**Guest post by William**
The same day as my last post, I got home to find out there had been a phone message. The blackboard where we write notes to each other had a cryptic comment in my oldest daughter’s handwriting:
Dad – DS rain-check
Unfortunately, I had walked in the door only about two minutes before said daughter headed out to a movie. Since she had taken a cell phone so that she could call for a ride home, I tried getting hold of her right away to get more details.
No answer. No answer. No answer. I guess she was going to wait to turn on the cell phone until she needed to reach us.
Meanwhile, daughter number 2 offered the opinion that the call had come from Rogers Video. Since the only inquiry I had made at Rogers was with regard to the Zelda DS Lite bundle, I was especially anxious to find out whether that was the reason for the call; the only problem with that theory was that I didn’t remember giving them my contact information.
Later on, my wife went to pick up daughter and friends, and brought them back for a snack. I managed to work it into the conversation unobtrusively: “DS Lite rain-check! Phone call! Explain!”
There was little more in the way of details. The caller hadn’t identified a store, hadn’t left his name or number, and didn’t provide any more information. “He asked where he could reach you, and I panicked. I didn’t think you would want me to give out your work number.” (I obviously haven’t been clear enough with my family my level of DS-peration in this quest!) He had hung up before she could get anything else.
“Just out of curiosity, why did you panic? Did you think it was the police trying to track me down? How much trouble do you think I get up to in a typical day?” I asked. She had no answer. By this time, the stores were closed.
The next day, I called the stores where rain-checks existed, and was met with derision. “DSs? We don’t got no steenking DSs!” they said, in a pathetic “Treasure of the Sierra Madre” accent. Dead end.
Meanwhile, support from the 7aki Fadi crowd has been awesome: Qwaider is going to hand deliver a copy of my last rant to the Nintendo headquarters. (Probably not really.) KJ is shopping for a special edition DS in the Middle East. (Even less likely.) 7aki is scouring her city of residence to see whether she’s a better shopper than I am. (Not so far.) Bob has offered to test any games I buy on his son’s DS Lite. (Isn’t he a trouper?) Dana has offered up a Game Boy Color. (Thanks, but we already have a healthy supply of every model that came beforethe DS.)
On the Friday, a massive snowfall made it impossible for me to commute in to work. I ended up driving other family members to their school and work. I dropped off my wife at the department store where her company leases space, opted not to park and go in (the snow was really coming down hard), and instead went home to try and accomplish some work of my own. At the end of the day I repeated the route, and ended up having to wait while she finished up the last of her duties. Wandering through the video game section, I asked about DS Lites. “We got some in overnight, but sold the last one about an hour ago.” So close, and yet so far.
Only two stores advertised in the weekend flyers that they had the DS Lite, one with a game and one without. Naturally, neither of them actually had any in stock.
On the weekend, I recorded the numbers and extensions from all of the electronics departments in all the stores in the surrounding area that could conceivably have DS Lites in stock. Each morning, I called each one. Each time, no luck.
On Monday, I went into the Future Shop across the street to check again, to no avail. Since I was there anyway, I pulled out the raincheck they had issued me a couple of weeks before. “You’re going to call me when this comes in, right?” The woman said, “Oh, I think Dave was trying to get in touch with you last week.” Maybe Dave needs to learn the basics of leaving a phone message! “He’ll be in around 11:00am, and I will get him to call you.”
I return to the office, and update 7aki and Bob on my progress. There is talk of getting a cake and streamers, just in case. My phone rings at about 12:15pm: “Hi, yeah . . . I think someone sold the DS Lite I had put aside for you. I may be getting some more in later this week. You had asked about the black or the red/black one; would a pink one do?” Now that’s a dilemma: the girls would love a pink one, but I am not sure that is quite my style. “Sure, whatever. I can always cover it with a ‘skin’ that depicts manly things, just to send the right message.”
End of the day Monday, I call all of the stores again: no new shipments.
End of the day Tuesday, same thing.
Today is Wednesday . . .
Filed under: Addiction, DS-peration, life, Rant, technology, william, William says | 5 Comments »
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. BANNED.
