It's about time.

Many of you can relate to Working long hours at your career. Raising your families. Buying a home and paying all the bills related to being homeowners and parents. We're now retired and don't need all that work and expense. Now "It's about time" and what we do to follow our dreams.

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Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Now Do Them, It Was A Tuesday, Happy Anniversary and Virtual Interview.

 Our Location today is at Windsor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

After what I put up with yesterday I wasn’t really keen on going in to work this morning but I did. Every night at the end of my shift I shut the Lights and lock the Compound after doing a visual look over. When I walked in today the Lock was not the way I had put it and there were Three Smaller Carriers that had mysteriously found their way to my work bench.

Within Ten Minutes I was delivering the Carriers back to the Line but ignored the Extra Duties Walk Around. If they want to treat me like trash I can treat the trash equally. After making sure there were no other Carriers needing adjustments I returned to the Compound.

I had just finished tacking the Canopy on the Rack when who should arrive but Kharen the Supervisor. He asked about the Carriers he had brought to the bench last night then he asked if I had taken my Walk Around. I admitted not today. He had me stop my task and grab a Grease Gun to go upstairs. One of the Pumps was starting to squeal and needed lubrication. I’ll be certain to check them all in the morning.

I finished the Rack by adding Bracing and by 9:00 had delivered it to the Line. I was in the process of cleaning the work bench when Kharen and a Line Worker show up with Two Carriers that he wanted modified. These were the same Carriers I got screamed at for modifying yesterday but today it was okay because he was telling me to do it. (Definitely a Power Trip.) It wouldn’t long to do so I didn’t push.

Besides Kharen soon returned with some Plastic Piping that he said was for the Plant Air. (That’s Illegal!) When he asked if I had ever done any Plumbing I Lied because I don’t want to read about an Explosion and getting blamed for it. For those that don’t know my Major in High School was Architectural Drafting with Carpentry, Electrical, Plumbing, Sheet Metal and Masonry as extra subjects. Just don’t tell Kharen.

When I called Kathy at my 1:00 lunch the first thing I said was Happy Anniversary. It has only been Twenty Years but if we hadn’t had tragedies in our former lives we might never have met. Here’s to another Thirty Years at least.

While talking it dawned on me that yesterday was Tuesday. Remember all the times Kharen has yelled at me has always been on a Tuesday. We actually slept with the AC on last night but by 10:00 Kathy had to shut it off. Within an Hour she had to turn it back on because it was getting that warm.

I finished the Carriers and had them at the Line by 2:30 where Kharen wanted me to modify a Rack saying it was too hard to move around the plant floor. The problems are it is carrying too much weight, the cement floor reminds me of the Quartzsite Desert and the Wheels are too small. After a few measurements I realized it was after 3:00 and I had to close up the Compound before I left at the end of the day.

On the way home I stopped at Vital-Aire where they replaced the malfunctioning Transformer to our CPAP Machines. This will be a spare but it’s better then not breathing while sleeping. After another quick stop I was home shortly after 4:00.

After talking to Kathy at lunch I noticed I had a Voice Message but due to limited time didn’t call it back. When I did I spoke with Susanne who was acting as a Hiring Agent for a Company that I have only applied for Twenty Times since last November. We scheduled a Virtual Interview for 7:00 this evening.

Kathy tried something different tonight for supper. She served Barbecued Pork with Vegetable Fried Rice with Chocolate Pudding Cups for dessert.

I just felt so grubby I headed for the shower. It felt so good to be clean again but I did like lots of those Covid Commercials by putting on a clean T-Shirt and my Pajama Bottoms.

I missed most of the 6 o’clock Local News so have no Cronavirus Case Numbers for the Windsor/Essex Region tonight.

The high temperature today felt like 99 F (37 C) around 4:00 this afternoon but we are supposed to get a few days of Below Seasonal Temperatures.

As in previous interviews Zoom would not connect so we used Facebook Messenger. I teasingly said to Kathy before that it’s bad when you spend your Anniversary talking to a strange woman while your wife is sitting next to you. Since I will have Monday July 5th off in celebration of American Independence Susanne is going to try and arrange a Welding Test for that day.

Kathy let me know of all the Online Anniversary Wishes we received.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day and that there is a light at the end of this Nightmare Tunnel.

Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment unless it personally attacks someone for their opinion or is Spam.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

You know you’re RV trash when you call the garbage cans at rest areas “dump stations.”

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

He’s Back To Himself and Waiting To Leave.

 Our Location today is at Windsor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

Even though the temperature was only in the Seventies when I went to work this morning you could already feel the Humidity in the air. Walking in the plant there were large puddles of water all over the place. If you remember that fast moving storm I wrote about in last night’s Blog apparently it wasn’t that fast moving and dropped a lot of Rain in this area.

Last Night's fast moving storm that hit the plant.

After repairing a few Carriers I set about collecting more materials that would be needed to create the Rack for transporting the latest Proto-Type Carriers. I soon had the Wheels mounted and was in the process of making the Hanging Canopy when the Line Leader showed up needing a couple of Carriers slightly modified. Any other plant that would not have been an issue.

Just as I was finishing Kharen the Supervisor shows up wanting to know who authorized the modification. Another Screaming (not Talking) Tirade started. (If I hear from another Employer soon I’ll be gone.) Because the dimensions had changed a Quarter of an Inch I had to put it back the way it was and listen to the B.S.. I didn’t punch out until 4:45.

When I got home it didn’t take long for me to take a shower but it still did not relax me or ease my Headache. A couple Extra Strength Tylenol helped a bit.

For supper we had a Medium Store Bought Thin Crust Bacon Pizza.

On the 6 o’clock Local News they gave no numbers for Coronavirus Cases for the Windsor/Essex Region.

The high temperature today felt like 111 F (44 C) between 2:00 and 3:00 this afternoon.

We’ll hope things improve at work tomorrow.

Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment unless it personally attacks someone for their opinion or is Spam.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Words of Inspiration

I enjoy life when things are happening. I don’t care if it’s good things or bad things. That means you’re alive.

Joan Rivers, Comedian

Monday, June 28, 2021

Extra Duties and Decision Made.

 Our Location today is at Windsor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

On Friday when I left work I brought my Welding Equipment with me for my Saturday Job Interview/Welding Test. It seems that some of the people that actually read my Resume instantly know my abilities so my Welding Equipment just has a day or two off site.

Being one of the first to arrive at work everyday it was easy to bring it back in without anyone noticing. I noticed a couple of Carriers waiting by the Compound so knew what my first task of the day was going to be.
Last Friday Kharin the Supervisor had mentioned that I would need to make a Rack to hang the New Proto-Type Carriers on between uses so I immediately headed to the rear Bay to start hauling a piece of Two Inch Square Tubing (what is normally used for Travel Trailer Hitches) back to the Compound.

I had just finished torch cutting all the pieces that I needed and was about to start the assembly when Kharin arrived. He was in a pleasant mood. (What’s happening around here?) He didn’t even ask what I was doing but had me to put it on hold. He brought me upstairs on the Mezzanine to show me a New Compressor Unit still in the Shipping Crate. He needed me to remove the Crate so that they could start installing the Compressor.

If you’ve ever done any kind of Home Renovations you know how to take off a Shipping Crate very easily. The only problem was that the temperature on the Mezzanine was about Twenty Degrees warmer then on the Main Floor.

When I spoke to Kathy at my 1:00 lunch sitting outside at the Picnic Table was a big improvement temperature wise. She managed to go for a short drive to Shoppers Drug Mart not far from the Apartment for some supplies. It was apparently packed with no restrictions at the door. It felt good for her to just get out and do some walking.

I managed to weld the Base of the Rack before the end of my shift and hope to complete the task in tomorrow morning.

Even though I had turned on the Air Conditioner set at 79 F (26 C) before going to work this morning Kathy had just shut it off before I arrived home. Something to do with her Sweater not keeping her warm enough.

After serious discussion I called Adam to decline his Job Offer. At present I need a job that guarantees at least Forty Hours a week. As he agreed his work is Weather Controlled and there are no guarantees of the Hours but he said if I get laid off to call him.

For supper we shared a Half Rack of Ribs with at Garden Salad and a Date Square for dessert.

On the 6 o’clock Local News we learned there were 8 New Coronavirus Cases in the Windsor/Essex Region leaving the area with 56 Active Cases to monitor.

On Saturday even though where we were we never had any Rain the Lodge Freeway in Detroit was Flooded with many vehicles still under water. The high temperature today felt like 108 F (42 C) and should feel the same tomorrow especially with the All Day Rain we are forecasted to receive.

Looking outside we saw a quick passing Storm.

Kathy suspects that Paul and Kharin try to see if New Employees hold up under pressure and that’s why they were treating me so badly. Now I may accomplish organizing the Compound yet but we’ll still keep an eye open for that better job.

Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment unless it personally attacks someone for their opinion or is Spam.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

What do you call an Alligator in a vest?


An investigator.

Sunday, June 27, 2021

Early Clean Up and The Heat Is On.

 Our Location today is at Windsor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

After waking a few times early enough that if I was working I would have been early I finally got up at 6:30. That was good for Two Reasons. The first was it helps to keep me closer to my normal sleep time and second it meant I could work on getting the Laundry done before it got too hot and the Humidity from the Rain appeared.

After sorting and treating some of my work clothes I had everything in the Washers by 7:30. Unlike the last time I was the only one there.

That gave me time to go back to the Apartment and make breakfast. With limited time during the week breakfast is simple, nourishing and quick. Today I grilled a few Eggs in the Pan then spread them over Toast which we shared. I barely finished when I had to head back to the Second Floor Laundry Room to move things to the Dryers.

That gave me less than an Hour to start going over things on the Computers. When I returned to start the process of folding I was upset to find everything still Wet in Two of the Dryers. With that not being the first time I’ll be putting in a complaint to the office. Again I moved the still wet clothes to the Dryers that did the job. Since the Laundry Rooms do not have Air Conditioning it was a big relief when I finished folding and arrived back at the Apartment.

For lunch Kathy made Chicken and Rice Soup along with Orange Slices as well as Date Squares for dessert.

I was doing a good job of getting caught up on my Blog Reading but the lack of sleep kept making my Eyelids close on me.

Finally for supper we had a Medium Thin Crust Store Bought Hawaiian Pizza as always it was delicious.

On the 6 o’clock Local News tonight we heard there were 6 New Coronavirus Cases in the Windsor/Essex Region leaving the area with only 56 Active Cases to continue monitoring.

The high temperature felt like 106 F (41 C) the Rain was a no show but with a few more days to reach near the Century Mark come this week we’ll see what tomorrow brings.

Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment unless it personally attacks someone for their opinion or is Spam.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

You Might Be a Redneck If

You think the last words to The Star Spangled Banner are, "Gentlemen, start your engines."

Saturday, June 26, 2021

Kathy Gasping, Interviewer Late and Dry/Wet Forecast.

 Our Location today is at Windsor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

I’ve mentioned before how quickly you wake up when Gasping for a breathe in the middle of the night when your CPAP Machine stops giving you air. Last night was Kathy’s turn to experience the feeling and she did not like it. At first she thought the power to the Apartment had gone out but when she saw that my Machine was still working she didn’t know what to do but she didn’t have to.

I sensed her movement and knew it was not normal so I got up. She explained her problem but her Machine would not start up. When I checked the Power Cord the Transformer was cold while most Transformers get warm to hot when working. It just happened that we had a Spare Transformer and as soon as it was plugged in her Machine started right up.

I stayed in bed longer then normal but was ready to head out the door for my Job Interview by 9:00. Knowing that a broken sleep takes more time to recover when I left Kathy was still in bed.

I arrived at the location in LaSalle to find the gate closed and nobody in sight. As instructed I called Adam. Since I shut my phone off at night I apparently missed his call saying that due to the forecasted Rain they wouldn’t be working today. When I told him I was already there he said he’d come out in Twenty Minutes.

Forty Minutes later Adam showed up and we entered the property where he showed me the type of work that is being done. Because a Plasma Cutter is used to cut the metal skin off it produces lots of Smoke so the work is done outside. Since there is normally a breeze coming off the river all the welding is done with the Stick Welder. The problem is during the Summer there is no shade to keep you cool and in the Winter you are exposed to the blowing Snow. Another issue is that this is a Mobile Service which could have me travelling all over the Province. He needs an answer by Monday.

Kathy had been busy when I walked into the Apartment. After a quick look at the Computer for the Weather and Messages we got busy making lunch. It was my choice since I miss it during the week. We had Italian Wedding Soup with Maple Cookies and a Yogurt Cup for dessert.

With forecasted storms for later we were out the door before 1:00. Taking the Car the first place we went was the Pioneer gas station to fill it with Gas so if Kathy needs to go anywhere the tank will be full. From the time I was returning from the Interview this morning until then the prices had dropped by Five Cents per Litre.

We did our usual stops at Dollarama, Bulk Barn and the Zehr’s grocery store to get everything we needed on our Shopping List.

By the time everything was put away in the Apartment we only had a few minutes to sit before the News came on.

On the 6 o’clock Local News tonight we heard there were 8 New Coronavirus Cases in the Windsor/Essex Region leaving the area with only 56 Active Cases to continue monitoring.

The high temperature felt like 102 F (39 C) today with the next Seven Days forecasted to have Rain.

It was at that point that I realized today’s Job was not all it is cracked up to be. The Crew were told to stay home because there is no Cover to protect them from the Rain and if you don’t work you don’t get paid. Might not be the perfect Job. As of this time it did not Rain at all today.

For supper we had open faced Beef Sandwiches with Gravy from the Leftover Roast.

We watched a “Murder Mystery” this evening. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment unless it personally attacks someone for their opinion or is Spam.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Why was the baker selling his yeast?


To raise some dough.

Friday, June 25, 2021

Change Of Attitude, Good Interview and A Possible Answer.

 Our Location today is at Windsor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

As soon as I looked out the window this morning I knew that I’d be wearing my Raincoat when I left for work. Inside the plant the little bit of work that the Roofing Company had already done in the last few days really showed. There were still a few leaks coming from the ceiling but far less and with less intensity.

What Kathy saw all day.

Kathy would later tell me that whenever she looked outside today it was Raining steady.

The first thing I needed to do was change the CO2 Cylinder on the M.I.G. Welder. Once that was accomplished I spent the next Hour grinding the tips of the Square Stock to clean up the damage caused by the Shear on the Iron-Worker. Most of the day I would be making Bright Lights with lots of Sparks.

Paul the Owner stopped in with a Contractor and asked that I hold my fire for a few seconds as they were looking for Anchor Bolts. I was able to point exactly where they were. Paul started looking on the shelf near the desk saying there were some there before. He simply stared at me and shook his head in the affirmative when I said I had put them all together where I had showed him.

More Rain.

It was still raining at 1:00 so I called Kathy right from inside the Compound.

Kharin the Supervisor came in asking how things were going. That felt strange that he was being civil. When I explained about the Empty Cylinders he asked me to write a list of what we needed and he would order it. Now I’m starting to wonder why are these Two suddenly being nice to me the way they should have all along.

By the end of the shift I delivered Nine New Proto-Type Carriers to the Paint Line. When I took my very wet Coveralls off all my other clothes were soaking wet as well. When I collected my Pay-Cheque from Paul he actually wished me a good weekend. Something is definitely up.

I was early for my 4:00 Interview. As I mentioned in yesterday’s Blog I left this very same Company Forty Years ago. Scott the Afternoon Shift Supervisor took me around showing me the set up today. Even though I had my Welding Equipment he looked at my Resume and said he didn’t need to test me. Then he also mentioned the Company I was presently working. I told him of the working conditions there and that the Interviewer had added that on not me. He mentioned a couple more applicants to interview before making the final decision on Wednesday. I’ve been told similar before only to be passed over.

After stopping at TD Bank to deposit the Pay-Cheque I was walking in the Apartment just after 5:00. When I mentioned what happen at Work and the Interview Kathy said some of the places I applied at might have called to verify that I was working for them. Realizing that I was ready to move on because of the way they were treating me might have adjusted their attitudes.

For supper we shared a Store Bought Medium Sized Thin Crust Chicken Pizza that took all of Fifteen Minutes to be ready. With all the heat outside it was nearly too much to eat.

On the 6 o’clock Local News tonight we heard there were 5 New Coronavirus Cases in the Windsor/Essex Region leaving the area with only 56 Active Cases to continue monitoring.

Notice the Wind Gusts.

The high temperature felt like 81 F (27 C) but with all the Humidity it actually felt worse. The next Seven Days are all showing high amounts of Rain and little Sunshine which is more typical of Spring or Fall.

I still have another Interview in LaSalle tomorrow morning so we’ll see how this one goes.

Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment unless it personally attacks someone for their opinion or is Spam.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Words of Inspiration

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.

Sir Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister.