Is there any worse feeling than seeing the blue screen of death or hearing the dreaded death chimes. Probably. Who am I kidding? In the real world there is indeed worse, but in the digital world of me, that's almost as bad as it gets.

Let me backtrack a little. About a month ago, I was signing up for a couple of excursions for my upcoming Greek cruise (had to get that in there) when my computer monitor did this weird static thing, like 1950s TV, and froze, like 2007 digital TV.

This had happened twice before -- once in November 2005 and again in September 2006. Both times, Nahla, a 2003 G3 iBook (practically ancient in computer years), had to visit her home in Cupertino so Daddy Apple could give her a new logic board. The first time she skated in under an extended warranty. The second time, a mere 10 months later, I paid $400.

Fast forward to July 2007, another 10 months, and it appears Nahla's logic board has once again gone bad. I was able to fire her up and start backing up some stuff. I've learned my lesson on that front. Too bad the external hard disk I bought the last time had apparently gone bad. I burned a few CDs and filled up the Flash drives I had. (I've since bought a couple more.)

The next time I tried to start her up, I got the black screen. The computer was on. I could hear Nahla's whirring away. She just wasn't showing me anything.

I called Apple's support line and was advised by the rep, who could find no records of my computer even existing, that I would have to pay for the repair. I wasn't about to do that. This was becoming a yearly event -- Nahla's third logic board in less than 2 years.

I was "accidentally" disconnected from my support rep when I asked him to transfer me to a supervisor. I say accidentally because they take your phone number and are supposed to call you back if you get disconnected. I did tech support for Apple before coming to 3TV. I know how it works. I didn’t get a call back.

I called again. This rep, a very nice lady had no trouble finding Nahla's history in her system. She escalated me to a manager, another very nice lady, who said I'd have to send Nahla in for repairs. I figured this was coming and all ready to address the issue of cost when she said Apple would fix it on Steve Job's dime.

She arranged to have a DHL shipping box sent to me. I packed up Nahla in the layers of foam (the packaging in the box was actually pretty cool) and entrusted her to the DHL guy for her Tennessee adventure.

She arrived at the repair center in Memphis Friday morning and was on her way home to by Friday night. Just enough time to enjoy some good music and Southern barbecue.

I had her back Monday, way faster than the seven to 10 business day estimate.

Needless to say, I was thrilled.

Until last night.

I tried to fire her up to pay my bills. Nothing. No happy startup chimes. No scary chimes of death. No hard disk whirring. Nothing. A blank screen staring back at me. I tied all the tricks I learned during my tenure with SOS Apple, now Apple Care. Nothing.

I knew the support line was closed for the day, so I called The Apple Store at the Biltmore, hoping one of their geniuses could save me.

The guy on the phone said the only way to see a genius was to make a reservation online. He didn't quite get that I couldn't go online. I couldn't do anything. He said there were no more slots anyway.

Providence smiled on me and a cancellation came up.

"Can you get here now?" he asked.

"I'm out the door."

If you've been to Biltmore Fashion Park in the evening, you know what a nightmare the parking lot can be.

I was about to go the valet route when not one, not two, but three spaces opened up right in front of me. Two parallel spots (not my strong suit) and a much-preferred diagonal space.

Providence (and the parking gods) had smiled on me. A last -minute cancellation at the Genius Bar. A primo parking spot. This had to bode well.

When it was my turn at the Bar, the nice genius man took a look. He seemed a little surprised that Nahla was doing nothing. Literally. Diagnosis: Bad logic board.

The stores don't carry parts for older machines, and my little iBook is an old lady. That meant just one thing.

Nahla would have to go back to Memphis. The good news is that Daddy Apple is covering the cost. Again.

That bad news is that I am once again computer-less. And for somebody like me, that's a big deal. I feel quite forlorn without my little iBook. (Sad, I know)

When I was talking to Mike Watkiss about Web sites and blogs and computers (during Nahla's July breakdown), I told him all about my computer crash.

"It was very sad," I said.

Watkiss looked at me with that signature wry grin of his.

"For you, I bet it was," he said.

He knows me well.