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Originally Posted By: AndrewP
We did have a short discussion today about a study I heard of recently where a number of millennials said that there was no possible wage that would encourage them to do construction work.


Andrew.

That's incredible! When I was 16, I took a full-time summer job working in construction. I learned a lot that summer and I have fond memories of that job.

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I think that there's a difference between looking at it as a student summer job or a "career".

It's a wide-spread problem. In our warehouses as the older guys who can drive the lift trucks in their sleep and who know all about proper material handling retire we have a heck of a time finding people who are interested in that as a career. We have a very high turn-over now even though we pay good wages with good benefits.

In the area I live in companies are resorting to advertising on the radio even for some of the more skilled trades.

Perhaps they all want to become baristas to pay off the loans on their master's degree?


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trades need to be better supported. They are needed. College isn't for everyone. Think about how much money time and resources are wasted on half-done college educations.

Trade school is so important. We can't have upper level execs without the people who supply the need.

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Originally Posted By: Ginger1
trades need to be better supported. They are needed. College isn't for everyone. Think about how much money time and resources are wasted on half-done college educations.

Trade school is so important. We can't have upper level execs without the people who supply the need.


Two thumbs up!

I was a directionless high school dropout and I went to trade school and became an aircraft mechanic (licensed A&P mechanic). I worked as an aircraft mechanic to pay for college. I enjoyed college so much that I eventually got two Bachelors degrees and an MBA. I've been a white collar guy since my college years, but I miss being outside and moving around. If I needed money, I'd take a construction job in a heartbeat.

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And it's not just trades. My son does the high tech job of digging holes and carrying around concrete. He enjoys what he does and the guys who work with him. Certainly not a skilled trade despite his 2 years of college studying chemistry.

He's also a smart, well read young man who doesn't feel that getting his hands dirty (and much of the house when he walks in with his muddy work boots on) is "beneath" him.

I'm very proud of him.

My youngest brother works a good union job running what he calls "the Newfie backhoe" (Canadian reference) - aka shovel - doing plant maintenance. I believe these days he's building scaffolding at the nuclear plant he works at because he's got training to work at heights but he also shovels snow, plants trees, whatever is on his work ticket for that day.


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I would do construction work. Get fit quick, or gardening or decorating. Used to run a deep cleaning business at college, kitchens, bars restaurants and shops. Called Brighteners.

Paid my way through college with it. Worked after the businesses were closed and in those days there was smoking and the debris associated. It was very profitable and I was very fit.

Very active

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Originally Posted By: doodler


I was a directionless high school dropout and I went to trade school and became an aircraft mechanic (licensed A&P mechanic).



My XH used to be a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer .

He turned into a pilot.

Now he has the white collar, big watch...and I'm guessing you know the rest of it wink


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Rambling Nonsense de jour in no particular order.

I watched the Royal wedding this morning while having breakfast. I thought it would be a lot tougher on me than it was. It was so wonderful to see such an obviously in-love couple pledging themselves to each other. I did smile watching Prince Harry wobbling on his feet and looking like he was going to toss his cookies at any moment. Even though that moment was almost 30 years ago for me, I remember it clearly.

I did get misty eyed as the officiant guided them through those vows. So very similar to the ones that I and my ex swore to uphold and that I did and she did not. I had a passing thought on if she was watching and wondering what her own thoughts would be. She was probably working if she is still on her old schedule. I can't imagine her not having pangs of guilt and sadness on hearing and seeing those two people bind themselves into one couple but then again I couldn't have imagined her cheating on me along with the lies that were a component of that.

Something odd is going on with S23 lately. More and more, I believe since his grandparent's funeral which involved him spending several days in the company of his mother and OM he's been more open, chatty and friendly towards me. Historically - even well before bomb-day - I always felt that there was an undercurrent of anger and perhaps disdain that he had towards me. It's bad that this significant change in his behaviour towards me, while welcome, I treat with suspicion in large part because I'm rather sure that he's acted as a conduit of information to his mother using deceptive means including I believe recording conversations.

I'm going with the flow for now and hoping that this continues. It was very weird though on Friday night when I got home from work when we chatted over beer in the kitchen for about 3 hours on all sorts of topics from the impact if he amputated my arm that has the tattoo related to his mother that I'm having removed by laser, to the Protestant Reformation and the reasons behind eating fish on Fridays for Catholics (yes we're interested in "everything") That has never happened before.

I of course have nothing to hide or conceal from him. In fact on Friday I'd received a letter from my lawyer which I casually opened and left sitting open on the kitchen table. I did mention that things were coming to a close but in the context that I hoped that there was some money coming back from my retainer because finances are tight for us right now.

Semi oddly as well he wanted to do the errand running with me again today in part because he needs a new lunch box and wanted to go to the liquor store as he's going to a party tonight. Again - even though mind-reading is frowned upon - his mother RUNS a liquor store but instead he caught a ride with me. Perhaps he only interacts with her reluctantly.

D25 and her H are currently in DC celebrating their 6th anniversary which is on Sunday. Co-incidentally the day that my divorce from her mother is final. I sent them a card which may or may not have arrived yet where I wrote to them that "love is a choice that we make each and every day". I'm sure they will understand the emotions behind that from me.

One of the things that S23 and I chatted about on Friday night was a conversation I had with one of the security guards at my office that day. She's a nice lady and we always have a "hi" etc each day as I pass by. She found out a few months ago when I mentioned that I was going on vacation in February that I was divorced which confused her as she explained to me that I was a nice guy who very likely didn't abuse his wife and who had a good job. She was asking me if I'd found someone new on Friday and was surprised that I hadn't. She then was very vigorous that she could find me someone and felt that she should. It was a bit disturbing because she emphasized that she would find me a nice "girl" and talked a bit about her heritage from Pakistan. I thanked her and assured her that I was fine for now alone discovering who I was myself. S23 suggested to me that if they were handing out girlfriends that he was willing to stand in line wink and that he had a very pretty girl ring the doorbell soliciting for a local political candidate and regretted the fact that he hadn't shaved in a week and had had to pull on whatever pants he could grab quickly when the doorbell rang as he'd been au-natural at the time. One of the reasons why I don't date wink

S23 and I had a pretty good day today thus far. We grocery shopped rather well together although the bill was rather substantial and I had to move money out of savings later to cover things we did agree that we were stocking up on some of the more expensive things such as meat. I've been very open to him about "our" finances even though he doesn't contribute to them.

It was a bit odd today because for the first time S23 and the nice lady at the flower shop who I'm sweet on met for the first time. Weirdly when I introduced them, they did a fairly formal handshake thing, but whatever. Until we left the shop though and I mentioned it to S23 I don't think he knew that this particular lady was the one that I've mentioned to him before. Again he seemed very uncomfortable about things and so we played a "guess how old the lady is" game. He picked 36 which to me may be on the high side but we don't actually know. I think that I'm doing the right thing in gradually getting him accustomed to the idea of me dating. I know that the standard thing is to not have the kids meet the potential date for some time but I'm not actually dating either of the two very nice ladies who S23 has now met and again, I'm very big on being honest and it's not as if they're being introduced as "here's your new step-mom". I still have lots of courage to find first.

In other news I've arranged with "20 Something" to stop by on Wednesday and do some new head-shots for me to use on my LinkedIn profile and elsewhere. She is a professional photographer and even though I've offered to pay she's doing it for free. She's planning on moving out of the area in a few weeks with the current boyfriend d'jour and so I wanted to get this done before then. She's a nice kid albeit somewhat messed up. Her boyfriend is also Andrew and we had a laugh because she said that she almost sent me some - ahem - personal texts meant for him.

To wrap up this rather non-new post, I did pick up a new Weigela on Friday which I will be planting tomorrow. I've had this shrub around the house the whole time I've lived here occasionally moving it from spot to spot. In 2016 soon after bomb-day the last one died despite my best efforts to save it. Planting a new shrub that I love is in many ways very symbolic to me.

A bien tot mes amis. Time for me to get to some housework that I've promised myself to do.


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Andrew,

I am not a mind reader, but it seems like your son is slowly coming out of his little fog/world and realizing that things weren't always the way he thought they were. The funeral of his grandparent may have started him on his own journey of waking up. He's seeing what is going on w/his mother and he most likely doesn't particularly care for her or her behavior.

He sees you as an honest man, still living in the home, i.e., cooking, washing, doing yard work etc. These are the normal things that he has been use to since he's been home. You don't nag him about stuff and that's really what he needs at the moment. There is no pressure coming from you, but maybe his mother is just the opposite. No one knows for sure what is going on between the two of them.

I think you are handling the "dating" situation quite well. Enjoy the time you spend w/the ladies and who knows...something may blossom w/one of them.


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Andrew

Just flow. And congrats on your D finality.

If you want to chat about the dating thingie it's ok.

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Freedom is just another word for nothing left to loose.
V 64, WAW


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