Friday - Late

What a day.
When I found out about the pipe situation this morning, it set in gear a non-stop cascade of things going on that had me busting @$$ all day long.
The situation is that one of our salesmen placed and order with a pipe company 2 and a half weeks ago. He found out yesterday that the pipe company was "sitting" on the order, had not done anything about getting the pipe onto a truck and sent here from Texas.
So, we ordered enough pipe for the contractor to be able to work tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow, starting at 4:00am, they are working a long shift. These aren't the greatest times to be having to pay workers OT, so they must be on a tight schedule to get the job done.
I'm at the pipe manufacturer's place in west Phoenix. When I arrived, I found out the pipe lengths were 14 footers instead of the normal 20 footers, which set the whole thing up into the air. I had the truck set up to put on 20 footers - I already had pallets and other pipe on there. We're talking 2,480 feet of pipe to go on the truck.

Well, anyway, I had a forklift operator re-position everything on the truck and then they brought out the pipe to put on. JUST before they were going to start putting the pipe bundles on the truck, the salesman called. He started bitching at me about how he had been promised that the pipe was going to be on the jobsite by 9:00am - it was noon time when he called - and giving me hard time. I cut him off - this guy is always giving people a hard time and I just won't listen to it. I informed him that there was NO possible way that pipe could have EVER been to the jobsite considering everything that had to be done and that I had not made that particular promise to him, go talk to whoever made that promise and give THAT person a hard time, cause' I would have told you no earlier than noon and probably later.

He tells me the crew is going home in half an hour. Not even possible. They were going to be installing the pipe early tomorrow morning. I offered to get up early Saturday morning and take it out there. This calmed him down considerably. He hung up and called management to see if they would allow me to work on a Saturday. No problem. Anyway, the problem was blown WAY out of proportion and I was on the receiving end of all of it.

The contractor ultimately decided to wait until I got there. I had other materials on my truck that they needed by 4:00 am so it could be installed by 5:00 am so that some specialist coming out would be able to do his work with it. Well, I was happy to have that taken off of me, but I would have gladly taken that entire truckload out tomorrow morning - anything to keep me looking good at work, even if it meant getting out of bed at 2:30 am to be at a jobsite by 4:00 am.

I finally broke down and got a haircut today. I couldn't hold out any longer. My hair was almost down to my eyelashes. WAY too long. I'm just doing whatever to keep expenses down as low as possible. I hate having long hair - it gets too hot in the summer time. My hair is very thick and when it gets long, it's like having a fur cap on.

Ummm, that's it for now. I'm tired. I went overhours and I did not get a break - and I was moving all day long. It actually felt good to have a good, solid day's worth of work, but it always takes it out of me.

C'ya later.
ben

Friday

Settling into a "new" routine - the new tenant is up at 2:00 am and is at work at the airport at 3:00 am. I have asked about the noise levels - he's quiet as a mouse. This guy is, from what I can tell, your basic, ideal tenant. Has enough money he doesn't have to mooch, keeps quiet, talks normally, etc etc etc.

I just got to work - have not signed in yet. A pleasant surprise awaited me this morning when I found several deliveries had been dumped into our truck routing system after I left yesterday. I do call this pleasant because this will keep me busy for at least most of the morning.

Another continuing pleasant surprise is the weather. The temps are not showing to go over 100 for at least another week. Actually, for being this far into June, that is shocking. Shockingly good, yes, but - truly amazing.

Ummm, and there is a truck driver here already wanting me to unload his truck. I'm usually firm but polite - we don't open until 6:30am - that's 15 minutes from now, I'm not on the clock, be out there then, thanks. I do not, however, say the same to a customer showing up early. Telling a customer they will have to wait 15, 30 whatever minutes is pretty much the same as telling your boss to bug off - it's not a good idea.

Well kick the day into ultra high gear - a pipe manufacturer as "f*****" us as a manager that just stopped by put it - literally - and I will be running around quite a bit today trying to get all of this done.

Gonna hafta cut this one short, get on the clock and get to workin'.
Have a great day!
ben