So, being the nerd that I am, I was listening to NPR on the radio this morning and I heard something interesting. I made a mental note to look it up when I got to work, and I ended up finding a very interesting article. It was interesting because my mom had just been telling me a week before that my little sister had gone over on their cell plan minutes and she had sent over 1800 texts the month before. David and I were shocked... 60 texts per day.... 3.3 per hour (assuming she sleeps 8 hrs/day). This was while she was going to school, having a part time job, AND participating on her school's cross country running team!!!

I have a 500 message plan on my phone and I rarely get anywhere close to that.

I wasn't really surprised that texts outnumbered phone calls (think of all the yes, no, what time, I'm on my way, etc sort of messages one sends) but I was surprised that kids my sister's age sent and receive an average of over 1700 texts per month.

I didn't grow up with texting. I wasn't one of the cool kids who got a cell phone when they turned 12. I didn't even start texting until I moved away from home and got my own cell plan. Its useful, but I'm not all that fond of texting. Maybe it's just a phenomenon I don't understand?

David and I went to the movies this last weekend and there were some kids (I'd say 13-14? Too young to drive) who literally talked, texted, and changed seats the entire movie. We were sort of shocked at their behavior- they weren't even trying to have manners. The glow of the cell phone screen was so distracting! Even after being shushed and complaining to the theater people they didn't shut up. Finally, about 2/3 of the way into the movie, David had lost patience with them. Taking advantage of his "big guy" scary adultness, he leaned forward and talked to them. I didn't hear what he said but I did see the look on her face- scared- and was surprised. After the movie I asked him what he said. He told me he said "you little ****s better sit down and shut the **** up right now!" I was shocked at his language! David NEVER talks like that. It made me giggle like a little girl. Maybe we're just too old?

By the way... AMC gives out free movie passes like they're candy if you ask :D

I hate my local post office. I have to go there at least once, sometimes twice per day for my job. We have a medium size P.O. Box (for a small, home run construction business) and they always crumple up the mail before they put it in. If there are a couple days between pickups (lets say the weekend) they shove the mail into the box so hard I can't it out. They never answer the bell at the will-call window for package pickups. I avoid getting help at the front counter like the plague. I even convinced my boss to get a postage meter so I didn't have to wait in line for 30 minutes to buy stamps. The people there are friendly, but incredibly slow and some are not the best with english. I just get angry and impatient thinking about them!

The mail carrier at my new apartment leaves the funniest notes on the boxes. He (or she? I've never seen them...) gets mad when people don't empty their boxes EVERY SINGLE DAY. HE ALSO TYPES THEM IN ALL CAPS. It also bothers him when there aren't apt #s on the mail and he has to look for a name!

So today in class we talked about the similarities and differences between snail mail and email. I thought Fry was just comparing them for those in the class that aren't too tech savvy and need a visual. In the beginning, I couldn't see how the terrible postal service had anything in common with my beloved GMail. However, as our conversation progressed I realized that besides time and cost, almost every word associated with traditional mail also had an email equivalent. This really surprised me because they seem so different. As similar as they are, I'd really rather use my email. I like the ease, the convenience, the informality of email, but maybe that's because I grew up with it?

Oh, and I almost forgot to add this! Here is a neat link to a often imitated, postal service centered art project.

So I'm blogging. Its part of a class I'm taking and I think its going to be fun.

Maybe, just maybe, I'll begin this blog and people will want to hear what I have to say. I'll become a celebrity blogger, like PerezHilton, and even get my own clothing line at Hot Topic. All the cool kids will be wearing it and VH1 will invite me onto Best Week Ever.

I'll have so many hits each day I'll be able to retire with all kinds of Google Ad money.... and forevor be indebted to that one teacher, Mr. Andrew Fry, who made me blog. Probably not, but I can hope (and have fun).