Closet Extremist

Mornin'!

This is my general purpose greeting. The time of day has nothing to do with it, and that's what makes it funny. This morning (actually) I ws in Chattanooga, TN working on a project that has three elevators. There's two "freight", and one "passenger" lift on the job. Art Museum dontchya know? The "rails" for the first elevator (freight) that we were supposed to put in place, haven't arrived yet, so we are working on the passenger elevator. It's hydraulic, but only one piston. (Which means that there is a hole drilled right in the middle of the bottom of the shaft that will house the piston. This hole is roughly as deep as the travel of the piston, which is three stories)

So, as we are hoisting the hydraulic "jack" up into the hoistway (so we could set it over in the corner...the hole for it to go into hasn't been drilled yet.) the rope that we are using to lift it with busts a braid. (There are three ropes braided together together to form the whole "rope", and one of them had snapped.) I'm not saying that the it was due to the fact that the rope was running across a sharp peice of molding, or that the "jack" weigh's NINE HUNDRED POUNDS, was the cause of the breakage, but there it was. Luckily. we had enough good rope to retie it, and get it leaned up in the hoistway.

A "big bait" of problems then arose. The shaft wasn't styraight, the "sills" are about 8" out of plumb, and so on and so forth. We finally throw our hands in the air and concede that we're out of time for the day, and load up the truck. (I'm pretty sure that I haven't mentioned that I slept on the floor of the hotel room last night... can you say muscle aches?) Drive about two and a half hours back to home base, and then the "kid" we're working with decides to reveal a few things to "Management" that he shouldn't. I think that the "Lead" and I wee able to recover nicely fromhis indescretions, but Dammit, we shouldn't have to.

Drove my 25 minutes home fromthe shop, and got my Voter Registration Card, and proceeded to the Polls. Cast my Vote (Which was a LOT quicker, and more painless, than I figured it'd be), and then headed to the house for some well earned R & R. Got Home, and perused the blogroll, and now I'm finally posting a little something.

Luckily, I only have to get up at Five in the mornig to make it to my Lead's house. (Where we will strike out to Chattanooga once again, in order to continue the installation of a bunch of elevators.) Yup, I came a Lot of Miles just to make sure my vote was cast. That's what you do when you have to. Damn, I hope you did the same. (Without all the excessive travel, and physical labor.)

I'll be "blogless" for the rest of the week, so I'll see you all in a few day's. Just 'cuz I ain't in your comments, doesn't mean you aren't in my thoughts. Give the 'Sphere a good cleansing before I return wouldja?

Posted by Johnny - Oh at November 2, 2004 10:39 PM