More Side Tracking and Training A Replacement.

 Our Location today is Windsor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

As of yesterday I had been careful not to Over-Medicate myself with Pain Medication. The problem was that I was not sleeping at night like I should. I took the advice of one of our Commenters that sliding in an extra dose between the norm would help and it did. I barely woke throughout the night and I felt rested because of the lack of Pain.

Since I couldn’t finish the Feedscrew that was in the PTA yesterday, after greeting Mile this morning I immediately pulled it from the Sandbox and reloaded it. I’ve mentioned before that the Computer likes to change numbers on its own. After some grinding, then reheating I started pouring over the Numbers entered on the Computer’s Spreadsheet. Those are the Measurements that the Computer uses to guide the Torch. I found Five Numbers that had been changed and up to this point I am the only one in the Plant that knows how to do this. Since the only numbers that should have been different from the others were the Length of the Zones and the Width of Oscillation, it was easy to spot the changes. The numbers had No Decimal Points which caused the Torch to run wild.

By 9:00 the “Begin to Weld” button had been pushed and the Mess that was made yesterday started to look the way it was intended. Even as others were enjoying their first break I was snacking and monitoring the final minutes of this process. With only Five Inches to completion the process was stopped as the Torch took another side trip. The number it had been following was 6.135 Inches, but the Computer it suddenly changed to 78.354 Inches.

As I was prepping the Sandbox for the Unit’s return Vinnie the Engineer informed me the Kennametal Technician would be arriving tomorrow. They are supposed to address the Programming Issues that I have been bringing to their attention since last year.

Even though there is another Six Inch, Twenty Foot Feedscrew on the Rack, I was told to leave it be until the Plasma Transfer Arc is repaired.

When I called Kathy during my lunch break she was just getting to the Car with groceries from Walmart.

Mile asked me to show Sherush one of our New Employees how to TIG Weld as well as things around the PTA. (Yes!) (My possible replacement.) He knows how to Stick Weld and MIG but this will be a new experience for him. I saw Mile about to interrupt us, but when he saw me holding a dismantled TIG Torch in my hand and having this person put it back together, he just walked away. It’s no use showing someone to do something if they don’t know how it works and Sherush appreciated that.

I left at the end of the shift, but by the time I got home, I fell asleep in my chair telling Kathy about my day.

Yesterday I mentioned about Summer-Like Weather for a few more days. Now they are showing Near-Winter-Like Temperatures a Week away.

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

I can’t stand stair lifts.

They drive me up the wall.

Meeting Of The Minds, Still Not Working and A Nursing Pillow.

 Our Location today is Windsor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

After confirming an Appointment with the Manufactures of our Plasma Transfer Arc last week it finally happened today. There were Four Representatives of the Kennametal Corporation in different locations around the US, meeting with Five of us in Windsor. The list of Problems we are experiencing with the PTA continues to grow, so it became a Question and Suggestion Session.

I explained that all these problems were not just affecting my ability to do the job properly, it was affecting the Quality of the product and my ability to complete them in a timely fashion.

At first Mile thought that it was my incompetence that was the problem, but when Vic started relating what he had experienced while relieving me, Mile showed more concern. When the Kennametal Representatives said we were using it correctly and it was in dire need of servicing. With this being the only PTA of its kind in Canada there was no way around the issue. Vinnie and Tamara had notes of their own that they got answers for. The only thing that I have to change on my own is the way I grind the Electrodes. Mile authorized a Technician coming to service and check the programming, but the date has not yet been set. I have made it known that I will be off after Medical Treatment.

After I started heating the Feedscrew on the PTA, Mile wanted to know how I sharpened the Electrodes so I demonstrated my technique for him. Considering that I have been sharpening them since 1977, it is second nature. Mile said “It looks like a Machine did it”. When I showed him the drawer with Twelve Identically Ground Electrodes, he said “I didn’t need a Machine to do it”, as suggested by the Kennametal Representatives.

I finally got started welding the Unit in the PTA at noon. I was able to talk with Kathy while monitoring the process and suggested I might be late, but I was looking to be done early.

I mentioned yesterday that this Screw had a Flight Design that made a Mixer like no other any of the Machinists had seen before. There were Four Flights that Overlapped each other and they had varying thicknesses throughout, giving each between Two to Three Zones each.

The first Three Flights went down perfectly but the first Twelve Inches of the Last Flight was a Disaster. After Grinding and Rewelding the PTA was making me pay for the nicer Flights earlier. Vic, Vinnie and Mile watched as I showed them what was happening. Finally by 4:30 the decision to put it in the Sandbox for the night was made.

When I stopped at Wendy’s to pick up supper using a Coupon, one of the Managers noticed my Distress. When I explained my Hip/Leg Pain, she made a suggestion. She is also a Personal Health Care Worker and they use Pillows designed for Nursing Babies, to help seniors with Hip Problems. It might be worth a try to alleviate my Nighttime Pain, so I can sleep.

A few more Summer-Like Days are heading our way, before the Fall Weather sets in.

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

You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.

Rabindranath Tagore, Bengali Social Reformer.

Rough Night and Getting Out.

 Our Location today is Windsor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

After having a Physically and Mentally draining day on Saturday, I was at first surprised that I was having trouble to sleep last night. Then I realized it was all due to the Extreme Hip/Leg Pain radiating throughout my Leg that was keeping me awake and if I don’t sleep, unfortunately, neither does Kathy. Even though I spent nearly Eight Hours in bed (According to the timer on my CPAP Machine), I probably only had Three Hours Interrupted Sleep.

A Berry Muffin along with an Orange was our breakfast. That gave us the energy to get caught up on our Blog reading and updating our Medication Spreadsheet. Something went wrong and I had to rewrite the Mathematical Equations in Forty Locations to make it function the way it was supposed to. Now I already have a List of Vitamins to purchase before the next time I do the Doucettes.

I even tried getting into my Facebook Account but it said I didn’t exist. I’ll check again next weekend but if it won’t acknowledge me, I won’t worry about it because I seldom look at it anyways.

Chicken Noodle Soup was our lunch along with a few slices of Cheese on Crackers.

We took note of what was really needed in the Fridge before heading out the door. With all the Road Construction going on and Kathy’s need to see a new Arthritis Doctor, I showed her the route that will be the simplest for her to get to her Appointment.

We then stopped at Guardian Storage to be certain the Trailer is good.

Kathy gets nervous when she sees the Gas Gauge below Half so we stopped at Pioneer gas station and topped the Car off.

We then stopped at Dollarama to pick up a few things. What amazes us is that they will discontinue carrying Bottled Tea before the end of this month, until next Spring. We could only get Six at that store and had to stop at another Dollarama to get Six more. We share it together and it should see us until Spring.

Even though that wasn’t much walking, we still used our Two Wheel Folding Shopping Cart to bring everything up to the Apartment. Then we had to sit to catch our breathes before putting everything away.

It's that time of year.

We shared a Store-Bought Thin-Crust Spinach Pizza for supper.

Already starting

Hopefully we’ll sleep better tonight, and tomorrow is a good day.

Comfortable day.

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

One day, fridges will take their revenge. They will burst into your room in the middle of the night, switch on the light, stare at you for a moment, then leave.

Planned and Cactus Flower.

 Our Location today is Windsor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

We all know what happens when I Plan things, but this wasn’t as bad as it normally is.

I Planned that if I woke early, I’d simply start getting things ready for the Laundry. Instead I tossed and turned until nearly 4:30 then managed to sleep late.

It took some doing but things got sorted. I took a wobble down to the Laundry Room, only to see it packed. The problem is right now there are only Four Washers and Four Dryers for the entire building to use. The new Laundry Room will have double the Machines but it is taking forever for it to be ready.

Back at the Apartment, we fixed the waiting game by having Soup for an early lunch since I did not know when I’d be back.

Downstairs it took about Twenty Minutes before I started with One Washer though the place was still packed. I kept walking to the Apartment for a number of excuses, such as being able to sit for a few minutes. It was nearly 4:30 when I arrived back with the last of the Folded Clothing.

Kathy had been busy dusting and cleaning while I was downstairs.

Since I had also Planned on doing the Pill Doucettes today we shared a Store-Bought Thin-Crust Hawaiian Pizza for supper.

I started prepping the Table to do what I needed. When the 6 o’clock Local News was pre-empted by a Comedy, I said some bad words.

Pulling out the Prescriptions and Vitamins, I was surprised to find Two Vitamins nearly empty. How could I have missed that? I checked my Spreadsheet and there it was at the top of the sheet where I had not looked.

Kathy headed off to Shoppers Drug Mart with the empty bottles in hand, while I continued doing what I could. The fact that I was doing Six Weeks worth of pills allowed me to get lots done before Kathy returned with the needed Vitamins.

By the time I finished both, I did not feel like updating my Spreadsheet so I’ll do it in the morning.

Checking the Comments on our Blog, I noticed what Cactus Flower was saying. After checking the brochure I am able to confirm the Injection that I’ll be getting is a Hyaluronic Acid treatment to fight the Osteoarthritis in my Hip. This is something that our bodies make naturally, but as we age there is less produced which allows for the Arthritis to set in, causing all the Pain we experience. If it can hold me over, I’ll be happy.

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 a turtleneck is a key ingredient in soup.