How to know that you need treatment for Ipod addiction

This morning I got up, I got ready and took the dogs for a walk. As has become my habit since I bought my Ipod about 3 months ago, I stuck the thing in my ear and listened to an audio book (currently Far From the Madding Crowd) as we walked. I got home, fed the dogs, got ready for work, listening to my book the whole time. Just as I arrived at work, the book jumped to the next chapter. Irritated, I tried to replay it, but to no avail. The book kept jumping from the middle of chapter 19 to chapter 20. Still irritated, I thought there was a problem with the file and I’d have to check it in the evening. The problem was that I wanted to listen to something at lunch, so I fired up the comp when I got home and plugged in my Pod; nothing. Jiggled Pod; further nothing. Unplugged and replugged Pod; more nothing. Expletives commence. Then I noticed that the lock symbol was showing so I tried toggling the lock button; again nothing. And just so's ya know, banging it on the table does not make an Ipod unlock either. The bloody thing was broken.

I would have been happier had you told me that I had no electricity or water. I could live with that. We have a natural spring outside, so I could always bath in that needs be. It’s summer and light out until 10pm. I can knit on the balcony electricity free. I also have candles. No problem. No phone line? I’d live. Just don’t take my Ipod away. Take my Ipod away and I can’t listen to my books; this is terrible. OK, yeah, there’s worse, but it’s horrible all the same. Add to that that no water or no electricity are considered by most people to be a necessity so they get fixed promptly. Send an Ipod in for repairs? Two weeks min. but more like two months. I spiralled into frustrated rage. I wanted to meet Steve Jobs and thrust my Ipod into his hands and ask what kind of crap he was putting on the market. And then tell him to damn well fix it instantly or face my withdrawal symptoms which were frankly already fairly ugly by this point. It would serve him right for putting something so addicting out onto the market. Come to think of it, I could probably go to America and sue both Apple and Audible for providing addictive and mood altering substances and win billions. That aside, I wanted Steve Jobs to suffer and suffer NOW. After all, I was suffering. I was standing out in the sun with the dogs sans Ipod and audio book. OK, I wasn’t without Ipod, I had it in my hand repetitively locking and unlocking it in a desperate attempt to get it to work again. I’ve probably worn out the buttons with all the pushing I did, which did about as much good as trying to catch the shade of a fly when standing out in the blazing sun. The bloody thing wouldn’t budge. It was still frozen with the cover from Viva la Vida staring at me tantalizingly. The only thing that kept me from throwing it into the creek was the knowledge that that would have voided the guarantee.

So, after much standing around pushing buttons and flipping of the lock switch, I took the dogs back in early, gave them a big chewy for the inconvenience of lost lunch time and started searching for the receipt while wondering just how long I would have to wait, if they had loaner Pods and if not, should I really buy another one just because this one was broken. Yes, I admit it, I was ready to plonk for a second Pod. After all, what if this happened again?!? Would I survive? Would I spend weeks walking around with the ear buds in my ears that were plugged into nothing in the hopes that sound would magically appear anyway? Would they lock me up in the local loony bin? (I’m never very far away from that last option at the best of times) Found receipt. Decided to leave work early so I could take it to customer service and scream at someone to release my frustration and then thought, I’ll Google troubleshooting again.

Intense relief ensued. There is a troubleshooting page dedicated to just this problem. All you have to do is hold the middle button and the menu button down together for 6 to 8 seconds and the thing resets itself without corrupting your files. 6 seconds and the world had righted itself again. I instantly stuck the ear bud in and turned it on to chapter 19 of Far From the Madding Crowd. Not only did it play again, but it stopped skipping to chapter 20. Birds were singing, the dogs were content with their chewy and I could drive back to work whilst listening to my book. Life would be good if I hadn’t realized that it’s not a question of whether or not I am insane, but of just how insane I really am.

Rather anti-climactically, it’s cooler today and this makes me happy. I feel like my soul has been given respite. I know I complain about it a lot (mostly in jest) but I really just don’t like heat in the same manner as really just not liking fish. Yes, I can eat fish if I have to, but I won’t enjoy it. I can also live with the heat and the sun if I have to, but it maketh me a rather grumpy camper. Now just imagine if my Pod had died on a day when it was 95° and humid…no, wait, we'll just skip that particular picture shall we? The mention of it just made my blood pressure rise.

I also have an interview next week with a job agency. We’ll see what comes of it, if anything. I’m rather picky you know. No point in moving jobs if I don’t think I will be happier at the end of it all.Dogs are fine (no, I wasn’t mean to them in my frustration, indeed they got a large chewy out of it), cats are fine, work is extremely slow for the season and now it’s Friday. 1 hour and counting.