LBS called me this evening and said it was ready to go and shifting perfectly. "If it doesn't shift great now, it's you."

I didn't have time to get it before they closed, but I'll get it in the AM and test it out. Said he would have to kill me if he told me what he did, but what it was is a shop designed retrofit to deal with that semi-crimped cable inside the frame near the RD. Not really crimped, but the path is a little restricted...or was.