iTs alive

My iPod has been dead for months. I didn't know what was wrong with it. I only knew it didn't work, I was sad, and I didn't have a bunch of money to fix it. I also knew that a new one is totally out of the question (and the budget).

So one day Brad and I were driving along and I saw this handmade sign on the side of the freeway on-ramp. It said 'iPod repair' and then gave a phone number.

I called the number, and spoke to a very polite young man who patiently listened to me describe the problem: "Well, first it started just dying, you know? And then...the black apple thing started happening, and then, the black apple went away and there was this picture of a battery, and then... nothing. Like, it's totally dead. Muerto."

He informed me this was all likely good news. Probably my battery was just dead. He could fix it for me. And as a matter of fact, he is student at Fresno State and can meet me on campus.

Sweeeet.

So yesterday I met him at the student union (where I usually study anyway), and he pulled out his bag of tricks, which is full of all sorts of iPod parts tucked into little pink bubble wrap envelopes. Pieces of every sort of iPod you can imagine are in there ... even for ones like mine that are "practically collector's items." (Because it's all of...what? Two years old? Crazy.)

He told me he is putting himself through college doing this.

I think that is quite impressive.

So now I have my iPod back, and this young man has $40 to put in his college fund.

Everybody wins.

I'm loving it.