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Okay before reading on, please watch this short newsreel clip about how to use a telephone when they first invented dial service. And it’s hilarious because it looks like something you would see in a “Telephoning For Dummies” book. And the man's voice is so serious and alarming, you would think he was making a warning announcement for a possible terrorist invasion.

And I have no idea why it has Portuguese subtitles?!


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Two weekends ago, I took the train out to Chestnut Hill and spent the entire day walking around the quaint and charming town while enjoying the gorgeous spring weather.

And as I was strolling down Germantown Ave, I passed an old brick building with this sign:


I was suddenly flooded with childhood memories of what my grandmother used to call it for short: Bell Tel of Penn. And I was also flooded with memories of how telephones looked back then and how far they’ve come in design and technology.

And can you believe that I still remember my family’s telephone number from back in the mid-60’s?

OSborne5-3216

When I was younger, I was sooooo into phones and talking on them. In fact, my parents gave each one of us kids our own phone in our rooms when we got to a certain age. And not only did we get our own phone, but we also got our own telephone number so that we wouldn’t tie up the family telephone, gabbing with our friends.

Yet it’s funny, because as I’ve gotten older my idolatry of phones has diminished greatly, which is why I don’t have a cell phone, only a landline phone. However, it is cordless. But I also have a backup plug-in phone too, just in case the power goes out.

People always ask me, “How do you live without a cell phone?!?”

And my answer is, “I just do.”

Personally, I don’t want a cell phone because when I’m outside and away from my apartment, I don’t want to be reached by phone. People can leave a message on my home phone voice mail and I’ll call them back.

And yes, I know they’re GREAT for emergencies but they are no longer used only for emergencies, they’re used as a computer. And when I’m away from my computer, I want to be AWAY from my computer. I already spend a vast amount of time on the Internet as it is, I need breaks.

So let's take a brief stroll through telephones, starting with the 1950's...


OMG back then, BLACK was the only color phones came in. No options.


The yellow rotary wall phone you see above is the exact model my family had in our kitchen. And do you see that yellow trimline phone on the lower-right? I had one of those (in blue) in my bedroom.


This is when push-button phones were invented and it was so exciting when my family first got one. I had one like the orange model on the upper-right in my bedroom (in blue). That was the second phone I got. *note: my cousin and I used to play musical songs while talking on the phone, using the touch tones.



When cordless phones first came out, they were the RAGE. And back then, you had to extend the metal antenna to talk. My first cordless phone was like the one on the lower-right.


By the mid to late '90's and into 2000, cordless phones started to get that 'streamline' and almost 'space-age' design. My current phone looks like the one on the left-hand side.


Here are some examples of cell phones throughout 2000. I did actually have a cell phone back in 2001, it was one of those flip-phones. But when I moved back east I got rid of it.

Yes...we've come a long way in the evolution of the telephone, haven't we? A long way since this...


And what I LOVE about this photograph is her perfect posture and how posed this image is. I mean, I sit straight up in my bed all the time like that, wearing a white lacy nightgown and holding a book while talking on the phone, don't you?

No, I'm more like this...


Have a faaaaaaaaabulous weekend everyone!
X


52 comments:

  1. OMG! That is too funny! I can relate to all those phones!! My grandmother had one of those I think they were called Princess Phones...in PINK...in her guest room. Oh, the memories!! :) What a creepy video that is...with Portuguese subtitles??? It really does seem like a terrorist announcement of some sort! And yeah...nobody ever talked on the phone like that. EVER!! I, too, am much more like the dog!! bwahahahaha!! I certainly respect your right not to have a cell phone. My brother is totally in agreement with you and he has just a land line too. Have a great weekend Ron! xo Jeanne

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  2. I had to stop back and tell you...how very much I appreciate the amount of thought you put in to each and every one of your posts!! I just love coming over here and seeing what you have to say! Your posts are so varied and most of the time HILARIOUS!! THANK you for being YOU!!

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  3. Duck and cover! That video clip sounds like one used to prepare for a bomb drill! But it also brought back memories of the sound of dialing a rotary phone - I remember preferring lower numbers because they were faster to dial. And remember party lines? What a crazy idea.


    When I moved into this house, built in 1956, there was a still a wall phone like the light yellow one in the 1960's set. It was off white and after I removed it, my older son claimed it and hung it on his wall as art. He has always loved retro electronics. My office has a cordless phone just like the one you have now, sitting in its little charger. Here I only have my iPhone. But even though I usually have it with me, I pretty much ignore calls when I'm out and about. I figure that's what voicemail is for.

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  4. Wow, Ron, thanks for the history lesson! My Dad worked for Ohio Bell for 40 years and he met my mom, who was a telephone operator for a major oil company, on the job. So I've got phones in my blood!

    I guess you were a spoiled child, because I BEGGED for a phone in my bedroom and never got one! Hahaha! I did keep my princess phone from the early 80's for emergency backup when electric goes out.

    That voice in the video sounds like the same radio announcer during the Kennedy assassination!

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  5. Whaaaaa I love that dog! Oh thank you for showing every single phone I ever used or possessed. I go right back to invention days, or so it seems, when phones in bedrooms were not possible. One phone per house (if you were lucky) and even that was shared with next door. They called them party lines, although not the sort of party I liked! I have followed the progress of phones faithfully and loved every one... including the must-have smart phone. A really enjoyable post, Ron, I loved being carried back in time for a few minutes.


    Have a great weekend x

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  6. Holy crap, Ron, that guy's voice on the newsreel makes me want to duck and cover! It's hard to believe people actually needed instructions on how to dial a phone, but then I'm clueless with most of today's technology.


    Boy, this is post is a long distance call down memory lane.


    I remember when we got a second line installed in our house and we were so excited because it had a HOLD button!


    So much of our lives is tied up with the phone. I remember nervously calling girls for dates back in high school and fighting the urge to hang up as I heard the number ring.


    And the phone would always ring at a critical point in a TV show--and you couldn't pause the program.


    Now the caller's number appears on the TV screen so I always have wisecrack ready when my relatives call.


    Thanks for writing such a great post, buddy! It brings back so many memories!


    Now put on your white lacy nightgown and have a ring-a-ding-ding weekend!

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  7. Live without my smartphone?!
    Are you insane?!
    Scary video.

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  8. Ron, you never fail to post something that is both interesting and funny to read. What a enjoyable flashback on phones. My first phone was one of those princess phones in burgundy. And I too had a flip-phone cell when they first came out. I'm a phone addict because I have landline at home and iPhone that is with me at all times. But I'm seriously considering get rid of my landline because I hardly use it anymore.


    That news reel was hilarious, as well as that last photo of the couch potato dog. Funny! Thank you for the Friday giggles.


    Have a wonderful weekend, Ron x

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  9. Helloooooo Jeanne!

    "My grandmother had one of those I think they were called Princess Phones...in PINK...in her guest room. Oh, the memories!! :)"

    Do you know what's ironic about about that? I always wanted a PINK princess phone because Sissy in the TV show "Family Affair" had one - HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!

    "What a creepy video that is...with Portuguese subtitles???"

    Is that not the CREEPIEST video clip? It sounds more like a scary warning announcement than an infomercial.

    " I certainly respect your right not to have a cell phone. My brother is totally in agreement with you and he has just a land line too."



    Do you know what it is? A cell phone is not something I find mandatory in my life. Plus, if I had one I would be on it constantly, checking emails, blogging, and surfing the web. And I need time away from the Internet.


    Much thanks for stopping by, my friend. Have a SUPER weekend!


    X to you and the girlz!

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  10. ((((((( You )))))))


    Thank you so much for your sweet words, Jeanne :)


    I so enjoy putting my post together because I find it very creative and fun. Blogging is not only a fabulous way for me to socialize, but it's also a creative outlet for me. Blogging has taught me so much.


    Again, thank you....X

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  11. Thank you, Bijoux :)


    ((((((( You ))))))

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  12. Hey there Bijoux!

    "My Dad worked for Ohio Bell for 40 years and he met my mom, who was a telephone operator for a major oil company, on the job. So I've got phones in my blood!"

    OMG....what a FAAAAAAABULOUS story!!!! And I would love to hear more about it on your blog, if you should ever post about it because I think it would be so interesting to read.

    "I guess you were a spoiled child, because I BEGGED for a phone in my bedroom and never got one! Hahaha!"

    Yes, and if I were to be completely honest, we WERE spoiled in certain ways as kids. But also, I think it was a clever way for my parents to get us OFF the family phone, so we wouldn't tie it up, gabbing with our friends - HA!

    "That voice in the video sounds like the same radio announcer during the Kennedy assassination!"


    Yes, it DOES!!!!! And what's funny is that it's labeled as a '50's commercial, but I think it's more in the late '30's or '40's because of the style in phone and clothing.


    Much thanks for stopping by, my friend. Have a SUPER weekend!


    X

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  13. "Duck and cover! That video clip sounds like one used to prepare for a bomb drill!"

    HA! You're absolutely right, it does!

    "But it also brought back memories of the sound of dialing a rotary phone - I remember preferring lower numbers because they were faster to dial. And remember party lines? What a crazy idea."

    Yes...PARTY LINES!!! In fact, I remember my mother telling me that when she was a kid, they still had party lines. I also remember a Doris Day and Rock Hudson movie, in which they were talking on a party line.

    "It was off white and after I removed it, my older son claimed it and hung it on his wall as art. He has always loved retro electronics."

    That is so COOL! I love retro electronics as well. And sometimes I'll spot them in vintage stores here in the city. What's really amazing is how heavy telephones were when they first came out because now they're so lightweight.

    "Here I only have my iPhone. But even though I usually have it with me, I pretty much ignore calls when I'm out and about. I figure that's what voicemail is for."

    Yup, I would do the same :)

    Thanks so much for stopping by, girl. Have a most excellent weekend!

    X

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  14. Gooood morning Valerie!

    HA! Isn't the dog adorable? I edited the cordless phone onto the picture over at PicMonkey.

    " One phone per house (if you were lucky) and even that was shared with next door. They called them party lines, although not the sort of party I liked!"

    Yes, my mother told me that when she was child, they still had party lines, which they shared with other people. I also remember an old Doris Day and Rock Hudson movie, in which they talked on a party line and kept getting interrupted by other users on the line. OMG...is was hilarious!

    "I have followed the progress of phones faithfully and loved every one... including the must-have smart phone."



    I think I must be the ONLY person on this planet who doesn't have cell phone - HA!


    Thanks so much for stopping by, dear lady. Have a lovely weekend!


    X to you and Joe!

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  15. Hey there Rob!

    "Holy crap, Ron, that guy's voice on the newsreel makes me want to duck and cover!"

    It's like BOMB scare newsreel, isn't it? His voice is so serious and alarming!

    "I remember when we got a second line installed in our house and we were so excited because it had a HOLD button!"

    OMG...yes, Rob! I remember that too...the HOLD button!

    "And the phone would always ring at a critical point in a TV show--and you couldn't pause the program."



    HA! Yup! And now we have DVD and Blu-ray machines that we can pause, isn't that wild? Who would have ever thought back then, that these things would come into existence?!?


    And caller-ID is probably my favorite feature on phones because it's such great way to avoid solicitor calls.


    Much thanks for stopping by, buddy. Have a most excellent weekend!


    X

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  16. "Are you insane?!"


    HAHHAHAHA! I know, Dale, I think I'm probably the ONLY person on this planet who doesn't have either a smartphone or iPhone.


    I'm like Fred Flintstone!


    Thanks a bunch for stopping by, buddy. Have a super weekend!


    X

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  17. Hola Denise!

    Thank you :)

    "My first phone was one of those princess phones in burgundy."

    I always wanted a princess phone in PINK - HA!

    "And I too had a flip-phone cell when they first came out."

    I think the one I had was a Nokia flip-phone. And it was with some strange cell phone company that doesn't even exist anymore.

    " But I'm seriously considering get rid of my landline because I hardly use it anymore."

    Yes, my brother actually did that after my mother passed away because she was the only one who used the landline phone. Now, he only uses his smartphone.

    "that last photo of the couch potato dog."



    Isn't that doggie cute? I love the hair rollers!!!


    Thanks so much for stopping by, girl. Have wonderful weekend too!


    X

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  18. Ron, the dog photograph at the end of this post, ROFLMAO! And that video clip was hysterical.



    What a great post on the evolution of the telephone. I was born in the earlier 80's but have such affinity for vintage things. Do you remember when they sold vintage remake phones that you could buy? Well I had one in my first apartment. It was black, like the one in your first photo in the upper right hand corner. And it even rang like a vintage phone!


    My girlfriend and I no longer have a landline phone in our apartment, we each have a smartphone that we carry with us.


    Cool post, dude!

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  19. Hiya Matt!

    I had originally planned a completely different video clip to include in this post, however, two days ago I spotted this one over at You Tube and HAD to use it instead because I thought it was freakin' hilarious!

    " Do you remember when they sold vintage remake phones that you could buy? Well I had one in my first apartment. It was black, like the one in your first photo in the upper right hand corner. And it even rang like a vintage phone!"

    Yes! Yes! Yes! OMG...I had one of those vintage remakes as well! In fact, one of my friends in Florida had one too. And I LOVED the way it rang because it sounded so authentic!

    "My girlfriend and I no longer have a landline phone in our apartment, we each have a smartphone that we carry with us."

    Yup...my brother is the same way. He no longer has a landline phone, only a smartphone. And he keeps telling me that I should get one too. But I know myself, I would be on it constantly; doing Internet stuff.

    Thanks a lot for stopping by, bud! Have a spectacular weekend!

    X

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  20. Now if there were only ads like that rather than youtube videos teaching me about my smartphone, smart tv, etc.! And to think how complicated we thought things were way back then...we've evolved along with technology, ok, some of you have evolved as I somehow am not so techy!

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  21. "Now if there were only ads like that rather than youtube videos teaching me about my smartphone, smart tv, etc.!"

    Suzi...same here! In fact, yesterday while I was at work, a woman I work with handed me her smartphone to Google something on the Internet, and I didn't even know how to use it - HAHAHAHAHA!

    " And to think how complicated we thought things were way back then.."

    I know, isn't that the truth? Even using a copy machine was a learning experience.

    Much thanks for stopping by, my friend. Have a glorious weekend!

    X

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  22. Ron, this is hilarious -- it's hard to realize that telephones have come such a long way!
    You had your own phone as a kid?? Doggone it, I'm just pea-green over that. My sister and I took turns holing up in the hall closet to talk to our friends without our parents half listening in, ha! We so wanted one of those "princess phones" -- the one in pastel pink would've been perfect for my room back then!
    I know just what you mean about cell phones, but I must admit, I'm a slave to mine. With family and friends scattered everywhere, it's hard knowing just when I'm going to get an important call. That said, don't you just HATE going out for dinner and seeing everyone around you surfing Facebook and Twitter??!
    Happy weekend, dear!

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  23. Our first telephone was the late 1950's. It was very similar to the top right of your picture and I can still remember the number - Canonbury 8343.

    You had a telephone each? We had to ask if we could use our parents phone, because of racking up the bill and if we were on it too long our dad would make a sign for us to end the conversation as soon as we could, without being rude. The telephone bill was always a source for concern back then.

    I do have a smart phone, but tend to use email over phone calls now days, unless I need to speak to somebody.

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  24. I remember so many of these phones! I also remember party lines, where you had to pick up the phone & listen to hear if the line was clear before you could dial out & each person on the party line had a distinctive ring, so you would know the call was for you. You could hear some interesting conversations from fellow members of your party line. It was awful though when you had a chatterbox on your line who constantly hogged the line. I remember my parents having to "cut into" a fellow line members call by asking them to hang up so someone else could use the line! Have a great weekend Ron!

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  25. Fabuloso post, Ron! And what a hoot this was to take a trip down memory lane through the evolution of phones! I love how you grouped them into the various decades. I remember moving into my first apartment and getting my own telephone. It was one of those all-in-one cordless phones that had an answering machine included. And I think it was a Sony. And remember answering machines? No one has those anymore with the invention of voice mail.


    I do have a iPhone and love it, but I use it as my main phone and no longer have a landline. And you're right, I spend a lot of time on it not even talking to people, but more for checking my emails and Facebook account and texting. I'm not a big phone talker.


    Loved the video clip! And that last photo of the dog is hysterical!

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  26. Hellooooo there Debbie!

    "You had your own phone as a kid?? Doggone it, I'm just pea-green over that. My sister and I took turns holing up in the hall closet to talk to our friends without our parents half listening in, ha!"

    HAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, how FUNNY!!!! And yes, we each got our own bedroom phone when we reached a certain age (entering high school).

    "We so wanted one of those "princess phones" -- the one in pastel pink would've been perfect for my room back then!"

    I actually wanted one in PINK too, but got blue instead. I always wanted a pink princess phone like Sissy on the TV show 'Family Affair" HA!

    "...but I must admit, I'm a slave to mine. With family and friends scattered everywhere, it's hard knowing just when I'm going to get an important call."

    I totally understand because in many cases when it comes to family contact, it's such a HUGE benefit to have a cell phone that you can have with you wherever you go.

    "That said, don't you just HATE going out for dinner and seeing everyone around you surfing Facebook and Twitter??!"



    OMG...YES! And because I live in a city, people are outside walking on the sidewalks either talking or texting on their phones all day long, and constantly banging into you because they're not paying attention to what is going on around them. I went into a Starbucks today on my break, and every single person sitting there was on their cell phones!


    Much thanks for stopping by, dear lady. Have a most excellent weekend!


    X

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  27. Hey there Babs!

    "It was very similar to the top right of your picture and I can still remember the number - Canonbury 8343."

    Isn't it amazing how you can STILL remember your phone number from back when you were a kid?! Here in the States, we now have to dial an area code every single time we make a call (even if it's a local call), so we have to dial TEN numbers to make a call.

    " We had to ask if we could use our parents phone, because of racking up the bill and if we were on it too long our dad would make a sign for us to end the conversation as soon as we could, without being rude. The telephone bill was always a source for concern back then."



    Yes, I totally understand because back then you were charged per call and length, so those bills could really rack up quick.


    Much thanks for stopping by, Babs. Have a super weekend!


    X to you and Mo!

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  28. Hiya Benze!

    " I also remember party lines, where you had to pick up the phone & listen to hear if the line was clear before you could dial out & each person on the party line had a distinctive ring, so you would know the call was for you. You could hear some interesting conversations from fellow members of your party line."


    OMG, yes...I remember my mother telling me all about party lines, which had just gone away not long after she became a teenager. I also remember a movie with Doris Day and Rock Hudson, where they talked to each other on a party line.


    Doesn't it amaze you how far telephones have evolved over the years?


    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a grrrrrrreat weekend!


    X

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  29. Hey ho Robert!

    "t was one of those all-in-one cordless phones that had an answering machine included. And I think it was a Sony. And remember answering machines? No one has those anymore with the invention of voice mail."

    Yes!!!! I had one of those all-in-one phones as well! And speaking of answering machines, I work with a woman who STILL uses an answering machine, I kid you not. She also doesn't have a computer. She doesn't even know how to use one. And I don't know how she does it because most everything has to be done through the Internet nowadays.

    "I do have a iPhone and love it, but I use it as my main phone and no longer have a landline."



    Yup...many people do that today. I'm one of the rare people who still has a landline. My phone and Internet service are together. Hell, I still use DLS and not cable.


    Wasn't that video a RIOT? And the dog photo I found online and then edited in the phone.


    Much thanks for stopping by, bud. Have a super weekend!


    X

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  30. 1980's to 1990's.... I HAVE that phone RIGHT NOW in my house HA HA HA! The one on the left! AWESOME!

    My daughter wanted a rotary telephone for her room. I tried to find one in local thrift stores but couldn't. I would have loved for her to have that experience of sticking her finger in each circle, rotating the dial and waiting waiting waiting until she could do each number. Funny how my kids have NO idea of those sounds... the feeling of dialing.

    I also remember having certain numbers/sequences you could dial to have the phone ring back to you. And I remember getting almost all the way through and then messing up and having to start over again. AND when touch tone came out... dialing took even LONGER.

    I am still looking for one of those old ones. Pink would be AWESOME.

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  31. Hey there Katherine!

    "I HAVE that phone RIGHT NOW in my house HA HA HA! The one on the left! AWESOME!"

    Oh, how AWESOME!!!! You and I are probably the ONLY two people on the planet who still have a landline phone because practically everyone I know, uses a cell phone now.

    "My daughter wanted a rotary telephone for her room. I tried to find one in local thrift stores but couldn't. I would have loved for her to have that experience of sticking her finger in each circle, rotating the dial and waiting waiting waiting until she could do each number."

    Believe it or not, I still see them at thrift stores here in Philly. Also, I've seen rotary phone 'remakes' in places like K-Mart and Target.

    "I also remember having certain numbers/sequences you could dial to have the phone ring back to you."



    Yes...I remember that too!!!


    Thanks a bunch for stopping by, girl. Have MARVI weekend!


    X

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  32. Yep, the commercial, err public service announcement is funny but back then they had announcers!

    About three years ago I got a cell phone really because I have to drive wherever I go. Nowadays if you have a breakdown you can't just go to the nearest house and ask to use their phone. I hate it! It is tiny and has tiny buttons all over it. None of these buttons are big enough to press intentionally. You can only press them accidentally - which I do all time.

    Oh jeez! Did I just call someone in Canada again?



    Actually I'm exaggerating but I agree with you about being "available" all the time. Sometimes I just want to be left alone.

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  33. Hey there David!

    Isn't the commercial HILARIOUS? And yes, I agree....back then their announcers had very distinct voices that made you listen.

    "None of these buttons are big enough to press intentionally. You can only press them accidentally - which I do all time.

    Oh jeez! Did I just call someone in Canada again?"

    OMG...how FUNNY!!! The one and only cell phone I ever owned had tiny press-buttons as well, so I know what you mean. However now, with smartphone and iPhones, I've noticed that the buttons are much larger and on a touch screen.

    " I agree with you about being "available" all the time. Sometimes I just want to be left alone."



    Thank you :) And that's exactly how I feel.


    Thanks so much for stopping by, buddy. Hope you're having a SUPER weekend!


    X

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  34. Ron, I use DSL for my home computer too. Although I may be switching it over to cable because I'm tired of paying for DSL and cable for my TV. It'll be cheaper if I just add it to my Comcast bill instead of paying two separate bills. I need to lower my expenses.

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  35. I don't blame you Robert because I would do the same thing if I had cable. My brother has a Comcast bundle package which includes his TV and Internet service. But I don't watch TV, so I've never switch over to cable service.

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  36. i hate the phone, have a nice day. seriously, i do hate the phone and i use my phone for internet services only. sometimes i'm glad i do have it because i need to be in touch with people mostly en route...but i haven't had too many emergencies. one really.


    and yeah that youtube video is ridic...well in this time and age, but probably not back then. i'm sure they needed the visual in how to work it.

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  37. "i hate the phone, have a nice day."

    HAHAHAHAHAHA! Val....I love you!!!

    " sometimes i'm glad i do have it because i need to be in touch with people mostly en route."

    Exactly. I think they're great for things like emergencies, no doubt. However, I can't even think of a time (other than when I still had a car and broke down) did I ever use it for any other emergency.

    "and yeah that youtube video is ridic...well in this time and age, but probably not back then. i'm sure they needed the visual in how to work it."

    Yes, I guess they did, but isn't it hilarious to think that someone needed to be instructed on HOW put their finger in the hole and turn it completely to the finger stop??? HA!

    Much thanks for stopping by, girl. Hope your weekend was FABU!

    X

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  38. "I always wanted a princess phone in PINK"


    Ron, you are so funny!

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  39. It's funny, but kids nowadays have no idea what a rotary phone is, much less how to use one. I guess the same thing applies for dial-up modems, cassette tapes, and pet rocks. I guess I should face the fact that I'm starting to get old... ;-)

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  40. Honey, I'm old enough to remember party lines! AND I also remember by childhood phone number: Lytel 3-2984. Area code? What the hell was an area code? At various times I had a pink princess phone and a blue one and a yellow one... God, how I used to love to talk on the phone. Now I consider it an irritant. I do have a cell, but it's a Nokia circa 2005 flip phone, which I proudly cling to. I hardly ever use it except to save on toll charges. Thanks for the trip down Ma Bell's memory lane.

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  41. ".I guess the same thing applies for dial-up modems, cassette tapes, and pet rocks."

    HA! You're right, Herman! OMG...and do remember when dial-up Internet service first came out and how long it would take to finally make a connection to the Internet, compared to how FAST it is now?

    Thanks so much for stopping by, buddy. Hope your weekend was awesome!

    X to you, Karin, and Mr. Tyler!

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  42. "Honey, I'm old enough to remember party lines!"

    OMG Jayne, I wish I had experienced a party line because I remember seeing them in certain movies with Doris Day and Rock Hudson, and they looked like fun!

    " I also remember by childhood phone number: Lytel 3-2984."

    Isn't it funny how we STILL remember our childhood phone numbers!?!

    "Area code? What the hell was an area code?"

    God, don't you hate the fact that now you have dial an area code, even for a LOCAL call?

    " God, how I used to love to talk on the phone. Now I consider it an irritant."

    Me as well.

    " I do have a cell, but it's a Nokia circa 2005 flip phone, which I proudly cling to."



    My very first cell phone was a Nokia flip phone. And I still see people using them.


    Much thanks for stopping by, my friend. Have FAB week!

    X

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  43. Landline? I wouldn't want to step on one. Might get my leg blown off...or worse.

    Oh. Wait. That's a landmine.

    But landlines are equally foreign to me. I gave mine up way back in 2005...which means I've been using nothing but cell phones for almost 10 years. Wow! Hard to believe. I admire your willingness to resist the pull of cell phones, though. Good for you! I once tried to give mine up, and by that, I mean I accidentally left it home one day and just about FREAKED OUT. Never again. Ever.

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  44. "Oh. Wait. That's a landmine."

    HAHAHAHAHAH! Mark, you CRACK ME UP!!!!!

    "I admire your willingness to resist the pull of cell phones, though. Good for you!"

    So far, I haven't found the need for a cell phone (for something like work related), so I'm holding off for as long as I can.

    "I once tried to give mine up, and by that, I mean I accidentally left it home one day and just about FREAKED OUT. Never again. Ever."



    I know, because so many people I know feel the same way.


    Thanks so much for stopping by, buddy. Have a super week!


    X to you and Tara!

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  45. What a great post Ron, I LOVED THIS!!!! :-)


    I worked for a couple of phone companies as an operator, here in Canada, many years ago.


    I've always loved old phones, all shapes and sizes.


    I even had a Garfield phone (remember those?) years ago. Somewhere, that big plastic orange kitty is just waiting to be found in our storage containers!!! He was one cool phone dude.


    I still remember our phone numbers when I was a kid starting with LA or as they said: Lakeside.....


    Oh, what lovely memories of being "glued"to the phone for hours on end as a teenager, this all brought back. Thank you!


    Hope you had a fab weekend Ron and a fab week to follow. Happy Tuesday!

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  46. Aw...thank you, Geraldine...glad you enjoyed. I had so much fun putting this post together!

    "I worked for a couple of phone companies as an operator, here in Canada, many years ago."

    OMG...how COOL! I've never known anyone who was a telephone operator before!

    "I even had a Garfield phone (remember those?) years ago."

    HA! Yes....I do! In fact, I had a Snoopy phone, remember those??

    I love the older phones too. Especially the ones from the 40's and 50's. They were such strong and heavy phones.

    Much thanks for stopping by, my friend. Happy Tuesday and Happy Week!

    X

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  47. Ron, I don't watch that much TV myself, so I've been thinking about doing away with cable TV. However, if you don't cable now, you barely get any TV stations at all.

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  48. I know, Robert, ain't that the truth? Because I don't have any cable, I literally get NO TV stations. I watch everything, like the news, weather, and movies on my computer.

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  49. My husband still has his old "brick" cell phone. It's a heavy beast with an antenna shooting out the top. I had some of those phones picture above too.... ahhh memories! My brother finally caved and got his first cell phone last year.

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  50. "My husband still has his old "brick" cell phone. It's a heavy beast with an antenna shooting out the top."


    OMG Jean...that's amazing! Although, I've seen some people at work who still have the old flip-phones, with no Internet service, just a phone. And I think if I were to ever GET a cell phone, it would be just for talking because if I had Internet service, I would probably be on it; checking emails and blogging.


    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a super weekend!


    X

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