Last Vegas is a MUST SEE if you’re over 60!

If anyone who offers recommendation advice for this movie, “Last Vegas”, is under 60 – shut off your hearing aids and ignore everything they say.

I don’t say that with any malice or any ill-feelings toward the younger folks.  It’s just that if you’ve been blessed to have been on this planet for six-score or more years – you’re going to “get it” – and you’re going to laugh your ass off.

Yeah, some of the stuff hits very close to home.  You’re going to find yourself saying, “I KNOW what he means!”  And these 4 guys put on one hell of a performance.  Other than, “Just go see it!”, my only other advice is to make sure your date is over 60 (you want her laughing with you, not at you).,

PJ

The “Geek Squad” is O.K.

As the retired Director of Information Management for NASA’s Space Shuttle program’s prime contractor, I do know a little bit about computers.  A few weeks ago, I was sitting in my recliner with my laptop on my lap.  When I reached for my fresh cup of coffee and took a sip, I heard the unmistakable “snick” sound  of my coffee cup’s ceramic handle separating from the cup.  Time didn’t slow down at all as the 8 ounces of 192° liquid splashed into my lap.  My lips did not delete the explicative that came forth from them.

20 minutes later I’d sopped up the mess, changed clothes, and was sitting at the kitchen table begging my laptop to boot normally.  It wasn’t abiding.  It would start then quit.  Never even getting to the “Starting Windows” screen.

Using my wife’s laptop, I fired up a YouTube video on how to disassemble my Dell XPS, and with only a small Phillips screwdriver soon had the major components spread about the table in front of me.  They were still wet.  After a lot of wiping with lint-free microfiber rags dipped in denatured alcohol, those components were clean and dry.

The keyboard module was not designed to be disassembled.  So, although I thought there might be some of Newman’s Special Blend still inside, I couldn’t get to it.

What I should have done is …

stopped right there and done the wet cell phone trick of putting it in a bag of rice for 48 hours.

Instead, I put it back together.  My big problem came when I was trying to re-attach the 2nd ribbon (the small one that supplies the power for the backlighting) from the keyboard to the motherboard.  I “fat-fingered” and broke the lock-down tab on the ribbon cable connector on the motherboard.  And that ended the possibility of me being able to fix it myself.  If my eyes and fingers had been 20 years younger, I might have considered trying to replace the connector on the motherboard – but there’s no way today…

I got it back together (without connecting the backlight power) and was able to boot to the login screen where the password field was immediately filled with “j’s” without my fingers even touching the keyboard.

Long story shortened – I used an external keyboard and was able to run a complete backup.  While that was running, I researched replacement laptops.  To get anything close to the i5 power and capacity of my XPS I’d have to spend close to $1,000, so I took it to Best Buy and handed it to the Geek Squad.

The minimum charge was $35 to send it off (no they don’t fix ‘em in-house at my Best Buy) to their repair facility and get it evaluated.  During check-in when I described the issue, their system calculated it should cost no more than $131.07 (including the $35).  Even the Geek had no idea how that figure was derived. 

Keep in mind that If the rice thing had worked, and I hadn’t broken the connector, my cost would have been $0.  And I could have replaced the keyboard myself for $44.95 (+S&H from Dell) – fat-fingering aside.

But since I had to have someone else fix it, and since it would cost at least $1,000 to replace it, I figured that even if the estimate was off by half that it would be cheaper to fix than replace.  So off it went to the Geek Guys.

By the time I got home I’d received an email with a “click-here” that took me to GeekSquad.com and a page showing the status of my repair.  Cool!

The Geek Squad “system” needs some work with their coordination of the store, the repair facility, and the website.  The lack thereof did not bolster my confidence level relative to their technical capabilities. 

Eventually, the technician doing the repair called me to say that they’d replaced the keyboard module and that it was working correctly… EXCEPT that the backlight feature wasn’t working because the connector on the motherboard was broken – AND – did I really need the backlight feature or could I do without it?

Hello!?! – I remained calm (this dude was operating on my baby – so don’t piss him off…).  I said that yes, I needed the backlight, and that that detail was written on the repair order, including the fact that the connector was broken.  I did NOT tell him that if I didn’t care about the backlight that I’d replaced the $45 keyboard myself.  I really wanted to, but I kept my mouth shut.  He said the cost would be a total of $150 to which I said, “Go for it!”.

A week later, my XPS is back in my lap and working just fine.  The receipt says they charged $80 for the keyboard, $70 for labor, and $0 for the motherboard.  (they replaced the whole motherboard rather than just one little connector – but didn’t charge anything for it?).

Lessons Learned

1. Don’t pass anything over your laptop that might cause damage if it falls, breaks, spills, or otherwise comes in contact with it.
2. If your electronic device gets wet – shut it off and pull the battery immediately.  Wipe what you can and use the bag of rice method to try to dry it out.
3. Keep your ACTIVATION KEYS where you can find them – whenever a (usually major) component is replaced the software might need to be reactivated.  (Mine did; both the Windows OS and the MS Office)
4. Keep your backups current.  If my XPS had been really fried and replaced, without backups I’d have been screwed.
5. Remember Murphy’s Law – if a catastrophe can happen, it will…sometime – and when it’s least convenient.

Michael’s Restaurant in Concord, Mass.–11/2/2013 UPDATE

 

November 2nd, 2013 – Boy have things changed! And NOT for the good. Three months ago I wrote a glowing review – last night PajamaGal and I revisited Michael’s – probably for the last time.
We’d just seen “Last Vegas” (Great movie, but don’t listen to anyone’s review if they’re under 60 – there’s no way a non-senior could understand or appreciate it!)
We arrived around 5:30, two other booths were occupied. Erika was no longer there, Christine said she’d moved from the area.
We ordered drinks and an appetizer of “Fried Calamari with Crostini” ($11.00). I like calamari and have eaten it all over the world. This appetizer looked and tasted good, although there were many more heads than there were body rings. The flavor was really good, but they were tough and chewy. (my favorite is still Carrabba’s on Bay Area in Houston)
When Christine took our entre order I asked if the management or chef had changed – she said no. PajamaGal had wanted the Veal Parmesan (which I’d recommended from our previous visit), but at the last minute changed her mind and selected the “Mahi Mahi” ($23.00). I opted for the “Haddock Fra Diavlo” ($23.00). I guess my plate was technically correct, the haddock was “…topped with sautéed shrimp…” – although a few 51/60’s to me don’t qualify as “…topped with sautéed shrimp…” for a $23 entrée.
The “Fra Diavlo” wasn’t a “Brother Devil”, but more like slightly “Sassy Sister” sauce and the Mahi’s “…homemade peach glaze …” must have come from a jar. On the bright side, the “fresh vegetables” were fresh and flavorful, but the “seasoned broth” part of the “rice pilaf must have come from one of those foil “seasoning packets”.
The real problem was the fish. Both servings were way over-cooked and well past the “flaky” stage. I almost needed a knife to cut my haddock and PajamaGal’s Mahi was equally dry and tough.
Christine sincerely apologized when I explained our dissatisfaction. While we waited for our check, I expected the chef, or the owner, or at least a manager to express concern. Christine was our only contact. When she delivered the check, she said, “They told me to take only one entre off the bill, but I took both.” Seriously?
I wish it was the manager’s/owner’s night off – I wish the regular chef was out sick and an inexperienced sous-chef was at the helm. I wish we’d gone to Wildwood’s…

====================================================

August 2013

I saw an advertisement in the Acton Unlimited for Michael’s  Restaurant, and the bartender Jorge, “The King of Margaritas”.  A little bell went off in my head.  PajamaGal had been nagging suggesting we try more restaurants to find a “go-to” place – nearby with great food, service, drinks, and decent prices.

I found copies of Michael’s menu on several websites but all of them were from a previous owner – outdated and flat wrong.

Being retirees (from NASA’s Space Shuttle Program in Houston), our normal dinnertime has evolved to the 5 o’clock hour.  Fortunately, the traffic traveling to Michael’s from Hudson was much better than the traffic coming the other way.

Our server, Erika, greeted us at the door and seated us in a comfortable booth. Jorge and his margaritas had completely slipped our minds (PJ-Gal is a margarita connoisseur), so we ordered a Pinot Grigio and my Dewar's with a splash.  (Both were generous @ $6.50 & $7)

Wine & Cocktails = Excellent!

Erika was very efficient and attentive – without being overly-so. She knew the menu and was able to provide preparation detail when asked.  And she actually listened when we spoke!  She kept an eye on our table without “hovering”.  She accepted menu deviations (marinara on the side, pasta - not potatoes, angel hair - not linguini) as a matter of course without making us feel like we were asking for the moon. I really can’t remember having better service!

Service = Excellent!

I ordered the “Crab Cakes” ($12) from the “Today’s Specials” menu. As I told Erika (who said the owner/chef welcomed comments), for $12, I thought the 2 cakes were a tad small and crab/breading ratio was a bit lite.  If they were $7-to-$9, I’d order them again.

PJ-Gal had the “Pan Seared Duck with Raspberry Sauce” ($18), also from the “Today’s Specials” menu.  She loved it and ate every bite.  It was excellently prepared  and the sauce was, in her words, “fantastic”!  I asked her to compare it to the Seared Duck ($32) she’s had at Blue Ginger last month.  She liked Michael’s better.

I was conflicted between the special’s “Swordfish & Shrimp Fra Diavlo” ($25) and the regular menu's “Veal Parmigiana” ($21) – and while I love both, my palate was yearning for some good veal.  I opted for the veal with angel hair.  My palate was rewarded!  The generous portion of lightly breaded tender veal was smothered in a crisp and tangy marinara that was laced with a chiffonade of fresh basil.  My waistline asked Erika to remove the remaining perfectly prepared pasta even though my taste buds begged me to ingest every last strand.

The Food = Very, Very Good!

If the “Bananas Foster” (a PajamaGal weakness) had remained on the new owner’s menu, we would have sampled Michael’s deserts, but since we had to pass by Erikson’s on the way home anyway…we’ll wait until next time.  And there will be a next time – soon.