I always love it when someone shines a nice light on crochet. And Natalie over at Black Book isn’t letting me down with her brief article regarding sexy crochet. Would I wear it? No. I’m a hairy forty-year-old man. I would have to wax first. But a certain sister-in-law could pull it off flawlessly.

Favorite lines from the article:

“It’s not just a grandmother’s hobby anymore.”

“Keep it subtle…or else you’ll end up looking like a runaway doily.”

Biggest surprise of the article:

A simple large-net filet beaded top (Sass & Bide In Other Words top) runs for $418!

Read the entire article: What’s Next: Risqué Crochet

As you know, my slick iPhone made contact with my slick granite bathroom counter and did a luge jump into the toilet. I’ve made peace with that.

What I’m having a harder time making peace with is Ma Bell (that’s what us older folks use to call AT&T) and Apple. To replace my original $500 iPhone it cost me $650.

Here’s how it works:

Scenario One: To win you over from a competitor, AT&T will let you have an iPhone for $299 with a two-year contract.

This was the original iPhone purchased as a birthday gift for one of the two phones on the account with AT&T in April of 2007.

Scenario Two: To penalize you for upgrading your old RAZR phone to a iPhone 3G 16 gig in the middle of your contract, you’ll pay $500 and start your two-years all over again.

This was the second iPhone purchased as a gift for the second-line of the account with AT&T in September of 2007. “We’re glad you enjoyed the first iPhone so much that you wanted your whole household to have iPhones, but you’ll pay through the nose because you are purchasing it at a really inconvenient time for us in your contract.”

Scenario Three: To punish you for having a bad day and not treating your iPhone with more respect, to replace your water damaged iPhone (considered now a second mid-contract upgrade) you’ll pay $600 for an 8 gig iPhone or $700 for a 16 gig iPhone ($200 more than the original 16 gig I purchased).

Someone out there (AT&T or Apple, I don’t know which) has decided that for people that have “abused their iPhone more than once” the price is going to be $200 more to replace it. I told them I didn’t abuse my iPhone more than once. I’m replacing my first ever iPhone.

Apple dude: Oh, then it will be the $500 for the 16 gig then.

Me: Fine. As long as am paying what I originally paid.

Apple dude: Oh sorry, AT&T says that since this is your third phone within a contract period you have to pay the $700 price for the 16 gig.

Me: You’re kidding right? I’m being charged $200 dollars more for being a loyal customer that had an accident.

And like a techno meth addict, I ended up with the $600 8 gig version. Half the gigabytes for $100 more than I originally paid.

Does anyone else see the horror in this? When did the philosophy of American corporations become, “Love them ‘till we have them, then suck ‘em dry”?

An Apple iPhone 3G costs $100 to manufacture.  I’ve purchased two now for a total of $1,100. Let’s give them a 50% markup ($200 each phone). So, I was charged $300 for them to activate my first iPhone, and $400 for them to push a button and activate my replacement iPhone.

Hey guys at AT&T and Apple, maybe if you showed some love for others instead of yourself, your stocks would go up.

Some weeks are better than others. Then there are weeks that didn’t get the hint that they have over extended their stay and should have pack up their things long ago and moved out quietly in the middle of the night…without leaving a note.

Colonoscopy, funeral and layoffs were just some of the things the week packed for its visit. And instead of leaving quietly, it directed my iPhone into the closest body of water (that being a toilet) in which it quietly passed into iHeaven with a flicker. Nope. This week is not invited back…ever.

But as I sit here, Perspective has joined me for my cup of coffee, put his arm around me and gently reminded me that this was nothing. All that happened to me this week was a blog post, a Tweet, a Facebook status, nothing more. My colonoscopy, however scary, went fine. Clean as a whistle, and I got to experience great anesthesia. The funeral*, however sad, made me realize how incredibly blessed I am and could only dream to have touched as many lives such as the ones who came to show their respect. And the layoffs, however much deemed necessary and however painful it is to watch, were not for members of my household. And the iPhone…it’s a technological extension of my life, not life itself.

Will Perspective and I join hands and try to change the world today? Probably not.

Will I shut-up about the next time I have a zit of a week? Indeed.

*It occurred to me, based on the subject of a recent post, that you may think my friend did not make it through her surgery. It is not that friend. No connection.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --

I took the one with a soundtrack,

And that has made all the difference.

 (crank up the sound)

Thank you Karrol

Today, a dear friend of mine and co-worker is going in for surgery. I don’t know the reasons why, but what I do know is depending on how it goes she could be out today or in the hospital much longer. The other difficult part is that the recovery will be a minimum of two weeks.

Yesterday I started a Prayer Shawl for her. A Prayer Shawl is a simple shawl pattern that is crocheted or knitted while you pray, meditate, or think positive healing thoughts towards the person it is intended for while you create the shawl. You can learn more about the history of the Prayer Shawl and its ministry at prayershawlministry.com.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: There is something to be said for the power of knowing that people (even strangers) are thinking about you, even if it’s just for a moment. With that in mind, I created a Prayer Shawl pattern for my friend that incorporated the prayers, quotes and thoughts of those thinking about her recovery.

Please take a moment and make a comment here on her behalf. It can be a short prayer, an uplifting thought or as simple as “Get well.” All your comments will be transferred to the shawl, and when she receives it, she will literally be wrapped in the comfort of your words. When you are done, tell a friend to come here and do the same.

Once the shawl is completed, I will post the free original pattern here so you can use it for your friends that need comfort.

Thank you so much.