Pure Gonzo Engineering

Friday, May 15, 2009

Like a Fool I am and I'll Always be.

I almost died yesterday. I was standing on the platform of a D8 track type tractor trying to open up the cab door. The engine enclosure door was sticking out blocking the cab door. I pushed the engine door in with my foot as I yanked on the cab door. The first attempt was unsuccessful, the second the cab door opened suddenly. I started to loose my balance falling backward. I caught myself before I fell backward down eight feet past the forged steel tracks onto the dirty concrete yard. Maybe I wouldn’t have died, but I would have been in some serious pain.

The shit never ends at work. Even when they say they’ve cut to the bone and they’re done. Turns out first and foremost they are liars. Perhaps more deceptive than flat out lying, but when someone says that when they lay you off, either rolling or indefinitely that they are going to subsidize up to half your salary, you think that means you’re going to get half your salary. Not quite. When you run the numbers an average single engineer making $75,000 will be making around 35% of his salary. One with a wife that doesn’t work with kids will be making about 45% of his salary. Whatever, the amount is what it is, but don’t be deliberately misleading.

Then talk of rolling layoffs when it was previously said they wouldn’t happen in R&D because they laid off 10%. Earlier today I was pretty convinced they would make us take them. Found out just recently they won’t be happening.

I really need to find a million idiots to give me a dollar. I can’t handle this shit. My mind is a delicate flower that can’t handle this emotional toll.

My tattoo has healed the best any of my tattoos ever have. After less than two weeks, it has no dry cracking areas, and no scabs. My guys at American Inkwell no longer recommend the wet method of healing a tattoo, but I think it’s way better than just letting it out to the air to heal. With the wet method you keep the tattoo covered in some sort of balm (I use Tat Wax) and saran wrap for the first three days, washing it every 3-4 hours keeping all the scab building stuff off of it.

My ten year high school reunion is coming up like in September. I’m not really sure how I feel about it. I only liked or was acknowledged by like a dozen or so people in high school, so if none of them show up I don’t really know what I’d do. So at that point what is the point? It kind of seems like a dick measuring contest.

Everyone rolls out their degrees (BS Mechanical Engineering University of Wisconsin Madison), and significant others (lovely intelligent caring wife), and awesome jobs (Hydraulic Test Engineer for Fortune 50 Company), and kids (Two highly intelligent superiorly advanced boys), and stuff (a house with two cars in the garage), and oh the places they’ve been (Cuba), and oh how wonderful they look (180 pounds of hockey toned muscle and tattoos).

I’ll have to see if any of my potato gun hommies will be attending. That may sway my decision.

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8 Comments:

  • I did my ten year reunion for vindication. I'll do my 20 for the same thing. It is out of spite. The only thing anyone ever cared about at my high school is the damn football team. Facebook gives me the "where are they now?" thing I need. But serious, except for a select handful those bastards suck.

    I took my girlfriend back so I guess they aren't all bad.

    By Blogger Steve, at 1:10 AM, May 16, 2009  

  • I believe I will make the trip for this 10 year get-together thing..

    Apparently a 5 yr one was held & I had no clue.

    I've also not seen your parents in around 8 years - and feel it would be an appropriate time in which to do so as they've always been supremely awesome....


    Grandpa still kicks it on Daly ave as well -- so no reason for me not to go.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:52 PM, May 18, 2009  

  • You may have made up my mind then, Sir.

    By Blogger lawryde, at 10:04 PM, May 18, 2009  

  • I believe I will be attending the class reunion as well.

    By Anonymous El Neilio, at 9:14 AM, May 19, 2009  

  • Please reference the geography of such,

    Neil is approximately at most with a freight train delay 35-40 minutes away.

    :)


    I would encourage you to travel north -- worst case scenario we leave the scene......

    By Blogger Unknown, at 9:15 PM, May 19, 2009  

  • There's always the rich cultural city centre of Wisconsin Rapids to fall back on.

    By Blogger lawryde, at 10:00 PM, May 19, 2009  

  • A new goal for you:

    http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Guinness-World-Records/photo//090515/ids_photos_wl/r437483125.jpg/;_ylt=Auc3xQ6vBpgaSg7t.bBDl4EDW7oF

    CT

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:10 AM, May 21, 2009  

  • I, too, am undecided about the reunion. I'm already in contact with all the people I care about, so what's the point? On the other hand, it might be interesting just to go see...

    By Blogger Sig., at 6:45 PM, May 29, 2009  

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