So here's a timeline of how this has gone so far:

1. Mon 29th March 2010: I broke my screen. D'oh. Dumb, and means I'll be without my phone for a bit. Maybe this will cost me a few dollars. Oh well. Mood:
2. Wed 7th April 2010: After a week researching and weighing up various options, I sent my phone to a friend in the US. Mood:
3. Mon 26th April: my buddy in the US receives my phone. Canada Post and US Postal Service fail to meet their delivery estimate by a number of days, but hey whatever. Mood: still
4. Tue 27th April: My buddy in the US ships my phone to Nokia via UPS using the RMA label. Mood:
5. Friday 7th May: Nokia website Repair Status shows my phone as 'Received'. OK, so that took a while, but it's there. The parcel's last point of transit was Tennessee, which did cause me some concern. Mood: for my repair progress, for people of Tennessee
6. Monday 10th May: Repair status is 'Out of warranty'. Hmm. Now what? Are they going to ship it back without repairing it? Can I pay them to fix it? I call Nokia USA, and after moderate language barrier and logic issues establish that I need to call Nokia's Alabama repair plant. Have I called the number already? No, I haven't, because you only just informed me of the need to call, and I have been on the phone with you for all of those 30 seconds since you told me. I wish that calling Nokia USA meant speaking to someone in the USA instead of India or the Phillippines. Mood:
7. Monday 10th May: Alabama repair plant staff (this is outsourced but at least it's definitely in the US) inform me that the "Out of warranty" status isn't necessarily accurate, but it was "to get [my] attention" because they don't have my return address. Of course, the return address was on the UPS label which Nokia provided me when they issued the RMA, but sure I can read it out over the phone to you. So now I have to check back tomorrow. Mood: is there no end to this process?
8. Tue 11th May: Called Nokia Alabama (i.e. third-party repair contractors Palco) 24 hours later as directed. Spoke to a very nice lady who was able to tell me that the damage is not covered by warranty (OK, as expected) and that a quote will be mailed out to me (boo! I don't have time for that!) but if I call back tomorrow it should be available over the phone. Mood: a glimmer of hope, tempered with a little voice whispering "Sounds too easy!"
9. Wed 12th May: Quote for repair is a fairly reasonable US$103. I paid over the phone and have been told 7-14 days. Here's hoping these stories of Palco-induced disaster are the exception and not the rule. Mood: yesterday was told quote would be available today, today quote was available - could be worse. Fingers crossed. "
10. Mon 17th May: Called for an update and have been told that my phone has been repaired already, and in fact shipped on Friday. Tracking number confirms that something is in transit. Whether it's my correctly-repaired N900 remains to be seen, but I live in hope (for now). Mood: maybe? perhaps? possibly? my N900 back in my posession soon?!
11. Tue 18th May: N900 has been delivered to my friends in the US. New game: just how much will it cost to get it back to me in Canada (through US customs etc.)? Mood: greedy tax vultures, get your claws off my phone - it already belongs to me and you have already taxed it!