How'd it go today?

Sounds like a good time, Rich. After talking with Paul Cox I ordered a couple Sena units for me and my apprentice. I'm just putting them in regular hardhats though, no fancy $250 helmets here. I told him I'd buy them if he would wear the hard hat and he agreed, so we both will be wearing them all the time (I hope).
 
The water is slowly coming back into the river.
I'm near it but a little too high to be in the flooded area, hopefully. But my brother is in a very flat town at the bottom of the valley. He got 14" of water in his basement, despite the wood barriers built in the doors ( 24" outside in the backyard). He saved most of his tools, with the neighbors he put his old car and bikes on some cinder blocks when the water level became really worrying. But two pianos and an old church organ took the bath. No idea if they are salvageable or not. A pile of big panels with a mahogany veneer are certainly lost.
For comparison, the big flood 25 years ago brought only 4" of water in this house (without any protection at this time). His old neighbor didn't saw that much water in 40 years and can't believe that the water could advance so far in the town.There's something wrong in the flooding levels along the river.

After so much water, the snow and frost are coming this last two days. What a mess on the highway and in the town this evening !
The trees are beautiful tough.
 
Brian the ropetek com systems have been the biggest game changer we've had. Even when you really don't need to talk to get the job done efficiently, you can joke around to make the drudgery pass quicker. Also much more inconspicuous for when something worth looking at is spotted.;)
 
Also I have an EHAP class tomorrow in Columbus. With a small snow storm coming we’ll be leaving the shop at 4:30 am. Traffic depending it could be an easy 14 hour day. With our goofy pay week I was on overtime at lunchtime today. Gotta love it!
 
That's never been an issue. I happy because he's finally coming around to proper training and continuing education. I wouldn't know who has influenced that:/: Or it could be the big contract he had is now requiring proof of it. Either way I'm happier
 
Surely you've had good influence, Rich.



Big contracts require it.

I talked to a guy that worked at Hanford Nuclear Power Plant in WA. He told me that of every $1M spent there, $300,000 was for safety. Zero tolerance for contractors having injuries.




Rich, how did that sycamore go over with the salesman and boss? Obviously way underbid.

I underbid the job I'm on, but its not of the same level of underbid, nor the money-input involved, as best I can tell. Having sales people seems like a huge challenge, with which I have zero experience. When I worked for a local company upon arrival in WA, it was owner-operator.
 
It went over well on my end. Customer was happy. Boss pretty much made payroll plus a bit. No profit that’s for sure. Estimator did ok for my crew for the week since he nailed fridays job and we killed it. Actually it was already dead but the crew was really busting ass hoping to end the week on a good note. Since I’ll be stuck with him for hours on end tomorrow for our road trip, I’m sure some more discussing will go on. Basically I’m gonna have to partake in the bidding of certain jobs. Seems wise to me for my input since I’m the one doing the jobs. Only on the real fun ones though.
 
If the guys an estimator though, like that's all he does...................sort of defeats the purpose if you have to go too?
 
I guess the powers that be are hoping after some site visits with Rich the estimator will improve his monster job perceptions.
 
I think many on here do estimates as the owner? I did for a long time. Each job is different, that's one of the things I loved about the work. Seems simply telling an estimator when he missed is enough feedback unless some type of real unique or technical job came up? Just let him know, swing for the bleachers on the nasty tight ones.

Obviously anyone can benefit from an experienced guy like Rich's feedback while pricing a job. Just seems if I owned a company I wouldn't be sending out my top production man with my estimator together a whole lot to price jobs. Seems an expensive way of letting the estimator know to up his price on the big nasties.

I'm sure it'll all work out fine, I never built my business anywhere near the size of the one that Rich works for so I doubt they'd be looking for my advice anyways.

Just another sleep deprived morning of chasing snowflakes here.

There was a terrible accident night before last on the local highway into town. The older sister of a girl my daughter goes to school with lost control of her mini van and hit a oncoming truck and died, injuring her sister who was with her and the driver of the truck. 18 years old, crying shame. I see there family walking in the neighbourhood often, hard not to feel pretty bad for them. I can't imagine. That's my second neighbour in recent years that lost a child. What could you ever say or do?
 
Terrible. I find a hug or a handshake says more than words can sometimes.

We went to a funeral yesterday. My first and largest client in Tasmania, had cancer, fought it hard but died. He and his wife are special to us. They took a chance on me when we were very new over here, and hardly knew anyone. 10 acres of gardens and trees on an historic property. Trusted us to work there when they were on extended absence in Europe, loved his trees. He will be missed.
 
Richard is cool. I like his attitude.

Looks wintery as hell!

We warmed right up today and rained and then it's supposed to freeze hard again tonight. My gut is telling me we might see a bit of snow too. I think the cold will overlap the precip a bit.
 
Thank You, VA!

I had my cataract surgery today, fun stuff. I have a bandage over my eye and they will remove it in the morning.

It's kinda fricking uncomfortable, like something's in my eye...

:whine:
 
Back
Top