Re: Really Stupid Things I Tried

[ABLE1 <somebody@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 3/31/2024 6:17 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
> On 3/30/2024 7:07 PM, ABLE1 wrote:
>> On 3/30/2024 9:03 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
>>> On 3/30/2024 4:43 PM, ABLE1 wrote:
>>>> On 3/30/2024 6:11 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
>>>>> I tried to do little extra things to help my guys out, but it was
>>>>> never appreciated.  Stupid things I tried included:
>>>>>
>>>>> I once asked a local hotdog place to run a tab for me, and told my
>>>>> guys if they "ran out of cash" before the next pay day they could
>>>>> use my tab there.  They bitched me out up one side and down the
>>>>> other because they didn't want to eat hotdogs EVERY F'IN day.  I
>>>>> closed the tab.  I didn't say I was buying lunch every F'N day.  I
>>>>> had figured I'd have to pick up the tab for them a day or two a
>>>>> couple times a month.  Yeah, the tab looked like they had been
>>>>> inviting all their friends, family, neighbors, and that weird guy
>>>>> down the street they didn't even like.
>>>>>
>>>>> I once put a couple cases of sodas in the office fridge and told a
>>>>> guy if he was thirsty he could grab a soda out of the office
>>>>> fridge. Two days later it was empty.  I didn't say anything, and on
>>>>> day three he rather pointedly told me I was GOING TO HAVE TO
>>>>> restock the office fridge.  He'd been talking an arm load out to
>>>>> his service truck every morning.  I unplugged the office fridge the
>>>>> next day and told him it was broke and I couldn't afford a new one
>>>>> after supplying him with an 18 pack of sodas every day.
>>>>>
>>>>> I once told a guy I kept spare change in the ash tray of my truck
>>>>> if he needed to buy a soda.  Just to see I dumped about ten dollars
>>>>> worth of quarters in it (plus what was already in there).  At the
>>>>> end of the week he dutifully TOLD ME I need to put more money in
>>>>> the ashtray.  I said, sorry.  "That was for if you ran out of
>>>>> money, but now I have run out of money.  I don't know How I'm going
>>>>> to make payroll.  I'm ten dollars short.  Just the amount I kept in
>>>>> the ashtray."
>>>>>
>>>>> I used to keep extra fuel in gas cans in one of my service trucks.
>>>>> One guy kept telling me He needed to fuel his truck every other
>>>>> day. I followed him to the gas stations and sat across the street
>>>>> and watched when he filled the gas cans, but didn't put any fuel in
>>>>> my truck.  I took the gas cans out, installed locking caps, and
>>>>> filled the trucks myself every weekend after that.  Nobody every
>>>>> said anything about the locking gas caps, but that one guy did try
>>>>> to tell me he needed gas in his truck twice after that.  "Nope.  I
>>>>> filled it yesterday.  You do not."
>>>>>
>>>>> Early on when we had a slow day I would ask the guys if they wanted
>>>>> to go home or go fishing.  I paid for everything when we went
>>>>> fishing of course.  One guy got mad when it was a day to work, and
>>>>> said, "Bob you are a good fishing partner, but a lousy boss."
>>>>>
>>>>> "Yeah, I know.  I was a total douche bag for cutting off your flow
>>>>> of free hotdogs for your extended family, friends, neighbors, and
>>>>> that weird guy down the street you don't even like."
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Well golly gee whiz Bob!!!
>>>> Are you so bored that bad memories pop back into your head??
>>>>
>>>> And yes, your typing caused me to start and remember employee
>>>> issues............  Bla Bla Bla............
>>>>
>>>> For me I made the decision that I was working harder with an
>>>> employee than without.  So I did not hire any after the last.
>>>>
>>>> Life was much better!!  When I needed help I used guys that
>>>> had there own 1 man business as a sub-contractor.  At the
>>>> end of the job, I would get a bill for labor and I happily
>>>> pay it out.
>>>>
>>>> As for your stories, I am sure you should get more busy so
>>>> your memories will not bother your brain.  LOL
>>>>
>>>> I hope you have plans to go a bit east on April 8th!!  Wouldn't
>>>> want you miss the special event!!
>>>>
>>>> Les
>>>
>>>
>>> This week I plan to make a test run hauling a 3/4 ton truck with a
>>> 3/4 ton truck.  60 miles to go get it in Dateland and 60 miles back
>>> over Telegraph pass.  The plan is to see if I can load and secure it
>>> solo. Should be a good test run for my truck and goose neck trailer.
>>> Should also be a good test for the new brakes on a hill I know I can
>>> drive without trailer brakes if I have to.
>>>
>>> This week I put new axles on the trailer with new electric brakes,
>>> because the old brakes were a combination of bad and missing, and
>>> nobody anywhere had trailer brake hubs that would fit the old axles.
>>> Being drop axles swapping the spindles was a bit more work than you
>>> might think.
>>>
>>> I still need to finish wiring up the brakes and break away controller.
>>>
>>> If it works I'll do the same thing again a day or two later.  Only
>>> this time through the mountains up to Show Low and back.  Best case
>>> is a little over 5-1/2 hours one way.  I'm rounding up my dad's old
>>> vehicles for salvage or repair.  I have two people interested in
>>> buying the two 3/4 ton (both are Cummins Diesel Dodges) as is, but I
>>> might fix one up and keep it as a backup tow rig.  I'm learning the
>>> Duramax in my truck might not have the long life I was lead to
>>> believe it should.  Its okay, but I am seeing them fail at lower
>>> mileage than I was told to expect.
>>>
>>> While I am in Show Low I have to make a plan for pulling a park model
>>> (my folks old summer home) out of the park where it is.  They WANT IT
>>> OUT.  There is a tool shed full of tools I am told, some things in
>>> the park model, and of course the truck that will be coming back with
>>> me on this first run.  While I am there I have to come up with a plan
>>> for the park model... with tip outs.  Manual tip outs.  Technically
>>> it is a travel trailer, but its huge.  With tip outs.  Lots of trees
>>> have grown up around it since it was placed and I may not be able to
>>> just pull it out.  My truck can handle it, and I have a couple
>>> stabilizer hitches. The hitch was dropped from the trailer, but I am
>>> told its still there. I just hope the axles are still on it.  Tires
>>> could be an issue...  The park has given me an April 15th deadline.
>>> They won't even accept rent unless my mom actually goes there to
>>> stay. Assholes.  I may put an add on the local Facebook groups in
>>> Show Low. Free park model.  Must remove by April 15th.  It was built
>>> in 1977.  I have the current registration tab sitting on my desk.
>>>
>>> Still need to empty out my dad's work shop, storage containers,
>>> house, old hardware store etc...  I've posted a few of his things for
>>> sale on Facebook, but the vultures are out in force.  Like new
>>> THINGIE. Tested works perfect.  Sells for $$$.  Asking half that FIRM
>>> AND ETCHED IN STONE.  "Oh, will you take 1¢ on the dollar of your
>>> asking price?" Selling shit sucks.  I am reminded why I threw so much
>>> good stuff in the dumpster when I shut down The Security Consultant.
>>>
>>> Part of my plan is to haul his cargo containers to my place and drop
>>> them behind my shop.  That will reduce some of my headaches.  My shop
>>> is already full of tools, and now I have a bunch of his stuff in my
>>> shop just in the way, and its starting to over flow the space I had
>>> left in my cargo container.
>>>
>>> ... and I still have to find the time to run the shop.
>>>
>>
>> Well OK then, your itinerary is F-U-L-L of too much STUFF!!!
>> For me every day is a Saturday and today was a Double Saturday!!
>>
>> Next Saturday we are taking a trip to Niagara Falls so we will
>> be in the best location on April 8th!!
>>
>> Hoping for no clouds!!  Will get a double whammy at 3:17pm with the
>> Horseshoe Falls lighting up and the Solar Eclipse.   Y-A-H-O-O!!
>>
>> Les
>>
>
> This morning I refused to work on any shop stuff.  I know.  I know.  Its
> Easter Sunday.  My wife and mom went off to Easter Mass, and I fixed a
> table that belonged to my wife's grandma.  Then I expected them back,
> but no sign of them so I walked out and looked at the goose neck
> trailer.  There are a couple extra lights on the back that I had no idea
> what they were for.  I went ahead and tied them into the running lights.
>  Â Gives me two extra tail lights to reduce the odds of a revenue stop
> when I go through some broke ass county in central Arizona.  Then I sat
> there and stared at the upper deck for a while trying to figure out how
> to mount a winch up there.  I've got a 12 ton Warn winch that's a spare
> (sorta).  I have a Badlands 12 ton on the Jeep, but I would like to use
> this winch on other things.  Its on a 2" draw bar mount so it can be
> portable.  A few years ago I welded a draw tube onto another trailer for
> this purpose, but this one isn't so nicely laid out for that.  I finally
> figured out a plan and welded half of the plan in place.  I doubt any
> stores are open today, and I need parts.  I guess I'll have to wait
> until Monday.  Now to figure out where my wife and mom are off to...  or
> maybe I should grab a fishing pole and head on down to the canal bank.
>
> Les, there is a neat affect I've heard almost nobody talk about during
> an eclipse.  Stand under a tree that has loose leaves.  One with lots of
> spots of sunlight shining through.  During the eclipse look at the light
> and shadow on the ground under the tree.  Its a lot cooler than that
> stupid shadow box they tried to impress us with in grade school.

Yes Bob, I have seen the tree thing on some videos.  Where I was at in
2017 South Carolina the trees were too far away to go a lookie!!
Then up and until totality we had clouds..... Then as the totality ended
the clouds cleared. :-)

Today I worked on setting up my Nikon and Tripod to get the angles
right.  I want to get a video, the 3.5 minutes before and after.
I think I have everything as best I can at this point.  I got a
UV filter and built a box for camera lens to fit into.  Works quite
well.  I built one for my iPhone as well, just in case!!

It all comes down to the day and the time it happens! Fingers Crossed!!

BTW a piece of cardboard with a 1/4" hole will work as well.

Les