iCloud assigned me an email address I don't want.

When setting up my new ipad 3, I signed into icloud using my .mac account. I've had this account since they gave them away free back in 2008. I never upgraded but was allowed to keep the @mac.com ID, which I use in iTunes for all my purchases.

Back to the problem:

I signed into iCloud using my .mac account. I proceeded to add my Hotmail and Verizon email addy's to the mail.app. I noticed that there is also an iCloud mailbox. Here's the problem, the email address being used by iCloud was not created by me. I was assigned some random @me.com address.

I signed into my Apple account online using my .mac address and there was the new iCloud address, along with my Verizon address. (Which is where I get my apple mail since the .mac account really isn't a mail account, just a username.)

Well, I deleted the new iCloud email addy from my account online. I then went on my iPad and deleted the whole iCloud account and reactivated it with my Apple ID (xxxx@mac.com) I went to the mail.app and lo and behold, there is the crappy assigned iCloud email (dumbname@me.com)

I'd like to completely disassociate my apple id with this assigned ".me" email address and I'd like to use my Verizon address as my iCloud address. If that is not possible, I'd like to be able to choose my ".me" account name and not have Apple assign one to me.

Any help? Any ideas? This happen to anyone else?

As far as changing your AppleID is concerned, you just need to login to https://appleid.apple.com/ and change your email under "Apple ID and Primary Email Address" section, and confirm the email message you receive in turn. You probably need then to enter the new ID email into your addressbook or elsewhere, in case the old one is stored somewhere else.

As to the iCloud address, I think it's the @me.com at all times. You can, however, define up to 3 aliases, as well as set up forwarding from that account to another account (or vice versa). But that @me.com address doesn't have to be the default address from your Mail app (you can change it in Settings at any time).