You Know You Are Old When

[Sigarms]

Friend of my wife's grandson said he was going to join the pipe fitter's union after high school. Great! The work was too hard, pay too low, and he stopped after just a couple months. Then went to work as maintenance in some factory. Quit that, too for same reasons. This kid is an athlete. Star baseball player. Good grades. I don't get it.

My dad always said I could bench hundreds of pounds but I could never turn the hot water off completely when I lived with them LOL

That said, I learned over time to utilize my brain more, and blessed enough that I don't have to do what I use to do years ago because there is no way I could last a week doing what I use to do when I didn't have to use my brain as much.
Years ago we hired a kid (19 years old) who came in on his grandfathers recommendation to me (guy I respected). I was working with him, and he just came out and asked me how much I made a year. Almost fell over dead. Basically told him none of his business. He then asks me in in all sincerity how long it would take him to make 100 grand a year, because he left his part time janitors job making 50 grand a year. I told him right there he should go back to his part time janitors job. Kid left us because he said he wasn't making enough money. Found out a year later he was asking for his job back. He didn't get it.

Grandfather called later apologizing to me for the recommendation.

Keep in mind, I live in NC. Money goes a lot further here per cost of living vs the Northeast or out west. I remember some of the guys from California telling me what some of the wages are out there. Need those wages for what it costs to live there IMO.

 

[newbury]

Well when you consider that the minimum wage now in mid north west N.C, is $7.25 (based on linky ) and the minimum wage slightly further north in Virginia is $12.41 that's a difference of over $5/hr, or $10K/yr. For crossing a state line.
And most of TV seems to be produced in Ca., where everybody is rich so young people just expect Ca. salaries.

 

[MossRoad]

My dad always said I could bench hundreds of pounds but I could never turn the hot water off completely when I lived with them LOL...

My dad was 6'3" tall and 135 pounds when he joined, ah, err, got drafted into the Army!

I was a bit huskier at 6' 135 pounds when I got out of high school.

Looking back at all the men on my father's side, they were all tall and thin. No fat. I figured I was in for the same. However, I was up to a whopping 154 by age 24 the day I got married. No fat on me. Kept working out, doing physical labor, swimming, etc... by age 42 I hit 225, still no fat. I feel that was my peak as far as strength, stamina, etc...

It was all downhill after that.

 

[MossRoad]

I've never told anyone what I make other than "average wages", which is true. It's none of their business.

I had a coworker in IT that snooped into the accounting system to see what another coworker of ours was making. When he found out, he got highly offended and started complaining.

What he failed to grasp is that the higher paid coworker had a college degree, 20 years of experience in IT, 15 of which were at a steel mill and 5 as the director of IT at a local college, and he was hired in as management, while his resume was a high school diploma and silo construction. Nothing to do with IT. He was strictly for wire pulling and desktop support.

Didn't help that he constantly told everyone he was going to quit and open a shaved ice stand in Florida with his wife as soon as possible. So the company never invested in him. He could have taken advantage of the education benefit they offered (I did many times), but he didn't.

Anyhow, finding out what your coworkers make seems like a major pastime for many folks at about every place of employment.

 

[ultrarunner]

My dad always said I could bench hundreds of pounds but I could never turn the hot water off completely when I lived with them LOL

That said, I learned over time to utilize my brain more, and blessed enough that I don't have to do what I use to do years ago because there is no way I could last a week doing what I use to do when I didn't have to use my brain as much.
Years ago we hired a kid (19 years old) who came in on his grandfathers recommendation to me (guy I respected). I was working with him, and he just came out and asked me how much I made a year. Almost fell over dead. Basically told him none of his business. He then asks me in in all sincerity how long it would take him to make 100 grand a year, because he left his part time janitors job making 50 grand a year. I told him right there he should go back to his part time janitors job. Kid left us because he said he wasn't making enough money. Found out a year later he was asking for his job back. He didn't get it.

Grandfather called later apologizing to me for the recommendation.

Keep in mind, I live in NC. Money goes a lot further here per cost of living vs the Northeast or out west. I remember some of the guys from California telling me what some of the wages are out there. Need those wages for what it costs to live there IMO.

$20 an hour fast food and now minimums for janitorial in some cities…

I’ve managed a small duplex 40 years with 1 bedroom on each side.

Elderly tenants had very modest utilities…

A 25 year single mom was always in a night gown and opening the door was like opening an oven door…

She was 8 times the previous tenant and 6 times the next tenant…

65 degrees and 80 or max makes a difference…

 

[CalG]

Wh

I miss the Ridged tool calendars. Can't seem to find them anymore. Wish I would have kept a couple for old times sake.

May need to order a Dillon precision calendar.

When those calendars where in every shop,

We all had ridged tools.....

 

[jyoutz]

Don't need to be old to appreciate them. I've been using some sort of kneeling pad since I was in my 20s, might be just an old scrap of carpet but indispensable.

I wore them last week when I was planting garden plants and doing weeding. But I still ended up with blisters on my knee.

 

[CalG]

A question for the followers of this thread regarding "healing".

I got a tick bite on a rather sensitive bit of flesh the other day. Pulled off cleanly and went into the wood stove to swim in the ashes. The itch and redness is "healed" in two days.
Stacking wood in the shed a few days back, I lost my footing and stretched my left shoulder a good one. I could not lift that arm to level for love or money. I thought it was a torn rotor cuff for sure.
Could not sleep and moaned with pain all that first night.

Four days later, It's not right, but it's OK. I just now fully lifted that arm a half dozen times in testing.

A year ago about this time, I popped something in my right knee. It took all summer to get so I wasn't limping. I needed a pillow under the knee at night to sleep
This past winter's skiing, I just needed to pay attention, and not do stupid things. Now, The one knee is no worse than the other (not saying they are good and solid ;-)

I am troubled about healing after injury.

I guess I might be getting old...

 

[jyoutz]

A question for the followers of this thread regarding "healing".

I got a tick bite on a rather sensitive bit of flesh the other day. Pulled off cleanly and went into the wood stove to swim in the ashes. The itch and redness is "healed" in two days.
Stacking wood in the shed a few days back, I lost my footing and stretched my left shoulder a good one. I could not lift that arm to level for love or money. I thought it was a torn rotor cuff for sure.
Could not sleep and moaned with pain all that first night.

Four days later, It's not right, but it's OK. I just now fully lifted that arm a half dozen times in testing.

A year ago about this time, I popped something in my right knee. It took all summer to get so I wasn't limping. I needed a pillow under the knee at night to sleep
This past winter's skiing, I just needed to pay attention, and not do stupid things. Now, The one knee is no worse than the other (not saying they are good and solid ;-)

I am troubled about healing after injury.

I guess I might be getting old...

Sounds like an orthopedic doctor would have lots of work to do with you.

 

[CalG]

Sounds like an orthopedic doctor would have lots of work to do with you.

Nothing to do at the moment, I'm all good!

But tomorrow is another day! ;-)