Re: Well, this was not a good night (update)

Re: Well, this was not a good night

Not I. I was in the other press box. But I never could look at him the same way again when our paths crossed...

 

Re: Well, this was not a good night

JD,
How you doing?

ID

 

Re: Well, this was not a good night

JD - any chance Dell can send a tech with that hard drive and have them recover the data for you?

 

Re: Well, this was not a good night

This has turned into another mini-nightmare. I'm on a friend's computer and on hold with Dell on my cell phone. Let's see if I can remember everything that's happened since my last post:

-- Finished the weekend using the desktop provided by the Barons. That was helpful.

-- Drove halfway home and stopped in Hattiesburg, where the Geek Squad from Best Buy retrieved the files for my hearing and the feature story due this week. Cost: $106.99, and the receipt is going in the mail to the Birmingham Barons.

-- Stayed up until 3 a.m. Tuesday preparing my report. Wasn't allowed to read from it or submit it. Instead, it was a Q&A format, with brief comments allowed at the end. So, all that work on the report, citing legal precedents, was for naught. Will get the determination in the mail in a week or so.

-- Dell sent a new hard drive. Got it today. Spent most of the day reinstalling stuff. Don't have disks for much of what came with the computer (a VERY expensive laptop). So, that sucks.

-- Dug my external hard drive out of storage and replaced about 99 percent of the documents and music that were on it.

-- Tried to set up a wireless network here where I'm living now (with a friend). Don't know if her router didn't do it right or if my laptop is still not back to normal, but I suspect it could be both.

-- Went to a nearby coffee shop to try to use their wireless signal to online chat with Dell and try to resolve the remaining issues. Could not find the signal, meaning my wireless card was probably knocked loose in the fall.

-- Got on the phone with a Dell tech who had me take the computer apart and take these really tiny connectors off the wireless card. Pull it out, then reconnect, she said. Well, I tried for an hour, and I can't put it back in with the connectors attached. Too tiny, with my fingers too thick. Just can't do it.

-- Asked her why I'm having to fix my own computer when I paid a ZILLION dollars for this laptop and what I thought was primo coverage. After much venting, I'm on hold while she places an order for a tech person to come out and try to put a new wireless card in.

-- And another day passes with me having no computer, and I still don't know how I'm supposed to get all the other stuff put back on this laptop, the stuff that it came with.

What freaking good is a warranty if you can't get good service? I feel like someone with a new car I brought back to the dealer, and he hands me tools and says "Hey, see if you can figure out what the problem is, and when you do, we'll know what parts you need."

 

Re: Well, this was not a good night

Ugh, JD that sucks. I've always had good success with Dell, and I'm sorry you're not. Good luck with everything.

 

Re: Well, this was not a good night

The part has been ordered. The tech will call me when he or she gets it, and we'll schedule an appointment for the tech to come out and try to replace the wireless card. That's all the service call is for, so if there are any other problems, that probably will delay further me having the computer back up and running.

Most likely I'm looking at not having a working computer for at least another week.

 

Re: Well, this was not a good night

I always wondered about that shit too...how Steve from India is going to coach you thru it even though you have a boffo warranty. I always, without fail, said "No. I can't do this. That's why I got the warranty. Send someone to fix it." Of course, I was never in a pile of shit like this, either.

Good luck, J_D. When you're back on your feet again, buy a Mac. That's what I'm going to do.

 

Re: Well, this was not a good night

JD, I've been through this with Dell numerous times, those techs really want to do a good job (they're all subcontractors who want Dell to use them again). If you get a good one, they'll fix everything you can think of. Don't hesitate to ask.

 

Re: Well, this was not a good night

I hope it all works out, J_D.

 

Re: Well, this was not a good night

The kid who broke it finally seemed apologetic Sunday. He helped me get my work done over the weekend, which I appreciated, but his attempts to look for silver linings for me really didn't do much for me.

"I know it's not ideal, but maybe you could dictate your stories until your computer is fixed. We've all had to do that."

Well, I was working freelance for a Web site run by one guy. There is no one to dictate to, so that's not a solution. And besides ...

"Also, if you have to write that story again, I know when I had to do term papers in school and stuff, they were usually better the second time I wrote them."

Never mind that I don't have time to rewrite it now that I'm wayyyyyyyy behind on my schedule, but thanks.

"You're covered by your Dell warranty."

Yeah, and look what that's done for me these five days I've been without my computer. Five days and counting.

When you're a freelance writer, you only get paid if you write. I can't take on any work at live events until I get this laptop fixed, and I barely have enough computer access as it is to get the other feature finished and filed on time. My PC is in storage, and there's no room for it where I'm living now.

Turns out the things I bitched about at the press box there years ago, things that could have been fixed, contributed to this happening. The main thing: Not having holes in the counter tops for wires to go through. Because the wires have to extend over the front edge and lay on the floor near where people step, he tripped over my power cord when he was rushing to close the windows. So, a simple design upgrade when they renovated the press box would have prevented this, and yet ...

Fuck.

I do feel for the kid -- I mean, we've all screwed up -- but this accident really fucked up my ability to earn money and made this a really shitty week.

 

Re: Well, this was not a good night

Congrats on not decking the kid when he dropped the "my term papers were better the second time I wrote them" crap. That right there should be grounds for justifiable homicide.

Feel for you, J_D. Hope it gets better soon.

 

Re: Well, this was not a good night

Gonna go see the voodoo lady in New Orleans to see if she can make this curse go away. Then I'll drink beer or Hurricanes. Who's with me?