Which means a LOT as it is one of my favorite holidays.
I have temorary power up and running, no heat but the fireplace, I do have running water and gas. I have candy for the kids and a handle of rum, cups, and a bunch of hot buttered rum mix made up.
For the past 20 years when I'm home I give the kids candy and the adults hot buttered rum and I am going to do that tonight. It's a statement. Battered, not beaten.
It feels damned good being Officially Operational again even if it is out of a basically unheated and somewhat dark house.
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I was supposed to go back to work for 3 weeks as of tomorrow but it seems to have backed up for a day which sucks kinda.
I turn 71 in a few days and have stated my loading and pumping days are over with yet they have kept me busy baby sitting tieed up equipment in Seattle and Frisco for about a year. The equipment has gone back to work there and they want me to baby sit a loaded barge in the Northeast which I will do.
I do serve a purpose which is to free up a younger guy to load and pump because this tanker has to be manned even though it is standing by a power plant in case of an emergency.
I have agreed to discharge small quantities to the power plant if something comes up which it isn't likely to for a while but it might when it gets cold.
They asked me to change my reservation to come in a day early because I think they need a hand loading it and I begged off. I heard someone use the term 'emergency' in the background and that irked me.
If there was a man overboard, a holed tugboat, a major spill or someone got seriously injured I would be the first person to pitch in.
On the other hand there are also non emergency 'emergencies' and I want no part of those because once you pitch in a couple of times than everything that comes down the pike will be labeled as an emergency and you will never get left alone.
While we were at it, years ago one of the office woman commented on all of the wonderful men that came in on their off time anytime she called them. I looked at those particular guys and a handful of them either had a sick kid, or were saving for a down payment on a home. The bulk of them had some kind of monkey on their back that kept them from being able to live on a pretty good income. I won't get into that. Either that or they were just plain stupid.
I have decided to stay working as a watchman and fill in as little more than a licensed placeholder. A decimal point or a zero so to speak.
The WACs of WW2 are somewhat of an example. The concept of allowing women to serve in uniform was to free up men for combat duty. My slot is similar. I am working to free up a younger guy to load and discharge.
I really don't like to be this way but the truth is that the instant I jump in and answer the non emergency emergency call of duty it will only be a matter of a very short time before I am stuck doing herbor work of running the coast.
I'm very soon to be 71. When men start to turn 62 the exodus begins. By 65 most men are gone and damned few stay until 67. I'm a fugitive from the law of averages (What's new?) and the truth is I have pulled the plow long enough. I probably should retire.
I will cheerfully stay on as a watchman of sorts and actually be useful but I can see what may be in the offing. I am going to have to put my foot down and people are going to call me the a$$hole when in fact they are the a$$hole for putting me in a position where I have to say something.
I don't want it to be this way but if push comes to shove I will put myself on the retired list effective then and there. I hope it doesn't end that way.
Often people ask me what I am going to do when I retire but the fire has just given me a retirement job. I want to get the place up and running and make it marketable. I've lived in it for 30 years now and I'd like to get it in shape and marketable so maybe some young starting out familly can buy it and move in and raise their kids when they ship me to the Old Folks Home.
Everybody encounters their end game situation.
ReplyDeleteIf you have your preps in place or have decided how you will manage it then you are the master of your fate, not some corporate drone.
Remember that there is little to none loyalty that will come your way from your employer