Old Ironmaker

You got that right. Diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, bladder control issues to name a few. But I sleep like a baby, I wake up every 2 hours crying.

My brother and I have been invited there for the May 24 weekend. I have never fished it. Has anyone been? Any tips for a rookie? Much appreciated.

I got a scholarship to a Div. 2 University in Ohio at 18. I thought I was in Hollywood, no schooling, morning watching film and playbook study. 3 hr a day practices and then the weight room, Dinner then beer and girls. I couldn't tell you where a classroom was. You had the second semester to catch up on what you missed from Sept to Dec. I said I geta get outa ahere. I went down to the Steelplant with my grade 12 and they asked "What do you want to do?" I started on salary at $500.00 a month in 73. Rent was $200.00. When I left 30 years latter working 60 hour weeks and on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week I was responsible for 105 operators and 20 supervisors. I worked 3 shifts 21 turn rotating days off for 22 years with maybe 4 weekends off a year. I'm going in when my pals are going to Wasaga. I bought my first home in Caledonia in 78 for 54K, I was making 22K as a Dock Foreman. My 2 weeks summer vacation was a week in may and a week in October. Anytime you wanted January to March. 27 straight night shifts as a relief Shift GF in 83', I was told it was a test. Late 90's I'm interviewing grads for potential Supervisors. I ask them "What do you want to do?" They are telling me how much they need to make, their vacation expectations and they are willing to work 12 hour shifts for a few years only. Not all but many. The few I did hire worked out well. It's funny they all had jobs from the age of 8 or 10, paper routes, cutting grass, babysitting, then summers on the farms or family businesses. I ones I didn't hire took 4 plus years to complete a 3 year BA. If I have learned anything it is this, you are not judged by what you have learned from your education you are judged by whether you can learn. I want that person that has learned how to learn. Things are much different now and not much has changed. Good hard working people are just that and lazy people that do hold on to a job are great actors. Without a work ethic a person will flounder and end up with nothing. Just some thoughts from a 62 year old with a shaky pension and lost benefits. Who wants to go fishing?

The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers. This famous quote was from Socrates, a while back.

You wouldn't expect anything to be designed that can be repaired without taking it into a dealer would you Drifter? Try a DIY on a Benz, there is no such thing. The Germans make tools for every jib to be done, BMW's included, and Audi's while I'm at it. I restored a 69 SEL and there was a special "alien" wrench just to remove a door panel screw. Some tools are more a key than a wrench. Something like replacing a rad in the bush is something you should be able to do during lunch break.

The only way I am going to see a sunrise is if I pulled an all nighter. Brian you describe a beautiful day of fishing. Fish or no fish. It's not all about hooking one although it makes a 10K trec through the Mai Cong Delta much easier. I was picturing you walking with your tube on in flippers 5K!!!! That makes a funny picture.

Chris that looks amazing. I got a nice inside round the other day. I am going to cut it thin, thin like Roulanden. Sauté garlic in EVO, salt pepper and oregano flakes. It will make it's own juices usually or I put a splash of stock in it, cover and cook for a few minutes only. Slice French stick lay on beef and add motza or any cheese, in the oven and toast and melt cheese. Goes great with a bit or a lot of Dijon. When we were kids Mom served it up regularly. Inside round was a cheap cut then, not now. We would dip the bread in the juices before making the sangweech. I need to call my wife to bring home some crusty bread but can't find my phone, no more land line. I knew it would happen eventually. I'm questioning my decision to get rid of the land line now. What if I needed to call 911?

Cliff I need my deck done and I have done many decks over the years to keep myself in lures and golf balls. To sand and stain my deck which is 12X35 at the back and 12X20 on the side = 660 sqft. I would charge myself 2 bucks a square foot minimum and that's exactly $1320.00. I also broke it down in detail with materials, fixed operating costs, a helper at $15.00 an hour and the actual time for that deck, not just the time at the homeowners all the hours put in. That would be procuring all materials, loading and unloading the truck, cleaning rollers and brushes etc. and ubloading at the end of the day. Plus the cost of doing business. CPP payments, Comp, liability insurance and, and, and. It all adds up. I would be making maybe 30 bucks an hour not the $132.00 calculating your way for the 10 hours you would see me. No helper I would earn $45.00 an hour, maybe. When we had our business the fixed operating cost for 1 of our trucks was $50.00 a day and that was before a key was turned. You got a fair price Cliff if your deck is of a similar size. We all want the wages we feel we are worth but seem to not want to pay the wages that someone else deserves. I want to add if a kid wanted to earn 15 bucks an hour doing odd jobs after taxes and deductions they would need to charge you at least $25.00 an hour, no one thinks that way though.

I remember now. Materials for a home here is around 90 bucks a sqft. From footings to shingles. Nothing fancy like granite and 3/4" solid hardwoods and ceramics. I guess it all depends on how big 6 bedrooms would be. I'll say it again no generation has the market sewn up on lazy useless kids. I grew up with more than one that is on the dole, always has been. One guy I was close to turned down more than a few jobs from me and others in our gang over the years. I ran into him a few years ago hitch hiking in Hamilton, a bum then and still a bum. He was bragging he hasn't worked a day in his life. The he wanted to know how I could drive a Benz, the old fashioned way Jerry you goof, I earned it. Different kids now but not much has changed over the centuries. I sure would not want to be a 25 year old today. As I said long gone are the days of landing a job for 30 years with benefits and a good pension. These kids have it a lot tougher now than when I did and I have plenty of empathy for them. Heck I was making $10.00 an hour working for a contractor at 16 in grade 10 in 1970. How can a working man with a young family constantly being laid off save 10% down to buy a modest townhouse at 200 grand (if one exists) today and try and keep up with a $180,000.00 principle, interest and taxes impossible or highly difficult at least. Don't be so hard on these youngsters, it's a different world today.

Thanks all, going to get one this coming week, with DCS.

Every generation will have their hard workers and bums. Rick, I don't know where you can build a 6 bedroom house for 180K? that's what it will take in materials alone, land and trades, especially where you live. Regardless I have told you before stop renting.

Talk about out of the loop Rick. I didn't recognize but a few names at the Grammy's anymore. The only Rappers I remember are The Sugarland something, "Rappers Delight" and of course Blondie. Does she count? I think her Rap on that song was one of the first recorded. I really do like some of the stuff. My favorites are not gang related. I can't connect with it. The Reggae based Rap from Jamaican bands gets me moving, slow but moving. "Booliaca, bang bang, when I see a pretty woman walkin' down the street Mon booliaca booliaca bang bang". Not bad for someone collecting CPP and has a Handicap placard.

The one time I did go there for the opener years back it was ridiculous. Shoulder to shoulder fishing. Someone catches a fish it's bedlam getting people to pull in their lines. Then everyone rushed over to that spot. I saw fist fly that day. I might wait a week or so to take the kids there. I know I wouldn't on opening day for sure. It was a Zoo, I don't know about now I bet it's worse.

Can you elaborate AKRINSONER? I have been away from the system for 12 years. I finally finished my degree at Brock after many years of night school over the years. I didn't find anything that I would say came close to corrupt. Please educate me.

The real estate bubble in Hammertown is bursting at the seams. I have seen it 3 times in Hamilton, 81', 90, and 2008. My interest rate that was 12% in 79 went to 18% or more in 81'. Manylost homes because they were leveraged to the max at 12%. The exact thing happened in 89'. I bought a home on Strawberry Hill off Lake Ave. in 86'for 105K, sold it in 89 for the unprecedented price of 205K. That same house was sold in 91 for $135,000.00. If I were you I would take the 450K, rent for a few years and buy it back for 225 or less in a few years and pocket a quick quarter of a million dollars. That's what I did. Just like in 06 people are going to start using the false equity in their homes and do renovations, Granite counter tops, hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances and buy toys, vehicles, boats and cottages, when interest rates go up a few % the bow with break and the cradle will fall. You only need to go back to 2008 to see what happens next. Sorry for the hi jack Cliff. I'll stop now. My chores are calling.

14 year olds from every generation since man stood upright have had problems with authority and many other things Rick. That kid is in estrogen overdrive. When I was 14 and not wanting to live by house rules I always threatened to go to Viet Nam as soon as I could lie about my age. My kid brother quit school in 73' took off at 17 and did odd jobs as he and our cousin hitch hiked and road the rails along Route 66 across the US to California to go and live with our uncle in Sacramento. It back fired on him when he found out Uncle Sal's rules were tougher there than here at home. He found himself picking grapes and lettuce from dust till dawn for a buck an hour. He begged to come home and go back to high school. I was working full time at the plant by then and was jealous until he told me some horror stories. That trip was worth a lifetime of real world lessons for him and in a way myself too.

Go where the work is would be easy to say but not many are willing to like those that immigrated here from Europe after WW2. That would mean they would have to move out on their own at 30 years old. The X,Y and Millennials (are they the same?) will be the first generation in over 100 years that will have less in their old age than their parents did. We have really messed them up "Here son is your trophy for participating". We don't want to keep score because there are no losers. What a mess we have made of these kids.

What is DCS, how does it work? G. I looked at a few online at Bass Pro, not bad prices but I think those prices an PBS are all in USD.

I talk to many from the ages of 18 to 40 and these "kids" are screwed royally. When I was 18 and you got off the bus at the wrong stop on Industrial Drive in Hamilton and went into an office to ask directions you could walk out with a good paying job with benefits and a pension. Man today you need a degree to drive an overhead crane, if there is an opening. I have pals that are still working at 65 then complain that there grand kids can't find a job. Yea because you have their job. You are still working full time I believe at 70 Cliff, that would account for 1 youngster not working.

$15.00 an hour is a bit more than minimum wage. You will get what you pay for. It's not much more than the person at the drive through saying "Welcome to Tim Hortons may I help you". The local guy with a small tractor and a snowblower on it charges me $25.00 to clear snow here. It takes him 15 minutes maybe, that's 100 bucks an hour. Worth every penny to me because it would take me an hour and a hand full of pain pills. No way I expect anyone to do it by hand in the blowing wind and snow that may take 2 hours for 30 bucks, no way I would do it for that if I could, you wouldn't either. When I need some help around here with heavy lifting I will ask the kid that does work around here on occasion to give me a price for the entire job. If he does it in a few hours or takes a day or more I'm not looking at my watch for how long he has been on the clock and I don't get frustrated. It's good experience for them to learn how to quote a job and negotiate too.

Where's the fish report?

My 21 year old radio won't transmit and can't be repaired. Not hand held mounted in the boat. I know nothing about VHF radios other than how to use them. Are they rated by power output? My radio could reach the marina 25K away while sitting in my driveway over land. Everyone was impressed. I would need to look at the radio for brand. Are the aerials standard plug in's to all unit makes? Same as power to the radio, will I need to run new power cables? Is one manufacturer better then the next? I see prices vary which tells me there may be one more powerful than the next. My radio didn't have some of the bells and whistles that some have auto SOS or MOB that I see in some. No GPS feature. I need a radio to contact the Coast Guard and get weather reports as well speak to other boats. y antenna is very long. 8 feet or so. What other info do you need to help? I saw a Uniden today at a marine dealer and it was the kids second day on the job, everyone else was really busy. He knew the price though. On sale for $199.00.

How frustrating. There is a big add for a Honda generator covering the entire text that won't close. Man.

You had a great day, again. That's one hellava "Locochromotive" you have there my man. I need to borrow that one, I'll give you due credit for it for sure. That Buick is identical to my Dad's he bought back in 2001. Century. Great car for her, not sexy but very nice safe solid car. The 3.8 can not be killed. Keep an eye on the torque converter. Change tranny fluid every 80K. The only problem he had was the harmonic ?? can't remember right now Oldtimers disease, balancer maybe. I drove it down to Florida and back for them every year for 8 years, great ride, cushy, well like a Buick. Not bad on gas either.

Call their help desk or customer service. When I called a few years ago about a unit I had I got someone in Texas.