Alakon
08-06-2007, 10:08 AM
Gaaah! My hands! :shocked: My feet! My back!
:afro:
Nothing has happened to them.. why, why?
Lol, I lie, I've been working about a month at Colspec, but My First Month at Work didn't quite have the same ring to it.
And it was a very special month for me, so much so, that I would like to relate it to you, the Off-topic viewers.
This has been almost literally the first chance I got since I started that i had the opportunity to visit this forum, (I think I got in five minutes the other week).
Just to clarify, I work for Colspec, a commercial and residential construction company, and I am employed as a labourer. And I'm 18. Right, basics covered, onward!
My first week was an interesting time for my hands, I very rapidly became familiar with a tool that we call a bar. Why? Because its a bar. Moreover, a large heavy, metal bar a head taller than I.
We had what you would call a love hate relationship, I'd love iot if I didn't have to use it, but I'd hate it if I had to work without it. :D
As I'm the new guy, all the older fellas took enormous enjoyment out of immediately and unconditionally surrendering all of the dirty hot work to me.
I enjoyed myself immensely.
I got to use the bar to pry out boxing, which is just pieces of wood nailed together and conveniently shoved down into a concrete hole, where they are then fastened to the wall with dinah bolts. Nice big steel bolts that you need a powerful dinah drill, a hammer, and lots of willpower just to get it into the wall.
I pried at it, I wrenched at it, I threw my weight against it, I completely gave myself over to the savage beast just-to-get-the-damn-things-out! My first bar did not survive long. I managed to completely bend it in several directions to such a degree it could not be bent back.
Newer, bigger bar.
I took me on average, an hour to do each set of boxing. Bear in mind, that I was working in a very tight space, not only was it a small hole, but it up against the wall with a support steel column attached to the bottom.
I had to bend, I had to heave, I had to smash the things out, or to pieces, I had to break concrete, beg,whine,plead whimper, attack it with my teeth.
What should really have happened is that the boxing should have been fastened only together with maybe one or two nails, each layer, not dinah bolted, and four or five gunnails.
A couple of fellas, the only ones about my age came over to see what was taking me so long, then tried their hand at it. I took immense satisfaction to see their faces go red, then purple and sweating, and after managing to get a layer out, solemnly handing back the bar and giving me an approving whack on the back. It did not appreciate it. :D.
But quite honestly, its fun, if you eat properly, and get up at somewhere close to 5:30 and get to work fresh, you can enjoy yourself quite a lot, and you won'y have sore muscles and back.
To be honest, after my truly taxing stint with a couple of independant builders, and seasonal haybaling, I thought it would be completely full on from dawn to dusk. But my main problem is finding something to do.
I hate sweeping, I cannot convey to you the utter loathing I feel when I even set eyes upon that accursed tool of misery. It's so boring! And to think I was going to be a part time janitor!
I really enjoy working with Paul outside on the balconyish things jutting out from the wall, lots of traffic going past, lots of pedestrians that you can talk to when boss isn't watching.
Just a warning, watch out for Paul, he's the fella with dark glasses looking down the street at passing chicks, while he whacks away at nails, and the occasional hand or foot. It still hurts :D.
He's a completely cool fella, but he's an unashamed pervert that cheats on his missus. Wow, that didn't sound too great did it? Well, you'd probably have top meet him, he the nicest fella you could ever hope to meet, but lacking in maturity, or moral sense, etc...
If any of you fellas wander into Palmerston North, pay me a visit! We are working on the corner of Oxford and Ferguson street just off the square, we're opposite Pedal Pushers.
Just look for a big good looking maori fella with the huge muscles, I'll be the one standing next to him, under his foot.
You instantly win 10 bucks if you can hit the english guy with an improvised missile, double if you get him in the kiddie maker. Come to think of it, you could never make that shot, too small a target.
It's been great, me, Paul and Luke are great mates always looking for a laugh, so don't be surprised if you see us fighting on the street, or doing something that lacks all form of social grace or sense anywhere in the surrounding area.
The ramset gun is great, it's just for shooting nails into steel, but it makes a terrific bang.
We just wit until the traffic piles up at the lights, and all is silent, there is bound to be someone with their window open.
Bang!
The reaction is instantaneous. They drive off eventually, shamefaced, and throwing us sheepish looks as we roll around cracking up.
It's bad, but its fun.
Work is full time though, get up at 5:30, shower, breakfast, car, get to work, work, try to skip as many breaks as we can without the site safe bosses going crazy, hit the cars at 5 if we are lucky, quite often we work overtime to make up for someone else's bungles. On a good day, cars at 5, drive home, get there at 6. Shower, munch. 6:30, watch friends :D, possibly futurama, 7, 7:30, have tea. 8, prepare lunch for next day, 8:10 maybe try to write something, talk to a friend on phone,(don't like txting, and no recep), or start watching a movie, 9:00 coma out on bed.
On a bad day, work till maybe 7, arrive to the kingdom hall late(if its tues or thurs, which is our form of church), get home at 8 or 9, coma out on bed without fuss.
But I can personally recommend taking up building as a career, unless you actually have brains to do better for yourself :D, as you keep active, great socialisation (social club, workmates, random passerbys. Had a real good chat with a girl, when I was working on a sweat by my lonesome, flexing my muscles to good effect :D lol) and we sing. All day long.
Beware.
Lol, just thought I tell you guys something of my first real job.
P.S, I managed to bend another bar today. I'm sure there's a poll going on about it.
:afro:
Nothing has happened to them.. why, why?
Lol, I lie, I've been working about a month at Colspec, but My First Month at Work didn't quite have the same ring to it.
And it was a very special month for me, so much so, that I would like to relate it to you, the Off-topic viewers.
This has been almost literally the first chance I got since I started that i had the opportunity to visit this forum, (I think I got in five minutes the other week).
Just to clarify, I work for Colspec, a commercial and residential construction company, and I am employed as a labourer. And I'm 18. Right, basics covered, onward!
My first week was an interesting time for my hands, I very rapidly became familiar with a tool that we call a bar. Why? Because its a bar. Moreover, a large heavy, metal bar a head taller than I.
We had what you would call a love hate relationship, I'd love iot if I didn't have to use it, but I'd hate it if I had to work without it. :D
As I'm the new guy, all the older fellas took enormous enjoyment out of immediately and unconditionally surrendering all of the dirty hot work to me.
I enjoyed myself immensely.
I got to use the bar to pry out boxing, which is just pieces of wood nailed together and conveniently shoved down into a concrete hole, where they are then fastened to the wall with dinah bolts. Nice big steel bolts that you need a powerful dinah drill, a hammer, and lots of willpower just to get it into the wall.
I pried at it, I wrenched at it, I threw my weight against it, I completely gave myself over to the savage beast just-to-get-the-damn-things-out! My first bar did not survive long. I managed to completely bend it in several directions to such a degree it could not be bent back.
Newer, bigger bar.
I took me on average, an hour to do each set of boxing. Bear in mind, that I was working in a very tight space, not only was it a small hole, but it up against the wall with a support steel column attached to the bottom.
I had to bend, I had to heave, I had to smash the things out, or to pieces, I had to break concrete, beg,whine,plead whimper, attack it with my teeth.
What should really have happened is that the boxing should have been fastened only together with maybe one or two nails, each layer, not dinah bolted, and four or five gunnails.
A couple of fellas, the only ones about my age came over to see what was taking me so long, then tried their hand at it. I took immense satisfaction to see their faces go red, then purple and sweating, and after managing to get a layer out, solemnly handing back the bar and giving me an approving whack on the back. It did not appreciate it. :D.
But quite honestly, its fun, if you eat properly, and get up at somewhere close to 5:30 and get to work fresh, you can enjoy yourself quite a lot, and you won'y have sore muscles and back.
To be honest, after my truly taxing stint with a couple of independant builders, and seasonal haybaling, I thought it would be completely full on from dawn to dusk. But my main problem is finding something to do.
I hate sweeping, I cannot convey to you the utter loathing I feel when I even set eyes upon that accursed tool of misery. It's so boring! And to think I was going to be a part time janitor!
I really enjoy working with Paul outside on the balconyish things jutting out from the wall, lots of traffic going past, lots of pedestrians that you can talk to when boss isn't watching.
Just a warning, watch out for Paul, he's the fella with dark glasses looking down the street at passing chicks, while he whacks away at nails, and the occasional hand or foot. It still hurts :D.
He's a completely cool fella, but he's an unashamed pervert that cheats on his missus. Wow, that didn't sound too great did it? Well, you'd probably have top meet him, he the nicest fella you could ever hope to meet, but lacking in maturity, or moral sense, etc...
If any of you fellas wander into Palmerston North, pay me a visit! We are working on the corner of Oxford and Ferguson street just off the square, we're opposite Pedal Pushers.
Just look for a big good looking maori fella with the huge muscles, I'll be the one standing next to him, under his foot.
You instantly win 10 bucks if you can hit the english guy with an improvised missile, double if you get him in the kiddie maker. Come to think of it, you could never make that shot, too small a target.
It's been great, me, Paul and Luke are great mates always looking for a laugh, so don't be surprised if you see us fighting on the street, or doing something that lacks all form of social grace or sense anywhere in the surrounding area.
The ramset gun is great, it's just for shooting nails into steel, but it makes a terrific bang.
We just wit until the traffic piles up at the lights, and all is silent, there is bound to be someone with their window open.
Bang!
The reaction is instantaneous. They drive off eventually, shamefaced, and throwing us sheepish looks as we roll around cracking up.
It's bad, but its fun.
Work is full time though, get up at 5:30, shower, breakfast, car, get to work, work, try to skip as many breaks as we can without the site safe bosses going crazy, hit the cars at 5 if we are lucky, quite often we work overtime to make up for someone else's bungles. On a good day, cars at 5, drive home, get there at 6. Shower, munch. 6:30, watch friends :D, possibly futurama, 7, 7:30, have tea. 8, prepare lunch for next day, 8:10 maybe try to write something, talk to a friend on phone,(don't like txting, and no recep), or start watching a movie, 9:00 coma out on bed.
On a bad day, work till maybe 7, arrive to the kingdom hall late(if its tues or thurs, which is our form of church), get home at 8 or 9, coma out on bed without fuss.
But I can personally recommend taking up building as a career, unless you actually have brains to do better for yourself :D, as you keep active, great socialisation (social club, workmates, random passerbys. Had a real good chat with a girl, when I was working on a sweat by my lonesome, flexing my muscles to good effect :D lol) and we sing. All day long.
Beware.
Lol, just thought I tell you guys something of my first real job.
P.S, I managed to bend another bar today. I'm sure there's a poll going on about it.