Herding cats

I've learned some new ideas about work ethics.

Not adopted, by the way, just barely tolerated.

Such as; One and Done, Nothing New After Two, Nothing For Me After Three, Nothing More After Four.

Poor poetry, and not addressed in the schedule.

The "nuclear professionals" working for me have readily embraced these lyrical tenants.

I have found it virtually impossible to snap the tap root connecting their butts to the chairs in the break room.

The "one and done" is one work order per day. If that is one 24", 45 degree Rockwell globe isolation valve rebuild, it's a miracle or an alien intervention. If it happens to be a three quarter inch gate repack, somebody is taking a nap.

Unfortunately all of us are on a twelve hour schedule, and the "nothing new after two" means if I get done by two, I expect to sit in the break room until six thirty.

Let me be plain here. When I am on my tools, and the man gives me a work order and a brief, I get off my hind quarters, and go to work. The time doesn't matter, fair doesn't matter, what some one has or hasn't done doesn't matter, I have a contract that says I will be paid for the hours I work, so I work.

Not so my little lambs. I have given the task brief, asked for questions, given out the work order and then watched for an hour as the bull session continues.

I could have cooked an egg in the palm of my hand.

I got a news flash killer, if you get done at two and you will not accept more work, then you need to go home. If you don't want to work, you don't have too.

Those little poems display the attitude of "pay me but don't expect anything".

There are other games, Question it to death, only deal with one issue at a time (each separate issue requires a walk back to the break room and a break), and of course, I'm not qualified.

If someone brings me a problem, I will find them an answer, please use the phone. Our income depends on doing a better job than any of a dozen other contractors, and doing it in a timely and professional manner.

Childish poems do not a professional make.

I try to hold my temper, and mostly I can. Sometimes it just slops over the edges, and then we get the eruption. When we have a plan, don't change the plan with out telling me. I really hate having to explain why no one can be seen working on camera FOUR HOURS after I have ushered the entire crew through the briefs and sent them to work.

They thought they had a better idea......WRONG! That one slopped over the edges.

When an older team member decided to ignore safety and his work partner decided to let him, that went bad quick.

I have two levels of counseling on these matters, "a word of prayer" and "we're all gonna' come to Jesus"!

Ignoring safety will get you to the "come to Jesus" meeting quick.

I don't have the power to discipline, or fire. I can write a bad evaluation, which may effect pay or rehire. Unfortunately we can't get enough techs as it is.

So, for now, I will try to keep forcing my little kitty's into doing their jobs.

Working for a living isn't so bad, trying to get the unwilling to do their part sucks.

Back at work....or what ever...

I should apologize to all and sundry for my lack of posting, or maybe not, because it's not for others, but for myself that storys are written.

The LOML and I are living a dream. We are checking out state after state to find where we would like to live. We are in Washington now, good weather, good food, fishing, hiking and all sorts of outdoor activities. A fun place.

We lived through Minnesota and Iowa. Coldest place I have ever lived. All you tough types, try riding your scooter to work with out a heated suit in 14F weather. Trust me a snow flake in the eye at 55mph hurts. A doe deer four feet in front of your head light looks like a moose, and your butt will eat cotton like a combine.

I have empirical evidence.

We had quite the trip here to Wa. Got snowed on twice. The love of my life was looking for a snow storm of disasterous proportions, up to the time it happened. Then the question was"For heavens sake it's APRIL already, does it never stop?"

Yes, Virginia, it does stop, but not when you expect.

My question is a little more general, if you are in the desert, as we are, why does it rain so much? It seems I can only ride one or two days a week due to a rain storm.

On the road again

Don’t pay the ransom, I’ve escaped!

It’s been a tough quarter, January was spent getting the home and the survival facility ready for the spring outage season. We loaded up and sailed on the twenty first, landed on the twenty third and started on the twenty sixth.

Lessons learned :
At twenty five below, diesel fuel turns to yogurt, and will not flow through injectors.
At twenty five below, when it finally starts, it sounds like someone is inside using a hammer to get out.
The transmission sounds like a twisted ball of rubber bands until it warms up.
Snow will not make a snow ball.
My mustache collects ice, lots, quickly.
Your first breath outside will freeze all your nose hairs together.

That was the first stop.

We worked seven, ten hour nights, for twenty one straight. All the pain of a night shift with none of the mitigating factors if it was on days. Blech!
I was presented with several work orders that no had ever done before, that’s positive I think. These particular valves had never had maintenance done on them. I also got my hands on some big valves types that I had never worked on before, good training.

The second stop is just getting started.

I spent two weeks in supervisor training, and am now a valve supervisor for general valve and air operated valves. Woo Hoo! We are working six, twelve hour days, with every Sunday off. It’s a union plant and Sunday is double time.

The trip to the first plant was a worrisome thing. We were running ahead of a major storm. It eventually hammered western Kentucky, but we were off the road by then.
I wasn’t seriously worried about the trip to the second job, it’s only three hundred and sixty miles, what could go wrong?

That was stupid.

I am usually addicted to the Weather Channel for one reason or another, wind or wave of ice.
Therefore, I was more that a little upset when we were caught on the road with a trifecta of winter slop.

First worry, the road is getting white, no problem, slow down. Next problem, the wind shield is icing, no cure for that.

Deal breaker, the idiots on the Interstate with me are still doing sixty!

There is no honor or courage in being stupid, and when you are risking being taken out by a random moron, it’s time to get out of the way.

We got a room and waited for morning. There was three inches of new powder on the parking lot when I went out to clear the wind shield, the DOT crews had done their usual wonderful job and magically produced a clear road by morning.

Home at last.....for a litle while.

After about twenty hours of traveling, on one hour of sleep, I made touchdown on my own dirt.

At which time I was tackled by the Love of My Life. My ribs will be OK soon, I don't really care if they're bruised, it was a great home coming.

Even the Dawg was happy to see me.

The cats,,,,,,,,,not so much.

Yesterday I drove from winter to spring, all in a day. When I left Hew Hampshire, it was about freezing temperature, by Maryland the windows were down. The grim and cold in the north had given way to blooming flowers and budding trees. It was as sudden a contrast as I have seen.

I can't imagine how soldiers or sailors, who have been away for years, feel when they get home. It could be that age has a bearing on the feeling, I never felt it so keenly when I was young. It probably has something to do with the Love of My Life not being with me.

I have to leave again in a week, for a month, then I will be off for the summer. I will be gone, not so far, nor gone so long, this time.

This summer I'm going on vacation,,,,, white sand, palm trees, blue water, and cheap rum. That's my plan.

I'm off ...again

This time it's to the Eastern Shore. There is a three week, even though I was told thirty day, outage. This time it's valve rebuilding, doesn't pay as well, but it's better than unemployment!

This one looks like the start of a new career that will meet my goals of only working six months a year. Valve techs work all they want to, pretty much where they want to.

This one is only three hundred miles away, practically next door. The next one is looking like California for fifty days, that will be a lot more money.

This whole thing is a big shock to the marriage system, I still have a long list of things to do at home, and this practically blew in on the wind.

Much to prepare at home to be gone for a month at a time. Much to learn about needs on the road and at home.

This time internet access is a priority, so I hope posting will be better.

A litle comment on the N. Korean Dragon

Anyone who thinks the psychopathic adolescent who runs the country (Korea not this one) will keep his word and stop producing nukes, or stop selling the technology, is fooling themselves.
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The Koreans have survived between the Japanese and China for a couple of thousand years. They have done so by murder and blackmail. They are double dealers of the highest order. They are also good candidates for the toughest sons of unwed parents on the planet.
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This political regime is about to change, ours, not theirs. They know this. They can make any deal that benefits them and then, renege on it like every other time!
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If they actually shut down their facilities, it will because they have no more use for them, or they can't maintain them anyway.
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I consider it a telling comment on their country, when the sanctions chosen are directly targeted on their leader. Wine and radio controlled cars for cats sake!
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Big Oily Dragon

I've been thinking about this for a while. It's not terribly complicated, so why has it taken me so long to put this before the public. Maybe no one wants to admit that they know when they are being screwed, and can't do anything about it.

The electrical production industry is a government regulated monopoly. That means we have no competition in our area, but we must perform in a reasonable, reliable, economical fashion. All our endeavors are auditable by the regulatory body. Electricity in the form of AC current can't be stored, the supply must meet the demand almost exactly. We can, and do cross the buy/sell line at the tie breakers every ten minuets. We analyze and schedule everything we do to ensure we can meet demand the year round. We can't have "shortages". If we have a lack of generation, your lights go out. Therefore we schedule our no production times so we can minimize our down time and try to limit it to periods when demand can be met by other means.

A like situation exists with the petroleum industry. They, like us, have large industrial complexes that require maintenance and upgrades on a regular basis. Therein lies the problem. This is known, or predictable, data. The industry KNOWS when demand will change from one product to another. They KNOW the equipment that will be required to be converted for different heating/fuel oils. All this can be scheduled and incentives put in place to ensure employee/ contractor efforts to keep the products flowing. Why is it not being done? One ready answer is a shortage drives prices up.

That’s right, if you do a poor job of predictive analysis, or just don't schedule anything, when the facility stops working, the price will go up.

The first thing that comes to mind is, if you are broke then you cant sell a product that you can't make. That's true, however, the shortage is a percentage of production, not a total halt.

The situation that comes to mind is the conspiracy theorists favorite, create a shortage, and reap the profits, keep the supply just below demand and keep the public conditioned to higher prices. I don't think any one can say we haven't been conditioned, when we look at any price below three dollars a gallon, and think it's a bargin.

If someone is creating a shortage, or doing some poor scheduling, put the word out and let some market forces go to work. I wouldn't buy from someone I know is trying to fleece me. I don't think there is collusion among CEO's in the petro world, but it's not impossible. I think if there were price fixing going on, someone would talk.

I think they just don't care, so they just let it break as it will. In my business there is a lot of discussion about "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." We call it a "fossil mentality". Really old school, we have learned the hard way to fix the important stuff when the unit is off line. If there is a culture of "run it 'till it breaks" then the additive equipment failures will add up to longer down times.

The point? There is nothing we do , that they can't do. Lets have some transparency and oversight of the petroleum industry.

To comfort AD

Here at good ole Stumpwater Nuclear Plant we are not sleep deprived, just confused as to which day it is, and If I'm working or not.

I wish I could have a day or two off so I can remember who I am, and where I belong. Our outage is 30% over schedule due to discovery items that get repaired.

My outage duties entail leak rate testing class 1,2 and 3 piping. Our total allowable leakage is 150 scfh at 50 lbs. That is spread over 250 valves. That number is meaningless to the general population, but think of it as a couple of minuets of heavy breathing.

I tell the people who are so unwise as to question my ability as a test director, " I just put air in a pipe, if it wont stay, its a maintenance problem." We test to three decimal places for each cubic foot of air.

We, all of us, are held to a standard of zero errors, for every thing we do.

I will swear to anyone who really cares, this is the safest place I have ever worked! No one will take the slightest chance of a marginal result. I and all of my family live here, and I know the risks better than anyone outside the business.

Rest easy my brother,we will not let you down!

Ironic that...

Tonight I watched a college educated, Navy trained, NRC licensed Senior Reactor Operator slap a Fax Machine, because he couldn't find the start button.

I touched his shoulder, grabbed his hand, and opened the (obvious to me) cover and showed him the button.

A technically competent nuke, who can't operate a technologically simple device, God help us all!

CSR again

One of my brothers in operations went down today, he will be fine. We went to get him, all of us. He is a great guy, and we love him, he is our own.
Convulsions, loss of sensation in the extremities, delirium. Heat stroke or what ever you care to call it.

When the rest of the site realises that ops is serious, then we get what we want. We got it.
We will get the rest later.

It could have been a lot better. I am the rigger, I didn't have what I needed. I used what I had. I could have carried him out in my arms, and I would have, given the chance. I have to give others the chance, eventually they will learn. I can only hope the price will be labor, not lives.

We managed, we will do better.

I doubt this will make the national news, but we had two ambulances in the reactor building. My brother, my friend, we will all pray for your recovery, and speedy return to us.

More later.

My Apologies

I am in the midst of a very trying time, I am working 75 hours a week for the next three weeks, on nights. I will post when I can. The group of deviants I work with are giving inspiration by the bucketful. I will try to include you all in the hilarity when I can. Unfortunately I must sleep or die. I have resorted to drugs and alcohol to calm my slumbers. When I return from the relm of Morbius, I will try to do better. God love you and keep you safe, may your life give you what your mother would have for you.

Fun and Games in the Nuclear world

I was working (no, really!) last night at good ole Stump Water Nuclear Station. It seemed like forever, only one night though.

I was looking for a valve, one of those waaay in the back, in the corner, in the dark, under something, in a Hi Rad area. From that description perhaps you can detect my level of motivation. Or maybe not, all that doesn't bother me the way it should, but it was hot, and I was dressed out in coveralls, two pairs of gloves, two pairs of shoe covers. This is also one of those places where a hard hat, or a hard head, come in really handy. The other benefit of a hard hat, besides reducing divots above the eyes, is the plastic does a champion job of condensing moisture and dripping it into your eyes.

Can't live without that very well can we?

The valve in question, one of thousands, was small enough to be overlooked, and was high in the overhead of a very high room. I knew this cause I spent about twenty minuets hunting it. I finally spotted the thing across the piping, on the other side of a void. Off we go, playing pipe 'possum ( my pipe rat scamper has slowed over the years to a 'possum trot) through the vines so to speak. Remember I said it was in the overhead, and I was wearing a hard hat? Thank God for small mercies, vision wasn't good and I managed to overlook if not avoid about a hundred pipe supports. I must have sounded like a hound dog under a house trailer, going "bong, bong,bong,bong" bouncing off of everything in my path, and leaving a dust cloud trailing behind.

Not too impressive in the ducking department.

I was thinking about a shower in decon about then, that would be because of the dust falling on my face. For all you folks out there that believe the movies depict something vaguely reflecting life, that part of Silkwood where they scrub the chick because she's contaminated, ain't happenin'....ever! I have had nasal cavities swabbed with the longest "Q tip" on the planet, for cobalt, but any fat man who tries to get in the shower to scrub me is in for a bad day. I have this agreement with the tech's responsible, they can toss me the soap from the door, and thats it. If they bring a brush, well it just goes down hill from there, I promise.

Not to worry though nothing bad showed up, I found the valve, we continued the evolution, and finished up early enough to get out on time.

The point? Next time you are thinking about how bad your working conditions are, put on your over coat, hat, boots, dish gloves, go down to the mall and run around the parking lot on a hot day for about an hour or so. That will make you feel a little better about how it could be.

Or you could just have a cold beer and forget the whole thing. I'm going for the beer.

A long night.....

We were hard after it at good ole' Stump Water Nuclear Power Station last night. I crawled around the primary containment ' til I was about too pooped to party. There isn't a lot of wiggle room, and my wiggle isn't what it was twenty years ago.

We were doing the gamma guppie on the third elevation of Hell. I was playing tour guide to a visiting operator, and kept telling him "you can't get through there, go this way, go over, back up"! He said later that he saw a dude with a really big butt, and didn't say anything because he realised that he was so twisted up that it was his own butt he was looking at. I saw a worker start to sit down on a line that was radioactive enough to warm your lunch, to take a break, I screamed at him and waved him away, then explained to him why that was a bad spot.

Things are about to get really interesting.

Keep in mind that being set on fire is "really intesting", its just not much fun.