Kathy, [link]

Thanks!! Don't know what that didn't show up in the google search.

Kathy, I was able to transfer my Sprint phone number over to my Virgin account without any problems -- and on the same day, much to my surprise. But Virgin uses the Sprint cell system, so they may have some backdoor agreements.

It sounds like you would want the lowest level (Minute to Minute, IIRC) of service, which would seemingly cost more per minute, but when you figure that you're only going to be using it 10 minutes at most a month, will save you big bucks.

Best of all, the Virgin plan isn't a contract -- you could leave it any time, or switch up to their Day to Day or Month to Month plan if you're going to be travelling or something where you would need to use the phone more often for some reason. I've been on the Virgin plan since September and am quite satisfied so far. (Plus I got a cute new phone.)

My pay-as-you-go plan, which I think is Cingular now (used to be AT&T Wireless) lets you buy minutes for three months, and they only expire if you don't buy new minutes -- that is, if I know my minutes are about to expire, but I buy 15 more dollars of time, I keep the minutes I had. Now, if I use less than 15 dollars every three months, that ends up being dumb. But I have ups and downs, and don't actually end up carrying huge amounts of time.

I'm on hold with their customer service line--just want to check the details on transferring my number over before I hit the final order button on the refurbished phone I'm getting through their website. (And, boy, is that "we're too hip for the room" attitude on their menu irritating!)

Stoopid work. After not having internet access all weekend (except for a brief email check on a friend's computer) I was too busy to play much at all until now.

Did everyone already go home?

Hi, Perkins! I'm still here at work, waiting for Mississippi, Kansas, and Kentucky to all put their governors' speeches online so I can send them to the editors that need them first thing in the morning. Then I can go home (either that, or wait a decent length of time and then send my boss an e-mail telling her I waited to no avail, and she'll take care of it when she gets up at about 5:00 am).

In the meantime, I'm getting a new cellphone and playing computer games.

And, boy, is that "we're too hip for the room" attitude on their menu irritating!

Uh-huh.

Reminds me of when I bought my Focus - all their marketing crap was aimed at trendy just-graduated-from-college folks.

Anybody watching House ?

I didn't come back quickly enough from the commercial and don't know what happened with the teenage girl

Perkins, there totally was a question I needed to ask you, but it's apparently the sort of question I can only remember when I'm in a meeting.

I'm sure it was terribly important and fascinating.

Lord, I need to go home.