I Did It! I Finally Got An Ipod.

A sweet, sexy black 30 gig Ipod, suitable for grooving and taking to the gym - which is my new thing; I've gained...uh...let's just say "quite a few" pounds and need some kind of motivation to cart my rotundness into the local YMCA for a few rounds on the treadmill.

I figured what better way to force myself to go, than to motivate...with a new sound system. It sounded like a good idea at the time. Basically, I'm $350 bucks in the hole and have one more thing that will cause me to flip out if it gets scratched, dropped or lost.

It is super sweet, though, and since I'm both a music nut and a tech geek, the fact that I didn't have one yet is almost embarassing. However, when you work for a bookseller company as your Clark Kent gig, it's not like you're rolling in the bucks. I made do with a cd player for a while...but ya know what? I'm done. I decided to join the rest of you in the 21st century.

The only problem I had was with the cat who sold it to me.

I made a special trip up to the store on 5th avenue, my first trip there since Megan and I went to the opening. I was almost grinning like a kid at Christmas as I entered the store and made my way down the spiral staircase, eager to hold the wee yet powerful piece of sexy machinery in my hand.

The store was packed, and it took me several minutes to find a free sales associate (even though there are more in that store than stormtroopers in all three original Star Wars movies, it seems) after I played with a display unit and made my decision. I wanted to get help instead of just going to the counter, because this was a rather important and large purchase for me, and I wanted to talk to someone who could help me get the right accesories and answer questions.

Well, I found someone, but he really was not the person I should have talked to. I swear, this guy could have cared less if I bought it or not, if I was happy or not, if I purchased accessories or simply flipped him the bird on the way out the door. He was smiling and talking to this other guy over my shoulder the whole time I was trying to get information, and he didn't offer any explanations for anything or suggest any products or accessories that could make the first-time-Ipod-buyer a happy person. I tell you, if I was a total PC person I would have thrown up my hands in disgust and agreed that the "Mac Snob" theory was completely justifiable.

Hey, I've worked in retail - for several years. Some days you are tired and just don't give a rat's ass. But I was being a nice person, I was going to buy, and I just needed a little help. Also, what I found to be almost funny (it would be funny, except it was happening to me) is that the night this store opened, you had to nearly shove the salespeople off of you - they were almost too polite and helpful. I had just wanted a t-shirt, really. Now, a month later, and they shuffle around like a bunch of bitter old tired drag queens at an all-night review.

Christ, how anti-climactic. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love this little over-blown flash drive, and I think we shall have a loving cyber/musical relationship. I just wish that as I parted with $350 I could have gotten kissed before I got fucked.