Harken Unto Glory Pt 2

Jobs Comes to Nashville

or

Take My Money, Please


"Good Morning"

"Good Morning?" (My own mother doesn't believe that I'm up at 8:21 on a Saturday Morning)

"What are you doing?"

"You sound strange in the morning, is this Kathy?" (See what I mean....)

"Yep. Guess where I am? I'm in line in front of the Apple Store."

"Oh, that's nice. How many pounds of apples will you buy?" (Lord, please let her be joking....)

"Yeah. You're funny. The one I have already is about 8 pounds, maybe."

"What are you going to buy? Why are you there?"

"I'm not going to buy. It's the Grand Opening, and Tim and I are Numbers 12 and 13 in line. I made my goal of being the first woman in line." (It's important to set goals for one's self.)

[Dead air]

"They're giving out free t-shirts"

"Oh, okay." (My mother will now explain to her koffee klatsch friends that her 35 year old daughter is a Free Spirit with a free Apple t-shirt)


I kill five minutes on the phone with my mom talking about my Nieceling's European Futbol NonGame. She's four and they don't keep score and the teams are named after foreign countries where the church has missionaries. Thus my parents and sister will stand in 80 degree weather screaming "Go, Algeria!" as a bunch of children aimlessly kick a ball. For this they will not receive a t-shirt. Who's coming out ahead today? Yeah, I thought so!

Anyway, I then listen to London Calling on the iPod (I like to listen to the modern stuff, see....) We are still bored, and tired of watching the hoi polloi trickle in. One girl in an "I love Nerds" t-shirt accompanied by a fellow she apparantly must love for the aforestated reason. One man wearing a t-shirt from our local Cult Mac Reseller as what I can only assume is a subtle Pepsifinger (tm Lileks) to the newbies. Maybe they'll give him an extra t-shirt. The line snakes through the mall under the skylight which is so not fair to all of us who really aren't all that familiar with sunlight. No one in the line pays the slightest attention to the visual merchandising at Victoria's Secret. Few of the women can fit into the clothes, and few of the men appear to know any women at all.

Frankly, I'm torn between pride at being a long long long time Mac Evangelist and wanting all of the people who just got initiated into the cult with their new iPod Shuffle to be forced into some sort of first communion before they call themselves Mac Geeks. I remember when conversations at these gatherings would center around ResEdit. Now all I hear are iTunes questions. I love that we have newbies but I'm a snot.

The doors finally open, and the Advance Team comes to greet us. "Hello, Nashville! Woo HOO!!!" Any thrill we all feel at this Histrionic Moment is dimmed by the woman welcoming us to the new Greenville (?) store. We cheer more feebly after this, and they open the doors.

Before we can see the merchandise, we must brave a gauntlet of black-clad Applets shaking our hands and welcoming us to Nashville. (? We live here. YOU'RE new.....????) I think they mean to say "Apple", but were all really tired from being up since the crack of doom to put up the minimalist decorations. I am claustrophobic and begin to cry at the confusion of people pressing to shake my hand. I then feel like a tool, because all of these people think I'm crying at the sheer joy of having a place to shop for white headphones and 30-inch Cinema Displays. So, of course I tear up even more. Finally I get to prove my further geekitude by admitting to my husband that I want Neverwinter Nights so that I can play D&D (!) by myself (!!!) on my Mac (!!!!) in the basement (!!!!!!!!!!)
Thus the Cobles initiate the Apple Store in Green Hills Mall.

Phase II of my Summer of Geek is complete. Next Up: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. July 16th. Another line, another experience.

We'll buy Neverwinter Nights on payday. Until then , my nieceling isn't the only one who spent her Saturday morning kicking around aimlessly. Go, Algeria!