"Jaime." My New BFF.

"Hello, thank you for calling Apple, this is Jaime. May I have your first name please?"

"Danielle."

"Ok, Danielle. And may I have your email address?"

Exchanging of information ensues.

"Ok, what can I help you with today?"

"I need to set my iPod up for service, but there was a problem with my Applecare. It's all straightened out now, so they transferred me to you."

"Ok, I can certainly help you with that. Just so I can better help you, can you tell me what's wrong with it?"

"It doesn't work. It gets to the Apple and then the url to the support site pops up. And it's got a rhythmic clicking to it. She's trying! I can hear her!"

"Heh heh. Do you remember what icons you saw?"

"Oh yes, the first one was the sad iPod-"

"That's all I need to hear. "

"Ok. Kinda took me back to freshman year when I crashed my roommates Mac. The Bomb appeared."

"Uh oh!"

"Yeah, and then when I restarted it, the sad Mac. It was not a good day."

"No, I don't imagine it was. Was it an iMac?"

"Um, no. It was 1995."

"Oh! Taking it way back!"

"Yeah."

"Ok, let me get this set up for you...Actually, can I put you on hold for a second?"

"Sure."

I'm actually "on hold" long enough to completely update my Myspace page.

"Ok, you have a personal engraving."

"Yes, I do."

"Well, if you want to keep the engraving, it's going to hold up your repair for a few weeks."

"You're not giving me back my iPod, are you?! You're sending me another one!"

"Well, if they're unable to repair it...but they can replace the engraving, there's just a hold up."

"It's the holidays."

"No, that's not it. See, when we need to send units for engraving, we have to send them to China for some reason. And there is a hold up."

"Well...are we going to war with China or something?"

"Ha! No. We haven't been informed what the hold up is."

"Oh. But you don't sound optimistic about me getting my original iPod back. I'm kind of emotionally attached to it. I mean, I BEGGED for that thing for like, YEARS. It was a gift from my mom. But she's not dead or anything. I'm just an emotional person. These days."

"I understand. If you want, I can arrange to have the casing sent back to you."

"No. I think having the shell of my First iPod would be depressing. And not a little macabre."

"It would be kind of weird."

"You're right. Ok, then. I don't need a new engraving. I just want my music."

"Ok, well, I just sent it, so you should have the shipping materials by Monday or Tuesday."

"That's so fast! That's barely enough time to say good-bye!"

"You don't have to send it back right away."

"Man! I'm gonna miss that thing! How long until the "new" one?"

"About 5-7 business days."

"Really? Sweet!"

"You don't sound too upset about the old one now."

"I guess I got over that whole "emotional" thing real fast."

"It happens."