Life On The Road And Home

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Well it took longer than usual, but we are finally back into our travel routine. It really sucks until we get this down. No tears when leaving anymore. No late night "I can't sleep" phone calls. This is quite good now. We get along much better when I am in town too.

As for the travel part. I'm finally enjoying myself. I could deal without having a room mate, but it could be worse. He goes to his old man bars and the driving range. I go fish and go to the gym. Its pretty nice. Plus I get to go buy stuff without being fussed at.

I've made friends with some locals at the gym as well as a ton of the other contractors at the hotel. We have cook outs every Tuesday night in the parking lot. And the Mexicans will cook for you every night if you ask them too. Its pretty cool how all the contractors join together at nights. We are all working on different jobs down here, but get to share stories every night. Lots of good natured ribbing between the trades. It really is like having a second and third family.

[flyfisher]

I definitely miss the comradarie from doing both electrical and construction work but my back is glad I don't do it anymore

[Raider Nation Fisher]

I wouldn't trade it for any thing. We are a dying breed. Its fun working with the older guys and hearing their stories. Plus they are a wealth of knowledge if you ask and listen to them.

I definitely miss the comradarie from doing both electrical and construction work but my back is glad I don't do it anymore

[flyfisher]

My dad is in semi-retirement from being an electrician and it always amazes me just how hard he works and how efficient he is compared to the younger guys.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

My dad is in semi-retirement from being an electrician and it always amazes me just how hard he works and how efficient he is compared to the younger guys.

The old men will work their butts off if you let them. Half the time you have to either get them out of the way or take it from them if you want to do something. I finally understand what they were always saying about it being painfully slow to train a helper on stuff. It takes them forever, but the younger inexperienced guys have to learn somehow. They can't learn unless they physically do it. Heck even being a journeyman the old men can work circles around me and two other journeymen. They know tricks to doing it that we don't. Plus after so many years it has become second nature to them.

The old fella I'm working with now and I have got a system worked out between us. He studies the prints and I do the terminating. Or he bends the pipe and I install it. It keeps him from being on a lift all day. Which is honestly exhausting. And I get to continue to refine my installing. Pipe bending I have down to a science. It is one of the things I'm best at. I'm one of the fastest ones in the company at it. Plus I put up some of the prettiest pipe runs you will ever see. I have made it into a art. Still though we work faster with him bending it and me running it.

[flyfisher]

I remember doing commercial work with my dad and running conduit and if it wasn't perfect he would make me redo it. I hated it at the time because "who would notice a 1/16" off" and the answer was, apparently he would

[Raider Nation Fisher]

I remember doing commercial work with my dad and running conduit and if it wasn't perfect he would make me redo it. I hated it at the time because "who would notice a 1/16" off" and the answer was, apparently he would

That's the same thing I was always told. It took a few years to get it down. However now I feel the same way, and tell my helpers the same thing.

[.ghoti.]

Raider, I feel for you, but it sounds like you manage to make the most of the situation.

I'm 61 years old, and have spent better than half of my adult life on the road; at one job or another. I learned to hate it. For the last 15 years I've been home every night. I didn't have to learn to love that.

[.ghoti.]

Raider, i wish you were going on the RoadTrip. You and I just might have something to talk about. For a lot of those years on the road, I was the guy on the other end of the prints. I did, and still do part-time, system design/integration, PLC programming, SCADA programming, etc. I was the guy generating the prints you guys use to put the systems together.

I learned to value a good electrician, and I met a lot of good ones. I also ran until a few knuckle-draggers, but for the most part, I had topnotch people working on most of my projects.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Raider, i wish you were going on the RoadTrip. You and I just might have something to talk about. For a lot of those years on the road, I was the guy on the other end of the prints. I did, and still do part-time, system design/integration, PLC programming, SCADA programming, etc. I was the guy generating the prints you guys use to put the systems together.

I learned to value a good electrician, and I met a lot of good ones. I also ran until a few knuckle-draggers, but for the most part, I had topnotch people working on most of my projects.

Now that is cool. Its always nice to find people that understand this type of work.

I wish I could make the road trip this year. I'm so bogged down though I don't see it happening. Next year though I should be more financially sound, and be able to get some time off.