Newbie - FAQ
You want to use a pre-paid phone so you don't have to worry about bills showing up. It can also keep you anonymous. Three options that I am aware of, probably more that others can add:
1. Trac-phone (sp?) - Seems popular among hobbyists but I read bad things about customer service on the Internet, so I stayed away. But I haven't heard complaints here, so YMMV. They are a niche company. You can find them at Target, K-Mart, etc.
2. Virgin Mobile - Very common phone for many people. Virgin is standard wireless company, so you don't have to worry about service and you can get some nice phones. You can pick up the pre-paid phones in many stores, including gas stations. Not certain if you can remain anonymous with it (can someone address this?). But you don't have to worry about bills at home. It can be a bit more expensive because of monthly minimum charges (about $8 I think).
3. 7-11 Speak-out - This is what I use. Completely anonymous as long as you buy the phone for cash (and don't look at the CC camera 
). The minutes don't expire for one year and there are no monthly fees, so it ends up being the least expensive (but in the hobby, this is the least of your expenses anyway). They use the AT&T network, so I find coverage good in my area. The phones are low end models. I did have some difficulty finding one for sale in a 7-11 store in my area. It is possible that the service will be phased out.
I also keep my phone in my office. You are right about not getting calls. I warn providers that my phone generally will not be turned on until the day of the appointment so if there are any issues they should use e-mail. Of course I do turn it on to check for messages every few days.
2 of my regulars prefer to text, and if I didn't have it, I would have missed a couple of appointments in the past.
Sometimes I have this recurring dream that she's doing me reverse cowgirl so that she can text her other clients without me seeing. Oh shit, did I just write that out loud.