Cell Phone

I got my first cell phone in November 2001. I was "on call" for when my sister went into labor with Molly, so I could pick up Maggie and take her to her grandmother's house. I didn't buy the cell phone...it was a hand-me-down from friends.

I started with Verizon, $15/month, no long-term contract, more minutes than I could use. Six years later (and two more hand-me-down cell phones later!) I am still on that plan.

I am not a big cell phone user. I rarely turn it on; usually just when I'm meeting up with someone. It's been very convenient at times, but I don't really like the idea of being always available.

Chris has never had a cell phone. Generally this hasn't been an issue, but since he's been taking the train to work it has become a lot more important. There have been numerous accidents this year which cause the train to be delayed up to two hours. And he has no way of contacting me.

A month ago we went up to San Francisco to see Eddie Izzard. The plan was for Chris to take the train up to Millbrae and I'd pick him up there and we'd drive into the city. Well, right before I left to pick him up he called (using a friend's cell phone!) to say there had been another accident and I should pick him up at an earlier station.

Turns out the train stopped even earlier. Just as I was about to turn into the station, my cell phone rings with a number I don't recognize. When the train had stopped, Chris jumped off and was planning to find a pay phone when a couple of guys said "Who wants to take a taxi with us to Millbrae?" and Chris said "I will, if you let me borrow your cell phone!"

Anyway, as Chris would say, it all worked out. But I'm still getting him a cell phone.

To make a long story short... I have never bought a cell phone. I have no clue what to get. I know I'll never be able to get as good a deal as I have right now. Here's what I want:

• Cheapest possible rate (don't need a lot of minutes)
• Preferably no long-term contract
• GSM (so it will work when we visit the UK)

I don't need any fancy features. I do not need a camera, WAP, games, music, etc etc. I do have a preference for flip-phones but really I just don't want a phone with tiny buttons.

I'm hoping someone can suggest both a network/plan and a phone. Anyone?

BBC America

Those of you who watch BBC America may have noticed the new announcements about closed captions, with a British voice saying things like "Not even British people can follow the British accent 100 percent of the time. Therefore you, like me, might want to use closed-captioning."

The voice was very familiar to us and we wondered for months who it could be. Chris was sure it was Jack Davenport (from the show Coupling and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies). I wasn't convinced.

I did tons of on-line searches but didn't come up with anything until about a week ago, when I finally discovered who it is: John Oliver, a British comedian who is a reporter on The Daily Show.

Mystery solved!