Missing my trusty rotary phone

Happy spring! 

We have an addition to the family. Its name is Pixel.

The Motorola, which I often mistakenly referred to as a Magnavox, rests all alone in a table drawer. Cracked screen, constantly messing up, but a familiar feel in my left rear pocket.

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Now it’s Pixel. And I’m…OK. Like buying a new car when I’d rather hang onto the old one, even though I know it’ll leave me stranded on Stage Coach Trail on a rainy night when Bunny’s in the back seat needing a potty break. 

So, reluctantly, I have a new cell phone. The learning curve for me starts at prenatal.

A couple of things necessitated this change. The biggest being Deb’s passing. I was on her phone plan and haven’t had to handle that side of things for quite some time.

The Magna– er, Motorola, lasted nearly four strong years. It was an emergency purchase. I awoke on Election Day 2022 to a dead phone and instant panic. It was my first election for the blog and Florida Politics. What a helpless feeling.

I raced to the closest Verizon store where, as luck would have it, the salesclerk recognized me from the blog. I walked out an hour later with a new phone and peace of mind.

As most anyone can see, I’m quite the simpleton with technology. My website is specifically designed so that it’s easy for all involved — the reader and me. I have a simple PayPal invoicing system for advertising sponsors. This business I run is as uncomplicated as it can be.

Readers early on told me that anything that took me away from blog writing was a waste of time. So, I focus on that. 

Much as I dislike being anchored to the cell phone, it’s an obvious necessity in this line of work. I have an office and a laptop where I do 90% of my writing. In a tight situation, I have written entire blogs on the phone; it’s not my preference.

However, writing is only a quarter of my Just Wright Citrus time. The rest is either at a government function, at a Cattle Dog chat, or on the road. The phone goes with me everywhere.

(Actually, two places the phone does NOT go with me unless absolutely necessary…12-step meetings and church. I don’t want my focus diverted from those specific purposes. Even if I say my phone is only for the reading material being discussed, I know better.)

I have learned to take notes on the phone. I rarely record. 

Phone camera is the biggest draw. As anyone can see who reads this blog, it doesn’t take much to make the JWC front page. I have cornered the market on photos of buildings, parking lots, signs, and other immovable objects. I do well with parades.

It must rile real photographers like Matt Beck at the Chronicle when wannabees like me show up with my phone at news events, dodging for the best angle as if Motorola is gonna outshine Nikon.

Yet, cell phone photos work well in my blog world. That, and selfies. By the way, today’s blog challenge: Take a selfie using the actual phone I need to highlight in a way that doesn’t look like a cheesy selfie. Think the one I chose is bad? You should see (or not) the ones I rejected.

Pixel promises a whole new array of blog photo possibilities. Unfortunately, it’s still me taking photos, so no guarantees anyone will notice.

The phone and I are getting acquainted, and I’m sure we’ll be very happy together. If not, the Motorola/Magnavox is nearby.

That’s all for this beautiful first day of spring. Enjoy the weekend, friends.

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