What shall we do with a drunken sailor charged up iPhone early in the morning? (You get to supply the tune).

Of course, send or receive telephone calls. Duh.

Text messages. Okay.

Check day/date/time. And, on a separate app, the weather.

Be reminded of activities (chimes when it's time).

To do list.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, so what else can you do?

Play music using Pandora app.
Read a book.
Do a New York Times crossword puzzle.
Play solitaire.
Check MSNBC breaking news.
Read a magazine ("The Week" or "National Geographic")
Browse the internet.
Check the time in other cities (e.g., Wellington, New Zealand)
Browse Facebook (though I don't like the way it's presented on the iPhone)
Read the Maddow Blog
Skim the news on the Associated Press app

Oh, yeah, and read/reply to email. How could I forget? The phone chimes every time I have a new one (I need to figure out how to turn off the chime). I do know how to put it on vibrate only.

I may NEVER get bored with this phone. No wonder people walk around all day looking down at their smart phones. I always wondered what was so fascinating. Now I know.

I remember, back in the day of the IBM 360 and later when we communicated with each other over bulletin boards, connected by landlines, falling in love with computers. Not since that time have I been so taken with an electronic device, so bedazzled by technology.

I'll bet an iPad mini, which is intermediate between the iPad and the iPhone, is the perfect size and weight. Saving my nickles and dimes....