Around the time that I surrendered my work email (which was a traumatic experience, because, let’s face it, when you’re THAT intimate with something, breaking up is hard to do) I decided on a new email strategy:
I would sign up for all online commerce and newsletters via my hotmail. I would keep my gmail for “real” communications. There are a few newsletters/work related stuff that happen on my gmail, but mostly, that email account is where I expect the “real” side of e-communication; messages from humans, either asking me for something I might want to give, or helping me achieve something I asked for help with. Or maybe just saying hi.
Guess what? I get a lot more email at my hotmail than I do my gmail.
But I look forward to checking my gmail.
Something to ponder.
Everything and a Racehorse 
I did the same thing. Commerce to yahoo, real stuff to gmail. Of course, I still somehow end up with newsletters and ads and general crap in my gmail account, just much less.
I hope this comment shows up in your gmail account 🙂
Ha! BLog comments come to hotmail. I think I will change that – because you’re right…they are the good stuff. And it’s impossible not to have a few newsletters. PS – I’m coming to Boston in a couple of weeks!