Topped Out!!!

 Actually, we topped out a couple of weeks ago.  That is to say, we poured the final roof slab at the highest point of the building.  So, according to ancient traditions, we had our Topping Out party to celebrate.  I'm serious when I say ancient too.  As you can see, we drug a large evergreen up to the top of the building and strapped it in place and placed the university flag nearby.  I thought we should have had an American flag too but we do have those on the cranes.  This is an old Scandinavian tradition going back at least 1,000 years.  The tradition was brought to the United States several centuries ago and we try our best to keep it going although this is the first full Topping Out party I've ever been to.

Now, due to the time of year, many people would assume that is supposed to be a Christmas tree but it's not.  The tree, being an evergreen, symbolises good luck and growth.  Actually, it's there to appease the woodland spirits that we may have pissed off when we chopped down the trees to clear this site.  But you can't say that in public anymore.  LOL!  Sometimes the tree will be decorated with streamers.

 Anyway, there's lots of speechifying by several people that really have nothing to do with the job actually getting built (except for Daddy Rabbit) and food.  The food was okay.  Normally it's pretty good and we stuff ourselves.  Then they give away door prizes offered up by tool rental companies and such.  That was really good.  I won a gift card to Lowe's, a hat and a pair of safety glasses.  I gave my hat to one of the fellers that didn't win anything.  I have a bunch anyway and it wasn't a style I liked but he did.

So, it was fun and we got off with pay about an hour early.  Some jobs you get free lunches several times through the course of the building and some you don't get squat.  Just depends on the owners.  This will probably be our only free lunch for this one!  We had a real pretty day for the party too, which was nice.

So, I have today off because Jack is still out of town and somebody had to be here for the animals but he'll be back tomorrow and I'll go back to work.  I am going to cautiously tell you though, that I should be coming home after this week.  I'm not going to point fingers or such but it seems that the project managers on the job have let me run out of steel to weld up and they are not willing to pay my wages (their words) to do other, less skilled work.  So, I'll be coming home for a break and am supposed to go back after the first of the year when a new batch of steel comes in.  We'll see.  I'm happy to have the holidays off and this will allow me to catch up on many orders for pottery.  I have not forgotten ya'll if you ordered something so bear with me!  I am working on it!

Scenes From Home

Hey Everybody!  Didn't mean to be away quite so long but it seems my Internet connection out of town has just about become non-existent unless I take my laptop out somewhere and this past week I just have not had much time.  I know, same ol' story.  Time at home is packed full of chores and such and just trying to rest a little.

I wouldn't say I've had writer's block also, but I just haven't been able to get my mind around a specific topic to write about either.  There has been much to think about lately and the fading of summer to autumn always makes me a bit melancholy too.  Things are changing in many ways.

 There is a lot of discontent around.  Not here mind you.  Out in the world it seems though and at work.  Things are changing and not all for the good.  My valley seems immune and I guess I am reluctant to dwell on things while I am here, lest I bring discontent home with me.

 I will tell you more soon however.  I guess for now we'll just enjoy the sights of home.

Ya'll know I am at heart a restless soul, although I love my time at home.  Not sure where the wanderlust in me comes from; certainly not my parents.  Must be from much further back.  I suppose the travel with work has stirred the desire to explore once again but without the opportunity to indulge it.  Go to work; come back.  Repeat.

These leaves have faded now but with the job being a good distance further south, I get to enjoy a second leaf changing when I go back.  Funny that 100 miles would make that much difference.

I need to make some established hiking trails in my woods to better enjoy these sites.  The deer trails make a good starter trail but need a little clearing to make them less trouble for humans.
I couldn't help but to feel my isolation last night as I went downstairs to check the fire.  The full moon illuminated the black forest around me and in the not so far distance the coyotes were singing their awful, joyful hunting song.  I shivered.  I stoked the fire and ran back inside to snuggle in the bed alone.  Things will be better in the morning.

Cold November Rain

Well, I'm on a roll here, posting twice in one week!  Unfortunately, it's mainly due to the fact I've come down with a massive case of tonsillitis and had to take the day off.  I worked all week with it but when I woke up this morning I was just feeling too bad.  The fact I had burned my chest badly again, got something in my eye, so it was swollen and matted up, and got my back acting up again from lifting that heavy steel just didn't help matters either.  And it was going to rain and turn cold, which it did.  I'm waiting on them to find the drawings for my next project so today would have been a sort of slow day anyway.  I hate to sit down here out of town and not get paid but sometimes you just gotta look after yourself or you sure will get run down and injured.
I know from the above description it might sound as though I'm on death's door and I do feel like I've had the hell beat out of me.  It's going to take me a few weeks to recover from this excursion when it's over.  All of this has really opened my eyes to how radically I have changed my life since being laid off this last time and how differently other people live.  It's not that I got soft from not working.  I think the well project proves that!  It is just a completely different type of life due to being so much in the city I guess.  As I've mentioned before, I have tried to eat right while here, and I do for the most part.  I buy partly from a local organic grocer and bring food from home but it's not the same always because I can't cook much.  I get a lot of good natured teasing from the guys about my lunches and snacks and it is worlds apart from some of that stuff they eat! *shudder*  They would die, I guess, if they saw how I eat at home, where I can cook!  Now, I do try to cook several meals over the weekend and bring much of it with me to eat during the week but it doesn't last long and I end up eating out once or twice a week, sometimes more.  I have to be careful to avoid the city water down here.  It is putrid and has given my stomach hell since I've been here.  I finally figured out what was doing it and strictly use bottled water, or bring my water in jugs but it was tough back when it was hot because you have to have cold water and they fill our water barrels with the city water.
The air here is awful also.  There is a stench over everything as soon as you enter certain parts of town and it really gets to me.  I'm so used to my fresh country air.  Plus, for some unknown reason, it seems that 80-90% of the population smokes in this town.  I have found it rare to go many places without smelling the stench of cigarette smoke and that stuff really bothers me.  That and the fumes from welding mess my sinuses up and have caused the tonsil issue.
Well, I didn't mean for this to become a whiny post and I'm sorry if it sounds just like every other post I've done since being here.  I have just been surprised at how much of a struggle this has been for me.  Not the work but the cultural and social parts I guess.  No one lives like I do.  It's hard to find recycling facilities and fresh, natural food.  Wal-Mart and smoky bars are the big spots to go!  The ladies that work at the hotel where I'm staying hold me in curious regard and one has been brave enough to ask me a few questions about what I do.  (Due to the hi-viz shirts we are required to wear we are all branded to the public as construction workers and many people avoid us.)  From their attitude it seems that maybe they were never taught women could do anything but be secretaries or clean. God help if she ever asks me about how I live at home!
My superiors at work hold me in a curious regard also.  They know I didn't ask to come here.  They know I have not enslaved my self to a life of servitude (debt) and therefore don't have to work for them.  They treat the guys like crap but they know they can only go so far with me or I'll tell them to cram it.  And they know I will too.  Interesting the extent of the freedom no debt gives you.  I do my job and I do it well but I can't help but be a little smug about it and flaunt the fact they don't own me. LOL!  Not much though.  I still remember the company ours used to be and out of honor to the guys I tow the line, for the most part.
The bottom line is this job has served to reinforce the idea to me that this type of life is nowhere near what I want or will have.  There are malls and shopping for anything you would want around here but it holds nothing for me.  I admit I have bought a few nice pieces of clothing, on sale, because I got down to not having much in the way of nice things, but other than that, I just mostly stare at the windows and wonder how people can be so obsessed and excited over a new purse?  A life of stifling, frustrating hard labor where you only get 2 days a week to do what you enjoy is out also.  I want to enjoy every day.  I used to enjoy this work; we all did.  We talk about how fun the jobs used to be.  Micromanagement, bureaucracy, disposable society and the death of common sense has killed all that.  It has however, brought to life some images for art that I have had floating in my head for years that would never quite crystallize.  They are very clear now.  That has been very interesting and I am excited to get home for good to start producing these works.  They will be unlike anything I've shown ya'll before.
So, it has been good and bad, as most of life is.  I am making some money though and am actively searching now for the stove I want, as my main goal from this is to finish the kitchen.  I should be ordering cabinets before too long also.  If I get that and get to work with my fellas on a big project one last time then it will be worth it.

Here And There

Well, I finally got a little time to scratch out a post for ya'll.  Things have been so hectic.  They have cut out our over-time at work but I have had a few other errands to do after work and my connection is still crappy here.  Jack is working on that so maybe it will get better.  Right now I am at a local bookstore where I can get a decent connection.  Weekends are no time to rest either as I have to play catch up when I get home.  One of the stores that carries my pottery has placed a fairly large order for Christmas so I've been working on that in amongst the usual house chores.  The bit I got planted in the garden is doing well at least.  Each weekend I get a little more of the garden cleaned up and such.
However, Jack and I have made time for some fun here and there.  This past Saturday we went to a play and then out to a very nice, cozy meal at a very cool restaurant in Birmingham.  It was fun.
Speaking of food; Jack harvested 4 of the roosters.  Mainly the white Leghorns.  They were not real plump but one of them made a real nice pot of soup that you see here and I see dumplings in the future for another. It was very tasty.  Jack is still coming to terms with and sharpening his skills at dressing chickens but he has done well I think.
Not a lot else to report, just busy, busy, busy and to top it all off, the one other welder that might have helped me some at work was involved in a equine accident over the weekend and is so broken up I don't believe he'll be back any time soon.  It looks like I'm going to get stuck with all this steel no matter what.  They have at least assigned a carpenter to me full time to help me in whatever way I need.  He is a real nice guy too and willing to do whatever to help out.
So, I'll try to be back soon and maybe with some better pictures.  I haven't even had time to take any and the fall colors will most likely be gone by the time I get home again.

Still Amongst The Living

 Yes, I am still here.  I haven't been mashed or givin' up and run off to the circus.  Not yet anyway.  I have really wanted to post several things lately, visit your blogs and leave comments but for some reason my crummy Internet out of town has deteriorated even further these past couple of weeks.  Most evenings I can only get on for a few minutes before it throws me off and then it's just sort of hit and miss getting back on.  I did go down to a local Books a Million one night, where I got an excellent and fast connection but, to be honest, I usually just don't have the energy to do that.  I have even given up dinner on a few nights, preferring to just shower and go to bed after a quick snack.
There is enough steel work on this job to keep 2 or 3 welders busy but so far they seem to think I can do it all, so they have been throwing it on me pretty heavy and with no help to boot.  It takes a little ingenuity to hang some steel by yourself but I have managed it with the help of some equipment.  I finally got a small crew to help this past Friday though and we made good progress.  So, I've been a little discouraged and disgruntled also.  Many on the job feel the same way as I do and are reconsidering their choices of employment.  It has just become a lot of bullshit to put it simply.  They want everything fast, cheap and right.  Well, like the old saying goes, you get to pick two of those items, not all three.  Those of us who've been with the company for years want to turn out a good quality product but they make it darn near impossible nowadays.  I do not want to participate in this lifestyle anymore.  I want to get out before my body is completely worn out and I am discarded by the company as I have seen them do so many before me.
 But, I did not mean for his to be a rant, believe it or not.  I have just been so tired lately and down and when I get down I don't know what to post.  This lifestyle is SO not like what I was doing at home and SO not what I want that it has been a bit of a shock to my system basically.  I am managing to still eat good although not my own food for the most part.  There is a wonderful organic grocery store in the town that I go to for many things so that helps some but it's not like being at home.

 So, just a little update on what is going on here.  The chickens are all doing well.  These Barred Rocks and the one little blond one on the far right are the four that we hatched in the incubator back in the early summer.  They are doing great.  The roosters are very handsome.  The one hen (Scooter) is doing well but looks a little funny.  See, way back when they were bitties, one of the older hens got a hold of Scooter's head and just tore that little chick up.  they are mean that way sometimes.  We had them in a separate pen but Scooter must have managed to get her head through the wire right when the big hen walked by.  It was bad but we nursed her back and she is fine now.  Well, for the most part.  She doesn't have feathers on part of her head and sometimes seems a little slower, mentally, than the others but they look out for her.  At least she doesn't run backwards anymore though.  That's why I started calling her Scooter.  It must have messed up something in her wiring because she would just be going along and all of a sudden throw it into reverse and take off!  She doesn't do that anymore though.

 I have managed to get something of a fall garden planted.  I planted a few things on the deck in pots as an experiment.  This is a lettuce mix.  So far so good.

 Fall is definitely here now.  Our normal first frost is around October 26 but it came about a week or so early this year.  We have been keeping a fire going on some nights when it dips into the 30's.  The mums are all blooming so pretty.  These are all plants that I picked up last year or so when Lowe's puts them on clearance towards the end of the season.  I got most of them for a quarter or fifty cents.  Yeah, they look like hell then but the next year they always come out real pretty.

 I have got broccoli, lettuce and cabbage planted in the garden.  That is one last bell pepper plant still hanging on there.  My leeks and Egyptian onions are doing really well and I have been harvesting a few here and there when I'm home.

The broiler chicks are doing well and growing fast but these are no 6-8 week birds.  I guess they'll be ready at about 10-12 weeks.  These are very active and have completely decimated the grass we had planted in their run so we have been letting groups of them out in the chicken tractor to get fresh grass.  We still have a couple with leg problems though.  Although the majority of these are just fine (it seems) I don't think we'll get these again.  And on a very sad note, my little Katsu died.  Katsu was the little exotic chick that came with these in the order.  They just send you one for free.  Katsu was a sweet little chick and would have probably been very pretty.  I nursed her back to health after these hybrids just about stomped her flat once and she rebounded well.  She was fearless and would jump feet first right in the middle of a pack of these even though they outweighed her by a substantial amount.  She got sick with something though, it may have been thrush and couldn't get over it.  I tried to nurse her when I came home but she was too weak and didn't make it and then I had to leave Jack to deal with it and a messy house because I had to go back to work.  I was upset to say the least.  I have already expressed my intention at work to retire after this one.  I will not live this kind of life anymore, finished house or not.

Good Ol' Boys

I know I have pissed and moaned about this job and working out of town, and it has been rough sometimes, but all in all we have a great time.  I love working with my fellers.  On this day I was taking some photos, during a down time, of the crane hooks for some art work I want to do and I guess Bama (the operator) thought he would help me out, as they are all prone to do, so he lowered it down to the deck so I could get some close up shots.  You don't really realize how big those things are until they are next to a man.  Well, Steve and Nick saw it as their prime opportunity to cut up and do some camera hogging! We play a little when we can and have a good time raggin' the living hell out of each other but we are like family really.  Well, family you get to choose because you enjoy being with each other.  There are a number of us staying down here and we get together about once a week to go eat after work.  I tell ya, I could call about any one of these guys if I ever needed anything and they would be there to help.  The work is harder on me than it used to be but I miss my boys a lot when I'm not working and I will be sad when this job is over because of that.  The work is so hard sometimes so you got to play a little when you can, ya know?

Edit:!  I meant to tell ya'll this kinda funny related story last night but forgot.  So, we are obviously working on the very top floor of the building and we had gone up one morning to get started.  It was a little cool, and I was going to be welding, so I had thrown a heavy denim shirt on over my Hi-Viz t-shirt.  We normally have to wear a vest if we do that but they can't seem to find me one that won't instantly combust when I start welding and ain't doing that.  So anyway, Nick calls for a lift from the crane and Bama says he ain't movin' because he can't see everyone well enough.  Two of us have our shirts covered up.  Funny how crane operators made thousands of safe lifts for decades without these shirts, but I digress.  So, Nick, in his loudest voice, yells over to me, "Hey Annie, take your shirt off!!!!!"  Now, there were about 20 Mexican rodbusters up there with us and many of them claim not to speak English but I'll be damned if they didn't ALL understand that phrase.  Every one of them stopped what he was doing and turned around to look at me.  At first I didn't know what was going on (I wasn't close enough to hear his conversation with Bama) but  then he laughed and explained, "Bama won't move until he can see you".  So, with great flourish I flung off my over shirt, cussing the whole time of course!

Seasons

 When I stepped out of my truck this past Friday after arriving home I could definitely feel the change of the season.  I knew we would be keeping a fire at least one night as it was already quite chilly at sundown.
A few weeks ago Jack had planted the biddy yard with new grass in anticipation of their growing and moving outside.  They love it!  It took a few days before all of them got the courage to go out but now they run and scratch until they just have to go in.

Of course, they love their feed too but they really enjoy the fresh grass and sunshine.  I am happy to see that they appear really healthy and normal so far.  They are growing quickly and are already quite heavy for their size.  We do have 3 that have legs problems but they get around and insist on staying with the group.  We will just have to watch them and make sure they are not suffering.

The pullets from the original group are trying to lay.  We have found 2 or 3 of these teeny eggs but haven't spied the young hen in the process.
This week I am really homesick.  I don't want to be here.  I want to be at home with a warm fire burning and nice food simmering on the stove.  But, I just keep reminding myself of what I can do with my earnings.  Perhaps I should do some sketches of how I want to finish the kitchen.

Our Country

Some of the observant souls among you may have noticed over the years that tower cranes always fly an American flag on the very end of their boom.  I suppose we have always been a patriotic bunch, even before it was the "in" thing.  Well, over time, and due to such high winds at those heights, the flags will become tattered and must be replaced.  Ever wonder how they did it?  You'll get a much better view if you click on these photos to enlarge them.  That's right....one of the fellows goes out there on the end and changes the flag by hand.

Now, it may look as though he is over the deck and therefore, not that high up, but the end of the boom is actually extended past the building, so James is looking about 200 feet straight down.  And yes, he is tied off.  In fact, we could see that he was tied twice!  I don't blame him.  The crane trolley has a neat little basket that a person can ride in to get out there and back.  The crane operator controls this as he would if he were making a lift.  Notice the large hook and tackle for making lifts.  On smaller cranes, as most people see, this is an actual ball; quite large and heavy and it is called the "headache" ball.  Naturally I had to ask why way back when I was a little apprentice girl.  "Well, 'cause if it hits you in the head you're gonna have a headache."  If you still have your head, that is.

Speaking of flags and country and all; I guess many of you may have heard about Alabama recently passing most of this new immigration bill.  Now, I'm not going to get into the pros and cons of such a thing.  That isn't the reason for this post.  I just thought the effects of this bill passing have been interesting.  To tell the truth, I have not read and studied all the bill enough to form a defensible position.  I have read a good bit of it and must say, there is lots I agree with; there's a little I don't.  We have a number of Hispanics that work for our company and I have enjoyed working with all of them.  Many people I talk to adhere to that old stereotype of the chauvinist Hispanic male (and a few are, just like whites) but they have always treated me well.  They are very kind to me and we joke around and have a good time.  I have even been invited to some their family events.  I do not have any problem with people coming here to make a better life.  I do have a problem with some of them doing it illegally and taking advantage of our system.  I do also think our immigration laws need a bit of revision so that it is easier for people to become legal residents.  All of our Hispanic carpenters are legal and many have lived here for years.  They go through our apprenticeship program just like everybody else and do well.  They are good men and love this country and I have recently been sad to see a few go back to their homeland because we didn't have enough work to keep them busy.  We were beginning to see a drop in the number of Hispanics on our jobs just due to the slow down of the economy anyway, as construction is usually one of the first industries to fall back.  So, when it came out Thursday that this bill had passed we were expecting a change Friday and boy, was there ever.  Our company is very diligent to hire only legal immigrants.  Hell, you should see the background checks they do on us, people born and raised here!  However, many of our subcontractors are not so careful.  Come Friday, our job was very quite in places.  Whole floors were vacant.  It was very odd to say the least.  At least 6 or the rodbusters had vanished, 6 or 7 of the form crew and I can't even guess how many electricians and mechanical guys.  I overheard some of the guys saying that they had expected this and the subs were already sending new crews out.  They better be or we are going to suffer some serious delays.  I can't help but wonder though, will they be replaced with legal Hispanics or Americans?  The fact is, our own people don't want to do this kind of work anymore, so can anybody blame the Hispanics for coming here to get a decent paying job?  I don't.  We are building a residence hall for a very large university.  They have had record number of enrollments these past 2 years but surveys, and the economy, have shown that the actual jobs available for college graduates keep falling.  Now, you long time readers know I have a college degree.  I have nothing against education.  But in my opinion we have just become lazy and want some cushy job sitting inside where we rake in wads of dough.  Well, that ain't happening much anymore in many places.  We need people to go into the trades.  We need society to recognize that the trades are an honorable profession and that you can make a decent living.  So, if this new bill leaves us in a bind, well, I can't say we don't deserve it.  We've become way too dependent on others for so many things and now it's going to bite us in the ass.

Dead Beat Club

Well, I kinda hate the direction the blog has gone in.  I know it's boring and crappy but I just don't have a lot of time to do many projects around the house so any kind of how-to posts are on the back burner.  I do plan to plant a garden for fall but that's probably going to be sporadic.  I know many of you are not terribly interested in commercial construction, so I'm trying to limit the number of posts on that subject.  So, I'm not sure what to write about and my Internet connection here is still unreliable so when I do feel like writing I sometimes can't get on.
So..........anybody have any ideas or suggestions?  I am still reading your blogs when I have time and trying to leave a few comments.  Work has become infinitely easier lately so it's not near as rough as when I first came down.  I guess I've gotten used to the workload again and welding is easier on me than the other work I was doing.  So, tell me what you think if you have any ideas.  I don't know.  I'm kinda bummed.  It's lonely working out of town and boring when you're not at work.

Chicken Run!!

I'm not sure how clear this video is going to be but maybe ya'll can make sense of it.  I thought it was just hilarious how rabid these chooks are to get out in the afternoons.  They live for their time out in the yard.  So far we have had good luck with letting them out with no fatalities.

 Speaking of no fatalities though; these boys will end that streak soon.  They have gotten a little too big for their britches lately and are confined to fatten up just a little more.  I do not believe I will ever have Leghorns again.  They are very aggressive towards the other chickens.

The Cornish Cross chicks are doing well now.  We did have 3 to die and it was a bit mysterious.  No leg problems, no wheezing, discharge, pasty butt or anything else that might indicate disease or anything.  However, Jack did notice that their feed had some larger chunks it in that maybe they were having trouble with so he started sifting their food and we've had no deaths since.  We are buying a locally ground natural, non-medicated feed but apparently they also do rabbit food etc. because the larger chunks looked kinda like rabbit pellets (food, not poo).  Maybe they don't clean their machines well between batches.  We don't know if that was the culprit but they re all doing well now and are surprisingly active.

This one kept staring at me rather pointedly.  Perhaps he suspects his fate.  I hope not.

They have even begun flying around their cage a little.  Well, enough to hop up on the rat sills anyway!  We have found all the young chicks like to sit up there for some reason.  Their little legs are significantly thicker than regular little chicks and we have only noticed one that might be having a little trouble walking.  After we had those 3 die I was beginning to feel like getting these were a mistake but now they seem to be developing normally, just a bit faster than other chicks.  We'll see.  I'm still a bit skeptical and we are keeping a close eye on how they get around and seem to be getting along.  No matter how efficient they are at becoming dinner I still don't want to be raising meat blobs.  However, as of now, they seem just like any other chicks as far as activity and curiosity.  They jump and fly and scratch.  Best they can anyway.

I hope to also get a little bit of the fall garden planted today but I may not.  I have a bit of throwing to do to fulfill some pottery orders so that comes first right now.

Rock Around The Clock

 The photos are just some miscellaneous ones I had that are somewhat related to what I wanted to write about tonight.  The area shown is where my most recent project has been going on.  I know that the world of commercial construction is very far removed from the way most people work so I thought I'd just give ya'll a view of my day.  It starts out early enough at about 4:30 a.m.  I get up in time to have a good, hot cup of tea and really wake up.  I hate to be rushed into my day.  I make my lunch and breakfast and am on my way to work by 5:30.  One good thing here is that I am only about 15 minutes from work at the most, so I make it there by about 5:45-50.  We start work at 6:00 sharp so everybody gets there earlier in order to get their stuff in order and several of us usually sit and eat our breakfast also.  We also use the time to begin our daily aggravation and joking on each other.
At 6:00 we have our safety meeting.  It used to be you only had those once a week but it has become common to have them every day now, first thing.  That lasts about 5-10 minutes and then everybody goes to their assigned job places to shake tools out and get to work.  I have been hanging steel in this stairway that you see in the above photo.  First, I welded on those short stubs you see on the right, next to the concrete.  There are steel plates embedded in the slab that you can't see.  This is 7 floors with embeds at each floor.  Now, my welding leads only reach about 3 floors, so I have to pull the leads up or down the stairwell to reach the next section.  When i run out of leads I pull everything back to the welding machine, roll it up, take the machine over to the buck hoist (if it's running) and take it up or down to the level where i can reach the rest.  Now, sometimes I can just put it on the 3rd or 4th floor and just have to move the leads but sometimes I have to take it all the way up or down for other projects.  Inevitably, I end up moving the machine at least once a day and pulling those leads all over the place.  I know many people have commented on the "condition" of my biceps and shoulders.  Well, now you know.  They are in the shape they are from 18 years of moving, pulling, carrying, shoving or rolling up leads that weigh 30-40 lbs. each.  If I carry them both at once to save time it is a fair load.  And I'm also doing this going up and down any number of stairs.  So, I just work on this type stuff; welding, carrying, moving, layout etc. until 9:00 a.m.  Then we get a 15 minute break if our work allows it.  if you have to work through break you can usually make it up later.  I know 15 minutes doesn't seem like much but it does help a lot.  we get a snack and something to drink, joke around and aggravate each other some more and then go back to work.  Now, today, work involved flying steel into place with the crane as I have all the other stuff in place.  The other day we were on the inside and the crane flew the steel over to us.  I have help doing this.  We maneuver the pieces into place and as the crane holds them, i tack weld them well enough that we can cut him loose and he'll go pick another.  After we get all the pieces hung, I'll come back by myself and hard weld everything according to the drawings.



When I'm welding near the edge I wear a harness, in addition to the welding jacket, etc, and tie off to these clever devices.  They pour them into the tops of each column and are left in place until all outer work is over.  They are very handy.  There is a handrail there, as you can see, but I often have to stand on a ladder to reach what I'm welding and if you do that you must be tied off.
So, we just keep working until 12:00 noon.  Then we get a 30 minute lunch.  It's enough time to rest up but not long enough that you don't want to go back to work.  You don't loose your momentum, so to speak.  Today we were hanging steel with the crane but we had to be up on the outside of the building in a lift in order to maneuver it correctly.  There were 2 of us in the basket and one guy inside to hand me the leads etc. and help hold.  This type work is a little scarier because the operator is flying the steel right over us and then lowers it down to us.  We use a special clamp of the steel called a "plate dog".  It basically bites the steel as long as there is pressure or weight on it and releases when the tension eases and the rigger flips a safety latch.  You have to use these when straps would get caught behind the steel once it was set.  It does cross your mind when that steel is over you that if that plate dog fails you will probably die or be severely injured.
So, normally we would roll up at 2:30 but we are working 10 hours a day so we keep going until 4:30.  We are allowed to go get a Coke or something around 2;30 or 3:00 and of course, we can get water or take a bathroom break any time work allows.  Sometime you have to plan these things if you are working in the air or on a lift.  So, same ol' work until about 4:15 and then it's time to get tools up.  we usually have quite a bit of stuff out so it takes a while to get everything rolled up and locked up in our tool boxes.  Then we go sign out and leave at 4:30.  You do not leave before then even if you have your stuff up.
I know this sounds like a rough day for most people, and it is hard, but we have fun.  We joke around when we can and tease each other.  Sometimes there are down times waiting for one of the cranes or such and we can rest them.  It does take some getting used to though and many people don't like the work.  I don't know, we all have a good camaraderie and help each other as much as we tease each other too.  I am fortunate to work with a great bunch of guys.

Late Summer Fair

After my last post I have been anxious to put this one up so that I could show you all that I can relax and did have an enjoyable and fun weekend to counteract the long work week.  I drive home on Friday evenings after work, so that night is usually just spent laying around, but Saturday we got up and went into Birmingham so I could deliver a little pottery to one of my stores and to do some other general errands.  We returned that afternoon in time for the county fair though!  They had a lot more exhibits and such this year I believe.  I thought this poultry pair was beautiful.  I think they said the breed was Coronation Sussex but I could be mistaken.

This feller was so cute but looked like he would bite your hand clean off if you gave him the chance.  Maybe that's just the way he always looks.  I think some people think I have that same look.

 No way in Hell.

Of course there is always something magical about the carousel horses.  I couldn't quite capture the image I had in mind but you get the idea.

And we ate all sorts of crap we probably shouldn't have but it was good and fun.  I always have to get a caramel apple and nachos!

I was trying to get kinda artsy-fartsy with some of these pics and it only succeeded to a small degree.  I'm not much on these kind of rides but enjoy some of the games and all the exhibits.  Fred won several ribbons for his various art and craft work, as usual, and Rurality won a ribbon for one her plant displays along with another friend of ours.

I had thought about entering something but just didn't have time with work and all.  The weather was gorgeous over the weekend and Sunday was spent just relaxing.  Well, that and washing my work clothes.

Today we got rained out at work so I had a little time to relax down here.  I picked up a cold unfortunately, so part of the day was spent napping but after lunch I felt a bit improved and went out for a walk about.  Visited an antique store down the road and the book store.  I found a great old glass storage jar at the antique place for my pantry collection and it was on sale!  So,that's about as exciting as free time gets when you're out of town!  Ha!  At least for me.  Should be back to work tomorrow though as the rain moves out. As they say, 'cain't make no money sittin' at home' and I need to make all I can to make this worthwhile.
I'll try to be back a little quicker next post.  I hope everybody is enjoying this fall weather and, if you're in Texas, some rain!!  If not, maybe you will be soon.

Tired Feet

Well, I had intended on posting a bit more but I guess I haven't entirely gotten used to this amount of construction work yet.  Ten hours a day, everyday, is a little wearying.  And, I guess, the abrupt and total change in lifestyle has been mentally tiring.  I believe this is about as opposite as the way I was living as you can get.  I'm having to stay in a small, cramped, heavily occupied, cheap hotel.  It's right next to the interstate; mostly asphalt around here.  The peace and tranquility of my valley is a long way away.  I'm doing the best I can I guess but it gets me down.  

I do enjoy working with my fellas though.  That's the one bright spot but I don't see a lot of them for most of the day actually.  Welders tend to work alone most of the time except when prep work is being done.  Well, didn't mean to write a downer post but I'm very tired and I want to go home.  We will get off at 2:30 tomorrow however and I'll be blazing a trail to my house shortly thereafter.  I'll try to have a better post from home.

Cracker Box Palace

Well, today has just been a real Monday all around; very frustrating.  I was having so much trouble with Blogger I wasn't sure I was going to get anything posted or not.  But I persisted.  I trudged on for you, my dear readers!  Ha!  I know this blog has really had ya'll on the edge of your seats lately, ya know?
Anyway, these I-beams and tube steel are what I've been working on lately.  How did I get those heavy pieces of steel up there, you ask??  Well, us construction workers are not as dumb as people think!  We have levitation abilities!  No, not really; not anything that exciting.  There was simply decking over the openings when I was working there.  They wrecked the decking today to make the area ready for the elevator men.

 Just thought I'd give ya'll a few different views of the job site.  So far, they have made just over 200 concrete pours on this job.  I have no idea of the yardage.

This is (will be) the courtyard area.  Right now it's a staging area.  If you enlarge the area you should be able to see a lot of the sorted rebar and some finished column reinforcement waiting to be set.
I know sometimes I probably sound like a broken record talking about being safe with projects and stuff and maybe even kind of an alarmist type but this is what I know.  This you see is serious.  We are not playing around and this, in this photo, is one reason why it irks the hell out of me to see these jackleg bloggers giving people dishonest views of concrete and building.  Now, I know ya'll aren't building anything like this.  I know that pouring a patio slab or some other similar DIY project is rarely ever going to end in any serious injury but you have to be careful.  Accidents do happen.  And any structural concrete needs steel reinforcement.
 

I was trying to get both cranes in the shot but it's kinda hard when you are up close.  My stamina is improving and I've been working in the shade the past few days with this welding, so that has helped.  It's not near as hot as it was but even a cool day gets warm if you are welding in the open.  That comes later!  Ugh!
I tell ya, I sure didn't want to come back last night.  I hated to leave home but I keep telling myself it will be good.  I will be able to finish the house and it will look so good and be even more enjoyable to live there.  Well, bedtime comes early these days!  See ya'll!

Come-On-A-My House

 I was afeared I was goin' to have to work Saturday but I made good enough progress on my project that the boss said I could come home, so, after a 9 hour day Friday, I hopped in Little Blue and took off for the house!  It has been a beautiful weekend, weather wise, and is noticeably cooler up here than where I'm working.  The fall feeling is definitely in the air here.  Jack had picked the last big watermelon and had it waiting on me.  I had one other very large one and a couple about half this size.  The first one was pretty darn good; very sweet despite the fact the flesh was not as dark as I thought Black Diamonds were supposed to be.

 This second melon weighed in at 38 pounds; the first was around 32 I think.  However, this one did not taste good.  It was mushy and basically a disappointment. 

 So, we pitched it off the deck to the chickens, making sure not to squash any of them!  They LOVE watermelon.  Although, they did not attack this one in their normal voracious frenzy.  They had already stuffed themselves with a smaller melon and had been eating bugs all day.  Jack had let them out a few hours earlier than normal since we were going to be here all day and all.

 And the new babies came in!!!  They arrived Thursday morning early and Jack picked them up at the post office.  They are sooo cute!  But hopefully they will grow quickly into big, plump, non-cute, tasty birds.  They are quite active, scurrying around their cage all day.

 They do take naps as you can see by that one passed out in the corner.  Since we ordered from McMurray Hatchery they always send you one extra, in case of a mortality I guess, and one free, exotic chick.  You don't know what it is though, until it grows up.  This one is very cute.

 They are all doing well so far and began gobbling food just as soon as Jack put them in the cage.  These are the Cornish Rocks and I am anxious to see how they do.  We found a local feed supply that grinds their own formula of a non-mediated starter feed.  It's not organic, unfortunately, but it's the best we can find right now without paying a fortune for feed.  Maybe later I can come up with a more organic formula.  McMurray lets you opt out of any vaccinations also, so I did not have that done.  Jack scrubbed their cage within the coop house good and sterilized it before they arrived, so hopefully they will stay healthy.
Well, time to get some stuff done around here before I have to head back this evening.

Weathered

Sorry, no photos today.  Didn't really have a chance to take anything.  If you've been listening to the weather any you may have heard we've had a bit of a rough couple of days down here.  It's been kinda typical Alabama  weather though.  Friday we were sweating our butts off in 100 degree heat and 4 days later everybody had jackets and sweaters on.  It was especially chilly on the upper floors of the building since they are all still open.  Like the old local saying goes, "welcome to Alabama, bring your entire wardrobe."

We kept busy today inside the building trying to satisfy the seemingly never ending need for handrails.  I believe you could frame a good size house from the lumber we have used just for that.  Perhaps I will get to actually weld soon.  One load of steel did come in last week.
As I gazed over the job site today from many stories up and watched the light rain falling, creating a cold mist that enveloped the workers and work, I realized that I really have reached the time when this is not work that I wish to do anymore.  Half the year it is scorching hot and dry.  Enormous dust devils race us across the open jobs sites flinging grit and stones at us.  The other half, it is bitterly cold and wet.  Southern winter is not like other winters.  The dampness cuts all the way through you with a sharp chill.  The weight of the clothes we wear can only be equaled by the inevitable weight of red clay accumulating on our boots as we slog through the day.
Perhaps I have finally proven everything I needed to prove to myself.  Perhaps I'm just getting lazy.  Whatever the reason, I think I have come to accept this work is no longer for me.  But, I will finish this job and I will be grateful for the money I make to complete what I really want to work on.

The Follow Through

I don't think I ever showed ya'll the completely finished pantry!  This is pretty much it completed.  I do have a little touch up on the paint and a tad of shoe mould to run but it's pretty much done.  I was pleased with the final product.  You can see on the top shelf some of the stuff I canned this year.  Hopefully I will add a few more pints of things to this still.  I have about 12-14 half pints of jams, 4 or 5 pints of salsa, a couple of pints of pickles and about 2 dozen pints of pickled okra.  I know that's not a lot but it's better than I did last year.  I hope to can a few more tomatoes at least, as my Amish Paste are still coming in.  I have also harvested and dried a lot of herbs, which are in the glass jars on the countertop.  I also put up shelves over the window and door to hold canning supplies and extra jars, etc.

Directly opposite that wall is this wall with the electrical panel.  Code requires your panel to have at least 3 feet of clear space in front of it so we simply put it by the cased opening of the pantry so it would naturally stay clear.  We had room to set the little wall for it out slightly in order to make little storage cubby holes there too.  It's just right for a small broom closet type thing and to hide stuff like toilet paper and such but still be easy to get to.

 I put up a few extras like this bulletin board to record stuff I run out of and all.  The shelf above the door also holds table linens and such.

This is the hardware I chose.  I like the very streamlined and contemporary look.  I know a lot of people think homes in the country should look, well, country but that is just not my cup of tea.  All of the fixtures, appliances, switch plates, hardware and the like are brushed stainless in my house.  It's a very clean, minimalist look to me.  I think it goes well with the maple woodwork and cabinets too.

Hard Bargain

Well, I had good intentions (but you know what they say about that) for my posting while I was away but ran into a couple of issues. First, the place where I'm staying has horrible Internet connection. I'm using a wireless connection but can only sometimes get a strong enough signal to stay online more than a few minutes. I inquired about the hotel's connection but they want $10 a week for it and I said screw that. I would get an excellent signal at work but do not have time to even log on, much less write anything and I'm not about to hang around after work to blog. Sorry folks. Don't mean I don't care about you! But that shower, however crappy it is, is calling to me mightily by quitting time. Hopefully, I can figure out a solution to this dilemma but in the mean time if I am slow answering emails or replying to comments, that is why. Also, and just as significantly, this first week kicked my ass, to be honest and I really didn't have the energy to do much writing. We worked overtime everyday except Friday and by the time I got back to my room, cleaned up and got something to eat, I was about ready to pass out. My crew has been working on hanging brick angle and so must work out of man lifts up to 80 or so feet in the air. Of course, we must wear safety harnesses that add about 6-7 lbs. to what you're already carrying and in the blazing sun with hardhats on. We've been going in at 6:00 a.m. to get some coolness but that makes for some early nights. At least for me. I can't stay up all night like I used to could. Fortunately, as far as the stress of the work, I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. The first part of the week was rough, to say the least, but by Thursday I was feeling like I was starting to get acclimated to it all again and Friday was almost enjoyable. Maybe that was partially due to the fact I knew we were leaving at 2:30 but I felt not quite so wore out. It was still about 100 degrees that day and I burnt the living crap out of myself cutting some steel but it wasn't a bad day. (The slag spewed back on me because I was cutting against concrete and it basically showered me completely in molten steel.) That statement may help you understand just how bad Monday through Wednesday was.
When I was pondering what to blog about I was thinking about just how hard it is to describe what we go through on these jobs to someone who has never experienced it. I mean, I picked metal BB's (basically) out of my flesh and yes, it hit in some very sensitive areas for a woman, but it was still a fairly enjoyable day, comparatively. Not to sound overly dramatic but it occurred to me; nothing I have ever done while building my house has ever been as hard as what I do at work. And my house includes quite a bit of structural steel and concrete. I admit, the spring box was close and some days at work are super easy but it is just a whole 'nother world there. I think that is part of the reason I get so pissed off when I hear people speak disparagingly of construction workers or have some office slackers make snide remarks to us. It kills me that society has so much respect for doctors and professors etc. but the people that build the structures for these esteemed members of society to work in are treated like so much trash, for the most part.
Well, that's enough ranting for now! Thankfully they are letting us have a 3-day weekend for the holiday so I will probably have some time to post again before I go back. I will try to write about something other than work also!

Oh, I forgot to mention, the photo is the view from the front of the job but you can only see one of the two tower cranes. Directly beneath the crane is some of the forms they use for pouring the floors. These are some interesting contraptions as they can be jacked up or down and shoved out over the edge to extend the floor they are forming. After the floor is poured, these forms are dropped down and pulled out by the crane to be replaced with shoring. The shoring is the 4x4 posts and scaffolding you see to the far left. There will be a forest of these posts amongst the floors. These must be left in place for a few weeks until the concrete samples taken from these pours break at the prescribed strength.
And...if you're wondering why I wasn't wearing some type of protection when I got burned...well, that's a good question. I just didn't take the time to get down from the lift and go get my sleeves. I only needed to wallow this hole in the steel out about an 1/8th of an inch and knew it wouldn't take a minute. So, in an effort to save time I did it bare armed. I eventually had to burn a few more, so I did retrieve my leathers when I went down to doctor myself. And yes, Daddy Rabbit chewed my ass when he found out that I had injured myself, so now I'm sore on both ends. Ha!