Why We Switched from AT&T to T-Mobile

3 days ago, I pulled the trigger and drove straight from Berkeley Bowl to a T-Mobile store. An hour later, I walked out the door with a brand new black Galaxy Note 4 and a new iPhone 5s (space grey).

After 14 years with AT&T Cingular, we switched carriers.

It was another round of "server not found" messages in email and "ah snap" frowny faces that tipped me over the edge - but we've had a lot of problems. The fiasco of the dreaded White Galaxy Note 4 left us with two aged smart phones on a 10 GB Mobile Share plan with an average monthly bill of $155.

• My husband couldn't receive or place calls on his Galaxy S II
• He was pissed off every time AT&T pushed another mandatory Android update
• International roaming was prohibitively expensive, leaving him crippled in Taipei for 2 weeks
• The black Galaxy Note 4 was on indeterminate back order
• The bill would jump $25/month/phone unless we picked the Next plan upgrade option, which is not cost effective
• The reception on the iPhone 4s rarely hit 4 bars in the East Bay - with no reception in many areas east of the hills.
• The iPhone 4s was limited to 3G
• I wanted a better camera

At this point, we were paying for a service that was not being delivered.

When AT&T "permacookies" hit the news, my husband joked about the "unethical monitoring shit-house" -  and asked when the contract was up.

But because we depend on the mobiles for business, switching felt risky. We need good coverage and a stable, strong signal.

Although Verizon is the drug of choices for law enforcement agencies, the plans looked to be even more expensive than AT&T, and I wanted the option to unlock on a GSM network while traveling. (NOTE: Verizon also uses permacookies.)

T-Mobile caught my interest a few months ago when Japanese billionaire Masayoshi Son's attempted a corporate takeover. T-Mobile fought off the bid while investing heavily in innovative "wi-fi calling"; the Speed Test results in the Bay Area are pretty impressive.

The Clincher: No Contract

What convinced my husband to give T-Mobile a try is: there is no risk. The contract is month-to-month, so if we don't like the service, we can unlock the phones and go back to AT&T.

The phones are 0% financed on a 2 year term. We can upgrade when half the balance is paid, and the balance will be applied to the new phone.  Total cost is $54.12/month.

The monthly service charge is $132. That's $23 dollars less than what we were paying on AT&T.

Each phone has 3GB of data. T-Mobile does not charge overage. The data is capped, but you can choose to purchase additional if you need/want to.

Having recently dropped a phone in the toilet (don't ask), I took the optional $10/month for lost/stolen/damage coverage. Replacements are $125 with unlimited warranties.

HAPPY CAMPERS! ALL PROBLEMS RESOLVED!
We have great coverage, brand new phones - and the envy of all the guys at work still waiting for their back-ordered black Samsungs ;-)

Bonus: The trade-in value was calculated on the spot. The sales rep provided a postage paid label and packing materials that are good for 30 days. The refurbed iPhone 4s that I paid $99 for 3 years ago is fetching a whopping $38 for trade-in.

How to Transfer Existing Phone Numbers
To avoid a delay in service or double payments, be prepared to provide:

• Your AT&T account number
• IMEI numbers of your existing phones
• $10 a piece for SIM activation

Officially, it takes up to 24 hours to transfer the lines, but ours was complete in 2 hours.

Transferring your phone number to another carrier closes the AT&T account - no need to call.

Galaxy Note 4 - Color Matters!

When it comes to cell phones, we are a divided family. My husband is a die-hard Android user, while I'm fairly enamored with my iPhone.

More than a phone, the mobile functions as an auxiliary brain-bucket: a place to store ideas, research, and play.

It's up close and personal, I mean: it's in your front pocket. Color matters!

I noticed a few years ago, our phones would start "acting up" whenever there's a new kid on the block. Sometimes they even jump into the washing machine or a plate of curry...

The recent release of the iPhone 6 and Galaxy Note 4 is no exception, only more painful as the release dates are only one month apart.

Even though I can hardly tolerate one more minute trapped on 3G with my 4s, upgrading the Galaxy Note II took precedence when that device lost the ability to receive or place calls. 

Yes, we keep stuff for a long time - including the carrier. We've been with AT&T Cingular for 14 uneventful years - until a few months ago when we switched to a Mobile Share Value Plan. 

The upgrade options online were unclear, and covered in fine print. I called customer service rather than risk an expensive mistake, and placed an order for a black Samsung Galaxy Note 4 on launch day: Oct 17th. 

My husband bounced out the door with his new toy on Oct 23rd. 

Imagine my dismay that night when I finally laid eyes on the object of his desire: white.

"I didn't order white! I ordered black!"

"Oh, well, I thought you ordered white. That's not my first preference..."

Aside from the fact that it looks, well, feminine: white will most certainly be grubby grey within a month - my husband is a maker, he's always got "stuff" on his hands.

After too many phone calls and trips to the corporate store, we slowly came to realize: AT&T is out of stock of charcoal black.

While my husband embarks on his third adventure to a corporate store to return the dreaded WHITE Galaxy Note 4, I got to thinking: How did this happen? Did I screw up and not read the order confirmation?! 

Looking at the Samsung website, I discovered you can order directly from the manufacturer. The carrier and color are embedded in the product codes. For example, AT&T black is SM-N910AZKEATT; white is SM-N910AZWEATT. Verizon black is SM-N910VZKEVZW, etc.

Our email confirmation is for a "SMN910A" - the model number. The color is not identified.

Although AT&T doesn't do jack to help users determine availability, Samsung's website has a great page for searching by carrier:

http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones/all-products

All AT&T corporate stores in the East Bay are, indeed, out of stock, but you can purchase from Costco - if you have a Costco membership :/ 

AT&T euphemistically classifies the return as "buyer's remorse", and is graciously not charging a $36 re-stock fee - because I ordered black, not white, and that really is a different product.

Blogs and Bugs

I started this blog 7 years ago.

Contrary to the snarky definition on Urban Dictionary, my blog is not a "meandering, blatantly uninteresting online diary". I spend quite a bit of time researching, composing, and editing my online journal entries.

The posts wax and wane depending on how buried I am with work, but even then: it's lovely to have a place to write that has nothing whatsoever to do with getting paid. I consciously chose not to monetize my blog; there are no ads, no click-thrus... 

I went completely private a couple of years ago after a) getting hit with spam comments from vendors and, b) receiving a few nasty emails from someone that I didn't know who was pissed off about getting updates about new posts.

I didn't have time to deal with the blog settings - but I kept on writing. 

I recently enabled public access as part of my job search with the intent of providing a portfolio piece that demonstrates ability to communicate effectively in a casual voice, a requirement in the age of social media. This led to spinning up a [failed] second blog dedicated to tech - and a few realizations inspired by the thoughtful posts by [published] writers on Twitter:

• Writing is a practice. Like playing music or dancing, you have to do "it" regularly or the skills atrophy.
• Writers need to write. Even though writing is time-consuming, and not necessarily fun, regardless of whether or not anyone reads what you have to say: writers needs to push the words out like birds need to fly and fish need to swim.
• Working on my resume resulted in being plagued by trite clichés.
• I terribly miss having an albeit limited captive audience, people who want to, and need to, read what I write.
• Muzzling what you write about for whatever reason - legal, political, or social - spills over and impacts the ability to write in general.

Words matter - and can have more than one meaning. Since a "bug" is an insect, or a concealed microphone, or something annoying - I feel fully justified folding the single post from the failed tech blog into boninthegarden.

Besides: it's my blog, and I'll write what I want to ;-)

CA Drought - Emergency Regulations and How to Cut Back

The gardens in the Bay Area are steadily turning brown since the California emergency regulations went into effect on July 29th, 2014. These restrictions specifically target outdoor water use in urban areas. The following activities are punishable by a fine of up to $500 per day for each day of violation:

• The application of potable water to any driveway or sidewalk.
• Using potable water to water outdoor landscapes in a manner that causes runoff to adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, private and public walkways, roadways, parking lots or structures.
• Using a hose that dispenses potable water to wash a motor vehicle, unless the hose is fitted with a shut-off nozzle.
• Using potable water in a fountain or decorative water feature, unless the water is recirculated. Recycled water is not mandated, but encouraged for fountain use.

In case you're wondering, the definition of "potable water" is "safe to drink". For us city dwellers, that means anything that comes out of the tap, faucet or spigot.
http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/publications_forms/publications/factsheets/docs/fs072914manwaterreg.pdf

Individual cities and water suppliers may have additional restrictions. For example, City of Hayward also prohibits "excessive use of water due to defective or broken plumbing or irrigation system", and "strongly" encourages residents to:

• Limit irrigation to two days per week
• Irrigate in the early morning and evening hours (between 7 pm and 7 am) to reduce evaporation
• Install water-saving fixtures and appliances
• Ensure full loads in dishwashers and clothes washing machines

Residents are encouraged to report offenders by calling a hotline number or sending an email.

Putting the nasty politics aside - the disparities between urban vs. agriculture, north vs. south, climate change vs. cycle - I maintain the only way we (humanity) are going to make it through these changing times is to nurture the urban ecosystem. Trees and plants clean the air of particulates, absorb noise pollution, and reduce the effects of the urban heat island. Making urban areas livable discourages urban sprawl.

While green lawns make me cringe, I am equally appalled by the weed infested, bare dirt springing up in our neighborhoods. It reminds me of the height of the foreclosure crisis - but these homes are not vacant.

The soil is dead. 

This yard has not seen one drop of water all summer.

The slightest breath of wind casts a fine layer of dust across neighboring gardens, choking both plants and people alike.


It will take tremendous effort - and expense - to revitalize this garden now that the soil is dead.

How to Cut Back and Have a Garden

Water LESS, but don't stop! Plants and the soil need water to stay healthy. Okay, there are some plants that do not need summer water, but without that dribble, the microbes and worms in the soil die, the top soil blows away, and you're left with dirt that won't grow anything - except tumbleweeds.  

Like the Rose Lady says, "the roses look like shit, because I dropped the drip to a trickle, but the root ball will stay alive." 

Looks pretty good to me!

Irrigation: We started putting in a drip system last year, and oh what a difference! Aside from not having to spend hours each week hauling hoses, it is so much more effective - and consumes less water.

You can direct the water to pots, dribble on trees, and use sprayers and bubblers for the plants.

It took some effort. (My husband researched and did the design.)

The side is on a timer, in a hand-crafted covered box to protect it from the elements, and the back is manual.

Grey Water: Just this morning I complimented a gardener in Niles Canyon after mooning over this parking strip beauty. Her response was, "I'm keeping is alive one bucket at a time". 

I would too, except my bucket isn't big enough so the laundry machine thinks it's overflowing and doesn't drain the cycle. (Yes, a new bucket is on the list.)

You'd think the government types would be more supportive of recycling household grey water, but they are not. It is very difficult to get a permit for a residential household grey water system, and I've yet to see a City website that recommends bucket hauling for irrigation.

The problem is disease control. Towels used in the kitchen and bathroom collect fecal particulates, bacteria, and/or protozoas that [literally] come out in the wash. Instead of going down the drain to a treatment plant and massive doses of chlorine, these contaminants remain viable in untreated grey water.

Please do not use grey water on plants used for growing food! 

Other Ways to Conserve - Not on Government Websites

There are a few other things you can do to use less water in the house, and have more for the plants and bird bath. 

Cistern: We hooked up a 50 gallon cistern to a gutter downspout back in Spring to capture what little rain may come. It's not a lot of water, but it's not going down the drain to the bay. 

If you get a cistern, make certain to get mosquito pellets, or you may be growing a flock of blood suckers with your plants. 

Flushing: I recently read an article in the Rossmoor Newsletter that proudly announced one resident is flushing only once a day. While truly noble, I can't help but get totally grossed-out thinking about what that 70-plus year old woman's toilet looks and smells like. Personally, I flush every 3rd pee, and always number two.

Showers:  We put a clock in the shower with a timer and established a 10 minute shower per day rule - which I regularly violate, but I certainly no longer linger for 20+ minutes. 

Military showers work great when sudsing and shaving. Just shut the water off until ready to rinse.

Sponge baths work when you get dirty in the garden, but already had The Shower for the day.

I know some folks bring a bucket in the shower to collect the grey water, but I'd probably kill myself tripping on it.

At the Sink: I've been turning the water off when I brush my teeth for 45 years, since my first drought. When hand washing dishes, suds, then turn the water on to rinse.

On a Final Note, or Tweet

This morning I stepped into the garden, and almost immediately the chickadees and nuthatches started calling. The bird bath was dry. Minutes after refilling the basin, the birds descended to drink and bathe, chittering and splashing, just feet away from me.

We share this planet with other creatures. It takes so little to help them, and it will fill your life with joy.

Got any other ideas? Please share...

The Drought in California

The Drought in California is very bad - driest year on record for many areas:
http://www.acwa.com/content/local-drought-response

The impact is hard to imagine, even for those who live in California. I was shocked to see the bottom of the San Leandro Reservoir a couple of weeks ago - even after seeing these Before and After photos that were published in January:
http://www.weather.com/news/stunning-photos-californias-lakes-depleted-extreme-drought-20140123?pageno=1

Governor Brown declared a state of emergency in January, and at that time, asked residents to voluntarily cut back water consumption by 20%:
http://www.water.ca.gov/waterconditions/declaration.cfm

The response was spotty; some districts reduced consumption while others increased:
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_25090363/california-drought-water-use-varies-widely-around-state

Overall, usage went down about 1% - not enough. So mid-July, the state approved $500-a-day fines for hosing down sidewalks, watering to the point of runoff, or washing your car without a shutoff nozzle.

The water supply system is a convoluted mess. The result is dramatically different conservation measures depending on where you live, even for neighboring communities. For example, EBMUD (East Bay Municipal Utility District) supplies all the cities in the East Bay:
http://www.watereducation.org/general-information/other-major-water-systems

But each municipality contracts service from one of hundreds of different suppliers:

http://library.ucr.edu/wrca/grants/districts.html

Alameda County Water District notified Fremont, Union City, and Newark businesses and residents of mandatory restrictions - with fines - back in March:
http://www.acwd.org/

While just north of Fremont, the City of Hayward is still on voluntary conservation until August 1st. Our water is purchased from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission:
http://www.hayward-ca.gov/GREEN-HAYWARD/WATER-CONSERVATION/

Many refer to "the drought" in terms of this year, or the cumulative impact over the past 3 years:

http://blogs.kqed.org/lowdown/2014/03/18/into-the-drought-californias-shrinking-reservoirs/

But the data point to this particular downward trend starting in 1998 - right after the last big El Nino event:

http://ca.water.usgs.gov/data/drought/runoff.html

I say "particular", because historically, California has experienced droughts that last hundreds of years (credit to M. Tsui).

Regardless of the debate over climate change and global warming, the dramatic increase in population over the past 100 years means we have to use our resources wisely. Humans can live without food for 46 to 73 days, but we will die in 3 to 5 days without water.

Of course in California, it's all very political:

http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/15/5309350/california-25-billion-plan-to-save-delta

Some sources estimate that agriculture uses 80% of the water supply:

http://pacinst.org/publication/ca-water-supply-solutions/

So the question is: how much is 20% of 20% really going to help, especially in light of the long-term trend?  

Personally, I don't think the politics warrant letting a water-wise garden die. We need plants and trees to process our emissions and pollutants, and hold the soil against wind and rain - especially after a fire. Native plants use less water than lawn, and hold moisture in the soil to support an entire community.  

Green lawns in California happen in spring. It's called a "meadow".  A green lawn in August is an un-natural occurrence that demands copious amounts of water and chemical fertilizer poisoning our ground water, streams, and ocean while stealing valuable real estate from the native plants that provide much needed food and shelter to birds, butterflies, bees, lizards, frogs, etc.

We started replacing our lawn, bit by bit, 10 years ago, when the last drought kicked our ass.

Ironically, the most generously funded Lawn Be Gone programs seem to be sponsored by the most affluent communities:

http://www.menlopark.org/332/Lawn-Be-Gone-Program

But you really don't have to "landscape" all at once. Wildflowers are a time honored tradition to brown dirt in my neighborhood - and they come back year after year! I like Renee's scatter gardens:
http://www.reneesgarden.com/seeds/scattercans.html

Save the World!  Grow Flowers!

Rest in Peace Little Blackie

We noticed Blackie was having hard time keeping up on 4th of July.  But he's an old dog - we've had him 13 years!






He showed up at the back gate full grown after roaming the park for a week then following a neighbor across the street - all 5 lanes of Mission traffic. 
Another neighbor started feeding him 3 days after he showed up in the neighborhood, but I didn't know that. All I knew was this scraggly street dog was camped under my bedroom window whining day and night, and we had to do something.


He was wild. We used the dogs to lure him in, but he wouldn't let us touch him. We backed him in a corner with a puppy gate, looped a leash around his neck, and dropped him at the vet's for a bath and check up.

I was 4 months pregnant with two dogs.  We made posters.

I contacted the local rescue organization and agreed to foster until we found a good home. Doug couldn't bear to bring him to the pound. We gave him a temporary name because he was a temporary dog.

I took him to an adoption fair, but every time someone looked at him, Blackie wedged further between my legs and shook like a leaf.



He was a good boy and learned fast. Everyone liked him, but he was Booga's dog. Mom said, "he's a once in a lifetime doggie!" So he stayed...

He was scared to hang in the house and thought we were trying to poison him with treats.  It took a couple of years, but slowly he felt safe.



My son was born.

First Katana, then Kenai died.








Bella came 4 years ago. Blackie accepted her like everyone else that's come in and out of our lives over the years. Already turning gray, he became Blackie the White. Finally, we could get a decent picture and stopped stepping on him in the dark, though to the very end, he had this incredible knack for walking exactly where you were going.

Blackie didn't feel good last Sunday. His belly hurt, but he started eating Monday when I called the vet. Come Thursday, it was bad again so we went, and ran all the tests, but there wasn't anything obvious.

We went to the emergency room on Friday.  They found cancer in his liver and spleen, and a mass bearing down on his urethra with imminent kidney failure.

The Doctor sent us home with pain meds for hospice care, but he refused to take the meds and hadn't eaten since Wednesday night. Yesterday she helped end the pain.

Profoundly sad I am, missing the dog who stayed and wouldn't leave - even when it hurt so bad.

Fall flowers

My husband announced to me this weekend, "Do you know how many plants are flowering in the backyard?!" I guessed 15, to which he said,"I counted 18!" This is our little 'ol postage stamp, inner-city garden - in Fall.  And we'll be blooming all winter.

The crazy fuschia is doing great.  This is the one we got at the Botanical Garden Plant Sale 4 or 5 years ago (I'm too lazy to go digging through the tags), and had to cut almost to the ground after the killer frost.  Shoshanna fell in love with it.  Musta heard her, 'cause next I know there's a volunteer baby in the curly willow pot just waiting to be dug up.  Very cooperative!

The Salvia puberula looks amazing now that it's established and not getting beat up by roofers and squirrel chasing dogs.

Yep, it's fuzzy like that to the naked eye from far
away...

The side garden is frankly embarrassing. There is NO path left to the door. Diane would be horrified.  I loved it this summer when I could open the door for air and enjoy complete privacy.

But now I got a real mess!  I got sucked into not pruning in March because I felt bad taking nectar away from the hummingbirds.  Now the pineapple sage (Salvia elegens) is across the sidewalk and in the driveway, pretty well choking out the lavendar.

The scary part is the limelight. This is it's first year.  It's beautiful!  It's growing into the garage!  Again!  Doug hacked a big branch off last month.

Of course Pinkie (and the rest of them) love it, and fight constantly over the Salvias.  It is not safe in my garden.  Any moment you can get buzzed by hummers in battle.  They are especially fond of the Mexican Bush Sage, which is halfway across the front lawn (sorry Bill).