What did you do today?

[C.J.]

It’s raining today so I went into the shop and finished up a project I’ve been working on.

I found some really cool wood to use to make the cutting board I’ve been working on a little bigger than it was with just the maple wrap. Don’t know what kind of wood it is but it’s cool lookin and I’m sure it has an expensive name so I wrapped the outside with it. The cutting board finishes out at 13.75” x 17.25” x 2.625” thick. It’s more of a cutting block than a cutting board. Wonder what shipping will cost.

Got to use my new router sled with dust collection hooked up to it. I’ve got a few peeves to fine tune with the sled itself but it worked great for its maiden voyage.

I smeared 5 minute epoxy over the whole thing as a filler then sanded it smooth. Mineral oil and wax really bring out a richness to the wood. Throw in a quality chefs knife and that’s a house warming gift.

 

[highup]

That's sweet. You're lucky having such a cool place to work.

 

[C.J.]

That's sweet. You're lucky having such a cool place to work.

I hear people talking about retirement. This is what retirement looks like. You just get to do the job you want to do instead of what pays the bills.

 

[Floorist]

I hear people talking about retirement. This is what retirement looks like. You just get to do the job you want to do instead of what pays the bills.

After you retire, you are busier than you ever were working.

 

[zannej]

Yeah, after my dad retired he was out pulling out old damaged fences, putting up new fences, cutting down trees, cleaning up the yard, building bookcases and a desk, doing repairs, etc. I'm not nearly as handy as him but I get my interest in DIY from him.

More redneck drama out here. My friend's new gf (let's call her Lulu) has been having problems with her ex (calling him Jackass). Every time she goes to get her stuff he corners her and tries to manipulate her so she never gets all of her stuff bc she wants to get away from him. He punched a mirror in the hopes of getting sympathy but broke his pinky. So he's been using it to ask her to come over and help him & take care of him. He's convinced she's still leading him on. I told him that victims of abuse will sometimes show affection as a means of placating people so they don't get aggressive/violent and that she was placating him. He dismissed it. She told him she will never take him back but he's still trying to force her to break up with our friend and is saying horrible lies about him, and about me and my brother. So, yesterday she went to get her stuff and help him with something bc he asked her to, but when she tried to leave, he blocked the door and refused to move. She couldn't get past him. So she messaged our friend to say she needed help bc Jackass wouldn't let her out. I was over there drying off from a shower. I stayed with the kids while friend went to help her. Jackass eventually let her out of the house but immediately jumped in her car and refused to get out so she couldn't leave. She was afraid he'd attack her if she tried to call the cops. Friend got there and Jackass got out of her vehicle and then lied to claim he never blocked her & never tried to stop her from leaving. They argued and then friend made sure his gf was able to leave and then followed. I told her that next time to let me know and I will go over and make sure Jackass doesn't stop her or bother her. If he wants to try to get aggressive with me I will torque his pinky.

Anyway, today my friend worked on my truck-- put in new spark plugs & ignition coils. Wanted to put in pcv valve but couldn't find where it went. Diagrams show it in a certain spot but there's nothing there. I found a different diagram and tried to send it to my friend but my phone crapped out on me. Shut off and wouldn't come back on.

Went to the doctor and he examined my shoulder/arm. Said its electrocution injury from the cooktop that exacerbated an already strained muscle. My deltoid is all locked up and sore. The good news is my nerve reaction and blood flow are still good. Bad news is it will take months to heal and I have to take it easy with that arm. No heavy lifting or pulling or doing anything to stress it. Tomorrow I will go to get my RX for the muscle relaxants.

Meanwhile, in other weirdness, friend was tearing down a closet wall to open up his daughter's closet more so the bedroom has more space. Out fell a 22 rifle. He called the cops to come pick it up. He has no idea who put it there, how it got there, or who owned it. They asked some questions, examined it, and then took it away saying they will put it in storage.

 

[Floorist]

YOU HAVE REACHED THE END OF THE INTERNET!

Would the last one out turn off the light.

 

[C.J.]

YOU HAVE REACHED THE END OF THE INTERNET!

Would the last one out turn off the light.

I know there’s still some shit out there that I haven’t seen yet.

 

[Floorist]

I know there’s still some shit out there that I haven’t seen yet.

Shit is probably the correct word.

 

[zannej]

Don't look up Rule 34!

Today was a lazy day. The meds I take for muscle relaxing just make me drowsy (and do not relax my muscles). They also make me feel uncoordinated. I stumble. Supposed to take them every 8 hours but I'm going to only take them at night from now on. Rained all day. I'm taking it easy on my arm. My brother is going to bring me a salad (he's on his way home from work).

I was checking out the Terry Love forums (mostly for plumbing stuff) and saw a message from Terry's daughter that he's now in hospice care and only has a few weeks left to live. His cancer came back. :-( I really hate cancer.
Just last week he was talking to me on the forums. I really feel for him and his family. Did I mention I hate cancer?

 

[kwfloors]

Did the same myself. Need to take a day off once in awhile.

 

[highup]

I hear people talking about retirement. This is what retirement looks like. You just get to do the job you want to do instead of what pays the bills.

I think I'm kind of doing that now being that I'm doing measuring and very little installation. I've always been fortunate that my bills have been relatively small, but in the past there have been times when I've had 2 weeks of no work at all. It's a bit late to turn back and do my life all over.
I'm fortunate to live in a small community and have such a close relationship with my previous customers. They have given me most of my work.
When you do good work, your customers will tell their friends and relatives and there's nothing more satisfying that hearing the phone ring and someone says.
"Biff told me you are the best", can you come over and measure a new home that we're building"?
That's what I've always lived for.
I would literally be paralyzed hearing someone say that I'm the worst installer he's ever seen"
....nope, I will go way, way overboard because of my inner fear. I'm a total woose and can't handle criticism. I'm going to go 200% balls in/balls out before I allow a job to fail or a customer to be unhappy with anything I do.
Zero call backs 0 failures maybe at my detriment financially, but it's good for my ego. It's been good to get repeat customers and for them to recommend me to others. I can't look back and think of anything I wouldn't change.
Okay, maybe starting an hour and a half earlier so people wouldn't call me ,"the banker"

 

[highup]

Did the same myself. Need to take a day off once in awhile.

I only put in short days anymore. Because of that, I sometimes put in 6 or 7 days. It doesn't matter how many hours you put in a day, 7 days a week gets to you.
I recently started to take some Saturdays off. It's not enough but it feels better.
I know a lot of installers simply refuse to work weekends, they call it family time. I totally get that, but since I don't have a wife or kids, I tend to work more weekends or at least Saturdays then most guys would.
Like I said I put in short hours so Saturday or Sunday brings my week slightly closer to normal.

 

[Incognito]

I would literally be paralyzed hearing someone say that I'm the worst installer he's ever seen"
....nope, I will go way, way overboard because of my inner fear. I'm a total woose and can't handle criticism. I'm going to go 200% balls in/balls out before I allow a job to fail or a customer to be unhappy with anything I do.
Zero call backs 0 failures maybe at my detriment financially, but it's good for my ego. It's been good to get repeat customers and for them to recommend me to others. I can't look back and think of anything I wouldn't change.
Okay, maybe starting an hour and a half earlier so people wouldn't call me ,"the banker"

So that explains why you're not rich. The rich folks I know learned early to compromise perfection for production and satisfy the customer whilst at the same time taking risks................just a little less than PERFECT all the time. Hell, our customers don't want perfection they want GOOD and FAIR.

But it worked for you. In fact, I always leaned your way toward fighting for the perfect install. Only thing is we never got close in 40+ years. (minus time off for Good Behavior)

 

[highup]

It's a sickness. It's hard for me to find a stopping point. I'm not finished with a job by the end of the day. I'm finished when Ive completed it. I thermo seal almost all carpet seams. It may appear to take a lot of time. I very rarely go back over a carpet seam to clip a loose fiber. I don't need to, because sealing the seam eliminates that issue.
It helps eliminate peaking, which is what customers notice first.
I'm done when I'm done not because i watch the clock.
Because of the quality I try to provide, I'm the guy that fixes all the jobs when customers complain.
I just looked at one today. It was a minor complaint, but the issues could easily have been avoided with no additional time involved at the time of install.
You're absolutely right about the money. It ain't real good.

 

[highup]

Hey Daris, when you were younger, you lived near the equator.

 

[DarisMulkin]

You're absolutely right about the money. It ain't real good.

And it may never be. As installers we aren't business people and let the retailer beat up on us. They set the pricing not us, and you know as well as I do it is going to be in their favor. Compare the car you drive, or the house you live in to theirs. Most will notice a considerable difference. Just saying.

 

[Floorist]

And it may never be. As installers we aren't business people and let the retailer beat up on us. They set the pricing not us, and you know as well as I do it is going to be in their favor. Compare the car you drive, or the house you live in to theirs. Most will notice a considerable difference. Just saying.

As an independent, I made a lot more than guys working for stores. I set my own prices.

 

[highup]

And it may never be. As installers we aren't business people and let the retailer beat up on us. They set the pricing not us, and you know as well as I do it is going to be in their favor. Compare the car you drive, or the house you live in to theirs. Most will notice a considerable difference. Just saying.

I've been lucky in that they don't beat me up. My problem has been lack of work over the years because the only thing I was being offered was the jobs of the guys couldn't do. Random work doesn't pay well when you average it out.
For years because of crappy installers, I had tons of work fixing seams and restretching carpet.
The older I got more I like these small jobs because they're a lot easier on the body and I've never been a production guy that can pump out work like most guys do.
I've always moved at the pace of an electrician or a plumber, not the typical Tasmanian devil / installer.

 

[Floorist]

I've been lucky in that they don't beat me up. My problem has been lack of work over the years because the only thing I was being offered was the jobs of the guys couldn't do. Random work doesn't pay well when you average it out.
For years because of crappy installers, I had tons of work fixing seams and restretching carpet.
The older I got more I like these small jobs because they're a lot easier on the body and I've never been a production guy that can pump out work like most guys do.
I've always moved at the pace of an electrician or a plumber, not the typical Tasmanian devil / installer.

I worked for a couple stores between my own jobs doing repairs. It paid very well.

 

[zannej]

Yesterday I went to Samsclub with my brother. We stopped to eat first. Then went to the post office to get mail. Dropped stuff off at friend's house, fed his cats, and headed home. My brother carried in some of the cold stuff and didn't bother to close the tailgate (at least he closed the trunk this time though). Oh, almost forgot that we stopped at the Honda dealership to dispute a charge. It clearly said in the notes that I provided the oil and filter for the oil change but they charged me for oil. They at first told me I waited too long. I said it was less than 30days and everything I've ever ready said customers have 60 days to dispute charges. They blew me off and said I'd have to talk to a manager "tomorrow".

I called the manager today-- had to call multiple times to finally get through. I explained the situation & that I had the receipt for the oil, the used can, and the paperwork that showed I provided the oil. Got put on hold a bunch of times and then they finally agreed to the refund. But were going to lowball me and give back less than they charged. I read out the proper amount and they said they would send a check in 3 weeks. If I don't have that check in 3 weeks I'm going to call the CC company to dispute the charge. I know it's a little under $40 but I'm not letting them keep it. That's one and a half trips for 2 at Panda (my favorite restaurant).

Having prevailed on that, I went to tell my mother the good news. She asked me to put water in the dog's bowl in the bathroom and I saw how disgusting the toilet was. I haven't used it in months. I clean my own toilet regularly but this one hasn't been cleaned since I got my bathroom fixed up. It took an hour to scrub that thing. I had to use a clorox toilet wand, rubbermaid electric scrubber (looks like a toothbrush), clorox wipes, clorox toilet cleaning gel, fabuloso, and paper towels. At one point the rubbermaid needed a battery change. My brother had taken the stopper out of the sink AGAIN and the battery plunked right down the drain. I had to use a magnet stick to fish it out. I wish my brother would join adulthood and clean the toilet or even take out the trash. My back and shoulder hate me. some stains wouldn't come out but it looks better at least.
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