Transitions Satyrday

weather is in transition compared to what we had over the last five days.   That cold that dumped snow on the southern (more southern) states, is creeping back this way and feels nearly spring-like now, compared to the low single digits we had three days in a row.

Went to the lake today,,, didn’t kayak,,, Sheets of ice piled up on the shore where I put in,,   about 5′ wide towards water, very unstable.   Steady breeze of around 5mph off the water that cuts to the bone with cold.   To hell with it.   I need a therapeutic paddle, not a technical one: with all the gear I need to don, its highly technical and thats not prescribed right now.  Besides,,, don’t wanna break my neck slipping on that ice while holding a 65# boat on my shoulders,,,   could probably slide her across the ice to get to the water but still a REAL chance of busting my ass on that stuff, and I don’t wanna damage my drysuit: that’s just bad mojo,,,

Honestly, didn’t do much of nuthin’ today,,, cleaned the house a bit, re-arranged the Buffalo’s back seat (was starting to get out of hand with all the kayak-y gear and those tools too big for the truck box, like my portable bandsaw that I absolutely love (one of those frivolous purchases made because I saw a deal and a half, so chose to jump.  Damned glad I did, as now, the same set up is going for over three hundred vs the hundred and small change I spent.)

Got to thinking a bit more on that “Can you do the work?” thing in a prior post.    One other thing that has always been demanded from (most) of my jobs was ‘Tools’,,, Applying for a welding position, you would ‘test out’, but if you showed up without a hood and other PPE, you were knocked down the ladder of choices.   Not ruled out, but not first dibs either.   Wrenching? you’d better have a decent tool chest ready to roll,,, Didn’t have to be one of these ‘MAximizers’ beasts, that break concrete floors when loaded to the gills, but it had better have the basics and they had better be something other than AutozoneAP or HF junk.  High-end Craftsman stuff would suffice, but get you the stink-eye.   Snap-on, Mac, Cornwell, etc,,, better: showed you were investing in your craft and yourself, and that looks far better than some vague resume entry,,,,   And your age would bear some scrutiny too.  Younger guy? You weren’t expected to have a bay filling tool chest, but it needed to be cared for and FULL.   Older guy? Yeah, you’d be expected to have more,,, and not just tools, but what was between your ears.    Saw more than a few that showed up with a single craftsman chest, minimal tools and less brains, but on the further end of the age spectrum: Always told us “watch closely, this’uns gonna blow up something and soon.”   And for the most part, we weren’t wrong.  Only saw one exception to that and that was due to a divorce and bankruptcy: Dude had the brains, but not the tools.

Where things were really strange was in the entertainment world.   That was a serious meritocratic world.   Wasn’t a whole lot of tools you brought to the fold.   My tool chest was a roadcase that looked like a small suitcase.   Headphones, analyzer mic, AD converter amp, laptop, some adapter cords for the oddball stuff, and that was about it.    The big tools were ALWAYS provided by the company you were working for or that your ‘Group’ hired for the gig.   KNOWLEDGE was king, and ABILITY had to be proven every damned day.    It was more like combat without the bullets: Fuck up and you were going home to start over again.  Take too much time off between gigs, and there was a very real chance you were starting from ground zero again.    Its a small world too: people you had never met would know all about you, if you were good, or bad.   Mediocre never made the cut or left the clubs; only the good ones and the ambitious fast talking bad ones.  (and I met more than acouple of bad ones that worked for pennies and beer to be able to lay claim to ‘touring hack’ hoping for that break into the big leagues.)(yes, I know what all the knobs and buttons do, and yes, it took awhile to learn,,,,ROFL)

((intersting peice of trivial BS for ya: the circuit in an autodarkening welding hood.  Its a compressor circuit, just like what we used in Audio to help control wild levels in sound.   Works exactly the same way with attack and delay and level, with the output being darkening of the lens, instead of compressing the sound.      I found it interesting anyway,,, ))

I’m bored,,, I hate the winter, even though I make the effort to up my information intake,  there are days where the mere thought of sitting and reading kills me.   I wanna be up and doing, not sitting,,,,   And that’s why I went to the lake today,,, situation dictated otherwise for me.  sigh,,,,,

And yah, that boredom is showing HERE,     I have no idea what to talk about.   Could talk about the fact that Hegseth made the cut and is now SecDef.   That Noeme is now the DHS head,,, Still waiting one word for Gabbards post,,, should be soon here.   Wanna see RFKjr make the post too.    THEN we see what is really hiding behind curtain # 3,,,,

But none of that does a danged thing to keep my bones from aching, or my ass from going numb while I provide kat-lap and read till my eyes are oozing out my skull,,,  Wanna DO,,,

SOMETHING,,,,

ANYTHING,,,  

Time, Space, Money,,,, The holy trinity of the modern man,,,, Usually have two of the three, but it takes all three to make the project move forward.   And right now, Money is the weak link,,, Plenty of time, has the space (could use an upgrade, but is what it is) just,,,

not whining,,, just noting.    Ain’t hurtin’ (much) and ain’ta beggin’ either.   But when you have a boat that needs resin and gelcoat to finish; well, that takes money to buy. (Talking about the Kapp and finishing the cockpit overhaul,,,   NO rush to finish, she is just hanging out in drydock until I DO have the goop on hand.   I have plenty of time currently, just,,,,,     Yeah,,, nuff said, right?))

Satyrday, bored, gettin’ late, and I reach to my right and pull another book off the stack,,,

Talk more laters,,,,

Live

laugh

Love

LEARN

LOAD