BLOG #27: iPhone vs snake skin shoes

Saturday 28th January.

A date that two months ago I thought would be ingrained in my head. For it was upgrade day. I thought, come the day, I'd be legging it down to o2 having chosen the phone I wanted weeks before.

The 28th came, my diary told me the experiment was over so sure I went shopping, but for a fit, fit, FIT pair of shoes and some new undies, not for a phone. At no point did I feel the urge to even step foot in the o2 store, not even after my feet had had a makeover.

And I don't think it was at all because I was distracted by three glasses of champagne and people watching with Libbi...
No, it just didn't fill me with any excitement. I just felt there was no rush. I've 'survived' this long, a few more days won't hurt.

And in my head at least those 4 inch snake skin beauties were far more practical.

Look at them people! No competition.

BLOG #26: The cringe factor was nearly so much worse

So I had my interview on the radio this morning. And what a hair raising experience it was.

I've never been on telly or radio and generally avoid speaking publicly at all costs (but make up for that by obliviously chatting away to smaller audiences) so I was quite apprehensive about the call. I mean it was live and unfortunately you know how much I tend to swear...

Stupidly too, I drew attention to it by sharing the news with everyone, what a pressure inducing error if ever there was one.

Anyway I woke up early to listen to the first couple of hours of the show before I was on. I thought it ironic (?) that the other story was about the 'controversial' plans to expand the Secret Garden Party when all I could think was "Bring it on!" because I'm heading there in July. Thought best to keep out of that debate before I made any enemies. But anyway I digress.

They called at 7.45am and after a two minute chat to explain how it would work they put me on so I could hear the intro bit before they invited me to talk. During this time I got completely flustered and accidently pressed a button on my phone and I couldn't hear anything. I had no idea what I pressed so I just pressed the 'Talk' button and thank every beautiful thing on this planet I could hear the intro again. I literally cannot imagine anything more embarrassing than if they'd said "And now lets speak to Leonie"..... *silence*.... " Oh we seem to have lost her". CRINGE!

Luckily, I was put out of my misery and was on before I knew it. I went to say 'Hi Jeremy' and my voice was all hoarse! Unfortunately I must have sounded like I'd just woken up! I managed to subtley clear my throat and after that I don't really remember much else because it all kind of went by in a blur but I knew at some point I'd have to man up and listen to it on iPlayer...

 Having got over the initial "Do I really sound like that?" and the "Stop saying 'like' woman!" I tried to objectively listen to what I'd actually said. Apart from a cringey moment where 'Jez' talked over me and missed the point I was making about having to carry extra stuff it wasn't too bad except it unfortunately sounded like I hadn't learned anything from the experiment!

When I said I would be getting a phone again, I wanted to explain that was because of a safety perspective but then I rambled on about not being able to make calls at work (WTF!?) when what I actually wanted to follow up with was how I hope I'll be a different phone user after this experiment. - more on that when the experiment ends (which is next week not next month - they clearly didn't read my blog closely enough!)

Ah well - I think I did ok up until that point.

But seriously - do I really sound like that?!?!

BLOG #25: Five minutes of fame tomorrow

So yesterday I came home to an email from the guys at BBC Radio Cambridgeshire wanting to schedule something in for me to be on their breakfast show. It's scheduled for tomorrow morning and I am bricking it.

You know me guys, often the sufferer of verbal diarrhea, add to this my nervous disposition when speaking in front of large audiences and boom you have yourself a recipe for disaster that Gordon Ramsey would be proud of...

And it looks like there's no going back now!

I have no idea is you can read the shot but it says

'The Breakfast Team brings you the details about new controversial plans for the Secret Garden Party, and also speak to a Cambridge girl trying to survive for months without a mobile phone'

That's me! Wierd!

Wish me luck, I am going to need it.

BLOG #24: Statistical factoids update

The blog has now had 1073 hits - I have zero idea if this is any good but it has far exceeded my expectation, so thanks guys.

The most popular post is 'Digital diet quiz' - perhaps people are intrigued to see if they need to free themselves of some technological burdens?


Geographically I've had hits from every continent apart from Africa - Robbo, you can change this - hit it girl!


Latest unexpected readers come from the Ukraine and South Korea...

BLOG #23: Disturbing fact

More Android phones are activated every day than babies are born

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/ces/9013487/CES-2012-Android-activations-outpacing-baby-births.html

BLOG #22: Office banter

So today my boss  and I were chatting to our MD and we (MD and I) found ourselves taking the piss out of my boss's rather rubbish mobile phone.

Our MD asked 'Did that come out of a cracker?'

I just snubbed it as 'old school'.

And then I realised who the heck am I to judge? At least he has a phone! Albeit prehistoric.

OK I exaggerate with this picture but you get the idea... I'm beginning to wish I at least had one of these!!

Check out the moustache by the way!

Told my MD at that point about the experiment and he just said 'Blimey, you got any friends left?!'

Motivating words if there were any!

BLOG #21: About time I started missing my phone

Six weeks in, two to go, and I'm finally starting to miss a few things about my phone

1: Not being able to make private calls during the day at work

I had some really good news this week. The kind that makes you grin from ear to ear. All I wanted to do was share it. But it wasn't the kind of conversation I wanted to have at my desk and it would take longer to explain than I cared to spend in a phone box.

My friend suggested this might be an ok time to borrow a mobile phone. Mitigating circumstances and all that. Although I was desperate to share the news with my mum and dad, I was also determined not to cheat on this experiment. I'd just have to wait until I got home.

The day passed. So. Painfully. Slowly. I had such an adrenaline rush on the go that at one point I had to leave my desk to do a lap of Broadgate Circle to get some energy out of my system. Finally the end of the day came and I have never cycled home so quickly.

Having shared the news with the fam I wanted to continue the celebration. I was having a quiet night in because I had a big day at work the next day so I wasn't about to crack open the bubbly - especially as I was on my own - wow that would be really sad.

2: Loud music

So a small solo celebration calls for music. Normally when I'm on a high like that one I put some loud music on and prance around my room for a bit. Yeah I know, I'm so cool. Last year Stu noticed me doing this to pathetically tinny tunes from my phone and bought me a dock so I could listen to music in my room properly. But the dock has sat idle since the beginning of the experiment. This time I would have given my right arm to blast Muse out of it at full volume.

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WARNING - This next one is possibly not one for the boys
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3: Those useful reminders

Now I know I did a Maths degree but somehow counting 28 days still aludes me. An app on my phone used to give me the heads up. Not this month...