Since I'm sick of looking at those spinning wheels, it's time to put something else here. Actually, I've recently experienced a break-up of sorts, and I probably should talk about it in a balm-of-hurt-minds, cathartic kind of way.

It happened over Thanksgiving; my relationship with my cell phone ended, and I'm taking it pretty hard. I mean, we met in college, which everybody knows is a pretty intense situation as far as social networking and relationship building goes. We were together all the time - during class and going out on the weekends. It was there through that killer student teaching semester and then after graduation when I wasn't quite sure where I was going or what I was doing. But lately, things between us had been a little strained. The connection was getting weaker, the energy was low almost all the time, and the whole thing just felt kind of old and tired, like there was no mystery left. I mean, I knew those buttons and menus so well that I could dial in the dark, or one-handed, or even with mittens on if it came to that. That's how close we were. But it wasn't enough. I knew that fateful morning, when I woke up and found a blank screen staring at me, that the spark was finally gone for good. That was the end of it. And even though I had seen it coming for a long time, that instant it sort of felt like I'd been punched in the stomach.

I've got a new phone now, but things are still awkward between us; sure it's thinner than my old phone, but that just means it's harder to find in my purse. And it feels different when I hold it in my hand and press it up against my ear. It's going to take a while to get used to each other, that's all. You don't just walk away from a four-year relationship, even if moving on means internet access and a built-in touch-screen mp3 player, whole and unscathed. Soon enough I'll be able to look back and remember the good times. For now, I'm just taking things one voice mail at a time, and that will have to be enough.