I'm not sure what Derek was actually hired for. I figure he did a nice sales job on Phil, delivering such a nice interview that Phil had no choice but to brand him a job. Phil hires some people with a "you'll do for now" attitude and others are held in high regard. It's like he has dreams of great things from his new hire. I know Derek was good for surfing the web and trying to make it look official. I have to hand it to him though: He surfed the web all day every day for quite a long time.
I'm thinking he actually came to the end of the internet and Phil told him to go outside and play.
He came in this morning as usual, but left not long afterwards. From what I heard, he was going to leave to go to work somewhere else. Also, I guess when he gave his notice, Phil told him there was no reason to stay two weeks and told him to leave right then.
I think he was hired as some sort of "maintenance manager" or something like that. You know, a person that would coordinate repairs, upgrades, upkeep, and the like. I know he never did those sorts of things. I guess he fancied himself a research technician. For someone that spent as much time on the computer as he did, you'd think he'd be able to type with more than one finger on each hand wouldn't you? Not so.
I'm glad he's gone. Not because he wasn't a nice guy--he was. I just hate to see our bosses paying someone good money to do nothing when it should be going to people that deserve it.
I wonder how his son-in-law, B.M.O.C. will fare without him? It might be kinda lonely having to talk to only us working men for a change.
In one respect I'm sorry he's gone. You see, there is one thing that I always wanted to hear him say. There was one line from the classic Pink Floyd album, Dark Side of the Moon that I wanted him to do live and in person:
"I don't know... I was really drunk at the time..."
He had the exact voice and accent.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Pre-Christmas Antics
'Twas the last day of work, and all through the shop,
the weirdness started early, with no sign it'd stop.
It was a day when everybody's favorite Irish food restaurant, McDonald's, was offering 2 for 1 Eggamuffins. When I came in and offered my extra to TJ, he laughed and said, "I brought a whole bag of 'em in with me this morning!" I didn't have any trouble unloading my extra one, but it took me 3 tries to find a taker.
Yeah, it was a little different at work on Friday. It got off to a pretty early start too. For over a week there has been a couple of long strands of plastic packing pillows sitting idle. You know, those ones that companies put in the box when they ship something way too small to you. Anyway, we were waiting for the perfect opportunity to put the two strings of them under Ben's tires when he backed the trucks out in the morning. Friday was it. While it didn't go quite as planned, it was fun. Marc went running around behind him and put a string behind his left rear tires and I took the right. I then stepped back and tried to capture the event on video. I came out pretty bad, but at least you can get the idea. When you see him stop after the first few pops, Marc (who was on that side of his truck) said he mouthed the words, "WTF was that?" Marc was laughing and motioned him on so he could complete the stupid stunt for you readers. Pretty silly huh?
I wore my annual "one day a year" Harley Santa t-shirt, and of course also had my garish, red Santa hat too. This year I was surprised to find Scott C wearing one. He cut quite a picture wearing it with his "doctor of tooling" lab coat as you can tell from these pictures I sneaked when he wasn't looking:
We, of course, also had a sighting of the rare and elusive Elainedeer. Her rack is unfortunately starting to show its age. I mean her antlers of course. The lights on poor things won't flash any more. Oh well, they still look perky don't they?
She is seen here proudly posing on one of the 'new' anti-fatigue mats that came from the Seattle Aero auction a few days back. The color-coordinated fingerless gloves are a nice addition don't you think?
I guess while I'm one the subject of festive attire, I may as well insert a shameless self-portrait (yes, I had to take it myself... how pathetic is that?) of myself here too eh?
the weirdness started early, with no sign it'd stop.
It was a day when everybody's favorite Irish food restaurant, McDonald's, was offering 2 for 1 Eggamuffins. When I came in and offered my extra to TJ, he laughed and said, "I brought a whole bag of 'em in with me this morning!" I didn't have any trouble unloading my extra one, but it took me 3 tries to find a taker.
Yeah, it was a little different at work on Friday. It got off to a pretty early start too. For over a week there has been a couple of long strands of plastic packing pillows sitting idle. You know, those ones that companies put in the box when they ship something way too small to you. Anyway, we were waiting for the perfect opportunity to put the two strings of them under Ben's tires when he backed the trucks out in the morning. Friday was it. While it didn't go quite as planned, it was fun. Marc went running around behind him and put a string behind his left rear tires and I took the right. I then stepped back and tried to capture the event on video. I came out pretty bad, but at least you can get the idea. When you see him stop after the first few pops, Marc (who was on that side of his truck) said he mouthed the words, "WTF was that?" Marc was laughing and motioned him on so he could complete the stupid stunt for you readers. Pretty silly huh?
I wore my annual "one day a year" Harley Santa t-shirt, and of course also had my garish, red Santa hat too. This year I was surprised to find Scott C wearing one. He cut quite a picture wearing it with his "doctor of tooling" lab coat as you can tell from these pictures I sneaked when he wasn't looking:
We, of course, also had a sighting of the rare and elusive Elainedeer. Her rack is unfortunately starting to show its age. I mean her antlers of course. The lights on poor things won't flash any more. Oh well, they still look perky don't they?She is seen here proudly posing on one of the 'new' anti-fatigue mats that came from the Seattle Aero auction a few days back. The color-coordinated fingerless gloves are a nice addition don't you think?
I guess while I'm one the subject of festive attire, I may as well insert a shameless self-portrait (yes, I had to take it myself... how pathetic is that?) of myself here too eh?
The weirdness seemed to come and go throughout the day. I did have a one of those "lightbulb moments" at one point when I saw Marc sitting in Bruce's old chair talking to Bzzz. I whipped this sign up real quick and reached in, taping it to the file cabinet next to where he was sitting. After we got a couple chuckles out of it, I felt it was better served where I snapped this picture of it a little later:
The day was complete when The Brothers handed out the yearly Christmas bonuses. Nothing says thank you like a piece of cured pork, right? I managed to get shot of Bernie and Elaine sharing a mirthful moment as Phil handed a check out to Richie behind her. I wonder how much trouble I'd be in if they would have seen me take this shot?
Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Clutter and Sale Wages
It's been a long time, but it was bound to happen again. Actually, given the state of the economy these days and how many businesses have fallen in their tracks, I'm surprised it hasn't happened many more times than it has. What am I talking about?
Phil went to an auction.
This one hit a little closer to home than some do because it was one of our customers: Seattle Aero. I don't know any details, and it really doesn't matter. All I know is, Phil sent Derek and Martimus down the road with the truck and this is what they brought back:
You can never have enough file cabinets when you work in a place that can never have enough paperwork stored in boxes in back rooms. You can also never have enough very large plastic bins that may come in handy some day. Of course, you know why Marty is bringing all these down here don't you? Of course--for me to forklift up to the upstairs auction storage facility. They also brought back a half dozen homemade workbench things I forgot to get a picture of. I'm sure they'll show up here in a picture someday though--probably in whatever place they actually get used (if they ever do).
Funny thing: When they went back on their second trip they brought back mostly a bunch of chairs, and it turns out almost half of them weren't even ours to pick up. Oops! Driving the truck to get the stuff was probably the most useful thing Derek has done in months.
This is the time of year when we fall victim to the hourly rate "fire sale" slave labor requirement. That glorious time when all the employees are required to work 10-hour days for straight pay. I hate that. It's like we get a 3-day weekend for each of the two holidays and get punished for it. This is the first year I've ever seen a specific listing of names though. I'm sure it's the direct result of placing a computer and printer within reach of Bzzz. I wonder how many days it took him to type this up:
Last night I ended up staying to 6pm. As before, I felt I got a lot of work done, but there was no indication by looking at my inbox. It was unchanged. It was the first time since I've worked there that I can recall seeing both a 6 o'clock start time and 6 o'clock stop time.
At about 5:30 I was talking to Dave Cogburn when one of his second-shift workers went walking by on his way back to the CNC area. I don't know his name, but he's an older guy with snow-white hair. Nice guy. Anyway, he was carrying his lunch bucket and his coffee thermos back from the lunch room, and with every swing of his arms he was sloshing coffee out of his thermos. It was obviously not even close to being tight. He was so oblivious that had Dave not hollered at him he probably would have made it all the way before noticing. Funny stuff. Poor guy though--probably ruined his whole evening losing most of his coffee...
Phil went to an auction.
This one hit a little closer to home than some do because it was one of our customers: Seattle Aero. I don't know any details, and it really doesn't matter. All I know is, Phil sent Derek and Martimus down the road with the truck and this is what they brought back:
You can never have enough file cabinets when you work in a place that can never have enough paperwork stored in boxes in back rooms. You can also never have enough very large plastic bins that may come in handy some day. Of course, you know why Marty is bringing all these down here don't you? Of course--for me to forklift up to the upstairs auction storage facility. They also brought back a half dozen homemade workbench things I forgot to get a picture of. I'm sure they'll show up here in a picture someday though--probably in whatever place they actually get used (if they ever do).
Funny thing: When they went back on their second trip they brought back mostly a bunch of chairs, and it turns out almost half of them weren't even ours to pick up. Oops! Driving the truck to get the stuff was probably the most useful thing Derek has done in months.
This is the time of year when we fall victim to the hourly rate "fire sale" slave labor requirement. That glorious time when all the employees are required to work 10-hour days for straight pay. I hate that. It's like we get a 3-day weekend for each of the two holidays and get punished for it. This is the first year I've ever seen a specific listing of names though. I'm sure it's the direct result of placing a computer and printer within reach of Bzzz. I wonder how many days it took him to type this up:Last night I ended up staying to 6pm. As before, I felt I got a lot of work done, but there was no indication by looking at my inbox. It was unchanged. It was the first time since I've worked there that I can recall seeing both a 6 o'clock start time and 6 o'clock stop time.
At about 5:30 I was talking to Dave Cogburn when one of his second-shift workers went walking by on his way back to the CNC area. I don't know his name, but he's an older guy with snow-white hair. Nice guy. Anyway, he was carrying his lunch bucket and his coffee thermos back from the lunch room, and with every swing of his arms he was sloshing coffee out of his thermos. It was obviously not even close to being tight. He was so oblivious that had Dave not hollered at him he probably would have made it all the way before noticing. Funny stuff. Poor guy though--probably ruined his whole evening losing most of his coffee...
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Overdose!
I've been doing my job of receiving clerk for quite a while now. Like all of the jobs I've been given during my time at LaCroy, I took what was handed me, and I tweaked and massaged it until it worked better--basically both personalizing it and making it more efficient. I used to wonder if I was the receiving "manager", but I soon decided that if I were a manager I would most likely be able to send my own emails to vendors instead of relying on Dale to do it for me. It's very embarrassing. Many of my problem-solving emails start out something like, "Hi Dale, we have a problem with the order we just received in from ABC. Could you contact them and ask them..." blah, blah, blah. You get the drift. No, even though I manage a lot of things, I'm far from a manager.
The workload at my position is subject to some pretty wild swings. Some days I get hammered and some days I have to find things to keep busy on. Yesterday was a little different though. I think the most items of raw material I've ever gotten in during one day is somewhere around 10 or 12.
That number got thrown out the window yesterday.
Not only did I get 24 P.O.'s worth of material in during one day, but they were all from one vendor.
When I finally got them all signed and entered, it was time for Dale to do his part: Marrying them each up with the job they were supporting.
Then he stuffed my in box:
I finally left there last night at about 5:40pm. Amazingly enough, I even outlasted Bernie... But only by a couple minutes.
I didn't even make a dent.
The workload at my position is subject to some pretty wild swings. Some days I get hammered and some days I have to find things to keep busy on. Yesterday was a little different though. I think the most items of raw material I've ever gotten in during one day is somewhere around 10 or 12.
That number got thrown out the window yesterday.
Not only did I get 24 P.O.'s worth of material in during one day, but they were all from one vendor.
When I finally got them all signed and entered, it was time for Dale to do his part: Marrying them each up with the job they were supporting.
Then he stuffed my in box:
I finally left there last night at about 5:40pm. Amazingly enough, I even outlasted Bernie... But only by a couple minutes.
I didn't even make a dent.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Colorful Characters of the Past - Part 2
When I start thinking about people that have worked at LaCroy and how unique they were it makes me sorry that I didn't have the pleasure of experiencing them all personally. Here are a few more that I did have the pleasure of observing first-hand. Yes, it's time for Color Characters of the Past: The Sequel.
Subwoofer Steve - Steve had a voice that reminded me of one of those electronic voice boxes that you see some people holding up to their throat when they need to talk. You know--the people that have lost their own vocal chords for whatever reason. Subwoofer Steve had a voice so low I really had trouble understanding him. I used to tell people you can always tell when Steve was talking because everybody's car license plates were rattling and buzzing in the parking lot. I think all those years of smoking coupled with a voice box that must have been the size of a pony keg created his unique sound. Word on the streets has it that he would occasionally be seen sneaking a snort from a container he had in his tool box. I remember one time when TJ answered a call from him in the morning--explaining that he wouldn't be in to work. Like TJ said, "I could tell he wasn't at home--you could hear people talking and glasses clinking." It's pretty bad when you call in sick from a bar at 6am. What's even worse? More people there with you doing the same thing.
Chuck/Sharon - This is far and away the most colorful character a shop could ever hope for. So which is it? Let's start with Chuck. Chuck was the one of the quietest people I have ever met. Whenever I saw him in the lunchroom he had is face stuck into a sports page. I'll never forget that day when a few strategic employee meetings were called around the company to explain the wondrous event that was about to take place. As the LaCroy boys so eloquently put it, "You all know Chuck [whatever is last name is] that works in the CNC area. He's been gone a few days and should be back Monday or Tuesday. When he does return his name will be Sharon." You could have heard a pin drop. Nobody was smiling. All the minds of the attendees started racing at a thousand miles an hour at that very moment. Even though our eyes glassed over momentarily as our thoughts went awry we kept the poker faces and listened. After all, this was suddenly no boring meeting! They went on to explain--in no uncertain terms--what would and would not take place upon his/her return to the company. Having something like this happen within their company is one thing that I'm sure they never expected in their wildest dreams. They are a couple guys that study and plan for everything. I'm sure they never planned for this. When Chuck/Sharon finally did come back very little had changed. A little different hair, a little fingernail polish, and two little boobs. All that on a physique that was already a little strange to begin with. Now that I think about it, if the boobs were any bigger than little they just would not have even fit. I know Elaine was less than thrilled to have to share her ladies' restroom with him/her--even if there was a newly installed lock on the door. Sue said when it came time for some employee form they had to fill out for Chuck/Sharon she and Bernie couldn't decide what to fill it with. They left both boxes next to male and female blank on purpose so the broker would have to call them and ask about it because they didn't want to have to choose. After discussing it over the phone, apparently, neither did the broker. Chuck/Sharon didn't stay a long time after that. I think he/she found another job closer to home, which is what most people that leave LaCroy say (It's a popular exit strategy). Anyway, the lock on the ladies' restroom door is all that remains of that time--a time when the Brothers LaCroy had the current day and age slap them right upside the head. For a brief time it was like the company had relocated to Seattle's Capitol Hill or San Francisco.
Justin the Welder - Justin was one of the strangest people I've ever seen. I didn't get a chance to know him, and I'm probably the better for it. He reminded me of Baby Huey. He was a big guy but he didn't act it. He danced to his own drummer. He lived with his mom, and didn't care about working. I believe he literally would have worked for free--he loved welding that much. Many times he wouldn't get around to picking up his paycheck. It's like he didn't care if he was paid or not. You might see him wearing garish shorts, tall socks, and brightly-colored Converse-type tennis shoes. He'd blow in whenever, hide in the back doing his welding, then blow right on out again a few hours later. He was provided many opportunities to do other things in the shop so he could get in a full day of work, but he always declined. "I really just want to weld." he'd say.
Stay tuned: There may be a Part 3... You never know.
Subwoofer Steve - Steve had a voice that reminded me of one of those electronic voice boxes that you see some people holding up to their throat when they need to talk. You know--the people that have lost their own vocal chords for whatever reason. Subwoofer Steve had a voice so low I really had trouble understanding him. I used to tell people you can always tell when Steve was talking because everybody's car license plates were rattling and buzzing in the parking lot. I think all those years of smoking coupled with a voice box that must have been the size of a pony keg created his unique sound. Word on the streets has it that he would occasionally be seen sneaking a snort from a container he had in his tool box. I remember one time when TJ answered a call from him in the morning--explaining that he wouldn't be in to work. Like TJ said, "I could tell he wasn't at home--you could hear people talking and glasses clinking." It's pretty bad when you call in sick from a bar at 6am. What's even worse? More people there with you doing the same thing.
Chuck/Sharon - This is far and away the most colorful character a shop could ever hope for. So which is it? Let's start with Chuck. Chuck was the one of the quietest people I have ever met. Whenever I saw him in the lunchroom he had is face stuck into a sports page. I'll never forget that day when a few strategic employee meetings were called around the company to explain the wondrous event that was about to take place. As the LaCroy boys so eloquently put it, "You all know Chuck [whatever is last name is] that works in the CNC area. He's been gone a few days and should be back Monday or Tuesday. When he does return his name will be Sharon." You could have heard a pin drop. Nobody was smiling. All the minds of the attendees started racing at a thousand miles an hour at that very moment. Even though our eyes glassed over momentarily as our thoughts went awry we kept the poker faces and listened. After all, this was suddenly no boring meeting! They went on to explain--in no uncertain terms--what would and would not take place upon his/her return to the company. Having something like this happen within their company is one thing that I'm sure they never expected in their wildest dreams. They are a couple guys that study and plan for everything. I'm sure they never planned for this. When Chuck/Sharon finally did come back very little had changed. A little different hair, a little fingernail polish, and two little boobs. All that on a physique that was already a little strange to begin with. Now that I think about it, if the boobs were any bigger than little they just would not have even fit. I know Elaine was less than thrilled to have to share her ladies' restroom with him/her--even if there was a newly installed lock on the door. Sue said when it came time for some employee form they had to fill out for Chuck/Sharon she and Bernie couldn't decide what to fill it with. They left both boxes next to male and female blank on purpose so the broker would have to call them and ask about it because they didn't want to have to choose. After discussing it over the phone, apparently, neither did the broker. Chuck/Sharon didn't stay a long time after that. I think he/she found another job closer to home, which is what most people that leave LaCroy say (It's a popular exit strategy). Anyway, the lock on the ladies' restroom door is all that remains of that time--a time when the Brothers LaCroy had the current day and age slap them right upside the head. For a brief time it was like the company had relocated to Seattle's Capitol Hill or San Francisco.
Justin the Welder - Justin was one of the strangest people I've ever seen. I didn't get a chance to know him, and I'm probably the better for it. He reminded me of Baby Huey. He was a big guy but he didn't act it. He danced to his own drummer. He lived with his mom, and didn't care about working. I believe he literally would have worked for free--he loved welding that much. Many times he wouldn't get around to picking up his paycheck. It's like he didn't care if he was paid or not. You might see him wearing garish shorts, tall socks, and brightly-colored Converse-type tennis shoes. He'd blow in whenever, hide in the back doing his welding, then blow right on out again a few hours later. He was provided many opportunities to do other things in the shop so he could get in a full day of work, but he always declined. "I really just want to weld." he'd say.
Stay tuned: There may be a Part 3... You never know.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
The Weekly Recap
There are lot of moments when I wish I had video rolling as a particular even unfolded. You know, "shoulda, woulda, coulda" and all that. Earlier this week one of those events unfolded. I was working late (lots of O.T. this week but that's another story) on one particular afternoon--Tuesday I think it was. As most people know, it's a lot quieter when the day shift folks go home after 2:30. At about 3 or 3:30 or whatever, I heard someone raising his voice. I strained to listen. I didn't have to strain my ears to much though because it was very easy to hear: "...you don't tell me to shut my mouth... My mother doesn't even talk to me that way! YOU DON'T TELL ME TO SHUT MY MOUTH... MY MOTHER DOESN'T EVEN TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!!"
Like I said--I may have the verbiage wrong because I didn't get it down right away like I should have. Anyway, it turns out it was 2nd shift Pat screaming at Bzzz. Why? I have no idea. I just suffices to say it was a potential situation that got a lot of interest from everyone there. Almost everyone started moving in that direction in case they had to break something up. Bzzz walked away, and Jim walked Pat out the door and talked with him for a while. It was pretty intense.
The new CNC machines are almost ready for running. Since my last update, almost everything had gotten finished by B.M.O.C. as amazing as it sounds. The power, the air--all done. The power wasn't totally complete, but was apparently close enough. The wiring was run up to and into both transformers but wasn't hooked up yet. I don't know if the Haas setup guys hooked it all up or B.M.O.C. did, but it got done. The guys were there all day yesterday setting things up. Adjusting, leveling, tuning--whatever it is they do. Here's just a bunch of random shots I snapped during their work:
I guess there is a part actually ordered for the green forklift--used of course. I have no idea (and probably neither does anyone else) if it's going to fix it, but at least they ordered something for it.
The van got a couple new shoes. After much rotation (the spare in Bruderer room and spare in the van got rotated into use somehow) it ended up with new tires on the rear. Les Schwab wanted us to get the ball joints replaced and an alignment done (insert huge laugh here).
I forgot to mention several weeks ago that The Incredible Hulk left. It's been at least three weeks since the steroid kid was shown the door. Lots of other guys have left too, but as I've seen before: I can't keep up. Most of the time they just fade away. I know one other guy that "faded away" was the CNC guy that always had the messy hair and never talked. CNC guys: Gotta love em!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
The Hoarder Mentality
It's funny what kinds of things people hoard. It's also funny when you consider the reasons people hoard.
I can understand it when someone is out on their own in a remote location and they hoard things. They pretty much have to stockpile everything they can think of just to exist.
Sometimes people just like accumulating things. It's the thrill of the hunt. They want to beg, buy, or steal every variety of every item in their stash just to say they have them all. It's a variation of the 'collector mentality' I think.
Then there are the people that think that the bottom could drop out of the supply chain at any moment. "The end of the world is coming soon, so I'd better make sure I have enough to last me in case of emergency."
Then there is Bzzz. He loves lamenting about how hard it is to get things from the top of the supply chain when he needs them. Each time he has to fight (he calls it fighting, but we know it's just over-dramatization) for a roll of tape, a new Sharpie, or anything stupid like that, he turns the whole ordeal into a source of story-telling. One of his favorite items to rant about is the ordeal he has to suffer through when he goes in to get some more band-aids. Oh, the humiliation!
Even though he still goes in and begs for a 'few band-aids' whenever he needs them (which is often when you have a shop environment), imagine my surprise when I happened to glance into his desk drawer when I walked by it the other day:
The funny thing is, those are not the ones he begs from Bernie. They are his private stash. His accumulated hoard from the others around him.
Maybe he just likes variety.
At any rate, when anarchy eventually comes, and the dollar is worthless, the government is in shambles, and food is in short supply, people will use ammo for money...
...and they'll contact Bzzz when they need a Band-Aid.
I can understand it when someone is out on their own in a remote location and they hoard things. They pretty much have to stockpile everything they can think of just to exist.
Sometimes people just like accumulating things. It's the thrill of the hunt. They want to beg, buy, or steal every variety of every item in their stash just to say they have them all. It's a variation of the 'collector mentality' I think.
Then there are the people that think that the bottom could drop out of the supply chain at any moment. "The end of the world is coming soon, so I'd better make sure I have enough to last me in case of emergency."
Then there is Bzzz. He loves lamenting about how hard it is to get things from the top of the supply chain when he needs them. Each time he has to fight (he calls it fighting, but we know it's just over-dramatization) for a roll of tape, a new Sharpie, or anything stupid like that, he turns the whole ordeal into a source of story-telling. One of his favorite items to rant about is the ordeal he has to suffer through when he goes in to get some more band-aids. Oh, the humiliation!
Even though he still goes in and begs for a 'few band-aids' whenever he needs them (which is often when you have a shop environment), imagine my surprise when I happened to glance into his desk drawer when I walked by it the other day:
The funny thing is, those are not the ones he begs from Bernie. They are his private stash. His accumulated hoard from the others around him.
Maybe he just likes variety.
At any rate, when anarchy eventually comes, and the dollar is worthless, the government is in shambles, and food is in short supply, people will use ammo for money...
...and they'll contact Bzzz when they need a Band-Aid.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
The Weekly Recap
What a week at LaCroy!
Let me start out with the funniest thing that happened. Well okay--it wasn't that funny, but I liked it as did several other folks. You know how Bzzz has this hallowed ground outside, right? That portion of curb that runs along the edge of our parking lot? Of course you do. He has determined that--over a period of many years of watching over the time cards, the calendar, and the clock--that the first parking spot is his. The left side of that spot is apparently more sacred than the spot itself. As a matter-of-fact, it's so sacred that he doesn't even park his car too close to it for fear of retribution from the spirits that watch over that parking spot. He prefers to leave plenty of room between his car and the sacred curb. One time someone even left an offering to the higher spirits of the parking spot in the form of a carefully shaped pile of cigarette parts. I'm sure the spirits enjoyed such a lavish show of appreciation, but Bzzz was not amused. Anyway, Thursday Bzzz did not show up at his usual time. The open spot beckoned strongly. I'm sure many of the LaCroy minions drove by it, their heads turning to gaze at it longingly, but none succumbed. Until Scott Clark saw it that is. He couldn't resist. I'm sure he muttered, "Hey ya snooze, ya lose" under his breath as he drove it and parked. No, actually he thought Bzzz was going to be out for the day. Imagine his surprise when Bzzz showed up mid-morning, exhausted from the long walk he had to endure because he parked out in front of the building, facing Exotic Metals:
Clark was glib about it any time someone mentioned it, but I'm sure inside he was being eaten alive by the possibility of Bzzz putting a mental demerit next to his name. I'm sure Bzzz spent quite a while wandering around telling people his view of the whole situation, you can be sure of that.
I was flabbergasted when the large version of the Tweedle Brothers (B.M.O.C.) started doing CNC installation work this week! Yep, he got up in the forklift cage and strung all the necessary electrical conduit. If that wasn't enough, he even got all the black pipe strung up in the air for air lines! He did seem to have some assumption of exclusivity when it came to the forklift though. Apparently, he thought that once the cage was put onto the forklift he could just leave it there. Wrong. His line of thinking was based on the fact that he had painted himself into a corner with it. As you can see below, he blocked the only way he could get in or out by placing three pallets of stuff in the aisle behind him. Luckily, only one truck showed up to be unloaded, and I had him get on the ailing green forklift and unload it.
Let me start out with the funniest thing that happened. Well okay--it wasn't that funny, but I liked it as did several other folks. You know how Bzzz has this hallowed ground outside, right? That portion of curb that runs along the edge of our parking lot? Of course you do. He has determined that--over a period of many years of watching over the time cards, the calendar, and the clock--that the first parking spot is his. The left side of that spot is apparently more sacred than the spot itself. As a matter-of-fact, it's so sacred that he doesn't even park his car too close to it for fear of retribution from the spirits that watch over that parking spot. He prefers to leave plenty of room between his car and the sacred curb. One time someone even left an offering to the higher spirits of the parking spot in the form of a carefully shaped pile of cigarette parts. I'm sure the spirits enjoyed such a lavish show of appreciation, but Bzzz was not amused. Anyway, Thursday Bzzz did not show up at his usual time. The open spot beckoned strongly. I'm sure many of the LaCroy minions drove by it, their heads turning to gaze at it longingly, but none succumbed. Until Scott Clark saw it that is. He couldn't resist. I'm sure he muttered, "Hey ya snooze, ya lose" under his breath as he drove it and parked. No, actually he thought Bzzz was going to be out for the day. Imagine his surprise when Bzzz showed up mid-morning, exhausted from the long walk he had to endure because he parked out in front of the building, facing Exotic Metals:
Clark was glib about it any time someone mentioned it, but I'm sure inside he was being eaten alive by the possibility of Bzzz putting a mental demerit next to his name. I'm sure Bzzz spent quite a while wandering around telling people his view of the whole situation, you can be sure of that.
I was flabbergasted when the large version of the Tweedle Brothers (B.M.O.C.) started doing CNC installation work this week! Yep, he got up in the forklift cage and strung all the necessary electrical conduit. If that wasn't enough, he even got all the black pipe strung up in the air for air lines! He did seem to have some assumption of exclusivity when it came to the forklift though. Apparently, he thought that once the cage was put onto the forklift he could just leave it there. Wrong. His line of thinking was based on the fact that he had painted himself into a corner with it. As you can see below, he blocked the only way he could get in or out by placing three pallets of stuff in the aisle behind him. Luckily, only one truck showed up to be unloaded, and I had him get on the ailing green forklift and unload it.
Well, that's about all the stuff I have to report this week. Stay tuned for more exciting stuff from the Land of LaCroy!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tweedledee and Tweedledum
Boy, I don't know where to start with these guys. You know--the guys formerly known as B.M.O.C. and Derek? I think their new name should be Tweedledee and Tweedledum. I don't know which one is which, but that really doesn't matter.
My observation: At the rate they're going, the new HAAS machines will not power on for another six months.
The pile of installation supplies I mentioned in the previous blog that showed up Wednesday was finally opened up yesterday. Dale was pretty surprised. He was beginning to wonder when they would ever get into it and start working.
"They were both saying they needed it on Wednesday so they could get started!" Dale said excitedly. "They just had to have it right then," he continued, "I didn't even get a chance to shop around!"
That kinda stuff eats at him as we all well know.
A new punch tool showed up. Dale said, "He just had to have it." It was $85. Here's a little rundown. Here's the punch, followed by the biggest of the Tweedle Brothers wrenching on a conduit box:
My observation: At the rate they're going, the new HAAS machines will not power on for another six months.
The pile of installation supplies I mentioned in the previous blog that showed up Wednesday was finally opened up yesterday. Dale was pretty surprised. He was beginning to wonder when they would ever get into it and start working.
"They were both saying they needed it on Wednesday so they could get started!" Dale said excitedly. "They just had to have it right then," he continued, "I didn't even get a chance to shop around!"
That kinda stuff eats at him as we all well know.
A new punch tool showed up. Dale said, "He just had to have it." It was $85. Here's a little rundown. Here's the punch, followed by the biggest of the Tweedle Brothers wrenching on a conduit box:
After all that, here is the final product. It sort of looked like the threads were already getting ruined after only two holes:
All day long we kept seeing them doing the same sort of thing: Work on something for a minute, then disappear. Work, disappear. Imagine my surprise when I saw them putting a piece of conduit on the computer saw. They were probably thinking, "Hey, here's something we haven't played with yet... I bet we can kill a LOT of time with this!"
After they got it all set up on the saw, they spent quite a while messing with it. I could just hear them (not really)
"How do you work this thing?"
"I dunno... I thought you knew."
"It can't be that hard."
Finally, after a good 10 or 15 minutes (enough time they could have cut 20 of them with a hacksaw), they finally went over and got Joe the shear guy so they could lower his productivity to their level. After almost a half hour they had one cut. Can't you just see the head lice in these next pictures?
After all that work, nothing looks any different.
A short while later, I got this:
"What else can we buy?"
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
The Weekly Recap: Three Day Version
Our annual 'forced vacation day' week is upon us.
This is the week The Brothers do the thinking for us and make the assumption that we need to take Friday off. Of course it's without pay, but hey--at least we don't have to fight, argue, request, or beg for it that way, right? This year, as with most years, there were a bunch of CNC workers scheduled to work on Friday (they're always behind). Wednesday morning someone apparently made the impression on them that the CNC department needed a break at least as badly as anyone else did, so halfway through Wednesday they changed their mind and declared the doors to be locked for all employees Friday. I decided to make Friday a vacation day so I get a full paycheck.
As with what seems to be every week, Phil and the regular "Monday morning new guy" came walking by me at 7:40 this week. Me and TJ both thought the same thing at the same time but he vocalized it first.
"It must be a Monday thing." he said, knowing I was thinking it.
It's true--There seems to be a regular adoption process that Phil does every week. This particular guy has a toolbox and is going to CNC I guess.
Yesterday I was surprised to see B.M.O.C. and Derek working back in the area of the new CNC machines. They actually unpacked all the stuff and got things underway! I even saw the lift cage in action up near the ceiling several times. I was surprised. Today a bunch of new conduit and stuff showed up right before quitting time--stuff for the installation. I wonder how long it will take to get all that stuff hung up. I get funny vibes from those two. Three times today they both ducked out the door and talked for a few minutes outside. It's a conspiracy in the making.
Also yesterday Rich was working back by Elaine's area all day building a few of those giant pallets we have to make when we send those big, flat sheet metal panels to Boeing. That is what Bzzz has been lobbying for the new Skilsaw for. Once Dale came out of the office and was talking to me when he noticed the sound of the saw.
"Is that the new saw? It doesn't sound too good." Dale said, with the famous Dale pinched, concerned look on his face.
It was true--it didn't sound too great. It was laboring and it sounded like it either didn't have enough power or it was binding during the cutting. Well, imagine my surprise when I wandered back there this morning and saw a small 8" used saw sitting there among the other tools Richie was using yesterday. The new 10" saw was nowhere to be found. I asked Elaine about it and she said that's was Rich was using yesterday. I asked her about the new saw and she shrugged her shoulders and said he didn't like the design of it or something. I asked Bzzz later and it was true--Rich didn't want to use the new saw because the motor hung out and blocked his vision. To add to it, the little 8" saw he was using was a left-handed saw.
Bzzz was plainly concerned.
"I don't dare let Bernie see that," he said, "I think I should go back there and cut a few pieces of wood with it so it would at least have some sawdust on it."
Funny stuff. Poor Bzzz--it's like he used all that body language that accompanies his new item requisitions for nothing.
Ben was out all day Monday so I was driving. He was there all day yesterday, but they wouldn't let him drive. Why? It seems that the reason he was out all day Monday was because he had a concussion. I don't know details though. He was back driving today though, which was good because I had a "full plate" packing up a 3 elaborate, expensive, and large assemblies--each in their own customized corrugated cardboard transport vessel.
Well, I'll stop here and we'll call it good for our short work week.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
This is the week The Brothers do the thinking for us and make the assumption that we need to take Friday off. Of course it's without pay, but hey--at least we don't have to fight, argue, request, or beg for it that way, right? This year, as with most years, there were a bunch of CNC workers scheduled to work on Friday (they're always behind). Wednesday morning someone apparently made the impression on them that the CNC department needed a break at least as badly as anyone else did, so halfway through Wednesday they changed their mind and declared the doors to be locked for all employees Friday. I decided to make Friday a vacation day so I get a full paycheck.
As with what seems to be every week, Phil and the regular "Monday morning new guy" came walking by me at 7:40 this week. Me and TJ both thought the same thing at the same time but he vocalized it first.
"It must be a Monday thing." he said, knowing I was thinking it.
It's true--There seems to be a regular adoption process that Phil does every week. This particular guy has a toolbox and is going to CNC I guess.
Yesterday I was surprised to see B.M.O.C. and Derek working back in the area of the new CNC machines. They actually unpacked all the stuff and got things underway! I even saw the lift cage in action up near the ceiling several times. I was surprised. Today a bunch of new conduit and stuff showed up right before quitting time--stuff for the installation. I wonder how long it will take to get all that stuff hung up. I get funny vibes from those two. Three times today they both ducked out the door and talked for a few minutes outside. It's a conspiracy in the making.
Also yesterday Rich was working back by Elaine's area all day building a few of those giant pallets we have to make when we send those big, flat sheet metal panels to Boeing. That is what Bzzz has been lobbying for the new Skilsaw for. Once Dale came out of the office and was talking to me when he noticed the sound of the saw.
"Is that the new saw? It doesn't sound too good." Dale said, with the famous Dale pinched, concerned look on his face.
It was true--it didn't sound too great. It was laboring and it sounded like it either didn't have enough power or it was binding during the cutting. Well, imagine my surprise when I wandered back there this morning and saw a small 8" used saw sitting there among the other tools Richie was using yesterday. The new 10" saw was nowhere to be found. I asked Elaine about it and she said that's was Rich was using yesterday. I asked her about the new saw and she shrugged her shoulders and said he didn't like the design of it or something. I asked Bzzz later and it was true--Rich didn't want to use the new saw because the motor hung out and blocked his vision. To add to it, the little 8" saw he was using was a left-handed saw.
Bzzz was plainly concerned.
"I don't dare let Bernie see that," he said, "I think I should go back there and cut a few pieces of wood with it so it would at least have some sawdust on it."
Funny stuff. Poor Bzzz--it's like he used all that body language that accompanies his new item requisitions for nothing.
Ben was out all day Monday so I was driving. He was there all day yesterday, but they wouldn't let him drive. Why? It seems that the reason he was out all day Monday was because he had a concussion. I don't know details though. He was back driving today though, which was good because I had a "full plate" packing up a 3 elaborate, expensive, and large assemblies--each in their own customized corrugated cardboard transport vessel.
Well, I'll stop here and we'll call it good for our short work week.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
The Weekly Recap
This has been one of those weeks that only happen rarely at LaCroy. I think it has something to do with some particular place freezing over or something. They spent money. Big money. Yes, two brand-new Haas CNC machines came into our building this past Wednesday. I did a little stealthy camera work to catch them coming in so all you viewers out there in bloggy land will be able to relive the event with fond memories.
The guys from Nelson showed up at about 8am with their big forklift just like they planned and one of them came in and announced that they were here. I headed into the office to alert the interested person, which I thought was Derek. I was wrong. I walked up to Derek, who was glued to his computer screen.
"The guys from Nelson are here with the new CNC machines. Are you handling the event?" I asked.
He didn't even look up.
"Nobody has said anything to me about it." he said, still not even making a vague attempt to look up, move, or even reach for the phone to call Phil. I shrugged my shoulders and went back out into the shop and told Bzzz. Eventually the word got around to the right people. No, person. Phil. Apparently, Derek was about as excited about them as he would be to polish the rim of a toilet bowl. Phil did, of course, grab Derek and start things rolling.
So, as the truck is being unloaded outside, Phil and Derek put some tape down. In the old days that would have already been done. Of course, in the old days there were people that really cared about things handling the installation. 'Nuff said.
They had lots of room to maneuver, so bringing the machines in was probably the easiest I've seen of any install since I've been working there. The brothers were undoubted conferring on the merits of having such stellar employees. I obviously had to work quickly to steal that picture undetected.
So, since that time, a few of the tables have been moved back into place, but that's pretty much it. There has been no activity anywhere around the installation. No voltage, no leveling, no nothing. Pretty weird. A few of us mentioned how different things used to be. They would have had material in them, slinging chips and coolant by now.
Tuesday morning Bzzz wanders out of the office, stops near my desk (obviously trolling for a conversation) and mutters, "what's a person got to do to get a Skil saw..." He stood there a few seconds longer, but I didn't bite. He wandered off without doing his usual thing. Amazingly enough, his persistence finally paid off and Dale went to Home Depot on Wednesday or Thursday and bought a new Skil saw for Bzzz. It's been sitting on top of Dale's file cabinet ever since... Untouched.
I'm going to have to back off a notch on the intensely-structured Weekly Recap post. At least the three parts that cover the new hires, the guys that left, and the equipment that broke. I just don't get enough information to be able to report things very well. I talk to people, but without faces it's hard to figure out who we're talking about when I hear that some came, went, or is returning. I'll just run it all into a paragraph or two.
So, Monday morning a new guy came in and went to deburr--A young guy, clean and neat. I don't think he smokes. That itself is weird. He probably won't last just because of that. I guess we lost a guy or two from CNC, but I don't know who they are. It shouldn't be too big of a deal because we're getting at least one guy coming in. Actually, he worked there before but left. He's doing the "Don Brewer thing" I guess. I'm sure there will be a constant change in those guys.
I told TJ I should set up a line on the floor between my work area and the shop office and have all the new guys stop there for a picture. "Place your toes on the line, look over my shoulder. Thank you. Next please..." Just like the roly-poly Polynesian lady taking pictures at the license agency.
The small press near Fort Short blew a seal on Monday. Phil told them to tear it down and put a seal kit in it instead of buying a new ram for it. No surprise there. What did surprise me is that the parts showed up Friday at 10 and it was fixed by the end of the day. Amazing.
The guys from Nelson showed up at about 8am with their big forklift just like they planned and one of them came in and announced that they were here. I headed into the office to alert the interested person, which I thought was Derek. I was wrong. I walked up to Derek, who was glued to his computer screen.
"The guys from Nelson are here with the new CNC machines. Are you handling the event?" I asked.
He didn't even look up.
"Nobody has said anything to me about it." he said, still not even making a vague attempt to look up, move, or even reach for the phone to call Phil. I shrugged my shoulders and went back out into the shop and told Bzzz. Eventually the word got around to the right people. No, person. Phil. Apparently, Derek was about as excited about them as he would be to polish the rim of a toilet bowl. Phil did, of course, grab Derek and start things rolling.
So, as the truck is being unloaded outside, Phil and Derek put some tape down. In the old days that would have already been done. Of course, in the old days there were people that really cared about things handling the installation. 'Nuff said.
They had lots of room to maneuver, so bringing the machines in was probably the easiest I've seen of any install since I've been working there. The brothers were undoubted conferring on the merits of having such stellar employees. I obviously had to work quickly to steal that picture undetected.
This pretty much wrapped it up. I took the first picture from the yellow "lift cage" or whatever you call the thing we forklift up to the ceiling for various things.
So, since that time, a few of the tables have been moved back into place, but that's pretty much it. There has been no activity anywhere around the installation. No voltage, no leveling, no nothing. Pretty weird. A few of us mentioned how different things used to be. They would have had material in them, slinging chips and coolant by now.
Tuesday morning Bzzz wanders out of the office, stops near my desk (obviously trolling for a conversation) and mutters, "what's a person got to do to get a Skil saw..." He stood there a few seconds longer, but I didn't bite. He wandered off without doing his usual thing. Amazingly enough, his persistence finally paid off and Dale went to Home Depot on Wednesday or Thursday and bought a new Skil saw for Bzzz. It's been sitting on top of Dale's file cabinet ever since... Untouched.
I'm going to have to back off a notch on the intensely-structured Weekly Recap post. At least the three parts that cover the new hires, the guys that left, and the equipment that broke. I just don't get enough information to be able to report things very well. I talk to people, but without faces it's hard to figure out who we're talking about when I hear that some came, went, or is returning. I'll just run it all into a paragraph or two.
So, Monday morning a new guy came in and went to deburr--A young guy, clean and neat. I don't think he smokes. That itself is weird. He probably won't last just because of that. I guess we lost a guy or two from CNC, but I don't know who they are. It shouldn't be too big of a deal because we're getting at least one guy coming in. Actually, he worked there before but left. He's doing the "Don Brewer thing" I guess. I'm sure there will be a constant change in those guys.
I told TJ I should set up a line on the floor between my work area and the shop office and have all the new guys stop there for a picture. "Place your toes on the line, look over my shoulder. Thank you. Next please..." Just like the roly-poly Polynesian lady taking pictures at the license agency.
The small press near Fort Short blew a seal on Monday. Phil told them to tear it down and put a seal kit in it instead of buying a new ram for it. No surprise there. What did surprise me is that the parts showed up Friday at 10 and it was fixed by the end of the day. Amazing.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Greetings to Bruce
L, not Z...
Yeah, Cheryl from PM Testing dropped in today. We don't get to see her much these days because she's on a north-end route, but today she stopped.
I mentioned this idea to her and she said, "Sure, you gotta piece of paper? Gotta marker?"
Yeah, Cheryl from PM Testing dropped in today. We don't get to see her much these days because she's on a north-end route, but today she stopped.
I mentioned this idea to her and she said, "Sure, you gotta piece of paper? Gotta marker?"
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Supervisor?
Jim came in one day all fired up about the game, Angry Birds. He had put the game on his phone and was getting a kick out of showing it to other folks around the place that had never played it. I have played it, and I have to say: It is pretty fun. Of particular interest are the sounds the birds make when they go flying across the screen.
At any rate, Jim came in like this the following morning, looking all the world like a modern day pirate. Apparently, Phil didn't care for it. He didn't say anything, but Jim could tell he didn't approve. He took it off after an hour or so.
Can you spot the supervisor in this picture?
At any rate, Jim came in like this the following morning, looking all the world like a modern day pirate. Apparently, Phil didn't care for it. He didn't say anything, but Jim could tell he didn't approve. He took it off after an hour or so.
Can you spot the supervisor in this picture?
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The Weekly Recap
There was an awful lot of activity at LaCroy this week. Monday found Marty and a new guy loading up cardboard from the "hide it behind the blue wall" area, then he spent all day Tuesday moving sandbags and junk back there--stacking and consolidating. He found quite a bit of evidence of rodent activity around the sandbags. I expect the mousies were quite surprised when they chewed holes upward into the sandbags and found sand raining down on them instead of flour or seeds they might have hoped for. I think he said he found 3 dead ones scattered here and there as he cleaned. When I found out he was clearing the area for new machines that are going in, I went back there and snapped a few "before" pictures:
Then a team got together and consolidated the "flood gates" that the company so lovingly assembled:
This is what the area finally looked like afterwards:
Phil has been in an excited mood--wandering around constantly and overseeing the progress. Late in the day Wednesday two Haas transformer setups came. Phil is expecting the first machines to show up on Monday. I hope he has someone lined up to do the install!
You know what I hate about times like this when Phil is expecting new stuff to show up? He thinks that everything--I mean everything--that comes in is a part of his anticipated shipment of items. What that means to me is him inspecting the packaging like it contains a cigar humidor (that's another story for another time) or something. Yesterday he was all upset because I let a truck get away without noting carton damage on the outside of 4 pallets that showed up. When he found out they were just coils of metal it was like, "Oh, okay, well be sure to always note damage... " yada, yada, yada.
Imagine my surprise when the old guy from Finishing Unlimited came by on Monday! We don't do much business with Finishing Unlimited, so the visits from the driver are few and far between. Several years ago I remember noting how much the guy looked like an AIDS poster child. He was skinny, white as a ghost, wrinkled, withered, and frail. Add to that his strange eyes. You know how when a kittycat is ready to attack you all you can see is black in their eyes? That's the way he looks. I used to call out, "Hey, look--The Geriatric Express is here!" whenever he'd show up. Bruce coined the name 'Skeletor' quite a while back and it stuck. Well, surprisingly Skeletor hasn't changed a bit. Not only am I surprised he is still standing (and driving), but oddly enough he doesn't look any worse. He still looks just as dead as he did several years ago when I first met him. I think he's proof that zombies really do exist.
Thursday, Phil had me doing a repair on a Makino circuit board. He and big Jim got together and determined that we should try the board repair first instead of shelling out a few thousand dollars for a new one. He bought a fancy new "solder-sucker" gun that worked really slick. The size of a drill, it has constant heat and burp of the trigger instantly vacuums the melted solder up into a little chamber. Pretty slick. I was doing an commercial bit, calling it the "Hot-Suck 5000" and was having fun using my announcer voice.
B.M.O.C. asked me a Bruderer feeder question Thursday. I followed him back there, knowing that I would not have a clue as to how to do what he wanted to do. Imagine my surprise when I was able to recollect how to set the material drag tension on the feeder. I even remembered that the adjustment bolt turns reverse of the direction you'd think it should. Apparently there are still some memory cells left up there. I hope Phil doesn't find out I can still recall a few things from Bruderer days.
Also on Thursday, the guy from Nelson Rigging came in and Phil went back and showed him what was going on. I guess it's still on schedule for Monday CNC machine delivery.
Gone: What? Nobody left this week? How 'bout that.
New Arrivals: A new guy came in at 7:30 on Monday morning. He's an older guy with white hair, but not frail. He actually reminds me of Doctor Johnny Fever from WKRP. Went to deburr and has been working there all week. He seems intelligent so maybe he'll work out. He smokes, so already he fits in.
Broken Equipment: Well, I guess the Makino is finally fixed due to my board repair the other day. Frankly, I didn't even know it was down. I guess I need to do some walk-arounds and talk to the troops every now and then!
Then a team got together and consolidated the "flood gates" that the company so lovingly assembled:
This is what the area finally looked like afterwards:
Phil has been in an excited mood--wandering around constantly and overseeing the progress. Late in the day Wednesday two Haas transformer setups came. Phil is expecting the first machines to show up on Monday. I hope he has someone lined up to do the install!
You know what I hate about times like this when Phil is expecting new stuff to show up? He thinks that everything--I mean everything--that comes in is a part of his anticipated shipment of items. What that means to me is him inspecting the packaging like it contains a cigar humidor (that's another story for another time) or something. Yesterday he was all upset because I let a truck get away without noting carton damage on the outside of 4 pallets that showed up. When he found out they were just coils of metal it was like, "Oh, okay, well be sure to always note damage... " yada, yada, yada.
Imagine my surprise when the old guy from Finishing Unlimited came by on Monday! We don't do much business with Finishing Unlimited, so the visits from the driver are few and far between. Several years ago I remember noting how much the guy looked like an AIDS poster child. He was skinny, white as a ghost, wrinkled, withered, and frail. Add to that his strange eyes. You know how when a kittycat is ready to attack you all you can see is black in their eyes? That's the way he looks. I used to call out, "Hey, look--The Geriatric Express is here!" whenever he'd show up. Bruce coined the name 'Skeletor' quite a while back and it stuck. Well, surprisingly Skeletor hasn't changed a bit. Not only am I surprised he is still standing (and driving), but oddly enough he doesn't look any worse. He still looks just as dead as he did several years ago when I first met him. I think he's proof that zombies really do exist.
Thursday, Phil had me doing a repair on a Makino circuit board. He and big Jim got together and determined that we should try the board repair first instead of shelling out a few thousand dollars for a new one. He bought a fancy new "solder-sucker" gun that worked really slick. The size of a drill, it has constant heat and burp of the trigger instantly vacuums the melted solder up into a little chamber. Pretty slick. I was doing an commercial bit, calling it the "Hot-Suck 5000" and was having fun using my announcer voice.
B.M.O.C. asked me a Bruderer feeder question Thursday. I followed him back there, knowing that I would not have a clue as to how to do what he wanted to do. Imagine my surprise when I was able to recollect how to set the material drag tension on the feeder. I even remembered that the adjustment bolt turns reverse of the direction you'd think it should. Apparently there are still some memory cells left up there. I hope Phil doesn't find out I can still recall a few things from Bruderer days.
Also on Thursday, the guy from Nelson Rigging came in and Phil went back and showed him what was going on. I guess it's still on schedule for Monday CNC machine delivery.
Gone: What? Nobody left this week? How 'bout that.
New Arrivals: A new guy came in at 7:30 on Monday morning. He's an older guy with white hair, but not frail. He actually reminds me of Doctor Johnny Fever from WKRP. Went to deburr and has been working there all week. He seems intelligent so maybe he'll work out. He smokes, so already he fits in.
Broken Equipment: Well, I guess the Makino is finally fixed due to my board repair the other day. Frankly, I didn't even know it was down. I guess I need to do some walk-arounds and talk to the troops every now and then!
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