whadja do today?

[tree MDS]

I could tell stories for hours although the last couple of years I got a great guy. Little over 2 years ago a guy came in that was the son of another Cinci tree service. Big strong good looking nice personality. He and another guy are working at a Temple I service. I come back at noon and the guy is goofy. He has to go to the bathroom. I said I'd be right back and take him. I come back and he is coming out of the woods and is a zombie. I tell him to get in the truck. I fire him on way back to the lot and he is nodding out. I leave him off at his car and tell him to sober up before leaving esp. as I don't want him following me out and rear ending me. He leaves anyway. I am thinking someone is gonna get hit by him if I don't. I find out he dies a couple of weeks later on an overdose. Before narcan. So fkn sad. You can't get off that ****.

Yeah, is sad. Every time I think this tree servicing thing is just a vat of debt and a nightmare, I remind myself that I could be like that.. or still wasting my time boozing myself to death everyday (I’ve got a best friend still like that, kills me). It’s good to kick some ass instead of be kicked lol.

 

[treebilly]

Just a word of advice. If you as an employer suspect somebody and fire them, you are to call the police if they leave with out some one else picking them up. Like a bartender serving drinks to someone that drives home drunk.

 

[tree MDS]

Just a word of advice. If you as an employer suspect somebody and fire them, you are to call the police if they leave with out some one else picking them up. Like a bartender serving drinks to someone that drives home drunk.

That’s great. So then after the cops pick him up on his way from your place and bust him, he can come back and thrash your equipment really fueled by the hate. Either that or you can sleep with one eye open waiting for it. Lol,, is like a lose - lose scenario all the way around.

 

[tree MDS]

Maybe I should invest in electric razor wire.

 

[mike515]

I'm probably not going to call the police.

 

[treevet]

Just a word of advice. If you as an employer suspect somebody and fire them, you are to call the police if they leave with out some one else picking them up. Like a bartender serving drinks to someone that drives home drunk.

I'd like to see the law on that one. I know (someone told me....wink) if you are tossed out of a bar....they don't have to call the police of find you a ride home. Same same.

 

[treevet]

That’s great. So then after the cops pick him up on his way from your place and bust him, he can come back and thrash your equipment really fueled by the hate. Either that or you can sleep with one eye open waiting for it. Lol,, is like a lose - lose scenario all the way around.

I know I am almost 72 in a couple of weeks but generally I am armed somehow. Whenever I fired someone it would always be just me and them as I dropped them off at my lot and made it a point to have a face to face, even some huge black guys with attitudes, and let them know let's have it out right here and now if that is what you need. Rather have lumps on my head than lumps on my equipment. They ain't gonna snipe at you if they backed down. It works, never had that problem.

 

[tree MDS]

I know I am almost 72 in a couple of weeks but generally I am armed somehow. Whenever I fired someone it would always be just me and them as I dropped them off at my lot and made it a point to have a face to face, even some huge black guys with attitudes, and let them know let's have it out right here and now if that is what you need. Rather have lumps on my head than lumps on my equipment. They ain't gonna snipe at you if they backed down. It works, never had that problem.

Lol. That sounds like some old school **** right there! I've always had good luck with just paying people what I owe them and just being done with them. I think most of these stories I've heard over the years of guys getting their equipment trashed, robbed, etc., is probably because they burned the dirtbag on money. Or maybe just treated them like a real *******, that might do it too. Thankfully, whatever I've done has worked as well. I do live in a pretty nice area too, so that probably helps a lot.

 

[treevet]

"treating them like ****" from their perspective often involves catching them stealing your stuff, not letting them **** off on the job or go into Cinci to buy some drugs on a corner with your chip truck, or not putting up with their intoxication on the job and poor performance...so yeah...guilty.

 

[mikewhite85]

power angle plow works well too...

I didn't know that was a thing! That'll be on my buy list for next winter.

This one is a decent price https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078YFHS5...olid=3TN04U99YK33V&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

[Tigwelder83]

Did a little bit of metal work, its a side hobby of mine. This piece is headed to a friend. Rose is all steel, bottle was from her great grandparents dairy. 100% suprise.

 

[Blue Oaks]

I went and got my 2nd Moderna vaccine shot today. I hate watching so I turned my head at the last second to look away. Of course my eyes fixated on the only other guy in the room and he's getting his shot at precisely the same time I was...

 

[mike515]

It's super cold in our area this week. Overnight lows from -10f to -20f. Low single digit highs all week. I already had everyone shut down for today and tomorrow. I've been worried about the safety of the guys being out there, potential damage to equipment and also the guys being worried about lost hours. My solution to all of that? Just sent out an email telling everyone that they are shut down until next week and they will be getting paid what they would have earned had they been working. As someone who has spent many years working and climbing in these conditions.....I feel a little poorer but a lot better that we are shut down. I'm still working all week but I can work inside.

My son told me something a few months ago that he probably doesn't even remember but I haven't forgot. I don't remember exactly what the subject was but he said "You know.....just because something was done a certain way for most of your career doesn't mean it has to be like that for most of our careers. You can change that whenever you want to."

 

[mike515]

One of them just thanked me and sent me this.

 

[treebilly]

@mike515 That’s very generous and I applaud you for that. If I was a company owner I would put a temperature limit and make sure everyone knows it if you are going to continue this practice. We’re on a two hour delay (9 am) start time this week. At least the sun is up and road conditions are better by then. Single digit mornings getting into teens and low twenties. A few of us still go in at seven to get equipment started as we have a few crews that are not parked at our shop at night. I spent a good amount of time talking with the crew I was assisting today about dressing properly. While they were all wearing huge jackets and insulated bibs, I walked around and was climbing in what appeared to them was a sweat shirt. Lots of thin layers and keep dry. I switch socks and boots when I get to the job site as well. We’ve got sub zero temps coming and I plan on working. Usually the boss sends someone to sit in the truck and keep and eye on me when it gets that cold. I’ll put a lot down which gives a lot of ground work for crews when the slightly warmer weather returns

 

[gorman]

It's super cold in our area this week. Overnight lows from -10f to -20f. Low single digit highs all week. I already had everyone shut down for today and tomorrow. I've been worried about the safety of the guys being out there, potential damage to equipment and also the guys being worried about lost hours. My solution to all of that? Just sent out an email telling everyone that they are shut down until next week and they will be getting paid what they would have earned had they been working. As someone who has spent many years working and climbing in these conditions.....I feel a little poorer but a lot better that we are shut down. I'm still working all week but I can work inside.

My son told me something a few months ago that he probably doesn't even remember but I haven't forgot. I don't remember exactly what the subject was but he said "You know.....just because something was done a certain way for most of your career doesn't mean it has to be like that for most of our careers. You can change that whenever you want to."

Temps those low you have to change the engine and hydro oil to a thinner grade. There’s no good to come of running the regular stuff in that.

 

[mike515]

@mike515 That’s very generous and I applaud you for that. If I was a company owner I would put a temperature limit and make sure everyone knows it if you are going to continue this practice. We’re on a two hour delay (9 am) start time this week. At least the sun is up and road conditions are better by then. Single digit mornings getting into teens and low twenties. A few of us still go in at seven to get equipment started as we have a few crews that are not parked at our shop at night. I spent a good amount of time talking with the crew I was assisting today about dressing properly. While they were all wearing huge jackets and insulated bibs, I walked around and was climbing in what appeared to them was a sweat shirt. Lots of thin layers and keep dry. I switch socks and boots when I get to the job site as well. We’ve got sub zero temps coming and I plan on working. Usually the boss sends someone to sit in the truck and keep and eye on me when it gets that cold. I’ll put a lot down which gives a lot of ground work for crews when the slightly warmer weather returns

If it was single digit mornings into the teens and twenties we would be going out at our usual time. That's just normal winter for us. But this is really cold! I did make it clear that I wasn't setting a precedent here (even though I've done something similar numerous times in the past). But I am going to think about this issue this week and see if maybe I do want to make this part of how we operate in the future.

 

[mikewhite85]

Kept my wood guy busy this week.

 

[treebilly]

Holy overloaded ****!

 

[tree MDS]

This is pretty slick. Gonna be real handy at times I bet.