The other day our daughter, Muffin, announced 'I want a cell phone.'
'You're three,' said my wife.
'But I love them.'
'Ask your father.'
I love them too Muffin. Daddy loves cell phones because Daddy doesnt have a cell phone.

And that is what Daddy loves about cell phones--not having one.

It makes your father unreachable. Being unreachable is a potent status symbol in the world today. Every pimple-nosed dot com emperor has a Lexus, a business jet, a weekend house in Phuket, and a cell phone.

But Muffin, you just try getting the Queen of England on the blower. Or try to find a direct-dial number for the President of the United States...

- The CEO of the Sofa, PJ O'Rourke

Not that anyone noticed, but I let the service for the cell die.

Im an adult, and I do have responsibilities, so of course, I will get another number soon.

But man, I hate phones.

I curse every time I hear it ring.

The main reason Ive been good about keeping a phone in the past, is because my mother, back in 1991, filed a missing's persons report as my phone had been disconnected, and I *so* enjoyed the peace and quiet, I didnt reconnect it for a year.

If Ma gets freaked, everyone else gets freaked.

So, the phone went back on and stayed on so that I could talk to her long distance on Sundays, and also because - not long after, I discovered the Internet...

But as folk discover eventually, I kinda like being unreachable.

Ma knows my email and IM, doesnt really know how to use either but *does* know how to bug LilBro on my status and wherabouts.

So, the phone will stay off for a bit.

For old times sake.