Why I Souldn't Be Allowed to Have an Expensive Cell Phone. Ever...

Seriously, I can't believe I'm admitting to this, but I suck at life. I think Zac's text message to me last week sums it all up nicely: "You're a serious liability to your phone." So let me take you on a journey through the last year or so of my many, many cell phones and you'll understand completely...

We got new phones (LG LX5300's from Verizon) in July of 2007. They were the "buy one get three free" phones, so it's not a huge deal. Just keep that in mind.

I had no problems until about January 2008 when, in the same week, I dropped my phone in a snow bank AND in a glass of Lemonade. You can actually read about all the specifics with that incident here. But I ended up getting it to work for a while until my camera screwed up. So I took it to Verizon and they gave me a new one.

So after using phone #2 from mid-February 2008 till this last August of 2008, no problems. Only two phones in one year? That's not so bad. But it gets worse. Many of you will recall the incident with the laundry, but if not, here is a brief summary. I was getting ready to do some laundry and while stripping the sheets off our bed, I forgot that I had tossed my phone on them. I proceeded to wash the sheets AND my cell phone and didn't realize it until I heard a *klunk* while tossing the sheets in the dryer. Oops. So I called the insurance place and, after a $50 deductible for my stupidity, I received phone #3.

Well, phone #3 was total crap. It was a refurbished phone that had no antenna and therefore no reception. So I called and complained and they sent me phone #4 for free.

Phone #4 was also refurbished and also pretty sucky. The earpiece was wobbly and ONE DAY AFTER the limited warranty expired (8 days after receiving it), the earpiece completely broke off from the bottom mouthpiece. I called the insurance company and, since the warranty was up, I was expected to pay another $50 deductible. Well I wasn't about to do that, so after being on the phone for over an hour, I talked my way into a NEW- not refurbished but NEW- phone for which I paid nothing. Go me.

So phone #5 has been with me now for just over a month. And guess what. Last week, I dropped it in the tub while giving Logan a bath. I pulled it out immediately after it hit the water and dried it with my hairdryer and then stuck it in a bag of rice overnight and...IT WORKED!!! I used it for about a week with just about no problems.

And then I did it again. Tonight I was wearing the same jeans I wore last Wednesday night with the same stupid pockets and while I was washing Logan's hair, the phone slipped out of them and into the tub. Only I don't know how long it was under water this time. So I pulled it out of the water and dried it again and the battery didn't get wet (which is good because that means they should be able to fix it at the store instead of having to send away for another one) but the inside of the flip screen in a little screwy. So it's in the bag of rice again, but I don't know if it will work this time. I can still make calls, but I think I'm going to see if I can get another one just in case it starts getting really messed up.

So that will put me at phone #6 on this plan. Thank goodness for insurance and for the cheapest phones ever, right? I don't know what I would do if we had sprung for the more expensive phones...