him. As for what form it would assume. . . I really have no idea. A book, perhaps. :) Or the form of Jane Austen.

5. And stealing one that I asked seviet...what caused you initially to pick up a Harry Potter book and read it, and did you expect to love it as much as you do?

I was working in an LDS bookstore and was being asked questions about the appropriateness of HP, so I decided that the best way to find out if they were appropriate or not was to read them. They certainly took me by surprise, and I never, ever would have guessed that three years later I would have become as obsessed as I am, or that my life would have changed the way it has. I certainly have done a lot of things and met a lot of people that, without HP, I would never have done or met. I count it one of the luckiest days of my life that I picked up that book and started to read.

You'll have to give me a bit on your questions. :)

Worx was. . .

rather productive, actually. Although not necessarily for the company. :)

I got a plot for the SQ contest!

It's darn good, too. And I have 3 handwritten pages done. I'm afraid to type it up, 'cause I still have a ways to go and I'm sure it's going to be over the 1,000 word limit.

It's a crossover fic, too. In a way. Kinda.

Ooh, more questions! Thanx chicagoamy!

1. No limit in regard to money or time, where do you go and what do you do?

I'd go and visit all the places I've read about in books. I'd go to France, to England, to P.E.I., etc. And I'd make sure to stop at every city that has someone I've met online in it, and spend a goodly amount of time hobnobbing with my fellow wizards. :)

2. Has a book ever made you cry (and by cry I mean more than just tear up, but full out cry) and if so, which one(s)?

Oh, too many to count. I absolutey *bawled* at Mistress Pat by L.M. Montgomery (even though it has a happy ending), and I cried rather hard after finishing OotP, though my reaction was a bit delayed on that one. I think the book that made me cry most, though, was volume 6 of The Work and the Glory, which is an LDS historical novel based on the early history of the Mormon church. Its title is Praise to the Man, and it's the one where the martyrdom of Joseph Smith takes place. Over the course of the previous books I'd gained an even greater appreciation of who Joseph was as a man, and not just as a prophet. I knew it was coming (of course), but I still bawled. What a tragic loss-- he was killed at only 38 years of age, which is seeming younger and younger to me as I get older. I cried a lot in that series, actually. Whenever people died it was a real wrench. 9 books worth of association will do that to a person.

I've also had similar emotional reactions to scripture, and to certain other church books.

3. If you could live out a fairy tale, which one would you want it be and who would you play?

Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale, but I was never able to think myself into the role of Beauty herself. I'm just not very good looking. Until I read Robin McKinley's Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast, where not only the Beast but Beauty herself discovers that she's beautiful. So it would be Robin McKinley's version of Beauty and the Beast that I'd like to live.

4. Stealing one of seviet's question, because it rocks.... if you could produce a Patronus, which happy memory would you use and which form would it assume?

Hmm. I'd have to say that one of my happiest memories is when my brother came home from his mission after 2 years in Hungary, with only letters and 4 phone calls to keep in touch with him. As for what form it would assume. . . I really have no idea. A book, perhaps. :) Or the form of Jane Austen.

5. And stealing one that I asked seviet...what caused you initially to pick up a Harry Potter book and read it, and did you expect to love it as much as you do?

I was working in an LDS bookstore and was being asked questions about the appropriateness of HP, so I decided that the best way to find out if they were appropriate or not was to read them. They certainly took me by surprise, and I never, ever would have guessed that three years later I would have become as obsessed as I am, or that my life would have changed the way it has. I certainly have done a lot of things and met a lot of people that, without HP, I would never have done or met. I count it one of the luckiest days of my life that I picked up that book and started to read.

You'll have to give me a bit on your questions. :)

Worx was. . .

rather productive, actually. Although not necessarily for the company. :)

I got a plot for the SQ contest!

It's darn good, too. And I have 3 handwritten pages done. I'm afraid to type it up, 'cause I still have a ways to go and I'm sure it's going to be over the 1,000 word limit.

It's a crossover fic, too. In a way. Kinda.

Ooh, more questions! Thanx chicagoamy!

1. No limit in regard to money or time, where do you go and what do you do?

I'd go and visit all the places I've read about in books. I'd go to France, to England, to P.E.I., etc. And I'd make sure to stop at every city that has someone I've met online in it, and spend a goodly amount of time hobnobbing with my fellow wizards. :)

2. Has a book ever made you cry (and by cry I mean more than just tear up, but full out cry) and if so, which one(s)?

Oh, too many to count. I absolutey *bawled* at Mistress Pat by L.M. Montgomery (even though it has a happy ending), and I cried rather hard after finishing OotP, though my reaction was a bit delayed on that one. I think the book that made me cry most, though, was volume 6 of The Work and the Glory, which is an LDS historical novel based on the early history of the Mormon church. Its title is Praise to the Man, and it's the one where the martyrdom of Joseph Smith takes place. Over the course of the previous books I'd gained an even greater appreciation of who Joseph was as a man, and not just as a prophet. I knew it was coming (of course), but I still bawled. What a tragic loss-- he was killed at only 38 years of age, which is seeming younger and younger to me as I get older. I cried a lot in that series, actually. Whenever people died it was a real wrench. 9 books worth of association will do that to a person.

I've also had similar emotional reactions to scripture, and to certain other church books.

3. If you could live out a fairy tale, which one would you want it be and who would you play?

Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale, but I was never able to think myself into the role of Beauty herself. I'm just not very good looking. Until I read Robin McKinley's Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast, where not only the Beast but Beauty herself discovers that she's beautiful. So it would be Robin McKinley's version of Beauty and the Beast that I'd like to live.

4. Stealing one of seviet's question, because it rocks.... if you could produce a Patronus, which happy memory would you use and which form would it assume?

Hmm. I'd have to say that one of my happiest memories is when my brother came home from his mission after 2 years in Hungary, with only letters and 4 phone calls to keep in touch with him. As for what form it would assume. . . I really have no idea. A book, perhaps. :) Or the form of Jane Austen.

5. And stealing one that I asked seviet...what caused you initially to pick up a Harry Potter book and read it, and did you expect to love it as much as you do?

I was working in an LDS bookstore and was being asked questions about the appropriateness of HP, so I decided that the best way to find out if they were appropriate or not was to read them. They certainly took me by surprise, and I never, ever would have guessed that three years later I would have become as obsessed as I am, or that my life would have changed the way it has. I certainly have done a lot of things and met a lot of people that, without HP, I would never have done or met. I count it one of the luckiest days of my life that I picked up that book and started to read.

You'll have to give me a bit on your questions. :)

More interview questions. . .

This is fun! Thanks, q_sama

1. Do you want to see Snape "redeemed"? Why or why not?

Ooh, tough question. Well, considering that synasthete7's Darkness and Light is one of my favorite fanfics of all time, I'm not adverse to the redeemed Snape idea. I'm just not sure that, given what we have in canon and JKR's statements, that it will be possible. I *do* believe that, in canon, Snape is not all he seems, and that he will do something not only heroic but noble in battling the dark, possibly saving Harry's life once again. I'm not convinced that this act will lead to his death, like many people are. However, while I believe that Snape has his good side, and his own brand of integrity, I do not believe that Snape will ever become a "nice" man, or that he and Harry will ever be more than uneasy colleauges. I also don't see Snape as being all that great of a teacher-- unless he learns to treat his students with more respect, and to encourage rather than belittle them, I can't see him become headmaster.

2. How do you feel about the religion vs. HP debate? Does it anger you when people assume anti-HP people are Christians?

Funny you should ask this question. :) The other panel I presented on at Nimbus was on this very topic. I really believe that those who object to Harry Potter for religious reasons are misguided; however, I can't disagree with the idea that there are some things that are evil and should be avoided. I myself carefully censor what I read (personally-- I don't try and get books, etc., removed from shelves), what movies I see, etc., and I know that I will be careful what I allow my children to be exposed to. I get upset, however, when the HP books are dismissed by Christians without any effort being made to find out what is really in them.

I don't get angry, per se, at the assumption that anti-HP people are Christians, because for the most part it is true. There is a small segment of the population that object to HP on the grounds of aesthetics-- Harold Bloom and A.S. Byatt being two of them. What *does* anger me is when people assume that because I am Christian, I am anti-HP, and assume that I have to justify my enjoyment of them in opposition to my religion. That does bug me.
3. What is your earliest memory?

Strangely enough, my earliest memory isn't really a memory at all. We were living in an apartment building when I was about 3, and there was a swimming pool in the complex next door that we would sometimes be allowed to swim in. Apparently one day the pool was being repaired and had been drained. That night I had a dream that I had fallen into the bottom of the pool, and it was really, really deep. My brother (who was 4) tried to get me out with a garden hose. I don't remember seeing the pool, but I do remember the dream. Odd.

4. A what-if question: hypothetically, if Draco and Harry had become tentative friends, [how] do you think it would compare to Clark/Lex friendship?

Hmm. Interesting question. In many ways it would have been a similiar dynamic, and I think friendship with Harry might have changed Draco for the better. I don't think that Draco, though, would put aside his death-eater tendencies and biases for the sake of Harry's friendship, just as Lex will eventually become the evil super-villain he was despite Clark's influence. There is another difference as well-- Lex is gradually falling toward the dark, and is fighting it along the way. We have seen no such development in Draco's character. He doesn't seem to resent his father, as Lex does, and seems perfectly willing to live up to the family expectations. Harry only would have been hurt-- and really, Clark is going to have some issues to deal with, knowing that Lex was once his friend, when he finally comes into his own as Superman.

5. Colonel Brandon, or Willoughby?

Does it lower me in your estimation if I say Colonel Brandon? I never would have been attracted to Willoughby in the first place-- or, at least, not for long. I don't usually go for that bad-boy type. I know a lot of people are mad at Marianne for "settling" for Colonel Brandon, but I really think that he was the best match for her. He's really a Marianne who has learned his lesson, and can control his passions enough that they don't control him, but so they still give him pleasure and drive. He's a fascinating character in many ways.

And the fact that he's played by Alan Rickman had no influence on my decision whatsoever. . . . ;)

Will write chicagoamy's questions soon.

Anyone else have a burning desire to find out my innermost secrets? Or to be grilled in return? :)

More interview questions. . .

This is fun! Thanks, q_sama

1. Do you want to see Snape "redeemed"? Why or why not?

Ooh, tough question. Well, considering that synasthete7's Darkness and Light is one of my favorite fanfics of all time, I'm not adverse to the redeemed Snape idea. I'm just not sure that, given what we have in canon and JKR's statements, that it will be possible. I *do* believe that, in canon, Snape is not all he seems, and that he will do something not only heroic but noble in battling the dark, possibly saving Harry's life once again. I'm not convinced that this act will lead to his death, like many people are. However, while I believe that Snape has his good side, and his own brand of integrity, I do not believe that Snape will ever become a "nice" man, or that he and Harry will ever be more than uneasy colleauges. I also don't see Snape as being all that great of a teacher-- unless he learns to treat his students with more respect, and to encourage rather than belittle them, I can't see him become headmaster.

2. How do you feel about the religion vs. HP debate? Does it anger you when people assume anti-HP people are Christians?

Funny you should ask this question. :) The other panel I presented on at Nimbus was on this very topic. I really believe that those who object to Harry Potter for religious reasons are misguided; however, I can't disagree with the idea that there are some things that are evil and should be avoided. I myself carefully censor what I read (personally-- I don't try and get books, etc., removed from shelves), what movies I see, etc., and I know that I will be careful what I allow my children to be exposed to. I get upset, however, when the HP books are dismissed by Christians without any effort being made to find out what is really in them.

I don't get angry, per se, at the assumption that anti-HP people are Christians, because for the most part it is true. There is a small segment of the population that object to HP on the grounds of aesthetics-- Harold Bloom and A.S. Byatt being two of them. What *does* anger me is when people assume that because I am Christian, I am anti-HP, and assume that I have to justify my enjoyment of them in opposition to my religion. That does bug me.
3. What is your earliest memory?

Strangely enough, my earliest memory isn't really a memory at all. We were living in an apartment building when I was about 3, and there was a swimming pool in the complex next door that we would sometimes be allowed to swim in. Apparently one day the pool was being repaired and had been drained. That night I had a dream that I had fallen into the bottom of the pool, and it was really, really deep. My brother (who was 4) tried to get me out with a garden hose. I don't remember seeing the pool, but I do remember the dream. Odd.

4. A what-if question: hypothetically, if Draco and Harry had become tentative friends, [how] do you think it would compare to Clark/Lex friendship?

Hmm. Interesting question. In many ways it would have been a similiar dynamic, and I think friendship with Harry might have changed Draco for the better. I don't think that Draco, though, would put aside his death-eater tendencies and biases for the sake of Harry's friendship, just as Lex will eventually become the evil super-villain he was despite Clark's influence. There is another difference as well-- Lex is gradually falling toward the dark, and is fighting it along the way. We have seen no such development in Draco's character. He doesn't seem to resent his father, as Lex does, and seems perfectly willing to live up to the family expectations. Harry only would have been hurt-- and really, Clark is going to have some issues to deal with, knowing that Lex was once his friend, when he finally comes into his own as Superman.

5. Colonel Brandon, or Willoughby?

Does it lower me in your estimation if I say Colonel Brandon? I never would have been attracted to Willoughby in the first place-- or, at least, not for long. I don't usually go for that bad-boy type. I know a lot of people are mad at Marianne for "settling" for Colonel Brandon, but I really think that he was the best match for her. He's really a Marianne who has learned his lesson, and can control his passions enough that they don't control him, but so they still give him pleasure and drive. He's a fascinating character in many ways.

And the fact that he's played by Alan Rickman had no influence on my decision whatsoever. . . . ;)

Will write chicagoamy's questions soon.

Anyone else have a burning desire to find out my innermost secrets? Or to be grilled in return? :)

More interview questions. . .

This is fun! Thanks, q_sama

1. Do you want to see Snape "redeemed"? Why or why not?

Ooh, tough question. Well, considering that synasthete7's Darkness and Light is one of my favorite fanfics of all time, I'm not adverse to the redeemed Snape idea. I'm just not sure that, given what we have in canon and JKR's statements, that it will be possible. I *do* believe that, in canon, Snape is not all he seems, and that he will do something not only heroic but noble in battling the dark, possibly saving Harry's life once again. I'm not convinced that this act will lead to his death, like many people are. However, while I believe that Snape has his good side, and his own brand of integrity, I do not believe that Snape will ever become a "nice" man, or that he and Harry will ever be more than uneasy colleauges. I also don't see Snape as being all that great of a teacher-- unless he learns to treat his students with more respect, and to encourage rather than belittle them, I can't see him become headmaster.

2. How do you feel about the religion vs. HP debate? Does it anger you when people assume anti-HP people are Christians?

Funny you should ask this question. :) The other panel I presented on at Nimbus was on this very topic. I really believe that those who object to Harry Potter for religious reasons are misguided; however, I can't disagree with the idea that there are some things that are evil and should be avoided. I myself carefully censor what I read (personally-- I don't try and get books, etc., removed from shelves), what movies I see, etc., and I know that I will be careful what I allow my children to be exposed to. I get upset, however, when the HP books are dismissed by Christians without any effort being made to find out what is really in them.

I don't get angry, per se, at the assumption that anti-HP people are Christians, because for the most part it is true. There is a small segment of the population that object to HP on the grounds of aesthetics-- Harold Bloom and A.S. Byatt being two of them. What *does* anger me is when people assume that because I am Christian, I am anti-HP, and assume that I have to justify my enjoyment of them in opposition to my religion. That does bug me.
3. What is your earliest memory?

Strangely enough, my earliest memory isn't really a memory at all. We were living in an apartment building when I was about 3, and there was a swimming pool in the complex next door that we would sometimes be allowed to swim in. Apparently one day the pool was being repaired and had been drained. That night I had a dream that I had fallen into the bottom of the pool, and it was really, really deep. My brother (who was 4) tried to get me out with a garden hose. I don't remember seeing the pool, but I do remember the dream. Odd.

4. A what-if question: hypothetically, if Draco and Harry had become tentative friends, [how] do you think it would compare to Clark/Lex friendship?

Hmm. Interesting question. In many ways it would have been a similiar dynamic, and I think friendship with Harry might have changed Draco for the better. I don't think that Draco, though, would put aside his death-eater tendencies and biases for the sake of Harry's friendship, just as Lex will eventually become the evil super-villain he was despite Clark's influence. There is another difference as well-- Lex is gradually falling toward the dark, and is fighting it along the way. We have seen no such development in Draco's character. He doesn't seem to resent his father, as Lex does, and seems perfectly willing to live up to the family expectations. Harry only would have been hurt-- and really, Clark is going to have some issues to deal with, knowing that Lex was once his friend, when he finally comes into his own as Superman.

5. Colonel Brandon, or Willoughby?

Does it lower me in your estimation if I say Colonel Brandon? I never would have been attracted to Willoughby in the first place-- or, at least, not for long. I don't usually go for that bad-boy type. I know a lot of people are mad at Marianne for "settling" for Colonel Brandon, but I really think that he was the best match for her. He's really a Marianne who has learned his lesson, and can control his passions enough that they don't control him, but so they still give him pleasure and drive. He's a fascinating character in many ways.

And the fact that he's played by Alan Rickman had no influence on my decision whatsoever. . . . ;)

Will write chicagoamy's questions soon.

Anyone else have a burning desire to find out my innermost secrets? Or to be grilled in return? :)

Spamming my LJ. . .

for more interview questions! These ones are from duchessdollydot:

( Cutting this time, 'cause I have a feeling these answers are going to be long )

In other news, and kind of in line with Trisha's questions, I attended a baptism today for one of my Primary kids. Did I ever mention that I teach Primary? I don't know if I did. Primary is the children's organization in my church. I teach 7-8 year olds, which is the age at which children are baptized. It made me remember my own baptism when I turned 8. I sometimes wonder if I was ready-- if I knew what I was doing. It's an extremely important step in Mormon theology-- a neccessary ordinance in our eternal progression. I'm not sure that I fully realized at the time the impact of my decision to be baptized. On the other hand, I'm not sure if being baptized later on would have made any great difference either. I know the importance of what I did now, and that's what's important.

After the baptism, I went to the At&T store and bought a new cell phone. My Nokia 3360 was slowly going braindead. It would turn itself off, even with a full battery. It would drop calls. It wouldn't turn back on again. Every time I turned it on, it asked me to set the time and date. The battery meter would lie, saying I had a full battery when I really had about 2 minutes of talk time left. It was practically useless to me in its present state. I did some research and found out that that particular model had bad software, which gradually corrupted itself until it started having the problems mine was. Of course, I didn't start having problems until my warranty had run out. I also didn't realize how bad it was until I had already re-uped my contract for a year, so changing my service to get a good deal on a phone wasn't an option. My brother was in the same boat-- his phone wasn't as bad as mine was, but it was on its way. The phone that I wanted retails at $150, and is being offered to new customers for $49.95 right now, but AT&T wanted to charge Ben and me $220 for it. Even a call to Customer Care helped not at all.

The other night, though, I was working, and a salesman from AT&T brought by a flyer offering mall employees 40% off of the $49.95 they were already offering. I discussed my dilemma with him, and he told me point-blank that until today, he could give us the phone for $120. I told my brother, thought it over, and today we went and bought it. So I am now the proud owner of a Motorola v60i. Hurrah.

I don't really have the money for this, of course, but I also don't feel like paying a monthy fee for a phone I can't reliably use. Oh, well. I *am* working a little more than I thought I would be, so it's not the end of the world. I didn't even put it on my credit card.

Spamming my LJ. . .

for more interview questions! These ones are from duchessdollydot:

( Cutting this time, 'cause I have a feeling these answers are going to be long )

In other news, and kind of in line with Trisha's questions, I attended a baptism today for one of my Primary kids. Did I ever mention that I teach Primary? I don't know if I did. Primary is the children's organization in my church. I teach 7-8 year olds, which is the age at which children are baptized. It made me remember my own baptism when I turned 8. I sometimes wonder if I was ready-- if I knew what I was doing. It's an extremely important step in Mormon theology-- a neccessary ordinance in our eternal progression. I'm not sure that I fully realized at the time the impact of my decision to be baptized. On the other hand, I'm not sure if being baptized later on would have made any great difference either. I know the importance of what I did now, and that's what's important.

After the baptism, I went to the At&T store and bought a new cell phone. My Nokia 3360 was slowly going braindead. It would turn itself off, even with a full battery. It would drop calls. It wouldn't turn back on again. Every time I turned it on, it asked me to set the time and date. The battery meter would lie, saying I had a full battery when I really had about 2 minutes of talk time left. It was practically useless to me in its present state. I did some research and found out that that particular model had bad software, which gradually corrupted itself until it started having the problems mine was. Of course, I didn't start having problems until my warranty had run out. I also didn't realize how bad it was until I had already re-uped my contract for a year, so changing my service to get a good deal on a phone wasn't an option. My brother was in the same boat-- his phone wasn't as bad as mine was, but it was on its way. The phone that I wanted retails at $150, and is being offered to new customers for $49.95 right now, but AT&T wanted to charge Ben and me $220 for it. Even a call to Customer Care helped not at all.

The other night, though, I was working, and a salesman from AT&T brought by a flyer offering mall employees 40% off of the $49.95 they were already offering. I discussed my dilemma with him, and he told me point-blank that until today, he could give us the phone for $120. I told my brother, thought it over, and today we went and bought it. So I am now the proud owner of a Motorola v60i. Hurrah.

I don't really have the money for this, of course, but I also don't feel like paying a monthy fee for a phone I can't reliably use. Oh, well. I *am* working a little more than I thought I would be, so it's not the end of the world. I didn't even put it on my credit card.

Spamming my LJ. . .

for more interview questions! These ones are from duchessdollydot:

( Cutting this time, 'cause I have a feeling these answers are going to be long )

In other news, and kind of in line with Trisha's questions, I attended a baptism today for one of my Primary kids. Did I ever mention that I teach Primary? I don't know if I did. Primary is the children's organization in my church. I teach 7-8 year olds, which is the age at which children are baptized. It made me remember my own baptism when I turned 8. I sometimes wonder if I was ready-- if I knew what I was doing. It's an extremely important step in Mormon theology-- a neccessary ordinance in our eternal progression. I'm not sure that I fully realized at the time the impact of my decision to be baptized. On the other hand, I'm not sure if being baptized later on would have made any great difference either. I know the importance of what I did now, and that's what's important.

After the baptism, I went to the At&T store and bought a new cell phone. My Nokia 3360 was slowly going braindead. It would turn itself off, even with a full battery. It would drop calls. It wouldn't turn back on again. Every time I turned it on, it asked me to set the time and date. The battery meter would lie, saying I had a full battery when I really had about 2 minutes of talk time left. It was practically useless to me in its present state. I did some research and found out that that particular model had bad software, which gradually corrupted itself until it started having the problems mine was. Of course, I didn't start having problems until my warranty had run out. I also didn't realize how bad it was until I had already re-uped my contract for a year, so changing my service to get a good deal on a phone wasn't an option. My brother was in the same boat-- his phone wasn't as bad as mine was, but it was on its way. The phone that I wanted retails at $150, and is being offered to new customers for $49.95 right now, but AT&T wanted to charge Ben and me $220 for it. Even a call to Customer Care helped not at all.

The other night, though, I was working, and a salesman from AT&T brought by a flyer offering mall employees 40% off of the $49.95 they were already offering. I discussed my dilemma with him, and he told me point-blank that until today, he could give us the phone for $120. I told my brother, thought it over, and today we went and bought it. So I am now the proud owner of a Motorola v60i. Hurrah.

I don't really have the money for this, of course, but I also don't feel like paying a monthy fee for a phone I can't reliably use. Oh, well. I *am* working a little more than I thought I would be, so it's not the end of the world. I didn't even put it on my credit card.