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Saturday, October 25, 2008
The Empire State Building
I blogged these but thought it better to post them here so that they could be viewed with more options.
You Wanted Pictures
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Working In Brooklyn...Oooooops
I am the type of person that gets very involved in my work and I very rarely take advantage of the sites around myself. Well to give you a fine example of what I am talking about, here goes.
I am taking a lunch break today and just happen to stroll over to a window of the penthouse suite today to grab a view of where I am working and to glance to my right and what do I see? The Empire State building a few blocks away as the crow flies. Now I may not know all that much about cities but I do know that when you see the Manhattan sky line The Empire State Building is usually in it. I will say no more.
I am taking a lunch break today and just happen to stroll over to a window of the penthouse suite today to grab a view of where I am working and to glance to my right and what do I see? The Empire State building a few blocks away as the crow flies. Now I may not know all that much about cities but I do know that when you see the Manhattan sky line The Empire State Building is usually in it. I will say no more.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Working in Brooklyn
It has been one of those weeks. My boss called me on tuesday night and told me that permits for a job we were to start hadn't come through yet and if I would mind working in Brooklyn for a few weeks. What was I suppose to say? I told him I didn't prefer to go to Brooklyn but as usual I would do what I would have to do.Going to work in Brooklyn consist of getting up at 3:45am and hitting the road. meeting with someone and driving to the job site. I am glad that I don't have to drive into the mess of traffic in the city though. There are no traffic regulations in Brooklyn, at least none that are enforced.
I am surprised how many new sky scrapers are being built. I counted about 15 just on the route we drive. Of course every street seems to be tied up due to the construction sites and to make it worse any job-site not using Union labor had strikers and picketers out front. I am a Union Carpenter so I just laid low going into un chartered territory for myself. At least the building I was working in wasn't being picketed.
The job that I am working on is for the wife of one of the owners of the Philadelphia Eagles football team. A million dollar apartment off the Chelsie Pier on the 9th floor. The entire building is under construction with several of the apartments with residents already in them. Of course the residents in these expensive units are snobs and have to complain if we try to start working before 9am. We walked out of an elevator the 1st day there at around 8:30 in the morning and of course the resident in the other unit on the floor had to have a fit and complain. We were actually told the next morning that we could go into the building but were not even allow to talk to one another until 9am.
I hope that the owner of the unit we are working on has the entire football team come over for a party and this neighbor dares to knock on the door and complain about the noise and a couple of the players practice a few tackles on him.
The work that I am doing is to replace the existing newly built closets with computer stations, cabinets and pocket doors. I won't go into detail regarding how we have to go about putting in the tracks and such for pocket doors that have 8' solid doors with openings that are 8' wide. These are very heavy doors. One set of these doors will actually be used on a 30' section of an open kitchen and dinning room plus living room as a divider.
Any ways, I mentioned the new buildings going up. What is strange to me is that these things only have 2 apartments it looks like per floor. So average that each building is maybe about 40'X80". I am surprised at how something so small can go straight up so many stories and a good wind couldn't just topple them over. I would think they would have a much larger base and work off that.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
BBQed Turkey
We recently broke down I bought a new little toaster oven. Our old one we have had for forever and we decided when moving to throw it out. You never realize how much you use something when you don't have it anymore. Making toast, bagels, frozen pizza, pizza bites and so on. It is really nice to have one in the summer too for baking. Even for bread. You don't have to heat the big oven in the sweltering heat and bring the indoors to unbearable heat.
The new one we purchased was a stainless steel model with a convection oven and a rotisserie. A Walmart special for around 70.00.
Today we celebrated a Thanksgiving for our Canadian friends. I decided to do a turkey roast on the rotisserie. Everyone has had a craving for my bbq sauce all week long and have been requesting it so guess what went onto the turkey roast? I basted and basted the roast with my homemade bbq sauce for the last half hour or so and I built up a beautiful glaze. MMMMM, it turned out excellent and I was pleasantly pleased with myself.
I know that most people consider Sunday as the 1st day of the week but I have always considered it to be the last and a day of rest. The BBQed turkey was a nice touch for ending a long week.
The new one we purchased was a stainless steel model with a convection oven and a rotisserie. A Walmart special for around 70.00.
Today we celebrated a Thanksgiving for our Canadian friends. I decided to do a turkey roast on the rotisserie. Everyone has had a craving for my bbq sauce all week long and have been requesting it so guess what went onto the turkey roast? I basted and basted the roast with my homemade bbq sauce for the last half hour or so and I built up a beautiful glaze. MMMMM, it turned out excellent and I was pleasantly pleased with myself.
I know that most people consider Sunday as the 1st day of the week but I have always considered it to be the last and a day of rest. The BBQed turkey was a nice touch for ending a long week.
Inspector Pays A Visit
As most of those that read my blog know, My family just moved. My In-laws had the house before us and have lived here for close to 25 years.
Just the other day I get a notification from the Zoning Inspector stating that the corner of our property where there is a fence and several bushes, that there is a sight obstruction. The fence has been there way before my in-laws even had this house. Plans are already set for over the winter when things are slow a new fence is going in. Now just a few years ago all the woods behind this house were removed and homes went up to form a development. On the side of the house with the sight obstruction is where the builder put in the street to the development.
The fence on our property is just a wire fence with grapevines growing on it and a few of the bushes could use some trimming so I figured I would go out yesterday afternoon and do what needed to be done. I received the notification in the mail on Friday afternoon and it stated that the obstruction needed to be cleared by this coming Tuesday. I have been grumbling though because I felt that the grapes and bushes have the right away in this matter but it's not like I can fight the system.
So yesterday afternoon I got the trimmer out and started on what was growing on the fence. Hah, what a mistake. What was growing on the fence was what was actually holding the fence up. Through the years my father in-law had stuck scrap pieces of 2"x4"s in when a post had rotted out and wrapped pieces of cloths hangers around those and the fence to keep it up right. I ended up taking down about 60' of the fence and what a job that turned out to be. It was the first time in my life I had to use a chain saw to remove a wire fence due to all the roots of vines, bushes and trees growing through the fence. Seems that the nice people living in the development used the road side of the fence to discard all their beer bottles, soda bottles, snapple bottle ect. for years too. I filled a recycling bin with what I uncovered. Seeing as how this fence was going along the side street now we have lost the privacy factor and the noise buffering. I guess the next project will be to put some shrubs along the property and the sidewalk. I have plenty of Rose Of Sharrons that I can transplant to the location because my father in-law has them planted all over the place willy nilly.
I trimmed back the bushes and am just waiting for the Inspector to say that they are in the way too. Looking down the street I can't believe that no one has any bushes or even a real tree in their front yard. I can't believe it. Am I going to be told that I have to cut down the trees next? I wonder what would have been said if there was a nice Blue Spruce growing on this corner of the property?
I was told that my neighbor, an 80 some odd year old lady who's husband, a retired police officer died a few years ago, was sued for a 180.000.00 because a tree on her side of the corner was blocking the view of the intersection. I don't know how anyone could sue over the fact someone has a tree in their yard. Especially when the tree was there before any intersection was installed.
Just the other day I get a notification from the Zoning Inspector stating that the corner of our property where there is a fence and several bushes, that there is a sight obstruction. The fence has been there way before my in-laws even had this house. Plans are already set for over the winter when things are slow a new fence is going in. Now just a few years ago all the woods behind this house were removed and homes went up to form a development. On the side of the house with the sight obstruction is where the builder put in the street to the development.
The fence on our property is just a wire fence with grapevines growing on it and a few of the bushes could use some trimming so I figured I would go out yesterday afternoon and do what needed to be done. I received the notification in the mail on Friday afternoon and it stated that the obstruction needed to be cleared by this coming Tuesday. I have been grumbling though because I felt that the grapes and bushes have the right away in this matter but it's not like I can fight the system.
So yesterday afternoon I got the trimmer out and started on what was growing on the fence. Hah, what a mistake. What was growing on the fence was what was actually holding the fence up. Through the years my father in-law had stuck scrap pieces of 2"x4"s in when a post had rotted out and wrapped pieces of cloths hangers around those and the fence to keep it up right. I ended up taking down about 60' of the fence and what a job that turned out to be. It was the first time in my life I had to use a chain saw to remove a wire fence due to all the roots of vines, bushes and trees growing through the fence. Seems that the nice people living in the development used the road side of the fence to discard all their beer bottles, soda bottles, snapple bottle ect. for years too. I filled a recycling bin with what I uncovered. Seeing as how this fence was going along the side street now we have lost the privacy factor and the noise buffering. I guess the next project will be to put some shrubs along the property and the sidewalk. I have plenty of Rose Of Sharrons that I can transplant to the location because my father in-law has them planted all over the place willy nilly.
I trimmed back the bushes and am just waiting for the Inspector to say that they are in the way too. Looking down the street I can't believe that no one has any bushes or even a real tree in their front yard. I can't believe it. Am I going to be told that I have to cut down the trees next? I wonder what would have been said if there was a nice Blue Spruce growing on this corner of the property?
I was told that my neighbor, an 80 some odd year old lady who's husband, a retired police officer died a few years ago, was sued for a 180.000.00 because a tree on her side of the corner was blocking the view of the intersection. I don't know how anyone could sue over the fact someone has a tree in their yard. Especially when the tree was there before any intersection was installed.
Friday, October 10, 2008
A MacRant
I have to blow off some steam here. With all this crap going on with the stock market, the bail out bill, banks and insurance companies going under.......
I want to rant about gas prices. 4 years ago here I was paying from 1.50 to a 1.79 for a gallon of gas. We had it good here in the US compared to the rest of the world. The price per barrel of oil averaged around the area of $70.00 .
In the last year the price per barrel went up to almost $148.00. Gas prices here where I live topped at 3.99 a gallon average.
With what's going on with Wall Street the price per Barrel of oil has dropped down to $87.00 a barrel. The price at the pump is 3.39 a gallon.
Anyone doing any math here?
The price per barrel of oil is almost down to where it was 4 years ago but we are still paying several dollars more per gallon.
I hear the excuse that the dealers have to use up what they already have in their tanks because it cost more but, when the price of oil goes up the price at the pump goes up over night. Why aren't people screaming about this?
For the past few years I thought the reason for the high price per barrel of oil was because the oil producing countries were raising the price per barrel. Obviously that's not the case. The suckers on Wall Street are controlling the price of Oil.
Trying to contemplate what is happening with the economy leads me and my "Farsider mind to the Twilight Zone" believe that everyone is freaking out that Obama will be elected our next President thanks to the liberal media and their polls. I think that Americans are in a panic. All the big executives are pulling up stakes and leaving with large sums of money leaving the companies they work for very short on cash and the investors are freaking out due to the lack of money and seeing the big wigs jumping ship.
Anyone with money knows that if Obama becomes our next president he will tax and tax and tax and give everything to those that aren't contributing. People are grabbing what they can fast and probably hiding it in some off shore account where Obama can't get it.
I scream everytime I hear that one of these CEOs or executives is walking off with hundreds of millions of dollars but again, it must be contactual. All planned. Just like here, when certain State workers retire, they walk off with big pensions and hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax payers money for never being sick and having 20 some odd years of un used sick days, or vacation days ect... Believe me, if public or government workers could find a way to walk off with millions they would too. I believe that these big guys with the money they are walking off with are planning for the future and want something that can't be taken away.
As far as the banks and insurance companies, I may be wrong, but don't think so, but I could swear that after 9/11 the US government went in and bailed out the banks, insurance companies, airline companies and anyone else that cried the blues. Every time some industry starts to fail now there seems to be the feeling that government has to come in and do a bail out. I am thinking that now, if the government doesn't step in and provide a check, someone is going to cry fowl and lawsuits will be filed.You can't help out one without helping out everyone. That's not fair.
Grrrrrrr, Who is going to put their foot down and say it has got to stop?
I want to rant about gas prices. 4 years ago here I was paying from 1.50 to a 1.79 for a gallon of gas. We had it good here in the US compared to the rest of the world. The price per barrel of oil averaged around the area of $70.00 .
In the last year the price per barrel went up to almost $148.00. Gas prices here where I live topped at 3.99 a gallon average.
With what's going on with Wall Street the price per Barrel of oil has dropped down to $87.00 a barrel. The price at the pump is 3.39 a gallon.
Anyone doing any math here?
The price per barrel of oil is almost down to where it was 4 years ago but we are still paying several dollars more per gallon.
I hear the excuse that the dealers have to use up what they already have in their tanks because it cost more but, when the price of oil goes up the price at the pump goes up over night. Why aren't people screaming about this?
For the past few years I thought the reason for the high price per barrel of oil was because the oil producing countries were raising the price per barrel. Obviously that's not the case. The suckers on Wall Street are controlling the price of Oil.
Trying to contemplate what is happening with the economy leads me and my "Farsider mind to the Twilight Zone" believe that everyone is freaking out that Obama will be elected our next President thanks to the liberal media and their polls. I think that Americans are in a panic. All the big executives are pulling up stakes and leaving with large sums of money leaving the companies they work for very short on cash and the investors are freaking out due to the lack of money and seeing the big wigs jumping ship.
Anyone with money knows that if Obama becomes our next president he will tax and tax and tax and give everything to those that aren't contributing. People are grabbing what they can fast and probably hiding it in some off shore account where Obama can't get it.
I scream everytime I hear that one of these CEOs or executives is walking off with hundreds of millions of dollars but again, it must be contactual. All planned. Just like here, when certain State workers retire, they walk off with big pensions and hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax payers money for never being sick and having 20 some odd years of un used sick days, or vacation days ect... Believe me, if public or government workers could find a way to walk off with millions they would too. I believe that these big guys with the money they are walking off with are planning for the future and want something that can't be taken away.
As far as the banks and insurance companies, I may be wrong, but don't think so, but I could swear that after 9/11 the US government went in and bailed out the banks, insurance companies, airline companies and anyone else that cried the blues. Every time some industry starts to fail now there seems to be the feeling that government has to come in and do a bail out. I am thinking that now, if the government doesn't step in and provide a check, someone is going to cry fowl and lawsuits will be filed.You can't help out one without helping out everyone. That's not fair.
Grrrrrrr, Who is going to put their foot down and say it has got to stop?
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