Norah Jones...I totally dig her.

Sadly, as I was somewhat severed from pop culture during my sojourn in North Carolina, I did not discover Norah Jones until Katie Melua. I heard Katie Melua sing on the CBS Saturday morning show one early-2005 day and I was absolutely smitten. Mom and I scoured the local stores for Katie's album...The Russian-born Brit wasn't so easy to find in America. Months later, my mother shipped me the CD, having found it in the Border's import CD section.

What does Katie Melua—whose style I find absolutely hypnotic—have to do with Norah Jones? Quite simply, I heard a critic compare her, with great excitement, to Norah Jones. Now, being easy, and lacking any original thought of my own, I purchased Come Away With Me. I thought I fell hard for Katie, but it was nothing compared to Mizz Jones.

My old cell phone actually serenaded me with the title track of that album every time I received a call. I loved it, completely loved it. I always seek to have my cell ring tone sound un-cell-phone-like because I generally find a ringing cell phone among the biggest contributors toward the sound pollution in modernity.

February came and I manipulated Brenda into signing with Sprint. Sprint has a referral rewards program. I wanted my twenty-five bucks. I tagged along, because I'm a good tagger along-er (aided in part by my being easy and lacking any original thought of my own)...and because I wanted to change my own plan. Well, the long and the short of it is that I changed my plan...AND got a new phone. It's spiffy. Internal antenna. Speaker phone. Buttons. I rather like it.

I sought almost immediately to download Norah. I wanted her back most desperately. In my attempts, I crashed and burned too many times to count, or, rather, more times than I can admit to according to the contract I signed with my pride. I read the manual. I emailed tech support. I called tech support. I couldn't understand the heavy Indian accent of the tech support dude. I brought the issue to Nick. Nick searched heatedly for a solution, finally giving up. I made repeated calls to tech support. I'm thinking Sprint farms out tech support overseas.

Then, the real kicker, Brenda, who purchased the same phone, only in red instead of black, downloaded a music ring tone. I was steamed. "Crazy Train" mocked me whenever her acquaintances phoned. I'm the computer geek. I'm the one whose mother donned her with the affectionate pet name of "Techno Nerd". I've been rather outspoken, termed "whiny" by some, on my Norah-less phone. Brenda mocks me with her own whiny take on my situation, crying, "I WANT NORAH!" whenever I display my all too powerful pout.

Finally, last night, I waltzed into the Sprint store and my aunt and I alighted on Josh, as per the name tag pinned to his shirt. Words tumbled from my mouth. "I cannot download ringers. I've never been able to download ringers. I've called tech support. They couldn't help me."

Brenda chimed in, "And they told her to go to the Sprint store and find J-O-S-H."

We looked at Josh pointedly. I cried after an appropriate, message-filled silence, "I WANT NORAH!" Brenda, with probably an eye-roll for dramatic effect, submitted her own request to hurry up and get me Norah before she felt the need to belt me, or at the very least torture me by hiding my toothbrush or something.

Josh, becoming less disturbed by the moment...I guess we don't look all that intimidating...added, "I LOVE Norah Jones!" When it came out that Brenda went with Ozzy on her own device, he winced and said, "That's kind of the other end of the spectrum." He talked it over with the poor, pale, sickly tech guy they keep locked in the darkened back room and gave me two options. He said that either I could leave the phone with him for 45 minutes, or he could give me a list of a bazillion numbers to call. I elected, naturally, for someone else to do the work because (A) I am lazy and (B) Target was nearby and they have cute summer shoes. Killing 45 minutes would be a breeze.

Brenda and I sauntered back in after the allotted time and sought Josh immediately. Sweet sounds filled the air and I realized that good ol' Josh was streaming a Norah Jones song from his workstation just for me. "Sunrise", to be precise. Aw, shucks. They let the sickly tech out of the back room to advise me that I needed to give the phone about an hour before downloading, but then it should work. Josh handed me the phone, free of charge, and said, "Enjoy Norah!"

Later, even though eating dinner once again sent my faulty stomach on a warpath, I exalted in my new ring tones. Yay! Nick called as he was driving home from a game of golf with a good friend. After a few brief exchanges, he asked if I had been drinking. I laughed, caught off guard and answered to the negative. "You just sound a little giddy."

"I am!" I cheered! "I have Norah!"

I ended the night pretty much doubled over in abdominal pain, but damn if I didn't feel like the day ended on a terrific note! Now somebody, call me!

Whee!