Sunday, March 26, 2006

Poor little friend


My sad I-pod armband
Originally uploaded by kspriss.
My poor i-pod armband! She's all alone! Her other half had gone to the Apple store, where she had to take some tests. We were worried about her battery, because she would get finicky if I was trying to coax her into playing for more than 2 hours. In fact, she would get finicky if I asked her to do ANYTHING, except play that damn catchy KT Tunstall while I am hard at work filing from 9 - 5. She seems to know that will make me a little less bitter and pass the time a faster with such pleasant Scottish company.

The Apple store in Bethesda is very nice, and quite small as far as apple stores go. I showed up at 6:50pm on Friday for my appointment with "the genius". The Genius was a pleasant 19 year-old-kid who probably makes more money than me. I chatted nervously with him while I asked exactly "how many crazies like me, who come in and worry about their I-pods like it's their firstborn?" The Genius then laughed at my ipod cozy asking if the "sleeping bag" was helpful. I stopped chatting nervously and looked him squarely in the eye. How dare he insult my knitting.

Mr. Genius-19-year-old then told me my options. I felt like I was 6 again,faced with the death of my first pet. Greeny the grow-a-frog had met his untimely demise after being with us for a few short months. We figured we could bury him, or flush him like a fish, maybe. We went with burying. Except we didn't bury him, we put him in the freezer first.

Mr. Genius-19-year-old explained that I could either send the ipod back to Apple for a battery test and if it failed, then I could keep my original ipod (with the engraving on it.) Or they could run a test for me and if my little friend failed, then they would give me a replacement ipod (thank god a mini for a mini, pink for pink!).

Losing the engraving pulls at my heartstrings a little. This friend was a gift, a very thoughtful gift, coupled with a Jem lunchbox. It was the best birthday ever. However, I am an idiot, and the warranty is up in 3 weeks. Not wanting to risk it, I consented to letting them test it at the store. He said he would get back to me in a few days.

I left hurriedly, after patting her screen gently, sweating with the anticipation of her performance. If she couldn't play for 12 hours straight (since, in theory, the mini's battery life is 18 hours) then she would fail. I had my money on her making it through 3 hours. TOPS.

Precisely 18 hours after I set foot out of the Apple store, I get a phone call from my Genius. ALREADY.

I ask, "so how did my little friend do?"

Genius said, "not so good ma'am. She failed." Then he said he had ordered me a replacement pink mini, and they would call me when it arrived.

Now I am faced with an emotional attachment to a small electronic thing. It's my Snowball I and Snowball II. Nothing can replace Pinky I. She was a special gift, and I mourn the emotional attachment to my name proudly (and noted by gift giver: FREELY!) emblazened on the back. Girls are attached to that sort of thing.

The thing is the in-between of Pinky I and Pinky II is really hard. Rendered I-pod-less is proving to be very difficult. The gym? Less motivation without Confessions on a Dancefloor. The walk to work? Less depressing now that I'm not listening to Low's The Great Destroyer, but I need the depression to fuel a job search.

And that filing? Without KT? NOT HAPPENING!

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