The Apple Falls

My iPod has been dying. This has been a big deal for me, because I use it frequently, perhaps every day. With the end of the decade approaching in 13 months, I had already had preliminary thoughts of my possible Top 100 Coolest Things of the Decade, and had already decided the introduction of the iPod into my life had to be Top 10.

Not only do I listen to the iPod in the car, I listen to it many times when I'm out to eat my by myself... the other day I ate at Chipotle (I think) and it was a lonely, miserable lunch. Just me with my thoughts, and no ESPN College Gameday Podcast, or Rush Limbaugh 24/7, or PTI, or CarTalk or whatever audio book I'm onto next... I also listen to in while I'm in the shower. I have some iPod speakers, and I can plug it in and listen to whatever while I'm showering.

Heck, because of my irrational fear of the dark (irrational, because I'm entering mid-30s in a year or two), I plug it into the speakers so as to drift off to sleep to The Sports Guy or Dave Ramsey, so I don't have to hear every crack and crink of the house--normal sounds or otherwise.

My guess was, just the battery. When I plug it in, it says "Charged", but when I pull it off the wall charger, or from the computer after syncing, it goes out. "Low Battery". I've even had to pull out the car cradle, still leaving my ear buds in, because any frequency I use to try to play music through is all crackly and staticky.

This means I, who wears it while walking to work, who listens while shopping, or just goofin' around at Barnes & Noble, now have to be at my computer, next to a wall or in the car to listen to my iPod. I'm sure there are worse problems in the world, but this makes me sad.

Tyler the Sexy Beast, brother of The Lovely Steph Leann, had his crap out on him a year or two ago... he took it to Apple, they sent it in, he got it back after a few weeks... and it cost him (or his parents, anyway) about $80. Well, this is what I'll have to do, I guess. Sigh.

So, tonight, while out running errands--taking back some library books, doing some quick shopping, etc--I dropped by The Apple Store at the Summit. I'd been dreading this moment, as even being stuck to the wall or in a car for the last two weeks, at least I HAD the iPod... now? A few weeks without it. Might be good, I guess. I'll maybe listen to the radio... cause I know we all need to be keeping up with whats on 103.7 The Q--Birminghams station to hear Nickelback and Young Juc back to back!

Checked in at The Apple Store at The Summit, and somehow knew this would be a good night. You need an appointment to go to The Genius Bar (which, by the way is a new feature on iTunes--Genius--and while it might serve a great purpose later, its really annoying right now) and when I checked in with the concierge, she said, "Oh, we have one appointment left! At 7:50!" When I looked at my watch, it said 7:48! Rock on!

Walked to the middle of the store, looking around, piddling through the MacBooks that I can't afford, the AirBooks that I know I can't afford and the iPhones that I don't want, and looked up on the screen... "Next In Line (it said something like that) 1. david d. 2. s. else. 3. etc". Very exciting.

Finally, Adam the Apple Guy called for me, and I told him of my ills. He was impressed that my iPod battery had lasted almost 4 years (March would make it 4, methinks) and I told him how bummed I was that I was going to be without it for a few weeks.

Just a random question... who was reading the blog back when I had an RCA Lyra, and was loading all my CDs into my slow-as-molasses-on-a-cold-Alaskan-December-day computer, in anticipation of buying the iPod? Just curious.

Adam the Apple Guy said, "Well, that might not happen. If we have them in stock, we can give you a refurbished one, just trade them out. The battery and casing will be new, the hardware will be refurbished. Is that a solution?"

You mean I can walk out with this thing tonight? All bright and shiny? Heck yeah!

Adam the Apple Guy even did the registration online for me, with the new serial number and everything. And the price? Not the $80 or 90 I was planning on... but it was $59.99, plus tax. Total cost? $64.20. Love it.

So for the last few hours, my iPod has been plugged into my cOmputer, in iTunes... being a new-to-me iPod, it has to load EVERYTHING. And when you have over 10,000 songs and files, plus another 4717 pictures, it takes awhile.

Its going fast, though. When I started this blog, it was loading Jimmy Buffett's "Songs You Know By Heart" and right now its on Plumb's "Candycoatedwaterdrops".

And the cool thing is, my play counts stay updated... unlike earlier this year, when they were wiped out. Of course, it might be for the best that there is no substantial proof that I listened to "Fergalicious" 41 times.

And that is Good Times.