When

You know the old saying, "Say 'when' ", when you get enough. I'm feeling like maybe I've had my fill at this point. These are pics of the Youth Wing we just completed for this large 'church' in town. I made the mistake of calling this the sanctuary for some time but they corrected me when I saw the lettering above the doors that read 'theater'. I agree that is more appropriate. And no, that is not dust or smoke you see in the shafts of light coming from the stage, that is fog from the special effects machines.
I find this building, and the 'church' as a whole, repulsive on various levels and actually feel some moral consternation that I helped build this abomination but that is not all of what this post is actually about.

Whatever the moral or spiritual implications, we did a beautiful job, and in 8 months to top it off. We brought this building in 100% complete on the exact day they wanted it, Sept. 1. The evening these pictures were taken they had their first service in the new theater. And all this after the church sat on their ass for 4 months and would not give us the approved drawings to start because they just were not sure they had completely made up their minds about everything. Of course, when they did finally give us the drawings they still wanted the building finished on the original completion date and all the while making changes anyway. Oh, no, wait...no, they wanted 30 days early! That's right, silly me. And we did it. We. Did. It. And not one sorry sonovabitch from our office or this church had the balls or the f***ing decency to just come out on the job and say "thank you" for your hard work. We didn't even get a damn Coke. Well, one of the many Saturdays we worked the church did give us some biscuits and fruit. But they had someone else bring it over. They wouldn't be bothered with actually speaking to us themselves.

Sorry for this incredibly horrible photo but I just had to show this. It's bad enough that they have a coffee shop in the youth section, a Starbucks no less, but the coolers are stocked with nothing but candy, sweets and soda. Ummm, and this country is experiencing a diabetic epidemic right now? Hello?? This is just how uncaring these people are that they will help destroy the health of their young people just to get them in the door. It's all part of their propaganda to me. All that caffeine and sugar keeps those kids so freakin' hyped up they can't think straight. And when you can't think straight you will let other people do your thinking for you. Couple that with the mind-numbingly loud music and you got pure, unadulterated emotionalism being used for mind control. It makes me sick and I don't think I can do it anymore.

This is where we tied the new addition to the existing structure, which is on the right. Looks like it grew that way doesn't it? Except that column on the left; it is not bent like that. Must be something in the camera. Oh, and by the way, there is another Starbucks just around that corner. We took down 4 existing tilt panels to make the opening. Oh, I did forget; one of our execs did call Daddy Rabbit and tell him to tell us that we did a good job. Oh wow. Never mind the fact he attends this damn place and could have come out here himself. I ask you, what would be so fucking hard about shaking our hand and saying wow! what a damn good job ya'll did! We realize you risked your life building this so fast, you spent all those weekends away from your kids and family and you ground your body a bit more in the hole towards pain and immobility but hey, you did a good job and now these people can suck more money and life out of the people.
And a lot of people would say, well, ya'll get paid money to build these things and that is your reward and yes, we do. Although they are doing their damnedest to drop our already low pay to below cost of living wages. See, this is one reason why I am so against this materialistic, disposable, fucking Mal-Wart saturated society we live in. When a people become so obsessed with cheap, disposable products it doesn't take long before people start becoming those cheap, disposable products and true craftsmen are shoved out the door. Their good labors are no longer valued. We are nothing more than a consumable product to be used up and thrown out, to society like this. 'Wow, this is a cool building, now get the hell out the door and don't come back.'

Well, I guess I'm still a bit pissed off by the whole experience but I knew it was coming to this. See, used to, many clients and even our superintendents would arrange lunch for us a few times throughout the jobs to show their appreciation. Any metals scrapped during the course would be used to buy the workers a meal. I mean, it's just a little something to say thanks. Let me say it this way, when you are working out in the rain, or snow, or 100 degree heat with mud up to your knees and you just busted your knuckles on a piece of steel or slit your forearm open on tie wire and the blood is running everywhere but you still have to finish your job because the concrete is already set up for 5:00 a.m. in the morning and they DON'T reschedule, knowing that the client or even your own fucking company appreciates your efforts really is encouraging and you work hard. I know a lot of guys now that don't feel so inclined to work that hard anymore.