Making Progress At Work, Standing On One Leg, Weekly Visit and Really Tired.

Our Location today is at Wildwood Golf and RV Park, McGregor, Ontario.

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After kissing Kathy and telling her that “I Love Her” I was soon on my way out the door headed for Work. I actually took my time getting there and only punched in Forty-Five Minutes before the start of my shift.

I had chance to clean up my work area before Gerry my Supervisor showed up. He was there to help me weld the structural supports on the Floor-pan of the Unit. You could see the difference that having the Floor-pan flat on a steel table could make. No warpage, no big gaps and the welds were extremely neat looking.

When the Owner finally showed up he again was making changes to the design but he liked the way the base turned out. When he said that I simply said you have to build the foundation to your house before you add the walls and the roof. We started adding the Hydraulics from another unit only to find that the Hoses were much too short. While I kept working on assembling the Upper Structure Gerry went to get new Hoses made.

Lots of Dust in the air from neighbouring farmers working their fields.

I was asked to finish welding a different design Tailgate before leaving so it would be cool enough to handle in the morning. That added an entire Fifteen Minutes to my shift.

When I walked in the door at Home Kathy was already cooking supper. She made Twice Baked Potatoes with Cheese and Salsa along with a Zucchini as well as pan fried a couple of Salmon Fillets. She figured that I worked hard enough that I deserved a good meal. She also topped that off with Strawberry Covered Yogurt for dessert. I’ll never loose any weight this way.

While I got washed up Kathy did the dishes which allowed us to be out the door by 5:30. We headed to our son Kevin and daughter-in-law Melissa’s house in Amherstburg for our weekly visit. We had plenty to talk about including what it was like for me being back to work. The only problem I’m having is that I am standing all day and when I’m using the TIG Welder do so while standing on One Leg as I use the other to control the heat of the machine.

As mentioned since my return to Work even Kathy is not sleeping as late like being awake by 7:00 this morning. Even though we were wide awake we were both feeling physically tired. After hugs we were headed for Home but we were hearing McDonald’s telling us they had Dollar Ice Cream Cones calling our names. We couldn’t be rude so we made our way via the Drive-Thru to answer the call.

With all the Cramps that I am feeling in my legs it could well be an Extra Strength Tylenol night to help me sleep. Thank you for following along and feel free to leave a comment.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Words of Inspiration

Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.

Rudyard Kipling, English Author

Building The Roof Before The Foundation, Haircuts and Birthday Wish.

Our Location today is at Wildwood Golf and RV Park, McGregor, Ontario.

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Having trouble staying awake last night after publishing the Blog we were both in bed by 10:00. We normally stay up much later but with earlier waking hours we still need our sleep. I must have really been tired because the Alarm woke me this morning.

When I got to the Plant this morning there were Two Cars already there. Ron and Jeff were already running the Powder Coating System in an attempt to deplete the Backlog.

When I started working last Thursday after seeing a pile of Pieces on a skid and being told that was the project I asked for a Sketch or a Drawing so that it could be properly assembled. To date that hasn’t happened.

After lunch the Owner wanted additional Bracing installed on the bottom of the Floor-pan while the unit was still in the Jig. That would have cause a major distortion issue and holes. No matter how hard I tried to explain that to him he was having none of it. Luckily the Supervisor was there and agreed with what I was saying and helped to move the Unit to the Workbench.

By the time I got Home I had to explain my concerns to Kathy. The more she listened she said it sounded like he was building it backwards and he was.

Long before I worked for Ford Motor Company I used to do this kind of work and it was done completely different. The Floor-pan was built with all the braces welded in place before adding the Walls and Top similar to building a House. What this Owner is doing is building the Roof before the Foundation. I’ll try to explain that to him in the morning.

After taking a shower we were soon headed out the door and back to Windsor. We were almost at Fantastic Sam’s when we realized we’d left the Camera back Home.

We had moved our appointment for when Jenna was on her afternoon shift because of my job. Seeing how dirty I’ve been coming Home Kathy called to make it later. When we arrived we had a slight wait but managed to be done by 6:00.

Since it was so late we needed to have supper. We chose to go to Taco Bell since it has been a while. We enjoyed what we had avoiding the French Fries but we didn’t stay too long because it was freezing in there. With more High Humidex Days happening in our area more businesses are adjusting their Air Conditioning Systems to be even colder.

After we got Home it was raining while the Sun was shining.

We stopped at Pioneer gas station to top off the car before heading Home. We were only Two Miles away when the clouds opened up dropping a lot of Rain. As we parked the Rain slowed slightly so we were only slightly damp once inside.

Just before 9:00 I called my sister Anna in London to wish her a Happy Birthday. It’s been a while since we talked so we had quick catch up. Since she reads the Blog she already knew that I was back to Work.

Tomorrow should be cooler and I hope to talk to the Owner. Thank you for following along and feel free to leave a comment.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

You know you are getting old when

a dripping faucet causes an uncontrollable bladder urge.

Kathy’s Following Suit and Concerns Answered

Our Location today is at Wildwood Golf and RV Park, McGregor, Ontario.

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Once again I was awake before the alarm went off. After having my breakfast and packing my lunch bag I went upstairs and kissed Kathy telling her that “I loved her” before leaving. If this was for any other reason we would have found some other way out of this.

The one thing I hate is being late for anything but especially Work. So far every morning I have been the first one in the parking lot. When Gerry the Supervisor showed up I gave him the form from the Employees Handbook verifying that I had read it.

Today was the first time that I spent the majority of the day welding on the Project itself rather then on the Jig but there just seemed to be a few things that I had to figure out for myself. This is the First Time that I have ever worked on any kind of Project anywhere that did not have at least a Sketch in order to make the assembly easier. There were a few adjustments that had to be made but it was coming along.

After finishing last night’s Leftover Chicken Parmesan for lunch I called Kathy to be sure she was okay. It seems my early hours have begun to wear off on her as well because she was up before 7:00. She’d made the necessary phone calls she had to do as well as working on more of her Spreadsheet Entries.

When it was time for me to head for Home the short walk in the blazing Sun seemed to drain whatever energy was left out of my body. Inside I needed to relax before doing anything else. Checking The Weather Network it showed not only why it felt so Hot but the Radar showed a huge storm heading our way.

I delayed my shower and while Kathy made a wonderful Garden Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing I began grilling some Boneless Pork Chops. Kathy had planned on doing them in the Frying Pan but they just don’t have the same delicious taste. We’d finished eating the Salad before the meat was ready.

While Kathy did up the dishes I covered up our Weber Q. I’d barely gotten in the Shower when the Rain started coming down in earnest.

In answer to some Comments about our going away this Winter we have every intention of doing so unless something else comes up to change that. The reason for the Job was the Unexpected Expensive Truck Repairs that really drained our Savings. We want to be certain to have some Financial Backing before heading south again in order to avoid any other Crisis. Thank you for following along and feel free to leave a comment.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Words of Inspiration

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

Mahatma Gandhi

Relaxing, Exercising, Visiting, Checking High Water Levels and “Enemy Territory”

Our Location today is at Wildwood Golf and RV Park, McGregor, Ontario.

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I was tired enough when I went to bed last night that each time I woke I’d roll over forcing myself to sleep in until nearly 7:00 this morning. It was almost like the old Work Hours I used to maintain years ago were trying to kick back in. One thing that will definitely change is my effort to get to bed earlier. I may have been able to survive on little sleep back then but not now. I had most of my morning Reading and Chores completed before Kathy got out of bed. We enjoyed breakfast and made plans to go visiting this afternoon.

Still blooming.

Even though I’m not required to do extreme lifting on this new Job the standing on the hard Cement Floor for nearly the entire shift was causing me a few Aches and Pains that had to be ironed out. After finishing my morning Coffee I walked over to the Park Exercise Room. Even at 11:00 in the morning the Humidex was just shy of the Century Mark. With the only air movement being through a few screened windows I was back Home before noon.

Kathy was in the final stages of making us Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for lunch along with a Clementine Orange and Chocolate Pudding Cup for dessert. We spent a few more minutes on the Computers before heading out the door at 1:00.

Grandma always gives Sanford a treat.

Our destination was our daughter Karen’s house in Tecumseh. Of course the one that made the biggest fuss when he saw us was Sanford. He immediately found one of his Chew Toys that we had given him but to say it was a lot smaller would be an understatement. We let them know that I was back in the workforce and why. Karen suggested a few other things that might help save us some cash as well.

When we left there we started driving around the east end of Windsor looking at the High Water Levels the area is experiencing. All the heavy Rain that we had throughout the Spring and early Summer are still affecting the area.

Since it was nearly 5:00 we thought about eating at the nearby Michigan Dinner on Tecumseh Road East. Kathy had a taste for their Fish and Onion Rings off the Senior’s Menu while I wanted something different. I ordered their Chicken Parmesan off the Senior’s Menu but it came with a side of Fettuccine. Would anyone care to guess what I’m going to be having for lunch tomorrow? It is a smaller portion then what is on the Regular Menu but I struggled to eat half.

When we left there we stopped at Zehrs grocery store to pick up a few groceries to tide us over this week.

It was close to 7:00 by the time we got Home and put the groceries away. We then decided to watch the 110 minute movie “Enemy Territory” starring Adrien Brody and Salma Hayek. Most of us will remember when the Shah of Iran was exiled in 1979 after the Ayatollah Khomeini turned the country into turmoil. This is a True Story of One Family’s Account of what they went through to survive those volatile times. We gave it a Seven out of Ten. Forty Years later let’s hope history does not repeat itself.

I’m back to work in the morning and hopefully this will be a more productive week. Thank you for following along and feel free to leave a comment.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

You Might Be a Redneck If

You were born with a spork in your mouth.

Busy Day Off.

Our Location today is at Wildwood Golf and RV Park, McGregor, Ontario.

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After being Retired for over Ten Years only working Two Eight Hour Days this week really had me looking forward to this weekend. That is strange how we all change with time. After the loss of my Late Wife and just before the Plant Closure my normal work schedule was 12/7. If I had a day off back then my body would think something was wrong and I would be Sick. When I had my Vacations the first day I was always Sick. Times have changed and I certainly never want to go back to those times.

After only Two Work Days I figured that my Biological Clock would be kicking in so before going to bed last night I got things ready. When I woke at 5:30 I had to tell myself to get some more sleep. When I woke at 6:30 I changed and started sorting the Laundry. The Park Laundry Room opens at 7:00 every morning and very few people are there at that time. With the forecast calling for a high Humidex of 97 F (36 C) going early in the morning made sense because it was also much cooler.

I had our Laundry going by 7:15 and busied myself reading the Employees Handbook that was given to me by the Company. It gave a History of the Company and its commitment to Quality Products. It had rules about Workplace Safety, Anti-Harassment and a recommended Dress Code.

Once everything had been moved to the Dryers I walked Home to have Breakfast. Kathy had already started getting things ready so in no time we were finished eating. While Kathy sat enjoying her Tea at her Computer I packed up the Trash and after only a sip of my Coffee headed over to the Park Trash and Recycle Area. With that out of the way I walked back to the Laundry Room to wash my hands then started folding our Clothes.

I had told Kathy it would be close to 11:00 before I’d get back and I was early by only a few minutes. As soon as we had all our Clothes put away I had to go dump our Waste Tanks. Due to the work it is necessary for me to shower Daily instead of every other day so the tanks only lasted Ten days this time. Looks like it will become a weekly ritual.

When I got back inside Kathy was busy making Split Pea Soup for our lunch with Honey Date Squares for dessert.

It took another hour to finish reading the Employees Handbook before I signed the Form on the last page that has to be turned in. This was written in Layman’s Terms not the Volumes of Legal Jargon in a Contract between a Company and the Unions. I like this better.

I finally finished drinking my very cold Coffee while getting caught up reading on the Computer. Somewhere while doing that I had a difficult time reading through my closed eyelids. Starting the day early and relaxing in the afternoon is not a good combination.

Tomorrow we plan on going out for a while and maybe we’ll even take some pictures. Thank you for following along and feel free to leave a comment.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

The World's Great Proverbs

The quarrel of lovers is the renewal of love.

Thank You, Making Adjustments and Enjoying Our Time Together.

Our Location today is at Wildwood Golf and RV Park, McGregor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge

I’d like to thank all those who posted positive thoughts towards my recent return to the working world. If we had not had such a problem with our Truck last Fall I might not have felt it necessary but at this time we want to build our accounts back up so if there was another such incident we won’t be stranded. We are hoping this helps us to continue heading south for the Winter.

The hardest part of this job is being apart from one another. Before Kathy and I were married we became Friends then Close Friends while working together helping other Widows and Widowers recover from their loss. We have no problems being together 24/7 in such a small environment because we help one another as well as solving problems together.

Last night when I went to bed there was no tossing or turning. When I opened my eyes this morning to look at the Clock it showed there was only Two Minutes left before the Alarm would have gone off. After experiencing just how long it took to get to Work yesterday I had given myself extra sleep time. Like before I always give Kathy a Good Bye Kiss before leaving because you never know if it might be for the last time.

When Kathy wakes up the first thing she does every morning is to feel the bed for me. In the past she knew that I was just downstairs but now she realizes that I’m doing what is necessary for us to continue with this Lifestyle.

She managed to get more Vacuuming and Dusting done before getting lots of her Data Entries done on our Expenditure Spreadsheet. With all the Medical Appointments and Hot Weather we’ve had she had let it slide because she couldn’t concentrate. Now she has to catch up.

As for my second day at work I was still repairing equipment so that it could be safely used along with what other work was required. From what I learned there was another Younger Welder that had been let go because of the poor quality of his work. An Engineer came down to introduce himself and called me the Project Rescuer because if they could not complete this job they would have lost a Significant Contract.

When I got Home I needed to sit for a bit before going outside to mow the Grass. Once it was trimmed and cleaned Kathy had me grill a Store Bought Spicy Chicken Pizza for supper.

While Kathy did the dishes I enjoyed a wonderful shower. Since I only work Five Days a week we’ll again Enjoy Our Time together this weekend. Thank you for following along and feel free to leave a comment.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

You Might Be a Redneck If

No one is wearing sleeves in your wedding photos.