Friday, November 13, 2009

Got Salt?


I haven't posted for quite some time. Here's a brief update since my last posting.


  • We went on a terrific holiday this summer out to B.C. Towed the 5th wheel all the way.

  • Sold the house in Sudbury and moved to Windsor Oct. 30th.

  • Back working again. I can't say where I work, however I can say I no longer add salt to my food.

For those who care, as I get the time I`ll start to post again. Life in Windsor is great (if you`re working) and totally different than Northern Ont. The weather`s not too bad either.


Keep your stick on the ice

Monday, July 20, 2009

Do Bears S#!* in the Woods?

Suburban lawns are also on their list.

Since I started keeping the garbage in the garage, my buddy the bear is a bit perturbed that his free lunch is gone and has upped the ante. He left his calling card right in the middle of my back yard. This wasn't one of those cute Bear dumps you see in the Charmin commercials. This was a rude, crude, in your face, 2 shovel piece of trouble. I haven't seen that much s#!* since........ let's just say that McNamara was involved I don't know about you but if I take a dump in someones back yard, I'm definitely sending that person a message...............not that I would ever do that......... What's next? a mutilated horses head in my bed? (see Godfather part 1) or a visit from Toni Soprano......"My friend Bear, is concerned that you don't seem to like him anymore." "You dishonour him by leaving your garbage locked up in the garage". "We wouldn't want to see anything bad happen to your front lawn" "Capice"


Maybe I reading too much into this. Maybe he just had to go and couldn't make it to the woods............Yeah, right, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to win the Stanley Cup this year. In the meantime I'll be treating my back yard like a mine field.


pool temp: 21c (70f)

"We shall fight them on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We will never surrender". (Winston Churchill)


Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Grin and Bear it


Bear or Bears are becoming a real pain in the @$$ on my street. For the last 2 weeks I've had to keep the garbage in the garage, along with all my other valuables. It started out innocently enough, a tipped over garbage can here, a ripped garbage bag there. Then garbage bags were being taken right out of the can and disappearing. Unless someone from Chelmsford recently moved in, it had to be a bear.

Last week we received a gift from the City of Sudbury. A green plastic container called "The Green Cart" You are told to place your kitchen food waste...... and non recyclable paper in the container (should be a hit in Levack) and it will be picked up every week along with your regular garbage. Sounds like a good idea, reduce some of the garbage going into landfill...........well think about it for a minute..............ok, long enough! Why! Why! Why!!! would anyone place all their kitchen scraps in a plastic container and place it on the side of the road for pickup...............unless you like to "FEED THE BEARS" The information kit that comes with the "Green cart" states that the lid of the container has a clasp and is animal proof. Maybe it is for squirrels and chipmunks, but any bear worth his stink would just laugh at it. Needless to say, when I placed my regular garbage out last night for pickup this morning the "Green Cart" stayed in the garage.

When I woke up this morning and looked out the front window, guess what I saw......... A Sea of green mutilated plastic all over the street. All of my neighbours "Green Carts" had been knocked over and their lids were ripped off............It ain't easy being green.
Pool Temp: 18c (64f) Global cooling continues
What's a balanced diet for a Bear?......A garbage bag in each paw!

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Memory Lane


Tomorrow is July 1st. It's not only the birthday of the greatest country in the world but also the day that I am officially pensioned off from my former employer, with 30 years in the can. As James McMurtry sings in the song "just us kids" "It's a damn short movie." "How'd we ever get here". Yes it did go by fast. I was 21 when hired and weighed 157 lbs. I weigh slightly more now.........Let's take a trip down memory lane.


  • My starting wage in 1979 was $6.71/Hr (Only slightly less than what I now make shuttling cars)

  • Rent was $200/mth for a 3 bedroom home.

  • Beer was $5.75 for a case of 24

  • I paid $5700 for a new 1979 Mercury Zephyr (should have been called the Hindenburg)

  • A new pair of Levis would set you back $47 (they were made in Canada back then)

  • Joe Clark was Prime Minister and Jimmy Carter was President. What a pair!

  • Kraft Dinner could be bought for 5/$1

  • 24 cans of pop could be had for $4.99. nearly as expensive as beer.

  • Daryl Sitler was captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Borge Salming was playing the blue line. Mike Palmateer was in goal.

  • The Blue Jays finished last in the American league with a 53-109 record. Alfredo Griffin won rookie of the year.

  • Apocalypse Now came to the big screen. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning"

  • Gas sold for $0.75/gal ($0.17/litre)

The best event of 1979 though, was the birth of my son Sean who also turns 30 this year.


Pool temp: 21c (70f) Global cooling has returned.


And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking and racing around to come up behind you again." Pink Floyd, Dark side of the Moon

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

90 in the Shade




I've been painting the the railings on the deck, off and on for about the last 10 days. They were last painted when the deck was constructed back in 2004 and the paint was faded and starting to peel. The last time I painted I used a spray gun and did 2 coats in 1 day. This time I've had to use a brush and roller because of all the furniture and fixed canopies that occupy the deck and the process has been much slower (not to mention that I've blown my beer budget for the year) On most days the temp. when I was painting was around 24c. I knew it was going to be hot today so I decided to start a bit earlier (8:30 a.m.)........ for me that's early. The temp was already 23c and rising. By 11:00 a.m. the temp was 31c and I was starting to hallucinate. After getting a vision of Gino in a Speedo....... I knew it was time to pack it in. (I use to work with Gino in my prior job, his nickname was Shrek) I grabbed a bottle of water and parked myself in the shade and checked the thermometer. It read 90f (it's an old type) I don't ever recall it being that hot so early in the day.


The day wasn't a total wash......Spent the rest of the day floating in the pool, along with my beer cooler. Didn't have any more hallucinations, thank God!!!!


Global Cooling has been temporarily suspended.


Pool Temp: 26c (79f)


Defeat doesn't finish a man--quit does. A man is not finished when he's defeated. He's finished when he quits.--Richard M. Nixon


Saturday, June 20, 2009

Fathers day


Tomorrow is fathers day, or as they say in Chelmsford "the most confusing day of the year". My own father passed away in 1992. There isn't a day that I don't think about him. He was from the "Great Generation"......you know, the generation that survived the Depression and fought the Second World War. He was a product of his generation when it came to parenting. He didn't have to live vicariously through his kids and allowed you to make your own mistakes...........yet, when you needed him, he was there.

Born in 1918 in a log cabin near Porquis Junction (30 km east of Timmins) to a Welsh Mother and a (very) English Father, he was the third child of five. I have a picture of him when he was 16, digging out the basement (by hand) of my Grandparents new home in South Porcupine.

In Sept. of 1939 he enlisted in the Ontario Tank regiment and was sent overseas. He was involved in all the major invasions....North Africa....Sicily......Normandy, and the liberation of Holland.

After the war ended, he returned home to South Porcupine, married and raised a family.

He started working in the mines of Timmins shortly after. Working conditions were primitive and little concern was given to dust control. In 1968 he was diagnosed with Silicosis. This would have stopped most people in their tracks, but not him. He could have continued to work in the mines and probably died 5 or 10 years later but wisely opted to work for the Maintenance Dept. of the newly opened Regional Hospital, where he retired in 1983.

What can you say about a Father who was always willing to help out and thought of his family first. A Man whom I always looked up to, but never fully appreciated what he did until I was older........ Thanks Dad. I miss you.


Pool Temp: 22c (72f)

Life was a lot simpler when what we honored was father and mother rather than all major credit cards. - Robert Orben

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

No NHL Team for Hamilton


The Bankruptcy Judge involved in the proceedings between Jim Balsillie and the NHL has rejected the proposed sale and relocation of the Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton. Toronto can now breath a sigh of relief.......If Hamilton got an NHL Team, the fans in Toronto would want one too.

I think Balsillie's best strategy would be to simply wait out the NHL. Economic conditions are sure to worsen, and more and more teams will become insolvent. Bettman will come crawling to Balsillie in about a year's time. Oh sure, Bettman will try and save face by telling everyone Balsillie will have to pay a relocation fee....probably about $100 million. As it now stands Balsillie would probably be willing to pay a $100 million relocation fee to the league and $50 million each to Toronto and Buffalo. By waiting out Bettman he can save $100 million............In the meantime we'll have to put up with the mistake in Toronto.


Pool Temp: 20c (68f)

Imagine there were no hypothetical situations.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Those were the Days


I came across an e-mail that I received from an unknown source when I worked for my former employer. It's a little tongue in cheek, but if you know the individual involved, it's hilarious.


Police catch escaped mental patient
Suspect left mine in sock feet
Posted By Brandon Walker, The Sudbury Star
Posted 17 hours ago


Sudbury Police spent several hours Thursday afternoon searching for a 54-year-old man who escaped from Xstrata’s Craig Mine at about 2:30 p.m.
Police believe the man walked out of the mine as someone else walked in. He left without shoes or boots, wearing clothing but only socks on his feet.
He crossed the road, took an unattended vehicle and drove to Hanmer. He knocked at the door of a stranger’s home, requesting a pair of boots. He drove away with his new footwear, but ended up in a ditch near the junction of Highways 17 and 69.
He was picked up by someone passing by, who dropped him off at Xstrata’s Nickel Rim site.
“He gave a false name and once again left the mine on his own,” said Sudbury Police Sgt. Murray McGee, adding he declined an overtime meal.
“I know it was rumoured he escaped twice, but he didn’t.”
McGee said it isn’t everyday someone escapes from Craig mine but it does happen “if someone lets their guard down.”
A representative with Xstrata’s Sudbury operations is acknowledging a CCR Supervisor fled the mine.
“At this time it’s a police matter so we can’t comment any further,” said Ron Thompson, Fixed Plant General Foreman with the mine.
“We’re comfortable with the policies and procedures we have in place, but it’s also our policy to review all incidents and occurrences, so if there’s any opportunity to improve our procedures we will take the necessary steps.”
Police picked up the suspect at about 6:30 p.m. in the vicinity of Toppers Pizza..
Charged with being unlawfully large and abandoning his workplace is Dale McNamara of no fixed address.

Pool Temp: 18c (64f)

Originality is the art of concealing your sources

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

This is Global Warming? Part 2


Since the beginning of June I've noticed large flocks of Canada Geese flying North (OK, so I spend a lot of time on the deck drinking beer) I've lived all my life in Northern Ont. and this is the latest that I've seen them heading North. Their migration is about 2 or 3 weeks later than usual. Being the curious sort I did a bit of research just to see if they have enough time to make their destination, mate, lay eggs and have their brood big enough for the return trip South. Here's what I found out.


  • The eggs typically take about a month to incubate. The process is faster the farther north the geese nest since the summers are shorter.

  • Five weeks after the goslings hatch, the females begin moulting (the males begin right after mating). During this time, the adults are unable to fly.

  • The adults regrow their flight feathers and are ready to fly at about the same time as the goslings are able to learn - at nine weeks old.

  • In autumn, as soon as the young are strong enough for the trip, they begin their migration south.

  • Geese can cover up to 1000km/day when migrating

(DLTK's Sites)


Lets do the math.



  • Today is June 10th. It will take a week to travel to the high Arctic. Arrival (June 17th)

  • Lets give them another week to mate, find a suitable nesting site and lay their eggs. (June 24th) I'm such a romantic.

  • 4 more weeks for the eggs to incubate (July 22nd)

  • 9 more weeks before the kids are ready to fly (Sept. 20th)

  • another 2 or 3 weeks before they are strong enough to migrate (Oct 11th)

That's a tight schedule. Hope they packed the Viagra.


Pool temp: 14c (58f)


If you're riding ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there



Monday, June 8, 2009

Think Times are Tough?

Old America

Pool Temp 14C (58f)
Tough times never last, but tough people do! --Robert Schuller

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Why General Motors is in Trouble


Lately I've been driving a lot of different vehicles. Here is my rating (1-5)



  • Chev Silverado:(3) Nice looking with lots of power. Ride is choppy, finish is poor.

  • Chev Cobalt:(1) Paint it brown and call it a turd. Poor finish, low power and uncomfortable seating

  • Pontiac G5: (1) same platform as the Cobalt

  • Chev Impala: (3) Very good ride, adequate power, well optioned and comfortable

  • Buick Lucerne: (3) Almost identical to the Impala.

  • Ford Focus: (3) Good Power, well optioned, ok seating. Tends to get buffeted by the wind.

  • Ford Flex: (4) This vehicle handles well and is extremely comfortable. Very well optioned. Fuel mileage could be better.

  • Dodge Caliber: (2) Poor handling and loads of blind spots. Fuel consumption is high for a small car.

  • Toyota Matrix (4) Well finished and well optioned. Adequate power and handles well.
  • Toyota Corolla (4+)This is what a compact car should be. Well designed, well engineered, roomy, good gas mileage. The only knock against it, is it's plain vanilla styling

  • Kia Rio (4) This was a huge surprise. It handles extremely well and is a pleasure to drive. If it had a little more power it would have scored a 5

Pool Temp: 15c (59f)

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. -- Anonymous

Sunday, May 31, 2009

This is global warming?


Thank God it's the last day of May. The temp. was -2c (28f) when I woke up and ice covered everything. As of 10:00 a.m. the temp. has warmed to +5c (41f) with light snow flakes drifting down from our overheated atmosphere.
I'm not one of those global warming deniers. The temp. is increasing in certain parts of the world, just not in the part that I reside in. I do take everything I'm told with a grain of salt and believe that the science of global warming (climate change) is incomplete.
Sun spot activity has a bigger effect on climate than anything Man can do. Sun spots are at their lowest level in 100 years and are expected to slowly increase, peaking in May 2013. If this is true, global warming should resume........maybe.
In the meantime get use to frost in June and the occasional snow flake, and don't throw out your long underwear.
Pool temp: 12c (54f)
Sacred cows make the best hamburgers.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Here's Johnny...........

This is a pic of the Water Tower, located at the east entrance of the town site, where I live. This is also where the "County Mounties" hide to catch Grandma speeding. Yes, there are Bears in the woods, and they have radar guns!

I don't know about you, but I find the greeting to be a little weird, in a Stephen King kind of way. It says "Welcome, We've been expecting you"........ what the f@*#. It always unnerves me when I see it. The locals don't seem to mind...........they even have a St. Bernard named "Cujo".......and quite a few girls are named "Carrie"........naw, just a coincidence, although the Butcher at the local grocery store bares a striking resemblance to Jack Nicholson in the "Shining".......my imagination is just on overdrive.

Gotta run. They just opened a new store at the mall, that I have to see...... it's called "Needful Things"

Pool Temp 16c (61f)
There are two rules for success: 1.) Don't tell all you know.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Another Page Turns.


Tomorow, I sign the papers for my retirement. My former employer (seems strange to call them that) called me last Thurs and said the paperwork for my pension had finally arrived. I worked (no snickering) for this company for 29 years and 9 months and can't believe I'll be retired. "Put out to pasture" "left on an ice flow" are a few of the sayings that come to mind. The trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off!

Tomorrow is also the day I start a new job. I'll be shuttling cars and trucks all over Ontario for a rental agency. I wanted to stay in the Mining game but that's "deader than disco" right now. I knew that Class D license I got in 1977 would come in handy. I may even start up a small business, (I hear that G.M. is for sale)

I feel guilty that my wonderful wife is still working (but that will pass) someone has to! While I'm on the subject of my wife, I have to tell you what happened last Sat.

As I was pulling on to our street after returning from the movies, I noticed a baby duck by the side of the road...........so I shouted "Duck".......well, my wife was raised in Montreal and she vividly remembers the FLQ crisis............remember, they use to blow up mail boxes, and the occasional "Meudse Anglaise", pardon my French. Apparently it wasn't easy growing up English in Montreal during that period...................I won't be shouting "Duck" anytime soon.


Take everything in moderation. Including moderation.

Pool Temp: 10c (50f)

Thursday, May 14, 2009

May Run or May 2-4?


The first weekend of summer is fast approaching and guess what? The high for Sun. is +3c (38f) at least it won't be snowing (sorry Timmins). The beer shouldn't need refrigeration. In the last 40 years, I can only recall 2 or 3 times that the weather was decent for May Run or as they call it in the mining capital of Canada, May 2-4.

When I was living in Timmins I can recall sleds running the lakes (they were still ice covered) Plowing the remaining snow on the road to your campsite and waking up to snow on the ground. Most of the time we ended up sleeping in the car or truck because it was too cold. Fun! Wow!!!

The weekend following May Run is usually warm or at least seasonal and is celebrated in the U.S. as the Memorial Day Weekend. Canada should get in step and move the May 2-4 ahead 1 week. Makes sense to me......better weather.......synchronized holiday with our biggest trading partner.......win, win. We might even have to buy ice to keep the beer cold.
Pool Temp: 11c (52f)

Some days it's not worth chewing through the straps.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Busier than..............




I haven't posted in a while but I've been busy. how busy have I been?




  • I've been busier than a mechanic making coffee.


  • Busier than an electrician making excuses.


  • Busier than an engineer making mistakes.


  • Busier than a Mine Manager losing money.


In other words I've been busy. Today I decided to open the pool. Last week there was still ice in it. The ice was gone from the area lakes, but here in the Arctic circle of Greater Sudbury.......



I pumped out the water on the cover with a borrowed submersible pump, cleaned up the debris, removed the cover and stored it. I'm presently refilling the pool using 2 garden hoses (my neighbour will never know)



Before I started refilling the pool, I checked the water temp. It was 5c (42f). This is not a misprint. The water in my pool is colder than Hudson Bay. Global warming hasn't arrived where I live. It will probably be July before anyone can go in the pool without getting hypothermia. I can't even start to add chemicals until the water temp is 15c (60f)



I'll keep you posted on the water temp........hold your water.



Follow your dreams, except for that one where you're naked at work

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Much about Nothing


There is a lot of uncertainty regarding the economy. Here are a few of my predictions. Take them with a grain of salt.






  1. Commodity prices will be a mixed bag until 2012. Copper prices will hover between $2.00 and $2.50/lb. Nickel will stay in the $5.00 to $6.00/lb range



  2. The Dow will peak at 9200, then begin to drop. The 5000 level will be reached before the end of 2010.



  3. The price of gold will be $1100/oz by the end of 2009 and continue to climb to $1500/oz by the end of 2011



  4. Inflation will start to increase by mid 2010, hitting 12% annually by 2012.



  5. The price of oil will slowly increase to $75/barrel by year end.



  6. Pakistan will escalate their war with the Taliban, eventually drawing in the United States, Great Britain and Canada.



  7. Israel will launch a pre-emptive air strike against Iranian nuclear installations in mid 2010


  8. Chrysler's forced marriage with Fiat will be a failure and the company will cease operations by year end.


  9. General Motors will continue to struggle and may survive until 2012 or until the Gov't money runs out.


  10. Ford will survive and become a leader in Electric vehicles.


  11. The Toronto Maple Leafs will win the Stanley Cup in the 2012-2013 season (stop laughing)

  12. The Blue Jays will win the World Series this year (2009)



Tuesday, May 5, 2009

The Blue Lagoon


In my prior post "Nicknames in Mining" mention was made of "Roger Kaa Kaa" who was a sanitation engineer in Timmins and his helper "Ray Poo Poo". This story is about Ray.

Ray decided on a career change when the mine sanitation dept. expanded. The mine was getting larger and Roger was getting stressed out and "losing his sh_t" (which isn't a good thing when you're the sanitation guy). The job was steady dayshift Mon-Fri. and Ray thought it would be a nice change from rotating shiftwork. After spending 1 week with Roger getting trained he was ready to go on his own.

Roger decided that since he now had some relief help he would book 2 weeks vacation. He said Ray was properly trained and shouldn't have a problem.

On his first day Ray reported to work, got his line-up. checked out his mobile pumper on surface, did his pre-op checks and went on his run. I gave him a call on the radio at 10:00 a.m. to tell him that 4600 comfort bay had to be pumped out. He told me that his tanker was almost full and that he would go to surface and empty it out at the "Blue Lagoon" which was the mine's waste containment area. He said "Roger and I pumped out this comfort bay last week and it shouldn't be full yet". I replied "We had a tour group up from Inco last week and they visited 4600..............and you know what Inco is famous for". "I may have to make 2 trips!" Ray said.

An hour later Ray arrived at the "Blue Lagoon", backed up his pumper, attached the drainage hose, opened the valve and emptied the pumper. Once the tank was empty he started to remove the drainage hose by turning the coupling counter clockwise. This is when it started going south.

Ray was standing at the back of the pumper about 3 feet away from the lagoon and was having a hard time getting the drainage hose off. He was pulling on it with his back to the lagoon when the hose finally came free. This caused Ray to fall backwards and you guessed it,..... right into the lagoon. This part of the lagoon is about 6 ft. deep, and Ray when right under! After thrashing around for a bit he finally made it back to shore.

Ray was a properly trained employee and knew that you must report all accidents/incidents immediately to your Supervisor. Soooo.... He got into the cab of his pumper and proceeded to drive over to the Admin. Building to see me in the Control Room. The control room has tinted glass on all sides and you can see anyone coming from 4 directions. I not only saw Ray, I could smell him coming a mile away. He walked up to the door covered in blue chemical with bits of toilet paper sticking to his coveralls and said "let me in, I want to report an accident" There was no way I was going to open that door, so I told him "go to the dry, bag your clothes and take a shower. After that go to First Aid.......then come and see me"

45 minutes later Ray came to see me. As I was writing out the accident report Ray said "You know I must have stood in that shower a good 30 minutes and scrubbed myself raw.......but I can still taste sh_t". I said "Ray...........you might want to get rid of your gum........"

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Nicknames in Mining


Mining has used nicknames to identify individuals since it began. They sometimes describe a physical characteristic or trait of a miner or describe an incident or work habit. These are a few of the nicknames I've come across in my career.



  1. "Lips" This person had rather large ones, hence the name (honestly)

  2. "Large and in Charge" This description was used for a Supervisor, I recently worked with

  3. "Big Mac" Used to describe his size and his propensity to devour a hamburger, which was usually supplied by the company.

  4. "Bam Bam" Not sure how they arrived at this one. It may have been used to describe the way he operated equipment.

  5. "867-5309" This is from the Tommy Tu-Tone song of the same title. I gave this person this name because if you tried to contact him 30 minutes before the end of shift you would need a cell phone.

  6. "What you want me to do" This moniker was given to an Electrical Supervisor. This is the response you received from him every time you asked him to do something.

  7. "The Bird" At first it was used as a parody of his last name. Later on it was noted he shared some of the same physical characteristics as an ostrich.

  8. "Chef" If you're familiar with the character from "South Park" you know this individual.

  9. "Smooth as Veneer" It rhymes with Chen...ier which is the Anglicization of the French surname. This person was really smooth or as he would say "All the women's love me".

  10. "Blow out" This nickname was given to a young Supervisor early in his career when he attempted to wire up a round using igniter cord and tape fuse. The result prompted the nickname.

  11. "Captain Canada" This same individual was given this title that still sticks to this day. It was given to him when he took over the Captains position of the Ontario team at the national mine rescue competition. I don't recall if they won, but even if they didn't, he's still a legend.

  12. "Tripod" I believe he got this name after someone witnessed him in the shower.

  13. "Chicken Choker" Given to a now retired former Captain. You'll have to use your imagination here. (I'm sure he did)

  14. "Twisted Shifter" This name was given to an old "Cousin Jack" shift boss around the time that the Hair Band "Twisted Sister" came to prominence. If you knew the person he was the total opposite.

  15. "Doo Lang, Doo Lang, Doo Laing" You know who you are!

  16. "Beetle Juice" An accurate description of this former captain's physical appearance.

  17. "Peter Alphabet" This person had a last name with every consonant in the alphabet and none of the vowels.

  18. "Action Jackson" Probably one of the laziest workers I've come across.

  19. "Roger Kaa Kaa" This person was employed as a Sanitary engineer. Not to be confused with........

  20. "Ray Poo Poo"

  21. "Triple XXX" An adaptation of the first letter of this persons last name. From the movie of the same title.

  22. "The Crown Prince" Given to a young, up and comer.
  23. "Claire the Bear" This is the person who taught me how to drill/blast when I first started out. I spent 6 months working and learning from this man. He told me from the onset, that you can get away with a lot as long as you can "backup your Bulls__t" ...... They don't make em like Claire any more.

There are more that I could list here, but in keeping with the "G" rating that I'm trying to maintain.....................OK, here's a few more.

  • "Farrell Land" This is what we called the underwinds (shaft bottom) at the last place I worked.
  • "Standby" This handle was usually given to a rookie who was assigned to work with a senior worker. Often he was told to "standby" until needed.
  • "Sparky" The name of the prior Electrical Supervisor to "What you want me to do"
  • "Ham Sandwich" The name of a former Superintendent. An older (slightly deaf) supervisor heard this rather than the Super's name when introductions were made.
  • "Hollywood" Several Supervisors have shared this name. It's given to an individual who is all "sizzle" and no "steak", or as they say in Texas "All hat, no cattle". Every site I've worked at had a "Hollywood".

Friday, April 24, 2009

How High is the Water Momma?




These shots were taken of the Onaping river at the Morgan Rd. bridge today. The river has gone over it's bank in a few spots. The good news is no one lives near here and the river has crested. Beautiful day today, sunny and +22c (72f for my American friends).

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.
--Carl Sandburg