1st Gen. Lunch Table - General Discussion

I had a job like that. I had so much free time I was actually considering getting my masters online or getting a part time job doing online work at the same time. Unethical? Perhaps. But I had asked them for more responsibility and projects and they never did. In the end I just ended up finding another job. The funny thing is that the next job was the same or worse. My wife got so annoyed I kept finding jobs that paid me decently to sit on my ass because her job is so busy.

Now my new job is extremely busy but I'm enjoying how fast the days go by.

 

A maintenance job I almost took out of high school encouraged people to be effective enough with repairs that they could just lounge around or take online classes.


I would of taken it, but I just couldn’t deal with the heat there

 

Basically in a factory if maintenance is busy? Somethings broken and they’re losing money

 

Yeah, the funny thing about working in the factory is that the program manager couldn't care less about what you're doing so long as product is moving and there are no issues.

 

Things have been like that for me under my current employer. I've basically been moved around so many times I've actually had 4-5 distinctly different careers within one very broad group over my time there.

Core of the business is rooted in all facets of security, they do virtually everything in-house, from event security to physical security, to media & content security to encryption tech to cybersec and everything in between. I've worked on everything from product development, to managing QA/QC teams, operations and facilities, but the one major underlying component has always been systems, systems engineering, systems security, etc.

During the last few years, lots of shake-ups, several times I survived re-orgs and their related layoffs. Was really sweating it for a while. It doesn't help that things ebb and flow so damn much - one week I'm working my ass off, next week, I'm so freaking bored I'm begging other teams to let me help them out. I know what everyone does, how it works, some of the teams I actually built, led, worked on at some point. Probably why they never axed me - man of many hats.

But yeah. I've had my LinkedIn setup to explore during H2/2021. It's so freaking cushy though, every offer that's been tossed at me would either be a paycut, a benefits cut, a knowledge loss or skill atrophy waiting to happen ... my reality is, I just want to get back to working with the younger folks coming into the industry, get back into a mentoring role. There's not much more powerful than sharing 25 years of industry knowledge and history with a spongey open mind...

Chances are I'm passively retiring in the next 8-10 , so .. meh. Once the kids are out, maybe I'll teach. But it'll be on my terms, and I'll either be doing it from the desert, the mountains, or somewhere in between. Definitely not in the city.

 

The 4runner frame may finally have a home soon. $300 for a running 3rd gen 4runner.. hmmm

 

I work at a Ford frame production plant in maint. Most nights are just sitting waiting for something to break. Usually not anything too drastic when it does either. Pay is good but sometimes I do have to find something to do to keep from going crazy.

Yeah summers do suck but for the money I deal with it. Having to work a lot of OT may be my breaking point for me at some point in the future when we have a kid or two running around so I can have more family time.

 

As @bmf4069 would say.. pics?

 

Hopefully have them soon. Guy my father works with. 90% sure it’s not the cleanest thing ever. But it’ll suit the need perfectly once done

 

You know, this reminds me. I saw another 2nd gen LX470 earlier today, along with a couple of Landcruisers while out and about.

Is there any specific reason people seem to flock to the early 4Runners instead of the LX470 and the Toyo LC? They look like about the same chassis/makeup.

 

3rd gen 4runners are tiny. The 4th gen is just a hair smaller than the LC I believe

 

Plus the runners are affordable vs the LX and LC

 

$$$

 

I figured it was a money thing. Seems like the late 90s LC are still in the 15-20k range even w/high miles. LX470 don't seem to be so steep, but only about 10-20% less. I could buy 3-4 mediocre Tacos for the cost of one LC around here.

 

A friends’s husband has what I think is an ‘80’s LC. Family vehicle from his parents. We drove it to get the boat for a day on Lake Tahoe. It apparently left him stranded on the return trip. 4 speed stick. Beautiful vehicle. He likes his F150 better.

 

https://www.copart.com/lot/63531111/salvage-2019-lexus-rc-f-il-chicago-south



that engine would be really nice in a tundra.... hmmm

 

Yup

 

Ive been digging through copart to see where i should price dads ranger, since its a salvage title, and i dont need or want it. Its slow, thirsty, and uncomfortable.

Erepairables.com has some cool stuff, too. But i dont think im interested in an ecobeast/10 speed swap. Rather cage it and enter into 24h of lemons.

https://erepairables.com/salvage-cars-auction/ford/ranger

one thing that would make me keep this turd is a small diesel engine to run a generator. If i can sell my green furd i could afford a 3-53 detroit. But really, i just need to be able to spin 15kw.

 

I've been wanting a jura for a while but man $$$$$

 

So I'm trying to decide if I want to bid on a new job on campus.

Current schedule is Tuesday-Saturday September to May and Monday-Friday May to August, hours are all over the place but it's super flexible and I can mostly make my own hours around the events but I'm a one man show so I have to be present for 98% of them.

New job would be either Monday-Friday 230-11pm or Tuesday-Saturday 630-3pm all year round it's with the Maintenance Dept so I'd do more general stuff than I do now and I don't have to schedule time off around other events. All other benefits stay the same but it's a 10k pay raise. The shift is negotiable since I've got enough seniority to bump up a different one, but I'm unsure about the loss of flexibility.

Basically I'd go from being "the guy" to being a cog in the machine.

 

Yeah, no kidding. New to me, but cool that I can do something that will fire her up.

 

Off at 3:00 and a decent raise doesn't suck...

 

I remember that feeling until an ethical dilemma and health issues both outted me and prevented me from moving on.

Hard to say what looks like the better deal.

 

everyone chooses the $ carrot until they get the stick..

 

That's what I'm struggling with. I like my job at the moment but my boss is nearing retirement so there's no guarantee it stays the way it is.

That's the other side. I'm aware I'm not going to be able to work like I do forever and the turnover in maintenance isn't huge so this is probably the chance I'll get for the next 5 years or so.

Currently I do some random painting/bulb changes/troubleshooting of scoreboards, laundry, athletic setups, take care of the pool, and whatever else the Athletic Director comes up with. Other job would be straight maintenance, mostly painting/drywall repair, light electrical, PMs on HVAC, and some snow removal.

 

I say take it. Things changed considerably where I am since my boss retired along with many others who knew me. A lot of the new people don't know me and what I'm capable of doing. It's hard to get in on the interesting new work because of it.

 

It's honestly not a huge change for me. Still with the same place under the same contract just in a different building.

That's kind of where I'm leaning. I worked in a Maintenance as a janitor when I first started, took a shot on my current job since a lot of folks said it was awful but 9 years later it's been great, made a lot of good friends here but it feels like time for a change.

 

I'll pay cash if the price is right, and even fly out to pick it up and road trip home. I need to see the country again, it's been a while since I made the trek across I-10 and I-20 coast to coast ... I could use the mental floss that comes with it.

Wish I'd have met you in 2018, I let a couple of them go super cheap when we had to move sites. Company was going to toss them. I saved three, kept one, sold the other two after repairing the stupidly small prob with it. Actually, we have another one now that's rarely used, but one person developed a personal attachment to it, though it hasn't been used in probably a year now.

Change is often good, @Festerw but us humans aren't equipped to enjoy that, nor the risk that comes with it. But There may be a bigger philosophical question here, but the reality is, are you holding onto the old because it's comfortable, and that's preventing you from moving to the new? If you make the shift will you be stuck, or would you still have viable options 6mos out? The important thing is not to put yourself into a dead-end. If this isn't a potential dead-end, and there's opportunity for growth and added value of self, run with it, see where it takes you.

 

Definitely not a dead end. With the addition of this job experience and a refrigeration license I could very likely move up again in a couple years.

Realistically I'm here for at least the next 8 years until my 14 year old makes it though college (if that's what she chooses) since it's hard to turn down a 75% discount. I'm eligible for retirement in 12 if I play my cards right.

 

Sounds like a win-win to me. I'm also aiming to retire (at least passively) in the same rough timeframe, but hadn't thought about entering university system for that reason, appreciate the idea.

We've got education funds setup for the kids and told the grandparents for every gift given, they need to put an equal amount of $$ into it, hoping to lessen the blow with how insane costs are these days. Assuming college is even a thing in 8-10 years, that is.