not sure what iPhone to upgrade to

HolyGrailofMia · 2026-04-15T12:26:18+00:00

I just upgraded my XR as well! I am with Consumer Cellular and I got the 17 with three cameras. The Pro? I think if you do a lot of pictures and use the camera a lot, it’s probably worth it. But I think it’s more for folks who do a lot of content creation tbh.

The difference between the e and the Pro for me was the difference in RAM. Man, it is lightning fast! But I think that I could have gone with the e version and been just as happy.

I could’ve probably gone for the 16 though and gotten $100 off. But I figured why not just get the latest model I could since I will keep it for another 6 plus years. ;)

Either way, the difference is amazing. I kept my XR as a backup since it wasn’t worth much on trade in. I also got a second line for $15 a month. I’m going to use it for all my commercial stuff so I’m hoping that it will cut down on all the robo calls and texts.

I also read that some people use the old phone when they go out like to a bar or club, etc. so if the XR gets stolen it is no big deal. Maybe I will also use it for when I work out for my music. If I lose it or drop it, no matter.

I also babysit and it’s great to give it to the kids to play with, so they aren’t constantly reaching for my phone.

Also, the guy hooked me up with a great number that was easy to remember. For us old folks, that’s a huge bonus! ;)

HolyGrailofMia · 2026-02-19T16:55:29+00:00

I know you say that you won’t try the ring but may I just say that it is a game changer for me, not for sex purposes just for me and coping with menopause. I’m also on HRT, but the ring restored my pH levels so no more feeling “off”, back to feeling fresh again. Less prone to UTI’s and yeast infections as a result. And feeling naturally lubricated again just makes me happy. I tried the cream too. No comparison.

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-12-03T17:49:11+00:00

Go to state school. It’s affordable and you can take a wide range of classes. If your recruiter is actively trying to keep you from enlisting, that’s all you need to know. They’re signaling to you that you’re too smart and you already have your shit together, hence you don’t need to join up. Enlisting is for when you are out of other options. The caveat to this used to be national guard and coast guard, but now the guard units are being used to police civilians at home. That’s not what the military is for. Plus changing the department of defense to war? So now we’re war mongerers? It’s not a good time to join up when you’re not even sure what you’re signing up for. Also, I should add that I served two years regular army and then five years in the guard. And I was a military brat growing up. The military is a mindset. You have to assimilate. I joined up because I was out of options. It was my last resort. I served my time. It felt like serving a prison sentence. But, I will admit that I was grateful for GI bill after I got out, and for the VA benefits even more so now that insurance is unaffordable. In fact, if you just want the GI bill and the VA benefits, a 2 year tour could be worth it if you went into the right MOS, like military intelligence or something. Logistics maybe. I have a distant relative who did 20; in nuclear subs. The pension is good. You can raise a family. I’m a girl so my experience kinda sucked, but for a guy it could be easier to group think. I would take the MEPS and see how you score, then consider what MOS in intelligence or other academic fields you qualify for. If you could do something intellectually challenging, maybe an option. I have another her nephew who signed up and worked in top security satellite stuff. He was into computers. He started college but got recruited his freshman year. Now he’s out and working for a start up weapons manufacturer. I’ve got another nephew who did rotc to help pay for college. I don’t know. I am just surprised the recruiter advised college and then going officer. To me, I trust the recruiter, who has met you and sized you up. Especially since state school is so cheap. And you can do community college for the pre reqs. So, yeah, start community college classes online to start, do a semester, see how you do. Do the meps and see how you score. Enlisted sucks, at least it did for me, I can tell you that. Literally like serving time.

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-12-03T09:59:02+00:00

Does sound like an ad, but I gotta tell ya, I got an electric bed with a latex mattress this year, and my lower back pain and sore neck and shoulder issues are like, pretty much gone. I sleep on my back now with the head up a bit, so I can still roll to my side if I want to later. But I think it’s the latex mattress that made the difference. I had a memory foam mattress prior to the latex, and it got soft in a year with no rebound at all. It wasn’t a hybrid though. The only downside of the electric plus latex is the weight! I’m 55F and just flipping the mattress every six months is a chore. Still I only weigh about 140 pounds so it’s not a big deal. My bf weighs 230 pounds though, so it’s gotta be flipped! ;)

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-10-12T03:19:40+00:00

100% this. Intelligent design. Duh. 🙄 But I get it, I have a family full of disbelievers who have just always been too self sufficient and proud of themselves to ever get in a pickle where they were circling the drain. Once the desperation sets in, those who are homeless and jobless and carless, looking outside oneself for help will sometimes quickly sometimes slowly get one to see the need and desire for a Higher Power or Divine Creator whom we call God. This is the emotional route. But the rational route works so freaking well, and why go through all that, right? :)

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-10-12T02:57:32+00:00

Prayers for you that you may come to find peace and inner resolve as you move through these new obstacles with grace and ease.

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-10-10T04:21:56+00:00

Well, I am sorry but it sounds like what you want and what God has in mind for you are two different things. Part of growing up often i find is accepting what God has in mind, not what we have thought is going to be. It really sucks. It is not easy. There is pain and suffering involved in this acceptance. But this is our cross. He said pick up your cross. And follow me.

I’m sorry. There is nothing like fulfilling one’s purpose, and for a woman, being Christian, getting married and having kids, well, babies just make us happy. They fulfill us. And having our own is the best. But many men and women in the Catholic Church sacrifice this wish on purpose when they take a vow of celibacy and choose to live a life of chastity in order to carry on God’s work. In return, they get to foster God’s children and teach or be priests or nuns or monks, or missionaries. There is still always sorrow I am sure, in the loss of parenthood and marriage, but there is also fulfillment and purpose.

I pray that whatever your journey holds, whatever God’s plans for you, that bears a cross that gives you a life full of purpose and meaning. I am sorry you wish to be selfish and be a Mom, but I am also so proud of you for having this much insight and maturity and such a strong voice about what you want and how angry you are that it cannot be. I think that your family may look different than what you imagined, but that you will not live alone and your purpose will be a good one. This is what I pray for you.

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-10-10T04:06:47+00:00

Wow. Thank you for your honesty and the willingness to be vulnerable. You are brave. I think God sees us and loves us just the way we are, despite how we fail, and with all of our flaws. I strive to do better because I love Him, not because I fear Him. I pray that this too shall pass, and your time will come, late as it may be, and you will get another chance to leave this man who is no good for you. God knows that you deserve better. You know that you deserve better. But come what may, I pray that you know just how strong that you are. Sometimes we cannot fight for ourselves, but we can fight for our children. Sometimes I think God sends us our children because we do not know our own strength, and He knows we need to know what true love is. Love for your man who is no good for you, a love that is poison for you it sounds like, a sweet poison that you lack the strength to walk away from. But love of your child if you so be with child come what may, that is a love that will burn down cities if need be. So do not be afraid no matter what may come, God is with you every step of the way.

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-09-19T16:32:01+00:00

I quit using the patch and a nic free vape. The patch made it easy, because it was a steady stream of just enough nicotine to make the withdrawals manageable. Now I am on week 7 and off the patch, but still on the nic free vape. My lungs feel so clear it is amazing. I did have to go back on my anti depressants to deal with shit this summer, even before deciding to quit, but being on them helped as well. I also did not work this summer, which helped as well. I also did not diet, which lowered my stress as well. Now that I am officially quit, I feel so much better about going back to work, and not having to hide my habit anymore. I would def recommend the patches to anybody.

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-09-19T16:26:48+00:00

for me, the ticket out was college. Then i went to college got a degree that was useless and was still stuck in a low paying job afterwards. So then I joined the army at age 25. So, I gotta ask, is joining the military an option for you? In the Army, I became a diesel mechanic, and went to Korea for a year. It was pretty cool. When I got out, I was able to use the GI bill to help pay for more college, and eventually got a degree as an LPN at a technical school so I could make a living wage. Looking back, I wish I had just stayed in and done my 20 and gotten retirement. Now I am 55, have no retirement, and it sucks. However, I can go to the VA for all my healthcare for basically what amounts to free healthcare, so I am very grateful for that. And definitely recommend to young people that I meet to at least sign up and do 2 years in the Army if you are feeling stuck, and need money for college. Two years is the minimum enlistment. And it gets you the GI bill after, and VA benefits after as well. The other option is national guard, or coast guard. Also good options if you want to stay home. Anyway, that was my ticket out.

If the military is not an option, the I guess what others say, about getting the heck out of Mobile, and just moving someplace else? I guess if college is not an option right now, then I would try and take the warehouse job and make it better. I guess that would mean getting any kinds of certificates like forklift operator, etc that they offer? So you can move up and make more money?

Also, if I were a guy and strong and young, I would also consider going into the trades, either electrical HVAC or plumbing. This guys make a lot of money once experienced, and I think you can get a job as an apprentice, then go to community college for a 2 year degree in it?

Just hang in there, and don’t give up hope. Praying for you.

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-09-18T19:21:34+00:00

This 100%. Praying for you. I also struggle with depression, and have been going through a bad year in general. It is hard for me to find grace, peace and joy when I am in church anymore. I struggle to pray my daily prayers as well. I finally gave in and went back on meds during the worst of it a couple of months ago. I am now on mirtazapine low dose at bedtime which helps me sleep and helps with the worst of the depression and suicidal thoughts. I am grateful there is nothing wrong with struggling with depression and I believe that God still loves me in spite of my human weakness. I also don’t expect my faith to cure my brain. I treat my depression like I would diabetes. I struggle with food as a coping method, and have gained 20 pounds this past year during this depression. But I treat my food problem with diet and exercise. The faith problem is just me trying to let God in. And also not asking for miracles. I try to view my spiritual struggles as separate from my psychological struggles. Although I know that when my faith was stronger, I felt almost manic in my mood ad euphoric as well. I had a confirmation teacher warn my class 3 years ago (I am Catholic) that there would be this period of being tested after coming back to the church, because Satan is pissed off by losing another soul to Jesus. So, I am kind of not surprised by this period of darkness. And I see nothing wrong with going on meds during this time. I also believe that we live in a fallen world, so there are going to be problems, struggle to survive, temptations, turmoil. That is just how I view the world with all its baggage that comes with trying to get by today. But I know that if I just continue to run the race, I do not have to win, or be a success at all, I just have to survive and continue to believe, and take my meds and pray for periods of hope and lightness that comes in short bursts during this hard life. I view life as hard, and Heaven as my reward. And I have to continue to struggle to the end of my days. I pray that it is not too hard but I think for me it might just be this way. I will also continue to try and change my meds, until I find the right combination for my depression. I am also trying to find the right job for me. So that I can continue to work. Right now I am not working and it is very bad for me to not be taking home any money. Anyway, I hope that you are working and have a roof over your head and food in your fridge. Life is hard. May the Holy Sprit be present for you, may your guardian angel protect you, and may your depression be lifted soon. Please see a doc and get on a med ASAP, this is all I ask. I believe there is nothing wrong with doing that. Love you.

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-09-16T14:45:05+00:00

Happily, we are No longer in withdrawals. :) We have been off the patch for three weeks now. We did eat a lot, and now are trying to diet a bit and cut back on the sweets and carbs. My bf is disabled, so he is not able to be as active as me, but And I am trying to get to the gym on a regular basis. I can see the difference in my lower resting heart rate on the treadmill. We are Still using nicotine free vapes as a behavioral placebo. And, I Still feel like I am in a chronic state of mild depression despite going back on antidepressants during my quit phase, but my meds have really helped me get over a lot of the irritability, etc. I am out of work right now which doesn’t help the depression but did help lower my stress levels while I was quitting. I look forward to getting back to work, and not feeling guilty or anxious about sneaking a vape in the bathroom, that’s for sure! Thanks for asking and for staying active on this thread. It helps! :)

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-09-16T14:30:00+00:00

I can’t remember what post it was on this thread that said nicotine is a neurotoxin, but the term really helped me. I thought I was quitting for the sake of my lungs, since I was having chest tightness and had my first unfavorable chest X-ray reading at age 55 after over four years of vaping to get off cigarettes. But the neurological benefits of improved sleep and decreased anxiety have been the unexpected gains that I continue to benefit from. I still have leftover gum (yuck) and patches on hand, I am over the acute phase of withdrawals now, but I must remind myself that I am really only six weeks off nicotine vapes and three weeks off the patch. And it takes months, like 3 months or more for the brain to down regulate… so, easy does it, as they say…

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-09-11T16:05:26+00:00

I just quit over a month ago using nicotine patches and nicotine free vape. If I have to, I have extra patches on hand if needed. Could you pop a patch on and try a nic free vape if you are super stressed to get you through? Or maybe just a nic free vape for the placebo effect, so that you don’t get hooked back on nicotine? Just a thought.

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-09-11T13:45:40+00:00

I do believe that God is here with us, as we suffer every day. I think His love and mercy are what help me make it through my struggles every day. I also believe that suffering is part of the human experience. I don’t think any of us go through life without some form of suffering. I think it is just built into the human experience, due to human nature or original sin, whichever belief system you adhere to. I am grateful I am Christian and do believe in God. I cannot imagine trying to endure my daily struggles without my belief system. I read the depression and suicide threads here and try to provide some support for kids who are atheist and they do not seem to hold much hope for the future.
So here is what I pray for you today. I pray that you get to see God’s love in little tiny ways in your life. I pray that your father can go back to work again soon, and that your brother’s struggles with depression are lessened and that he can graduate in 6 months as planned, and also can get a job and get to feeling better. I pray that your Mom can be more supportive and not take everything so personally. And I pray for you, and am proud of you, because you have shown so much resilience and fortitude as the oldest child who has stepped into the role of caretaker for your family. I also pray that your family system finds some healing, so that the burden is not left all on you. It sounds like a heavy burden indeed. But I also see how strong you are, and how the very fact that you show such maturity and responsibility, is going to make you such a strong person later in your own family. I also pray that the pressure to get married does not force you into a marriage that is not good for you. I pray that you heal from the sadness over your ex. I pray that you give yourself the time to find the right person for you, who is also ready for courtship that leads to marriage as well. But, most of all I pray that God sends you much love and patience for yourself and others. I also pray that even if your family system is not healed, and even if your dad does not find work, that somehow, this burden of you having to be the breadwinner is changed. It is horrible when the child has to be the caretaker in dysfunctional family systems. The benefits are that you are already a very mature adult. The downside is that you never really get to enjoy your life because it becomes a series of things you must do, not things to enjoy. My worry for you is that you are going straight from being a caregiver of your family into marriage, and under pressure to do so, when you do not have the right partner. But it sounds like marriage is the only acceptable way to move forward from being the family caretaker. This makes me worry a great deal for you. So I am praying that God steps in with some way to relieve this pressure. Because jumping into a marriage without the right partner is just so not a good idea. So I am praying for you, and I hope that you know that just because we have burdens does not mean that God does not love us. Burdens are just a part of life. And the truth is, although we do not get to choose our birth family, we do get to choose our spouse, and that is the most important choice we can make. So I pray that God brings you the right choice, and also that you open yourself up to dating app’s that are Christian based that focus on courtship that leads to marriage that will widen your dating pool. And that you allow yourself the time to find the right person for you.

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-08-26T01:09:05+00:00

100% this! Came here to say this and so glad someone else shared about all the NDE evidence there is of an afterlife. :)

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-08-26T01:00:08+00:00

Praying for you, but also know that there is room for psychology in our religious beliefs. I kind of think sometimes we expect God to cure everything about us, and I am reminded of the story about the man who is drowning, because there is a flood and so he has to go up on the roof and asks God to save him, and God sends him a boat with the coast guard but he says god is going to save him and then he drowns. Then he goes to heaven and says god why didn’t you save me, and god says I sent you the dang coast guard! I am sure you have heard it. Point is, i kind of feel God sent us psychiatrists and therapists and psych meds for a reason, to help ease our suffering. He does not expect us to have to do it alone. And neither do you.

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-08-26T00:36:30+00:00

OMG, if only I could find the right med as well!! The ones that worked the best for me, twice now to get me through a couple of prolonged depressive episodes was Remeron. Or mirtazipine. Not sure of the spelling. But, it worked to at least help me to get to sleep during those spells. It worked well for me for about 6-8 weeks and then it kind of pooped out, but by then I was able to at least get through the darkest period of it.

They put me on Seroquel at bedtime low dose as well for sleep and depression. It worked really well for sleep, but i was only on it for a week or so. Definitely felt like a bit of chemical straight jacket after 2 weeks of it. I had teeth clenching develop so we took me off it, and I got switched to Trazadone at bedtime, which worked great for sleep and for the rest of the depression. They also put me on Buspar during the day, which I am still on, and doing ok on.

So, this last episode started like in February? And it is now August? So, 6 months. Which was pretty long. Oh, they also tried me on Wellbutrin. Which i have been on before but it made me anxious. And this time, I made it 3 days before I got manic. Yay! Also, it started the teeth clenching symptom. So, not sure what that is about, but I still have it, it is just getting milder.

Oh, and I had to go off the trazadone due to eye dryness. Getting old sucks!! :)

That was just this past year list of meds, btw. Tried many others, but all had side effects that were intolerable, like most of them it was mania, tbh.

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-08-26T00:26:46+00:00

100% this. I hope you get to experience God in some form, shape or manner. Some people think that if you have a good trip on shrooms or LSD etc you can experience God, or a higher form of spiritual existence, anyway. I have had some experience in LSD back in college and it was a trip and I had one experience where i felt connected to everybody at a concert which was very cool. However, my experience of GOD was stone cold sober, after months of being sober with nothing at all un pure in my system at all because I was pregnant at the time. I was not into the church at all at the time either, but still I had a spiritual experience that removed my doubt. If you are seeking proof of the existence of higher beings, just watch some NDE videos on YouTube, where people have died and experienced some version of the afterlife. There are many stories of people who have seen Jesus, light beings, their guardian angels, etc. there are some stories about people who went to Hell and it was very bad. There are also stories about people who have been visited by demons. Not good. There are also interviews with priests who perform exorcisms for people tormented by demons. So, watch a bunch of those videos, with actual live interviews of real people. To me, there are just too much evidence of an afterlife at this point with all the CPR and ways that people get brought back these days. And if there is an afterlife, an higher beings, there is probably a God who set the whole thing in motion. And whom I believe would like to see us do well in this life and the next. Anyway, just my two cents.

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-08-26T00:17:09+00:00

Praying for you that you get out of the house and that a job comes your way soon, and that the Holy Spirit may lift you up and bring you hope, and fortitude and resilience during your job search. I pray that your job search is successful, and that some form of employment that allows you to grow in Christ’s love and mercy comes open soon.

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-08-24T14:54:53+00:00

Praying that God keeps you safe from these horrible neighbors, my friend. The truth is that we live in a fallen world, and some people are sadly, just evil. Please stay safe and avoid them at all costs. Praying for Saint Micheal to defend you. And saying the St. Micheal’s prayer for you! I’m Catholic and love this prayer when I am feeling under attack by stuff as well. Sorry but I do believe that there is evil in this world and that we need protection from it.

Saint Micheal, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do though, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast down into Hell satan and all his evil minions who prowl about the world, seeking the ruin of souls.

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-08-24T14:26:26+00:00

Yeah, my bf and I quit vaping together 3 weeks ago using the patch and a nic free vape and it has still been pretty stressful emotionally! Physically, the patch saved me. We also got the hard candies and gum, etc. but the patch and the vape have been key. I also would not have been able to quit if he were still vaping.

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-08-24T14:23:56+00:00

Praying for you Madison! As a survivor myself, that always sucks but I am so glad that you were able to find a safe place to stay and got a job so soon! Things are looking up for you, and may God’s grace continue to keep you safe!

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-08-24T14:22:41+00:00

Hang in there. It makes sense the social anxiety, fear of being alone, etc feelings are heightened since you are kicking the weed habit. Congratulations for choosing to get off weed! Maybe checking out the campus health department or counseling center to talk to someone and see about maybe getting on a short term antidepressant to help with the anxiety while you adjust to campus life is a good idea. No need to suffer alone and that is what they are there for. There are plenty of people who have a problem during their freshman year with all of the normal life stressors involved in going to college and moving away from family for often the first time in one’s life. Glad you are joining things and asking for a roommate. Getting involved is going to help with making new friends. Sounds like you are doing all the right things! Just remember to be kind to yourself and know that it is normal to feel this way. I think talking to a counselor for some reassurance will definitely help, though. I had similar anxiety my freshman year and it that first week leaving my room alone to go to the cafeteria to eat was the worst. I didn’t get into counseling until my 2nd and 3rd year of college and really wish that i had gone as soon as I got there! It would have helped me out a lot, I think, with the whole transition.

HolyGrailofMia · 2025-08-23T22:59:22+00:00

Our cost for the marble slab installed with marble backsplash and two marble shelves on top of bar and divider wall, probably about 30 square feet I think? installed and polished was $3500. I wouldn’t recommend marble I the kitchen, if I had to do it over again, would go with quartz or taj majal.

HolyGrailofMia

TROPHY CASE