Anything Thread

The hand is almost healed. The wrist was sprained in the incident, and it is better.

We are much closer to getting back to normal. All the regular food is in the stores and gas is plentiful. My neighbor has not approached me the last few days, but I have not given her much opportunity. A resident at the apartments uses a tree man in his profession, one who is way cheaper than the prices my neighbor has brought up. If I can get him at the prices the man gave me, I will cut the tree after all. My wife has put about twenty pictures of the storm, taken with her camera, on her computer. I plan to start a thread on Ike when I get the opportunity.

It was the most destructive storm I have experienced - and I was in the eyes of Celia and Alicia, and felt the brunt of Fern. Carla caught me and my brother in the open, and, even though we were to the northwest of San Antonio, the wind was constant and very strong. Our car, a convertible, conked out on the road, and we were forced to take shelter in a junk car at a small wrecking lot. Ike is the champ.

The job is going okay, but I resigned my position as a "keyholder" at my store. I found it too stressful and I don't like to "babysit the kids", if you catch my drift.

I'm not sure if my wage will be rolled back from $9 to $8 per hour, but if so, so be it. I'm just a lot more relaxed. We will see what happens when the next paycheque comes around. I am keeping my eyes peeled in the want ads for potentially better paying jobs, but nothing interesting has popped up yet. I like to look though.

And you? How goes it with your job? Are things back to "normal" with the storm and power, etc?

We are over the storm, in Tomball, for the most. My life is back to normal.

The one thing that may shorten my time with my job is, they try to keep me saddled with the same level of knowledge and responsibility as when I worked full time. What I mean is, in four hours, I barely have enough time to do the work orders they give me. But, they want me to keep up with ordering stuff and planning and the like, despite the fact I don't have time to keep up, and despite the fact they keep doing things (and so changing things) after I leave. A part timer simply can't be in the know about everything.

Yes, I know exactly what you mean. It was suggested to me (if I was interested) that I could have applied to work part time doing my old meter reading job. The trouble is that I could have been put on any old route, anywhere. Not a good idea, as you won't know the area, route, dogs, etc, etc. The job was dangerous enough before I retired.

As in your situation, I can imagine you can get somewhat out of the routine and out of the "swing of things" quite quickly.

I guess you'll just have to take it one day at a time and see how it goes. If not, you'll have to update them on the state of affairs.

Keep me posted.

I plan to buy some tools for wood working and begin making stuff in my back yard, to sell in town. If I can do well enough at that, I may quit my job. We are talking several months to a year.

I hope you can make steady money at this. Do you know anyone else doing something similar?

Is the Home Depot thing still an option?

I could possibly work Home Depot (or Lowes). I would then go 8 hrs for the same money.
There are lots of craft stores in Tomball and Spring, and home made woooden items can do very well. I used to do a little of it about ten years ago. I made a very nice cabinet for the living room of my own home.The bottom portion has a series of drawers, and two opposing doors. The top piece is removeable, and has shelves behind doors, with plexiglass windows. It's too big and elaborate to take places to show, but it demonstrates my ability to build such.

Hey, this sounds like a fun idea! Perhaps all you need is a 3-ring binder with photos of your various work to take around to potential craft stores and it may generate orders. This time before Christmas may be a good time to start.

This would work especially well for your large cabinet. Just take lots of photos from different angles and showing closeup detail, etc.

What do you think?

I prefer to make them first, to sell "as is." Reason being, if they order it, then they begin to look for blemishes, or deviations from their personal visions and frequently cancel the order. A large part of making a sale is impulse buying.

Yes, you got a good point. Good old human nature, eh?

Keep me posted on this idea of yours. Interesting.

I am in the process of considering what tools are essential (of ones I don't have) and how to get material. I can always clean all the crap out of the small bldg out back and work there.

Since the Great Storm of '08, people I have not seen in in ten and more years have been calling me about repairing their damage. One is an ex sister in law, who has pretty much hated me for thirty years. Persistent, some of them. They often don't understand I am too long away from contracting. I dn't know material costs or what to ask for labor, plus I am really too tired to want to chase after them anymore. I begged off and offered tips on what to look for in a contractor.

neighbour of ours -retired physics teacher - started making "non-competive" games (mainly interlocking puzzles) fashioned out of wood after his retirement .
he and his wife would go on the road in september and visit craft fairs and campus affairs in ontario .
he also collected old hockey sticks . he'd glue them together and fashion household thingies that he'd sell to hockey mums .
he had a good-sized workshop and told me that he was doing quite allright selling his stuff .
i've got two left hands - never was a choice for me (but i managed to repair a leaky faucet yesterday !!! ) .
hbg

I am steadily eyeballing projects. I seriously want to get back in it.

edgar : GO FOR IT !
particularly if you have the skills and a workshop . you can always start with a small project and "test the waters" !
good luck !
hbg

these are the kind of games "neighbour fred" made and they sold very well .

Go for it Edgar...

I just reduced my hours to part time.... put my hands in the air, said I couldn't do the full time job any longer... and now going to go and study something, whilst working 16 hours a week. Scary... but necessary for my well being.

Go for what you want hun. If you can envision it, do it. Unless you try, you won't know.

Keep us posted.

<waves to Reyn and Hbg>

I think you did the right thing. I can imagine that it would be a PITB to work for relatives, and trying to collect money from them for the jobs. No thanky!

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H, nice photo of those little wooden projects. Great ideas. I bet Edgar's got some really good ideas brewing in his brain.

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By the way, Edgar, in case you're interested and you have time, here are a few of my latest gems that you may have missed while you were away from the board during the storm.

Army recruit kicked out over fake boobs

Two men propped up corpse to cash cheque

Cross-dressing man jumps into traffic

Knight back from the dead

hey reyn :

do you expect edgar to turn your links into "wooden toys" ? <GRIN>
hbg

Wooden it be funny if he could, eh?

Pinochio knows (nose).