Checking back in too - Used the truck to pick up a used dryer. The old one took a dump over the weekend. Nice to have a PU Truck for the duty. Made it a half day event.

Took a trip end of Sept to Reagan Museum, Pismo Beach, and Hearst Castle. Much fun running the dunes with Jeep and staying comfortably in the Motorhome. Thx again goes out to all that helped make that happen... you know who you are. ;-)

Still Consulting with PG&E ... really crazy. 4 hr commute by time everything is said and done. Really wearing.... Have a interview with College in town tomorrow. Finally came through. It would really be nice to use that 4 hrs doing other things each day.

Been doing community service through my Lodge. Finished my 3rd degree for those that know what I mean. Elections around corner and will be nominated for a officer position it looks like.

Other than that... I've been bored out of my skull. LOL !!!

Take care and hopefully we can all get together soon enough.... miss ya man.

Bye - AJ

 

I am here. Just trying to keep a business afloat in a crappy economy. I've been towing metal to a salvage yard with the shadiest trailer you have ever seen. The things we do for extra money....

 

I'm still around, lurking in Flagstaff.
I will be in Cali next week to pick up my truck and some other stuff and hoping it makes the trip back to AZ ok.

take care guys

Rich

 

Great to hear from you Rich.

 

Hey Rich, how you liking Az?

I lived there (in Phoenix) for 5 years, only made it to Falgstaff a few times for some College fun.

 

What are you getting a ton or pound these days?

I've a few more loads to take in, but have heard prices have dropped considerably the past month or so.

 

That commute is why I'm not yet venturing back to the Bay Area for work..the way i figure it I may as well go to LA, etc...since I could only be home on weekends.

Besides, why work 50/60 hours a week, then on the commute home, know the wife is spending it all up?

When would I get to enjoy it?

 

I hear you Mike.... It's just wearing on me a bit. If the job was fun and had SOME structure / direction it would be OK. However, they put in new standards and no one is following and it's like beating your head against a wall. "We tried that before they'll just go back to the way we did it before." Problem is it is now regulated and CPUC requires what I do. It ends up in my lap and I'm getting it from all sides right now. People are hiding and making it that much harder to produce the new documents for CPUC. So, I figure my time is marked .....

Anyways -

So not so sure how the interview went with the College. The money is there, I'm just not sure that I am a perfect fix. I might be over qualified. They asked me to map out a plan for structured cable for one of there building without a budget in 30mins. Hello this is supposed to be a Project Management interview. Not a design interview per their listing. They asked me PM questions then threw this at me. Good thing I've designed cabling structures before. They asked me to do this in thirty minutes off a hard to read map and make a 15 min presentation of my solution right after that. The requirements weren't even laid down properly so I had to build a set of assumptions just to start. Originally questioned me for 30-45mins before that and they only allowed a 1-hour interview. They suck at planning. ;-( So, my presentation and question and answers we extremely rushed. It caused a very poor recommendation on my part because I didn't have ANY time to think the solution through. It was the end of the day and I think they wanted out of there. I do not think I did well. I did excellent in the time I had. But, I wanted to have a comfortable interview and show them what I knew. Not a rushed test with poor parameters. No one has time to it right anymore. They just assign it and wonder why other people can't get it done. I really do not know how I do it. But, I always find a way.

I'm really, really upset.... I'm tired of this interviewing process and don't know how to make myself stand out if I can’t do quality work with time to show my experience and assets.

Gripe off.... now I'll go crawl under a rock...

I need to win the lottery .....

 

Hey AJ,

I know this is small consolation, but remember that interviews are a two-way street. Of course they are finding out if you are right for the position, but you are also seeing if they are worth working for. I would be pretty Pi*#@d if I went through what they put you through.

As for winning the lottery, I am the next in line... you can have the one after that.

 

Thanks Karl .... I am only now starting to feel a little better about it.

I decided to work remotely and take it easy today. To top it off I have had a lot of health issues after the auto accident I'm not used to and it just wearing me down.

I figure if I get out and do something this weekend I'll be fine by Monday. I would have been useless in the office today. However, remotely I am helping people out today. It's kinda interesting that way.

Thanks again for your kind words. It nice to have a pro give you feedback. It's not something I can share in the office you know.

We really need that Thumper Work Day next week. Too bad it wasn't this weekend. I feel like bashing something. ;-)

 

Well,even though the general consensus is that 35" tires will fit a Highboy,i removed a little metal from the front edge of the front wheelwells with a sawzall,just for insurance! It sure is easy making mods on a beater,the truck runs and drives well,but is challenged cosmetically,to put it mildly! Im starting to think that this truck(its the one pictured in my posts) will mostly be a fun truck,an occasional around town driver,and an off-road project.im still a little conflicted about the other bumpside,whether it becomes a parts vehicle,or if i should either fix it up or combine it with another future acquisition.Its not getting consistent power-assist to its steering in both directions,and its brakes were less than optimum,so it isnt much of a driver currently,luckily its parked where my wife doesnt have to look at it,so all is well!

 

Go see the Blue Angels this weekend. That might help. Here is a short video from Fleetweek last year. The plane is doing a high-speed pass near the speed of sound and you can see the shock wave forming and leaving a trail in the water.

I am going to try and knock off work early and see them practice today.

YouTube - Blue Angels Solo: 3 Days - 3 Sneak Passes

 

Karl, if you do make it, watch them on the marina spit, where the wave organs are.

It's a pretty good view from there.

 

Yeah, steel was like $250 a ton 8 months ago. It fell to $65 a ton this week. At least for salvage prices. Its just something I've been doing for some extra cash. Allows me to pay myself less through my business.

 

Hey Ben,

I usually see them either around that area of at the end of the docks at Fort Mason. Are you going today?
Karl