So I've been enjoying my Xbox 360 again. I spent all day downloading the Crackdown demo, and just as I was starting to get into it... the phone rings. Microsoft was calling me! They wanted to make sure the new unit they sent me was working well, and it is.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?"
"Welllllllll..." I dragged. "I hate to sound selfish, but, uh. You know, you guys took two months to get this back to me. Is there any way I could maybe get... some compensation?"

I felt like such a slug. The way I was raised, you never take hand-outs or even gifts; anybody who has ever bought me a christmas or birthday present knows that, unless I can afford to pay them back - and usually I can't - I tell them I do not want gifts; granted, I usually end up accepting them anyway, usually by force, but it makes me feel so terrible, like I'm a bad person for taking it. It took a lot of willpower to ask the Microsoft phone guy that, but I knew that if I bailed, I would regret it.

"That's not selfish at all! Sure, just let me get the serial number of the new unit we sent you so I can confirm that you own it. Once we do that, I will get in touch with somebody who can set that up for you, alright? But, I will tell you now: We only have two games to choose from."

During the hold music, I wondered what the games would be. I joked to my friends: Probably Kameo and PGR3. I mean, both Microsoft games, both launch titles, and they probably have some extras laying around, right?

And wouldn't you know it?

"Okay, sir, the two games you have to choose from are... Kameo: Elements of Power and Project Gotham Racing 3."

Well, imagine that. I took PGR3, and it was a done deal.

"Normally these take 3-5 business days to arrive, but, well, we have seen things take a bit longer than that to arrive, haven't we?"

I grinned. "Yeah, definitely."

"Is there anything else I can do for you today, sir?"
"Nope, I'm all good."

He wished me a good weekend and I wished him the same, and we hung up. So, yeah. HAPPY ENDING