folks, I seem to have a problem...

 

This is my new phone.

IT IS AMAZING. It's the newest LG Vu from AT&T, in this awesome Wine Red color. It's really more of a deep purple - really pretty! Anyway, this is basically the non-iPhone iPhone (so, like, if you're like me - like the iPhone, don't really want it enough to bother getting it or dealing with all of the required data plan stuff. Perfect!)

Apparently this phone is kind of a big deal. I've never really had a phone anyone's heard of before, so it's pretty amazing to me that there's entire sites and message boards on the internet dedicated to mods and hacks for this phone. SO COOL. I can't wait to try it out!

I'm thinking of waiting until after Spain to try out most of the mods/hacks/etc for my phone - I don't want to screw up anything too badly before leaving, and plus there's definitely a learning curve involved. I'm going to take a look at it more in the coming weeks, but in the meantime...

 

LG Vu 2 batteries, USB cord, and battery charger bundle: $14.99, shipping + insurance incl.

 

  

LG Vu assorted cases (Clear hard case, rubberized hard case, silicone case), $2.49-5.95 each; LG Vu holster clip, $3.56; Mirrored screen protector (looks mirrored when screen is off, see thru when screen is on - we'll see how that goes!), $0.94.

Ebay is apparently the MECCA of cheap electronics and electronic accessories. I am having a ball here. Also, spending all my money, but it doesn't feel as bad when it's useful (although I don't need that many cases, it's true), and CHEAP! I'm especially excited for the extra batteries - I've been trying to think through electronic logistics for Spain, and part of my plan is to make sure I have a USB charger for almost everything (just in case, and it'll save on travel adapters/etc...I'll only need one for my computer), and extra batteries.

The one negative (main one at least) about the Vu is that it uses up its battery charge VERY fast. I haven't been able to get through more than one day yet without depleting the charge, although this was due to a few factors. First, I was loving the vibration feedback with the touchscreen until I (quickly) figured out how much battery it was using. Then, I was getting really into taking tons of photos and videos (the camera is pretty amazing - it has an auto focus feature and takes great macros!). Plus, I went to 3 concerts this week (!!! - more later on that!), so I was definitely using those features. But that used up the battery pretty quickly as well. This weekend I was in a mostly no-service area, so I know a lot of the battery went while searching for service. Oh, and I was on the phone a ton today, I'm sure that didn't help either! I just remembered that.

I'm planning on doing nothing too unusual tomorrow with the phone. Just normal texting usage, maybe checking my email once, and possibly taking a few pictures. We'll see how that goes and I'll be reporting back!

UPDATE: Typical. I just went onto Yahoo Horoscopes inadvertently...my financial horoscope for today?

"Put financial restrictions on yourself. It's time for you to be a bit more frugal. "

...oops.