...aaaand it worked!!
Guitar Center has these on their current Green Tag sale this month and trying to get rid of them for the same $300 they always sell them for. My gift card is with my wife in San Diego (I asked her to hang on to it), so I called her and got the card number, then called Guitar Center's website customer service and had them match the price. I considering waiting until the middle of the week until she gets back to get it at the store and not wait on shipping, but I didn't want to risk waiting and having American Musical selling out or my local store not having them in stock (I don't recall seeing any on the shelf today).
Man, I've been going back and forth deciding between a Tonelab and the PODXT for months now. I love the sound of the Tonelab, but it doesn't have the versatility of the POD, especially the artist sounds. The POD, on the other hand, has this weird sound thing to me, where it almost sounds synthesized. I mean, I like what I hear with the POD, except I can't QUITE get over the fakish sound on many amps and then there's also a sound latency in many programs (almost like you have a predelay set or something; the actual sound when you pick a note is noticeably several milliseconds later).
At the same price, a hard decision, but at 100 bucks less, either one would easily win. As for the POD's versatility, maybe I'll just keep my GNX3 for all the other fancy effects and crap like that.
Oh, and thanks so much, tot. Great find. You really made me week.....and the next week, too, when the Tonelab actually arrives.

R