Momma always said...

if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

I'll blog some other day, I don't have anything nice to say...

Now I'm grumpy

WARNING: This post contains a vigorous sprinkling of a potty-mouthed, tired and grumpy engineer...I apologize in advance to anyone offended by my language, but I could care less right now!

Well, as I figured, my dad had a snowball's chance in hell to talk my co-worker out of quitting...it's official, he put in his notice this morning.

FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!

I know it's better for him to be the heck out of this job, but I am so fucked right now! I was counting on him to be my right hand man up in Appleton for these two jobs up there this fall...now I will have me and 3 guys who have NEVER been on a construction job before as my crew up there! FUCK! I realize that what we do is NOT rocket science, but it is difficult to know all of the specifications, etc. I am not worried that the guys won't be able to figure out the technical side of what is going on, I mean, come on, I could teach any one of you how to handle the basic portion of the job. It's the fact that this may be one of the most complex overall jobs I have ever worked, due to its speed of construction requirement (25 working days) and the unbelievable restrictions on us restricting traffic (yep, its as confusing as the sentence I just wrote).

FUCK!

Then, the other job that is supposed to happen up there (job #2) could possibly start in the middle of job #1 discussed above. Job #2 will be fairly straight forward and simple. Problem is, if they are both going on at the same time, I am FUCKED! Basically, job #1 is allowed to work 21 hours a day. From what I have discussed with the contractor on the job, he will be using 21 hours a day (GREAT!). Okay, now job #2 starts and works just daytimes. I have to watch this job, because I won't trust anyone else on it from my "green" crew (if the guy who quit was going up there with me, job #2 would have been all his). Well, my crew is green, so I have to work at least part of the overnight on job #1 to make sure the traffic control is set up. Then I have to work the entire next day taking care of job #2, then right back to job #1 in the evening. Anybody know when I'm going to sleep?

FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!

One upside (in a really sick sort of way) is that I will easily fill my 3 weeks worth of comp time allowed and probably still get some extra hours paid at straight time, so I should be well compensated for nearly killing myself.

And I will admit, I've always loved a challenge...

I've asked for help, but there is none to be had...remember my least favorite boss? He wouldn't let my father or the other cost center leaders hire anyone because billability was too low earlier in the year. Well, shit!

Oh, and did I mention that I'm very concerned about traffic control on job #1? It just so happens that this spring 2 highway maintenance crew members were KILLED at the very start of this job! FUCK!

I was tagged, so here is my response

Since I got tagged in an email from my friends C & C and I don't have a lot of email contacts, I figured I'd continue the tag with my blog. Here are my responses to their tags:

Subject: Four Things About Me

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:

Paper boy (12-16)
Automotive parts warehouse worker (16-20)
Security guard (20-22)
Engineer (rest of my life)

B) Four movies I would watch over and over:

Star Wars - Pick one
Blade (only the first one)
Underworld (how can you not watch Kate Beckinsale in that outfit!)
Fight Club (although the book ends better)

C) Four places I've lived:

De Forest
Minnetonka
West Lafayette
Indianapolis

D) Four TV shows I love to watch:

CSI:Crime Scene Investigation (only the Las Vegas version)
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Two and a Half Men
The Outer Limits (modern versions)

E) Four places I've been on vacation:

Biloxi
San Francisco
Las Vegas
Seattle

F) Four websites I visit daily:

My financial pages - yes, I am very particular about money matters
Google (of course)
www.suduko.org.uk
this blog as a jumping point to my friends blogs

G) Four of my favorite foods:

Ice Cream (most anything sweet flavored, but vanilla is a fav)
Cheeseburgers, greasier the better
A really piled high club salad, real Ranch dressing
Apples

H) Four places I would rather be right now:

Vegas
My own place
Hunting - alone in the wilderness (I'm kind of tired of people right now)
Golfing

I) Four Friends I think will respond:

I haven't a clue...actually could care less - respond as the mood suits you. I respect you as my friends to do just that! :)

But consider yourself tagged! :) You're all it!

I am much better now, thank you...

Today was one of those days at work. As usual, it had nothing to do with the actual work, but the people there. Actually, one person.

I mentioned my co-worker who had the sick sister earlier in my blog (note: she did die the week prior to July 4). The one I have great respect for. He is most likely quitting on the 11th of August.

I am torn on this one. I am very happy that he is going somewhere that will respect his intelligence and drive much more than they do here. But I am going to miss him...we were never friends outside of work, so I probably won't see him much anymore. I'm going to miss his talents being on my side, working toward a common goal. Yes, I will miss our arguments and blow ups.

And I'm a bit jealous that he's getting the hell out of this company that I'm stuck at! :(

My dad will try to talk him out of it tomorrow and Friday (it is not official yet), but from his attitude this morning when he told me...well, let's just say my dad has a snowball's chance in Hades to change his mind.

Then I went to YSD and UTC...instant brightening of the day! I'm feeling much better now, thank you.

Muscles

I went for a bike ride this morning for my cardiovascular workout. 1st bike ride I've been on in years. I have a feeling (I'm starting to sense it right now) that tomorrow is going to be one of those days where I sit there thinking "hmm, that's a muscle I don't remember having...kinda sore".

But at least it's a good sore, since I have to start changing my workouts up. I have for years been a NordiqueTrack (old ski machine) kind of guy. I enjoy that workout very much. Well, the old body has finally said enough with the fracking ski machine workouts. Try something different. So, I started treadmilling it (I do 40 minutes there on the Canyon Run setting) and I started the biking today.

I think this fall I'll start looking into training to do a "sprint" triathlon. Basically, take an Iron Man and divide it by 8. So, basically something along the lines of 0.5 mile swim, 13 mile bike and a 5k run. I've always thought about it, I think it's time I finally go after it hard.

So this fall, on top of the bike and run training I'm starting, I'll have to find a health club with a pool so I can start swimming again. I have not been in a pool for years, so I will have many of those days I started this post with.

I'll try to make an April race for my first one, since I won't be able to get serious about training until October at the earliest.

I'll also try to keep an update here on my training and diet plan (I have to lose some weight to help with the pounding on the knees from running since I'm about 30 lbs over where I should be).

Job Search goes on...

Well, I just talked with the company that was looking at hiring me.

There is officially no joy in Mudville.

Bummer, but maybe this is how it was supposed to turn out for me. We'll see how things move. I'll go with the flow, maybe the universe needs me in Appleton for a while.

I will be working in the Appleton area this summer/fall (end of Aug, Sept, Oct.) and moving up there sometime during that session (if my current employer actually opens the office they keep promising to open).

After those construction jobs are done, I will renew my job search to see how things happen. And actually, the company that was looking at hiring me only didn't hire me because of workload issues (there wasn't enough right at this moment in time). If they get a big job or a series of big jobs, they will be calling me (this guy I can believe, because he hasn't lied to me yet!).

Simple pleasure

Sitting around with my mom and dad, sister and her boyfriend, having a great meal (sister's boyfriend has a smoker - we had slow cooked bbq'd ribs - YUM!), talking, enjoying the sunshine and the bird's singing.

The world is good today, very good today...

Now I'm going up to continue watching the "Lord of the Rings" Trilogy with my dad. It's probably the 4th or 5th time I've watched it, but watching it with my dad is pretty special (he read the Trilogy before I did, right after I bought them for myself to read). He really taught me about being loyal and friendship. And he taught me a sense of right and wrong. And if you read the books, yes they have the undertone of Christianity, but they have an incredibly strong story of friendship. And of doing what is right, even when it's the hardest thing you've ever done.