So I’m on the 520 out of Newark and I’m thinking sweet, Vegas LA Phoenix. This is like the gravy for all the sales calls I have to make in Jersey & NY all year. I sell building materials in large quantities to construction companies. Usually the west coast swing is like the highlight of the year, sunny in the frickin’ winter, and of course Vegas – don’t ask, and don’t tell my wife.

Only this year it was a pain because the Phoenix leg was going to be huge. Had a big meeting with this company that had been playing footsie with us for pretty much forever. This year they’re saying Ok we’re deciding. I’m thinking finally. They don’t want much from me – basically about a fifteen minute ppt. and some excel stuff. They don’t want to see anything ahead of time, they just want to gather the big shots and all decide at once. They’re gonna have the specs techs and the CEO and CFO. We’re by far the cheapest and not much of a different product from the other guys, so basically if I can walk and chew gum I’m in there.

Not gonna say I wasn’t nervous because when there’s potentially a few million riding on it over a few years

Got on the plane, somewhere over Kansas I pull out my Dell to clean up the ppt. There wasn’t anything wrong with it, I just wanted to clean like every last bell and whistle. I’m putting the laptop on that tiny tray and I’m trying to make room for this lady whose coming up the aisle and I kinda whacked the corner of the thing.

I’m like heart in my mouth time. I turn it on, I’m going, come on, come on, I’m sweating like a freak show. Guy next to me is wondering if I’m gonna start lighting my shoes or what not.

Turned it on though. Boom, power up, I’m there. I open the ppt and the excel and all and maybe that was the dumbest thing I coulda done because all the files are open and I’m thinking OK relax nothing happened. I noodle around on the power point which I really don’t need to touch it and then they bring this pitiful snack so great, I’m chewing peanuts, reading back through the presentation to make sure I’ve got all the notes down.

Then the thing goes black. To this day I don’t know if it was whacking it when I used it, or maybe it was the goddamn XRAY machine in the airport or maybe the machine was just done.

Bottom line? Thing won’t turn on, pretends I’m not there. I’m like, this can’t be happening! So I just turned it off, put it all gentle back in the bag like that’s gonna make it feel better. I’m thinking maybe it just needs to be plugged in so I’ll just sweat out the rest of the flight. As soon as we land I find a port and plug it in. I don’t even touch it, I let it juice up for like half an hour going come on, come on. I back up plenty but this stuff was all new and I hadn’t had a chance. Worst freakin mistake I ever made because the thing didn’t ever light up. I tried to get a data recovery guy, couldn’t find anyone in less than three days. Sales meeting was the next day and I had to do it without the presentation.

Yeah, like you guessed. No sale. You don’t back up all your stuff all the time, you’re an idiot like me.

Mike R., NJ