Just a quick little note to let everyone know that I did indeed - after about an hour on the phone at the Target front desk - manage to get a new 360. Actually, that’s worth talking about a bit; the Microsoft employee spoke to the girl at the front desk, the store manager and me and consistently insisted that there was no way I could possibly have a new console. I would just have to take my broken one back home and send in the hard drive. After turning a shade of red somewhat similar to my t-shirt (according to an eyewitness account from my girlfriend) and asking, through grating teeth, no doubt, to speak to someone else, the Microsoft girl came back on the phone and asked if it would be okay if the store just gave me a new 360.

“Aaaagh.” I said. “Yes. That would be fine. That’s more or less what I’ve been trying to get at for the past hour.”

So, now I have a working 360. My gamertag is littlemaths. Add me and you too can experience the joy of making fun of my lack of Gears of War skill.

“Are you new at this, littlemaths?”

“Ummm…yes. That would be pretty accurate.”