Hard Times

Well, we're not having to pawn our clothes to pay the rent yet, but, things are not looking so good for our industry. Our company has had several layoffs lately, on various jobs, and it hit my job today with them laying off everyone. Except me. Well, the foreman and superintendent are there too. But it leaves me to do all the rest of the work. There is still some welding to do so that's why I'm still there, but it seems to me they could have kept one other man, at least. We still have a little mud to pour, a bathroom to frame and various things. I told the foreman today if my heart explodes in the midst of all this to please, drag me outside so I can see the light of day and not let me die on the nasty floor of that warehouse.
So, I don't know how long I'll be there. I may get it next week or I may be there until September. I can't believe I've been on that job for so long. I'm sure that it is to pay for some of my sins! lol!
Today was a little stressful with the welding I was doing. My job right now is to weld up these really heavy, steel barricades to keep the forklift operators from running into and destroying various equipment and shelving. But I'm fabricating these things while the forklifts are working. In the areas in which they operate. So, I'm the target until I get the barricades up enough to stop them. Most people don't realize that a welder is blind and mostly deaf to what's going on around them while they are welding, so I must rely on my fire watch helper to watch out for me. Plus, I'm having to weld behind a screen (to protect the warehouse people!) so the forklift operators can't see me. If they just hit me with a forklift it will probably just mangle me a little but if they catch me between a lift and one of the barricades it will probably crush me. Usually I am out of their way but there was one period where I was out in the open. If I could have willed those rods to burn any faster I would have been done in just a couple of minutes.

I may not have many photos to share for the next month as Allen has borrowed the camera and taken off to England to visit his brother and family. I took a bunch of pics before he left and downloaded them, so I do have a few for now. I have gotten much done with the little excavator but still have much more to do. Those machines are SO nice to have. It's just small enough not to tear up the world and still get stuff cleared and graded.

My garden is doing okay and the cabbage are starting to come in. I harvested this one yesterday. It's very nice and I'm pleased with it. Haven't eaten it yet but it looks good and I have 8 more, I believe.

I'm still in the world of roller coaster moods. Some days are okay and some just suck. But I'm okay. And thanks Barry, for sending Ronnie by to check on me. I appreciate the thought. Ya'll are sweet. I'm okay but I'm still down about some things. This past year has just been so....weird and upsetting. I guess I think about things too much. I wish I could just not care. Not care what happens. Does my life or actions affect anyone else? Who cares? Not care which way the wind blows. Maybe one day I'll find an outlet for this.
I guess the Joplin post sounded really horrible. I think she reads much sadder than she sounds. I've been listening to a lot of blues lately but they actually make me feel better. Like B.B. King says, " There are sad blues and there are happy blues, but all the blues make you feel good!"

I don't know if any one noticed but I have redone the sidebar and header descriptions. I like the header but not sure if I like the sidebar. Maybe I'll change it some more. I have a couple of stories to tell ya'll if I can put them down in a way that makes sense.

*written by Ray Charles but favorite version is by Clapton.