Godiva chocolates for Apple excellence.

I’ve been living at APPLE the last two days.  I went in for a fried phone, but when I got there, APPLE geniuses figured out that someone named “Danny from Chicago” has been getting a ride on my Apple Care… and I’m not eligible for a replacement phone because he’s been living large on my account.

Last night I waited for Ali to call Apple Care.  They were closed due to MLK Day.

Today I went back, and we did some more dancing to no avail.

Along the way, I joked that I didn’t want to live in the “Crappy World of Danny (last name not mentioned).”

He looked at me slowly and started to laugh.

I realized — the Apple folks deal with stressed-out jerks all day long who come in with their sickly phones.  It must be like working at a vet’s,

where everyone comes in panicked about the poor sweet — mute — animal.

The Apple Care people stalled.  The store manager confabbed.  My Genius, Steve, moved onto another problem.

I was left standing there, holding my almost-dead phone in one hand and my blue ball in the other.

I could tell Ali seemed concerned, even though everyone was asking him questions and he wasn’t my assigned Genius.

He seemed to be a higher-level thinker, though, and I continued to have faith.

My faith paid off.  Finally Ali seized the reins, dealt with his own in-house Admin, disappeared into the back room to rouse the mysterious Main Office,

and I pounded my stress ball.

When Ali emerged, he had a work order.   I was hovered over my flat-lining phone.

He said, “You’ve been so patient.”

I laughed.  “That’s the first time I’ve ever been called ‘patient'”! I joked,   “I’ve got major ADHD, had non-stop conference calls all day, and took two Dexedrines to do it.  I’m WIRED!”

“It doesn’t show,” he said, and I realized just as he’d been patiently trying to unravel the problem — I’d been patient too.

After we figured out I’ll be back tomorrow, I got some frozen yogurt with Oreos on top,  a treat for good behavior.  I leave for New York on Thursday, and Ali knew that by now, so we were up against the the 24-hour gig, and since I started this “Danny took my Apple care” issue yesterday, it will be 48 hours by the time this gets resolved.  But Ali’s been great, and it’s helped me stay calm… so we’re getting through it.

I wasn’t sure if Apple geniuses can accept tips, so I erred on the side of chocolate.

I dropped off the Godivas while he was with another customer.

“Thank you,” I said.  Chocolate is good but a letter is better, so I’m writing this one now.