Skip to main content
Home
Blue Boat Home

Main navigation

  • Home
  • Travels
    • Arizona
    • Battle Creek (1997)
    • Ben's Bike for Balance (2002)
    • Europe 2016
    • Grand Canyon trip, June 2008
    • Hawaii (2003)
    • Italy
    • Japan (1993)
    • Las Vegas, June 2008
    • Mexico (1990s)
    • New Mexico (2000)
    • Savannah trip (2012)
    • Wheeled Migration (2004-05)
  • About the House
    • The Best Laid Plots
    • 10 lessons learned from rewiring our house
    • Electricity Consumption
    • In Sickness and in Health
    • We're moving to Nebraska!
  • Autoharp
  • Gardening
User account menu
  • Log in

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Wheeled Migration (2004-05)

Aug 23: Appleton Update

By Ben, 23 August, 2004

[posted to the Wheeled Migration Yahoo Group on August 23, 2004]

Hi, folks! I had a great visit with my friends this weekend, in spite of record-low temperatures and a bear on the loose. They let me sleep indoors. ;-)

I'm at a Kinko's in Appleton now on my way toward the Lake Michigan coast. There's a headwind this morning but it's been very easy going so far; I'm going to have to resist the urge to go all the way to Manitowoc today because I don't want to wear myself out like I did after my last day off.

Just a few logistical updates for those of you who like to hear about the challenges of traveling.

Yesterday I went to the AT&T Wireless store about a mile from where I am right now, planning to follow the advice I'd gotten from one of their phone support people last week. He said I could get the same coverage for less money if I bought a newer phone that uses GSM rather than digital service. However, the salesman at the store advised me against it, saying the extent of the GSM coverage would be significantly worse than digital. So no upgrade, I thought; end of story.

After leaving the store, I happened to pass a kiosk selling both AT&T and Verizon service, and I noticed that Verizon's digital coverage was better than AT&T's. I asked about the rates and found that I could save about $20/month by switching, plus I could get a much cooler phone for free (after rebate). The only downside is that since I'm not in the 612 area code, they can't transfer my Minneapolis phone number to the new phone until I've had it for 60 days. If I lost my 612 number I'd have to notify not only friends and family but also my banks, domain name registrars, and so on. Big hassle.

But I sat down and did some calculations and found that even if I have to pay for two cell phones for 60 days in order to keep my number, I'll *still* save money by switching. So I'm doing it. I tell you this not to toot Verizon's horn at all, but because in the past I've recommended AT&T for their rural coverage, and I can't do that anymore. My momma told me, you better shop around.

On the health-insurance front, Blue Cross still says they haven't received the medical records that Abbot Northwestern claims they sent last week, so I still have no insurance. I don't know who's to blame here -- could be either of those faceless bureaucracies or the postal service -- but I suspect Abbot because they failed to send the records at all the first time I requested them, over two months ago. So if any of you in the Twin Cities want to organize a glove-slap posse to go demand satisfaction on my behalf, I'd love to hear about it.

Next time I write, I'll be in Michigan! --Ben

  • Printer-friendly version
  • Log in to post comments

Tags

  • Wheeled Migration
  • to Wisconsin Rapids, WI
  • to Hartman Creek SP, WI
  • to Coffeens', Hortonville, WI
  • Coffeens' House

Book traversal links for Aug 23: Appleton Update

  • to Necedah, WI
  • Up
  • to Wisconsin Rapids, WI

Comments

Book navigation

  • Aug 2: T minus 7 days
  • Aug 14: First five days
  • Aug 16: Q & A
  • Aug 17: Past few days
  • Aug 23: Appleton Update
    • to Wisconsin Rapids, WI
    • to Hartman Creek SP, WI
    • to Coffeens', Hortonville, WI
    • Coffeens' House
  • Aug 25: Reflections on Wisconsin
  • Aug 29: Michigan
  • Sep 2: Ann Arbor
  • Sep 4: Ann Arbor update
  • Sep 7: Ohio!
  • Sep 10: Turning Point
  • Sep 16: Cincinnati
  • Sep 18: On Losing One's Bearings
  • Sep 22: Indy Adventures
  • Sep 26: Peoria
  • Sep 29: Iowa
  • Oct 6: Sandhill Farm and Dancing Rabbit
  • Oct 6: Abundance and Fairfield
  • Oct 10: St. Louis & Stories
  • Oct 13: Journeys and Destinations
  • Oct 17: Katy Trail State Park
  • Oct 23: Carry On, My Wayward Son
  • Nov 1: Bartlesville and such
  • Nov 3: Gear
  • Nov 9: On the road again...
  • Nov. 14: Texas!
  • Nov 16: Dallas Metro
  • Nov 20: Rain and Such
  • Nov 23: Austin! End of the road (for now)
  • Nov 30: Enchanted Rock State Park
  • Dec 13: Quotes from Pre-Tour Reading
  • Dec 23: Health Update
  • Jan 4: Departure Preparations
  • Jan 7: Austin Winter Weather
  • Jan 15: A Week in East Texas
  • Jan 16: Louisiana!
  • Jan 20: Winter in Acadiana
  • Jan 22: Baton Rouge
  • Jan 26: New Orleans
  • Jan 29: Mississippi (the state)
  • Jan 31: Alabama
  • Feb 3: Florida
  • Feb. 9: Panama City, Minus the Plan and Canal
  • Feb. 13: Tallahassee
  • Feb 18: Ocala - southmost point!
  • Feb. 23: St. Augustine
  • Feb. 26: Nor'easter
  • Mar. 4: Savannah
  • Mar 7: Savannah Explorations
  • Mar. 11: Charleston
  • Mar. 15: Myrtle Beach
  • March 19: North Carolina
  • Mar. 27: Virginia
  • April 2: Washington, DC
  • April 8: Adventures in DC
  • April 14: Philadelphia
  • April 29: Pennsylvaniadventures
  • May 3: New Jersey
  • May 11: Adventures in New Jersey
  • May 20: Hudson Valley
  • May 31: Adventures in Montreal
  • June 12: "Northern Ontario"
  • June 12: Reflections and Q&A
  • June 18: Da U.P. and northern Wisconsin
  • June 24: Journey's End
RSS feed

Footer message

All content of this site is copyright © Ben and Jessie Stallings. Please do not use without permission.

"Blue Boat Home" is the name of a UU hymn by Peter Mayer, about how we are all travelers on the Earth. We have his permission and blessing to use the name for this site.