First Day To-Day It seems O.K. , I was given a decent work area with two large desks and my back to the wall but some kid took it Friday night then another guy took the kid's spot so I'm in a tiny little cubicle , it's O.K. though as I can turn my monitor to the wall... The desk was being cleaned out all morning then I attacked it with vigor so now it's spiffy clean , after lunch they found some old computer and printer etc. in the TRASH judging by the look of it and how filthy it was (did Eisenhower have a computer ?) , I spent the rest of the day cleaning that and hooking it up , digging through the junkpile and finding good old Pendaflex Files and folders etc. As usual , I made a good thing out of others leftovers . Many of the people here seem to be afraid of me for some reason but I also discovered several old friends including one GearHead I got hired in 20 years ago ,he's quite happy to see me so this should work out O.K. !.
Good luck, brother. You still being there is kinda like a middle finger waving. Keep on doing what you do with what you can. Remember...retirement is a great killer of hard working men.
Thinking Of My Old Boss : Have You Ever Danced? An old prospector shuffled into the town of El Indio , Texas leading an old tired mule.. The old man headed straight for the only saloon in town, to clear his parched throat. He walked up to the saloon and tied his old mule to the hitch rail. As he stood there, brushing some of the dust from his face and clothes, a young gunslinger stepped out of the saloon with a gun in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other.. The young gunslinger looked at the old man and laughed, saying, "Hey old man, have you ever danced?" The old man looked up at the gunslinger and said, "No, I never did dance... never really wanted to.." A crowd had gathered as the gunslinger grinned and said, "Well, you old fool, you're gonna' dance now," and started shooting at the old man's feet. The old prospector, not wanting to get a toe blown off, started hopping around like a flea on a hot skillet. Everybody was laughing, fit to be tied. When his last bullet had been fired, the young gunslinger, still laughing, holstered his gun and turned around to go back into the saloon. The old man turned to his pack mule, pulled out a 12 gauge double-barreled shotgun, and cocked both hammers. The loud clicks carried clearly through the desert air. The crowd stopped laughing immediately. The young gunslinger heard the sounds too, and he turned around very slowly. The silence was almost deafening. The crowd watched as the young gunman stared at the old timer and the large gaping holes of those twin barrels. The barrels of the shotgun never wavered in the old man's hands, as he quietly said, "Son, have you ever kissed a mule's ass?" The gunslinger swallowed hard and said, "No sir...... but... I've always wanted to." There are a few lessons for us all here: Never be arrogant. Don't waste ammunition. Whiskey makes you think you're smarter than you are. Always, always make sure you know who has the power. Don't mess with old men, they didn't get old by being stupid.
Amen, brother. Too many young upstarts think they know everything and are going to straighten you out. They get hired higher up the ladder with a degree, (Hey, I went to college too!) and instead of sitting back and observing, then fixing what needs to be, they try to start all over. Kinda like my wife's principal...inexperienced and too immature to realize it. 3 years as a teacher, admin. degree ONLINE, only apprenticed at her school, then gets principle job. Won't listen to teachers with 15+ years experience. Too stupid to realize that he makes the whole school harder than it needs to be on him and the teachers. Reminds me of a 16 yr old kid on the set of the Patriot. He was home schooled and coddled. He goes around spouting off about all he knows and how tough he is, really pissing off most of the older, wiser and much rougher guys. I pulled him aside and told him that he is in an opportunity of a lifetime, filming a blockbuster movie, hanging out with a lot of older, much more experienced men, many of whom are proffessional re enactors with a vast knowledge of the subject of history. I told him to quietly observe and learn more than the books will teach you about life, history and being a man, also how not to act.....there were quite a few losers, too. He didn't listen. He got kicked off the set after a few guys were about to stomp him into the ground. I tried.
Filling Up My Desk.... They gave me a crappy modern desk that's bent & wobbles plus the drawers slide open unless I jamb a trash bucket under them... Mary , downstairs in the Whse. (cute 40 YO redhead) likes these wretched things just because they're !NEW! and so grabbed one and threw out her old desk , I grabbed it and had a couple guys lug it upstairs to my cubicle (I hate that word), spent a few hours cleaning it and polishing it (found some Swingline American made staples underneath one of the drawers) , loaded it back up with the old adding machine and other vintage junk I've been scrounging , this desk was prolly made when I was in High School and Mary even gave me the key to lock it up so now my work area is beginning to look like a right proper Luddite Shrine.. I'll have to go back to my old shop and grab my wooden coat tree and glass desk topper as this desk is the exact duplicate of my old one Yes , I'm feeling happier , this big old solid thing was put into service during the Nixon Administration .
Nate! - you'll find some tires and get that desk running in no time! Proud of you (again) for making the best of it and moving forward.
Step By Step I'm (as always) moving forward.... I just got my computer going again after it was ' disabled ' Monday morning .
Nate, You're one of the wittiest guys I know of... Your banter keeps me chuckling the whole time I'm on this site. Makes my Wife wonder what's up. Thanks for being such an astute observer of life, and being able to convey that to others. Really Cool.
Nate, they are truly lucky to have you. I hope they realize it now that they moved you and see that desk - are you gonna do a frame-up or just keep it as a driver? Cheers, Terry
Daily Driver You already knew that didn't you? . Even back when I was restoring old cars and judging etc. , I always had ' Drivers ' as to me , that's what it's all about . Just like life : it's to be savored and enjoyed . even the unpleasant bits ~ if life was smooth sailing every day you'd not appreciate the really nice parts now wouldja ? . Thank you all for the positive words , I'm just like all here ,I jump in the air to cleverly put my pants on both legs at the same time...... . I've been " in the mood " all week , going home and attacking my little Metropolitan Nash , it's looking nearly as good is it runs , my poor old broken back is screaming in protest though so to-day is off duty ~ just a nice Coastal drive to Palos Verdes in it to the local gathering of LBC nuts... then hang out with my sweet .
Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill. Way to go Nate,just goes to show that good guys don't always finish last!
Yep ; I began cutting P.O.'s yesterdiddy and soon discovered they don't think outside the box here , they actually want me to do stupid things that'll cause confusion and waste time.... Not on MY watch !
