do u lyk me
from a 484 phone number, Thursday, January 1, 1:52 AM

Since the phrase "I love you" has been rendered practically meaningless, I might tell 484 that I not only lyk her, but I even LOVE her. It's a new year and I'm feeling magnanimous.

How many cheeseburgers did you eat?
from a 781 phone number, Wednesday, December 31, 4:01 PM

None. I am a vegetarian. But WHAT UP, 781! Represent, though not my own hometown, at least the hometown of my best friend and the town where my mother's office is located. 781, yeah!

is my life i love you leila you are amaziingggg....im so happy that you are my sister its the best thing ever!!!!!!!!!!!
from a 973 phone number, Tuesday, December 30, 2:39 PM

So sad this didn't reach its Intended Leila. This would have made her day way more than 443's "end of 2008 best mom award."

hey i am getting a facebook but i have to wait till after i get back from my vacation
from a 323 phone number, Saturday, December 27, 8:07 PM

How do you not ALREADY have a facebook account? Do you live in 2002 or something? Even my FATHER now has facebook. Here is a piece I wrote about facebook literally four-and-a-half years ago. Get with the program.

FWD: cari said tuesday works for her we thought mayb get subway and have picnic at park?
from a 714 phone number, Saturday, December 27, 6:13 PM

That sounds lovely, and I love picnics. But where do you live, 714, that it's warm enough for a picnic? It's like 16 degrees here. If you forced me to sit outside and eat a Subway sandwich in this weather, it might constitute torture.

but anyway what are you doing for new years?
from a 484 phone number, Thursday, December 25, 8:31 PM

Fwd:Fwd: Fwd: FWD: You have been hit with the end of 2008 best mom award. You must send to ten moms and make their day, including me if u agree!
'GOD IS'
from a 443 phone number, Monday, December 29, 7:52 PM

If that's all it takes, then it's just too easy to make a mom's day.

FWD:Luck for 2009, You have 30 min to tell 10 people 'I love you' including me or 2009 will be your worst year so I LOVE YOU go.
-sorry I don't like the
from a 719 phone number, Tuesday, December 30, 7:28 PM

But what if Leila DOESN'T love 719? Is it fair to doom Leila to the worst year because because she likes 719 a lot but does not actually LOVE her? Do we feel like the phrase "I love you" is really losing its power and specialness nowadays?

happy new year! i'm at work until fri. how are you? miss you :)
from a 510 phone number, Wednesday, December 31, 1:16 PM

Happy new year & Merry christmas
from a 757 phone number, Wednesday, December 31, 2:15 PM

A little belated on the "Merry christmas" part, but thanks anyway for your well wishes.

Happy and Healthy New Year to my running buddies...I am grateful for all of you...miss running...hopefully we can run on Friday...
from a 609 phone number, Wednesday, December 31, 6:11 PM

Running, to me, does not seem like one of those things that you "miss" or "hope" you will do. It's not like skiing or bungee jumping. If you want to do it so bad, just strap on a pair of shoes, step outside, and go. (I am not an athlete.)

FWD: I just deposited love & blessings in your account for 2009. Your pin # is J.e.s.u.s. Now make a deposit in someone elses account
from a 917 phone number, Wednesday, December 31, 7:04 PM

Your PIN number is Jesus? I'm sorry. Was this included in the Bible?

Happy New Year!... Love, Avideh
from a 714 phone number, Wednesday, December 31, 8:05 PM

FWD: This is the last day in 2008 & I refuse 2 let the year end w/out sayin I love u... I LOVE YOU!! Send to everyone you love.
from a 504 phone number, Wednesday, December 31, 8:45 PM

Relatively speaking, I like this forward because it doesn't threaten me with "the worst year" or ugliness or anything if I fail to send it on.

Happy new year
from a 908 phone number, Thursday, January 1, 6:19 PM

hey srry i didnt say anything for a while i had to clean the stairs cuz my puppies made a big mess
from a 973 phone number, Saturday, December 27, 4:26 PM

I'm having an odd combined response of "aww" and "eww" right now.

okay my mom still wants to take it in. and she alreayd made the appointment for the windshield...so i have to get the car tonight or tomorrow morning bef
from a 574 phone number, Saturday, December 27, 8:59 AM

Pshh MOMS. Such worriers. It was just a little car crash, Mom! Don't freak out!

Okay, phew, I'm back. And just in time, since my phone's inbox, with a capacity of 100 text messages, has reached a dangerously high 96 text messages. And that's with me deleting half the ones I received this past week. The holidays are a big time for texting.

With that said, let's travel back nine days to Christmas...

Merry Christmas all the best Marci a Honzi.
from a 718 phone number, Wednesday, December 24, 2:04 PM

:Dear Santa all i want 4 christmaz this year is 2 let everyone readin this know that i hope they have a merry christmaz! Send this 2 all ur friends!
from a 719 phone number, Wednesday, December 24, 9:24 PM

Such a simple request from Santa. Truly a sign of a less material time.

mele kalikimaka!!! haha hope you have a gud one.
.:cheryl:.
from an 803 phone number, Thursday December 25, 2:58 AM

A Hawaiian Christmas song. I continue on the long road to multi-language fluency.

merry christmas
from a 912 phone number, Thursday, December 25, 9:02 AM

merry christmasa1 what dud you guys get? i got an ipod nano
from a 323 phone number, Thursday, December 25, 1:08 PM

iPod nanos have overtaken religion as the True Meaning of Christmas.

by the way, i sent leila a txt but i dont think she nos my #, but let her no i said merry xmas and thank her for the gifts. ahaha thanks
from a 714 phone number, Thursday, December 25, 2:21 PM

I'm not sure how the technology on this works, but yeah. Merry xmas.

If u buy me more stuff then u have now then i'll buy u stuff.
from a 209 phone number, Friday, December 26, 1:41 PM

If everyone abided by this practice, then there would be a much better balance in gift-giving, and none of us would wind up in those awkward situations where one of our friends boughts us an iPod nano while we bought them like a nice pair of white cotton socks.

hi, im working. i miss you! can you text me pics of your cute baby? did you have a good christmas?
from a 510 phone number, Friday, December 26, 2:20 PM

FWD: Squeeeeeeeeeeze! U've just been given a christmas hug. I WANT ONE BACK! If u get 3 ur cute, 6 ur loved, 9 ur hot, 0 ur a jerk.>Sweet as pie<
from 404 phone number, Saturday, December 27, 11:41 AM

I've gotten this forward a whole bunch of times before (which I guess means I am loved, or possibly even hot), but it's never had the "Christmas" modifier before. Usually it's just a non-denominational hug. Text forwards change with the times.

Hey there, all you Leila Texters, Leila Text readers, and Leilas. I wanted to let you know that I will be on vacation until New Years, with intermittent access to my phone and essentially no access to the Internet. So don't expect any blog updates over the next eight days. Instead, take this time to relax and connect with your family (a la 310). If you get bored of relaxing and connecting, you can always read the Leila Text archives. There are an awful lot of archives.

Happy Hannukah and merry Christmas. Hope to see you in 2009!

FWD: Fwd:Fwd: Met u az a stranga, took u az a frnd, hope we meet n heaven wher frndship neva endz. C how many REAL frndz snd dis bak
from a 404 phone number, Tuesday, December 23, 9:26 PM

In 404 and Leila's world, the uncoolest kid in school is the kid who insists on spelling everything right-- even words like "never" and "as"!

dads being a real big jackass were on our way im staying with you
from a 310 phone number, Tuesday, December 23, 7:01 PM

Nothing feels like the holiday season so much as texts like this one. Ah, festivities!

everything work out
from a 610 phone number, Tuesday, December 23, 3:40 PM

Was this meant to be reassuring? Like "everything will work out"? If so, then I would have embraced this text as a message from the heavens. As it stands, though, it reads more like a command. "Everything, work out!" I do not feel reassured.

Got a working phone- call me or send me a txt when you want to talk.
from a 504 phone number, Tuesday, December 23, 12:11 AM

Yeah, right. That'll never happen.

hey, i got the pics put on a flash drive. i can put them on a disc for you or you download them directly from the flash. :)
from a 510 phone number, Monday, December 22, 9:35 PM

I received this text just a few minutes after texting my friend Tony to ask how to send pictures to his iPhone. When I read this text, I was like, "This is oddly pertinent to my life... yet at the same time, useless."

Hey,
Wazz Up
from a 310 phone number, Sunday, December 21, 3:23 PM
Eating leftovers from my Hannukah party; procrastinating on packing for my vacation; updating my blog. You know how it goes.

FWD: driver side door wont close part inside near handle broken. not safe 2 drive. love you. tang
from a 949 phone number, Sunday, December 21, 2:40 PM

For all the times I've written in this blog about how I wish I had a car, I will concede: Having a car is awesome, but having a BROKEN car really, really sucks.

Heya what time is the party tonight? My plus one bailed on me so there better be some cuties there :)
from a 409 phone number, Saturday, December 20, 7:15 PM

P.s. David is coming tonight so mum's the word about troy.
from a 409 phone number, Saturday, December 20, 8:23 PM

Don't hate the playa, hate the game.

FWD: FWD: Msg: You have 30 Min. to tell 10 people u love them, (includin me) or 2009 will be your worst year..So I LOVE U! GO!*
from an 812 phone number, Saturday, December 20, 5:35 PM

But what if Leila DOESN'T love 812? Does she have to lie and claim she does, just so 2009 won't be her worst year?

FWD: Msg: ONLY send this to the 10 prettiest GIRLS u know or u'll turn ugly in 6 yrs. If u get 3 back, Guess who? DANA
from a 719 phone number, Monday, December 22, 4:40 PM

At least Dana doesn't insist on receiving this back from Leila. Because Dana really might be only the seventh-prettiest girl that Leila knows. And Dana is just going to have to deal with that.

hey im going 2 my bball game in my FREEZING car
Oz3baA sh3rIFf
from a 703 phone number, Saturday, December 20, 9:00 AM

u think ull make it home tonight? the roads are pretty f'd...just going to warn u.
from a 206 phone number, Sunday, December 21, 9:37 PM

In summary: It was cold and icy this weekend. In case you were unaware.