So that loud "thud" you heard last Saturday afternoon was the sound of my jaw hitting the floor after I opened my cell phone bill.
This is one of those stories that we'll look back on in a few years and laugh.
For her birthday last fall, we gave my daughter her own cell phone. It was on our plan and was, originally, her brother's phone but became available when he switched carriers and got a new phone while he was away at college. So I guess that makes it our fault, ultimately.
You see, she understood that with a cell phone, she had free long distance calling. What she didn't understand was that it was only free if you called someone in THIS country.
So she spent a few minutes on the phone with her new friend in Canada. I say a "few" minutes, much like I say "there are a few stars in the sky tonight." It was a shockingly huge amount of minutes.
My cell phone bill was over fifteen hundred dollars.
She feels just awful about it and handed over her phone without a single word of protest, and is now researching ways a 13-year old can earn some money to help pay for this disaster.
We'll gladly accept cash, checks, PayPal donations, beads, wampum, and anything that might possibly sell on eBay.
Okay, I'm kidding about that. I think. But now that you're here, hit the "Comments" link down below. The floor is now officially open for your comments, suggestions and words of sympathy.
NEW! Cheer Amanda up with a few words of encouragement: amanda@mrhumor.net.
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"When I was younger," I heard myself complaining to a friend one day, "I was disciplined by being sent to my room without any supper. But my son has his own television, phone, computer, and CD player in his room. It's no longer a punishment, it's a reward!"
"So what do you do when your son misbehaves?" the friend asks.
"I send him to MY room!"
[from Laugh and Lift via the Good, Clean Funnies List]
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WONDER for YOUR WEEK: Why do people say money talks? In my house all it ever does is whisper. And at that, just one word: "goodbye."
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3 comments:
What's the going rate on babysitting these days? I could use her for a few hours this weekend, if she's up to it!
My condolences. Amanda's such a good kid, you and I both know it was an innocent mistake.
Poor thing. But good for you AND her for deciding how she can work on helping with this issue!
Hey Amanda, my son who is 10, he wants a cell phone. His 8 yr old friend got one last year for his birthday. He doesn't comprehend though that the phone is not free. But I know you're older, and now a little wiser. Innocently enough though, you have learned a good lesson, and I know you will continue to make your parents proud of you. We go in life down different paths, and by those paths taken, we learn from our mistakes. We're all human. What you could look into, is obtaining long distance (includes Canada) for landline internet service, this is what we have. 299.00 a year, and that is it. www.voip.com Tell your dad to check it out. Hang in there and blessings from Lisa in North Carolina.
Been there...done that...collecting aluminum cans might help...
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