So today I went cold turkey from the physical daily newspaper. I've done it before, not gotten the daily paper, but this time it's harder. I was really hooked.

For some time now, after having annoying delivery problems with my paper, I connected to this really nice guy there who, along with his assistant, set it up so that I got the daily paper free of charge. This was a huge kindness, i know that and it had to end. As the assistant informed me some weeks ago. But she also said she'd call me when it was up and maybe she'd be able to find another source, extend the deal. What I always liked about this woman was she had a very matter-of-fact voice that were I to talk with her for any reason, she woulda scared the piss out of me. She did not sound warm. Or kind. But she was. Very. I would have tried hard to charm her, make her laugh, which is what I do with people who intimidate me.

She didn't call back - no surprise, I think they had her doing two jobs at the paper - and I left voice mail for her. Three maybe for times, just to say "what do i do now?" because i thought if I called customer service, well, let's just say my experience there is often an exercise in frustration and this deal didn't go through the usual channels. (the billing software was apparently designed using ENIAC, or HAL. The carriers get very confused when you add a paper. Etc.) If she's gone, as i suspect, she wasn't given time to shut down her voice mail, or pass on weird people like me to her replacement. After realizing I really needed to get on this, I found the manager's phone number. Even worse, he had no voice mail. There was one of those systems to "look up" the person you're calling. Right. His name is Smith.

So I email THEIR supervisor and an hour later I get a call. NOT from her. She's probably gone too. But yep, we cancelled the daily. And this morning I went to get the paper (I didn't have the date in my head but thought today was the agreed-on last day.) No paper.

Okay, I have stuff to read and can easily sit with coffee, book and pills going chug-chug-chug, burble. but wow did I develop a habit. It's Friday so that "ticket/arts" section is out. No restaurant review. No list of upcoming signings. No story about how the city's entire streets/engineering/traffic departments screwed UP so badly in December they all need to be fired, especially the guys who sent the plows to West Seattle more than other areas because that's where the top guns live.

No "Frazz!". No "Doonesbury".

No New York Times Crossword. The one I bought pencils for because Friday and Saturday are harder than I knew. So no post"Wait, wait" kickback tomorrow morning, trying like heck to do the hard one.

I know it's all available on-line. Please don't tell me that. I know. It's Not Right. It's not the same. I can't sit in bed with the laptop on my lapdesk on my lap and read the paper.

DAMN. I got hooked. But the $65 or so for 13 weeks of newspaper just doesn't make sense on a budget like mine. It's a luxury. The Sunday paper is $31 or so for that same period. And I use coupons.

But. I'll just have to learn.