Nail Guns, Pick-up Trucks and the Housing Market

Anybody See Where That Nail Went?



Thanks to Michael Morse from Rescuing Providence for the photo.

I printed it out and tacked it up on the bulletin board in the trailer at work right next to the OSHA poster and just south of the tool supply calendar with the semi-naked lady on it.

Reactions from the crew range from…

“Ouchie, Momma!”

“Holy sh*t!”

“At least he used a galvanized nail.”

“That’s one way to get some extra zinc in your diet.”

And my favorite…

“Shoot yourself in the knee? That’s nothing. Anybody can do that. Shoot yourself in the foot. Now that takes marksmanship.”



Anybody Need a New Ride?

Speaking of the bulletin board at work, Bubba has a 1974 Ford F150 For Sale or Trade.

Needs a little TLC, but runs good.

Call after 5:00.

(Just between me and you… it needs a lot more than a little TLC.)

Anybody Need a New Home?

The housing crunch is hard on the construction industry. We’re still building houses, but for how long is anybody’s guess. Sixty percent of the new homes in the development we’re building are as yet unsold. Hard to believe seeing as they are so upscale…


They do manage to sell one once in awhile, but not at the same pace of a few years ago.

I’m certain I’ll have a job through the rest of summer, but some of the full-time guys are speculating that they’ll be living on unemployment come winter. I hope for their sake they’re wrong, but I won’t be surprised if they’re not.

I would think first time homebuyers should be able to pick up a bargain right about now.

On the job training

It occurs to me after reading over my last post that I failed to explain that I work as a carpenter building houses.

I originally got this job because the guy I was rooming with at the time was a full-time carpenter. I didn’t know much about building houses, but he assured me that the only skill I needed to know was not to shoot myself in the foot with the nail gun.

Since then I’ve learned that that isn’t exactly so, but I’ve been able to pick up a lot by way of on-the-job training.

I’ve worked for the same building contractor the past four summers. Last summer I even had my own crew, which meant I was able to make more money. This summer however, I’m getting a late start and won’t be able to work but a couple of months so I’m working for one of my former guys on his crew.

I don’t mind switching roles with him. He’s a sharp guy and knows his stuff. Pay cut is no fun though.

Naturally they nicknamed me “Doc” the first summer when I made the mistake of telling everyone I was pre-med.

And of course, everyone just assumes I’m going into gynecology. (Turns out to be the construction worker’s dream job.)

I get the usual ribbing like today during lunch break Bubba (who weighs about 300 lbs.) asked me if I would take a look at his hemorrhoids. Just as he feigned like he was about to drop his trousers right then and there I told him, “Hang on, I’ll do you one better. Let me get a blowtorch and heat up this screwdriver and we’ll just cauterize that bad boy.”

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Sorry I haven’t been posting as much lately. I been working the past couple of weeks (when the weather cooperates) and I haven’t felt much like doing anything except sleep when I get home.

I considered doing a research project this summer, but figured this will probably be the last opportunity to save up some extra mad money to get me through the rest of med school.

I work construction and the physical labor along with the hot sun really takes it out of you by the end of the day. Especially if you’re a pasty soft med student whose been sitting on his duff all winter long.

I’m starting to get back into the swing of things now. I’m not nearly as tired this week. The first two weeks my tail was dragging.

It’s a good job but I wouldn’t want to do this for a career. It pays really well and beats a lot of other summer jobs out there. I definitely wouldn’t want to do this in the winter.

New Speakers

If you read my previous post, then you are no doubt fully aware that Neumed is not getting the FDA's recommended daily allowance of melodic content. The end result being that Neumed's life is woefully audio deficient.

And although that post was 90 percent jest, it did not fall too far from the truth.

I actually have a stereo in the living room. Only trouble is, the dual cassette deck died months ago and my CD changer died a couple weeks ago. So what little time I spend listening to that unit, I'm reduced to listening to FM radio. (Bleh...)

My iPod also died a while back and I'm not sure I'm going to bother replacing it. Probably will eventually, but these days when I want to listen to music, I find myself going straight to online music videos.


(Didn’t know you could hook a widescreen up to a Commodore 64, did you?)

So anyway, Monday I got tired of listening to cheap computer speakers (lip reading would actually be an improvement) and started looking into ordering some new ones. After pricing several and not finding anything worth buying, it dawned on me that I would be better off to just get a small bookshelf stereo and feed the computer's audio output into that.

So off I went to Best Buy to check out what they had. Sony had a nice sounding unit for about $200 that came with a subwoofer. (Neumed like subwoofer.)

I was tempted to buy it, but careful shopper that I am, I came home and checked online reviews and prices just to be safe. Good thing I did. Most of the reviews agreed with me on the sound, but several had a problem with the CD changer. Apparently it breaks after a year or so. Not good. I have enough audio equipment that's broken, I didn't need to buy something cheap that I knew wasn't going to last.

As I was wondering what I could get to drive some speakers I remembered an old stereo receiver I had in the basement. Don't know why I didn't think of it before. Anyway, I cleaned it up and patched it into the computer's sound card. Next I used some old car speakers just to test it out and make sure it was working and boy what a difference! I could actually hear the bass and kick drum! Everything sounded better.


I could probably get by with the car speakers, but they aren't that good. And I'm so excited about the sound improvement thus far, that I decided Tuesday night to order real stereo speakers through Amazon.

They are supposed to arrive today. I'm anxious to hear how the videos will sound through halfway decent speakers.

Oh, by the way, if you're wondering why I didn't just use my living room stereo? The speakers are too big. There's no room for them in my little study area. Besides I want that unit where it is. I intend to someday fix or replace the broken components and get that whole system back into operation.

Update: The speakers arrived about two hours ago. They sound good. Very crisp and clear. Different from my big speakers, but so is the room acoustics. Overall, I’m happy with them. They are definitely a step up from the car speakers and a world of difference over the cheap computer speakers.

Next project: Hooking up a subwoofer to the old Gramophone.

Oh, and here’s the type of music I really listen to…

Seven Songs to Warm Your Heart

Dragonfly tagged me to list seven songs I like -- or seven songs I’ve been listening to this week. (I’m not sure what the actual rules are.)

The trouble is, ever since the needle broke on my Gramophone I have all these cylinders and nothing to play them on.

Hutch suggested I check out something called YouTube and I must say it’s very interesting. Unfortunately, the Commodore 64 I got for Christmas didn’t come with speakers, so I have no idea what anything is supposed to sound like.

Not to worry though, because I can read lips pretty well, so I just make up my own little tune and sing all the parts myself.

Anyhoo, with no further ado, (notice how that rhymes) here’s the seven songs I’ve been lip reading this week:

Hungry by Jenny Craig

Doin’ Time by Busta Cap and the Powder Burns

Who, Who, Who… Who let the Cat Out? by The Pet Shop Boys

Dontchu Wish Ur Girlfriend was Phatt Like Me? by Kirsti and the Alley Kats

Hit Me With Your Best Snot by Phlegm & the Loogies

Laundry Blues by Skid Mark and the Stains

What’s That Smell? by Whiff & the Flatulents


I didn’t tag anyone for the six word memoir cause I can’t remember who has done it and who hasn’t (and I’m too lazy to check), so I tag Xiang Mei, Frankie Gan, Dr. Rob, CrazyRN2Be, Radioactive Girl, fizzlemed, and Kim (as the pump turns) to do either “The Six Word Memoir” or “The Seven Songs I Like” meme (or both if you’re so inclined).

The rules as best I can tell are:

1. Write your memoir using only six words.
2. List seven songs you’re listening to this week.

Then whatever you do, have mercy on us all and don’t tag anyone else unless you just can’t help yourself. :0)

Oh, and before I forget, if you haven't been tagged you can still play along by telling us the name of your favorite song.

Britney Snow Digs Neumed

Britney Snow (a.k.a. Meg Pryor of East Catholic) is lost in her American Dreams. Dreams of rock n roll, sock hops, soda shops and true love. Dreams of prom night. Dreams of long walks in the moonlight. Dreams of her beloved, Neumed.

When she’s dancing on Bandstand, she pretends she’s dancing with him. She secretly hopes he will ask her to the prom.

Perhaps her dreams will come true.

Procrastination or what?

Seems I’ve been neglecting my blog lately. Not intentionally, mind you. I had every intention of writing something every day this past week to make up for final exams, but I just didn’t and I’m not sure why.

Each day I start out thinking I’ll post something, but then the day goes by and I realize that I’ve done everything else except write.

Apparently I surf and blog more when I’m supposed to be doing something else.

When blogging is what I set out to do, I can’t seem to find the time. I just don’t seem to get it done.

Strange.

Anyone else like that? Is your blog more attractive when you’re supposed to be doing something else?