Cheap Thrills: Textapalooza

Okay, today's cheap thrill is actually free if you have unlimited text messaging, and if you don't, a lot of plans will allow you to upgrade to unlimited text messaging for (say it with me) five dollars! Hooray!

Here's how to use your powers of text messaging to annoy/encourage your friends and laugh hard and feel great about life.

Annoy

This gag requires you to be in the presence of at least one other person. Annie and I are masters of this little game. You can be a master too, with a little practice. For the purposes of this blog, I'll use Annie and I as the two involved in the prank. Shocker. Kyle will be our target. Typical. Here's what you do.

1. Choose a target (why do so many of my blogs involve choosing a target?). Someone you know well enough to know that they won't hate your guts for messing with them. We choose Kyle.

2. I (you) send a text to Kyle (target) that says something like "Hey Annie, are we still on for coffee tomorrow?" Kyle now thinks I've sent the text to the wrong person. Which is not too far fetched, really.

3. Let the fun begin. Annie sends a text to Kyle that says something like "Yep. Coffee with Karyn is my favorite. What time?" Now Kyle is confused... and you, if you're like me, are collapsing into fits of giggles.

4. Choose your own adventure. Have an entire conversation, play dumb when Kyle texts you back asking what is going on, accuse him of eavesdropping, try to convince him you can conference-text, whatev. This is an expecially fun game to play if you're waiting in line for something or waiting for a show to start. For bonus points, involve a third or (gasp!) fourth person in the madness. Oh hilarity! Oh silly silliness!

Encourage

Now that your friends are good and annoyed with you, it's time to remind them that you love them again. Time for text bombing! This works especially well for job interviews, big tests, bad days, or emergency situations. The process is very simple:

1. Text everyone in your phone that knows your target and ask them to send an encouraging text to your target at 12:15 (you can choose anytime you want). Send your own text at the designated time.

2. Sit back and enjoy the knowing that your friend has just received 20 something texts of encouragement simultaneously. Cheap, easy, day-making fun. Gotta love it.

Take back text messaging from the teens, friends! Use it for good!

love.