B'overed?!? Nah not really...

Starting to realise how the attitude to my chosen profession is starting to change. When I started off, like all newbies, I was keen as mustard. I'd work on anything with wings and an engine. Starting off on small single seater aerobatics and the odd 4 seater composite. Few months later I was lucky enough to move on to the big ones. Granted they were 30 year old planes but they were jets and they were big. That was all I was concerned with. Happy as you like, I was.

But whenever a newer jet was brought in to be worked on and I didn't get a look in, it was kind of a slap in the face. Really fought to get mechanic time on those newer jets. Doing anything. It didn't matter what. Lubrication, panel removal, toilet tank draining, changing the wheels. Really didn't care. Just happy to work on a modern jet.

Now several years down the line I finally have my license and am qualified on 3 types of aircraft as well as several of their variants. And things have changed some what. At the current place I'm at, was recently asked to work on a plane which I was not qualified on. Supporting as a non qualified certifyer. Where as once, I would have jumped at it. Now I have no interest. Not no interest in a; I'm lazy kinda way. More of a; I really cannot be bothered kinda way. For some reason, even thou getting working experience on that plane could qualify me to apply for a qualification course on that plane later in the future, for some reason I really had no interest.

Really can't explain why. Doesn't make sense. More qualifications on more aircraft, means more job opportunities, means more money. Where did I lose my interest in planes? And more to the point. Where did I lose interest in the potential to grab more cash? Have I become too settled at where I am in my job?

Reason I believe is my move away from the tools. Being a certifyer and just telling people to do things and not experiencing the joy of taking stuff to bits, lugging up and down great bits of metal, even getting pissed on by various carcinogenic fluids had a charm all of their own. Being away from the intimacy of my mechanical love affair is starting to kill the love for what I do. Being forced away from the tools is slowly turning all planes to just another thing with wings and engines in my eyes. Boring and monotonous. No longer the mammoth wonder of human innovation they once were to me. Sigh... I just miss working with my hands... something not many out here will be able to sympathise with.

For now the logical push for money is holding my enthusiasm for working on other types of planes. Sadly that'll have to do as I think overall, my interest for planes is waining.

Wondering

Well it died again. My XBOX. 1 stupid week was all it lasted. And we aren't even talking monster gaming sessions of old. Like 15hrs non stop. Just 2-4 hrs max a day. Hell some days none at all. Got it all fixed but can't help but wonder how long before it dies again. If only they sold the cheapy XBOX arcade versions here.

Yet again I am wondering if coming here to work was the right choice. After getting adjusted to work here over the past month. It is starting to seem to me that my greatest challenge everytime an aircraft gets put in for maintenance is getting the mechanics to do work. Not some fiendish fault with the aircraft or some devilish defect. Just getting people to work. I really have never seen people so workshy, lazy or childish than those out here. Eveyday I work with them I keep my eyes peeled for that 1 act of redemption. Forever telling myself, you can't paint everyone with the same brush. There will be those who are better. But even those that seem to be, they would be what I would consider as my base expectation.

With 1 of my long time colleagues making a move I am starting to question is it really that great to stay here? Gripes I have here are, the state of the workforce. The fact I have to pay for accommodation and transport to work. I have to pay for the admin required for me to start work. You get no extra money for having more aircraft coverage. Someone qualified on 4 planes is paid the same as someone qualified on only 1. I am expected to work extra hours. All those things are exactly what keeps people away from here. Oh not to mention the pay being half of what could be paid else where.

I know I certainly didn't come here for the cash but all those other lil gripes makes me wonder if I should have been monetarily motivated. Would have been less hassle and more rewarding.

Really dunno what I mean to say in this blog. Just a random rant. Maybe not enough XBOX time, who knows. For now just let time play itself out first and decide slowly. Bottom line I am not being overly taxed mentally or physically here. And I am saving a good portion of my earnings. So why the bitchin' ? Sadly, as always there is the yearning for more.

Lazy'n rude

Tis been a month since I got here to work. But till now just how slow and lazy the work pace is hasn't sunk in. At first it was a source of amusement. The general disbelief at how little work could be done over such a large time frame but now it is simply a frustrating pain. I have always tried to give guys under or with me as easy a time as possible at work. But when crunch time hits I expect an added effort all round. A lil bit of give n take if you will. But here even when I give them the most basic of jobs. Jobs that anywhere else I would expect done in 30mins max they can take it in excess of 3 hours with 4 times the manpower I deem sufficient. Hell 1 job I gave them involved turning a handle in order to drain the aircraft's water tanks. Literally walk to a control panel and turn a handle, that's it... Took 2 people and 4 hours to complete. Then when a load of them were allocated 2 hours on overtime I decided to give them a job, but instantly they commented " can we do it tomorrow? Its almost time to go home" WTF man its the start of your 2 hrs OT. The fucking start and you want to go home! If thats the case fuck the OT go home now then. The previous line I actually stated in more polite terms in the presence of those incharge of the OT and those doing the OT. But then again those in charge of the OT (manager types) just exacerbated it all by finally saying that they should only do half the job but still claim the full 2hrs OT. Its not like the job was huge, any mechanic I have ever worked with would have taken 30-45 mins to do it on his own, don't even consider a group of 4.

Part of me trys to side with them and their predicament of being very lowly paid, hence the reluctance to work. But I think to anyone faced with it, dyed in the wool, work shy bone idle laziness is clear as day to those facing it. To me there is a clear line between work shyness and the protest against pay inequality. And out here the former is pretty clear.

Another thing struck me about peoples attitudes. Several instances and stories of rudeness come to mind but 1 by far stands out.

Was at a shopping mall last weekend and held a door open for the next person behind me which was a guy walking ahead of his girlfriend/wife. He walked thru and rather than acknowledge me or take over holding the door from me, so as to hold it open for his gf/wife. He completely ignored me and strolled thru fully expecting me to hold it open for his g/f wife too. Ummm don't think so... I let the door go right in her face.
"Oops... did I do that? I expected your other half to hold the door for you... oh well"
Yup, indeed, how very rude of me...

Whiny bitchin' scumbags

Was a nice quiet day, the Monday gone. Was told during the previous week, it would be busy come Monday. But the aircraft was delayed so I hadn't brought any notes to study or stuff to do. So I tried to mooch about the other aircraft present in the hanger. Try learn stuff on aircraft I don't normally work on. But after pestering a few certifiers it seemed like I was starting to get in their way. So I happily retreated online, added to my blog and did a number of other web based poop, cos there was nothing else better to do.

Now 3/4 the way thru the day my boss comes to me and abruptly demands I stop surfing the net and get of the computer. Later he drags me into the office and explains that some one complained to the BIG BIG boss (who reamed him out) directly about a contractor surfing the net all day long and not doing any work. As I was the only contractor around it pretty much meant me. I did tell people if I could help out just let me know. Jeez, if you are unhappy with me surfing the net then tell me so face to face instead of keeping ya stupid bickering mouth shut and bitch to the biggest boss you can find.

I've worked in places with this kinda of attitude before and it has made me leave and never return. I FUCKING hate places with people like that. Got me so worked up after it happened I spoke to wifey and talked seriously about leaving if it was gonna be like this again. That is how much I hate working in places with people like that. If there is work to be done I'll do it, if not I will make the most of my time as I so wish. Not pretending to work or hiding away in some corner of the hangar. If anyone finds they could do with a hand I would be more than glad to assist. But I ain't trekking about the place asking every swinging dick if they need some help with their jobs. You know where I am, come and ask if you need me. Writing this now I have firmly calmed down and know it would be silly leaving over 1 lil bitch. Just gotta accept that no matter where you work in the world slimy lil scumbags like that will always be present. Its just the number of them varies.

Updates

Managed to get a reduction on the rent. Yay, would be the usual response but somehow this time round its just a half-yay. As part of our negociation stratagy we listed to the landlord all the problems we had when we 1st moved in and still have. Our list was very comprehensive and lasted over a side of A4. So good was our list that the landlord instantly dropped the rent by 40%. But on the flip side was so worried by the number of things wrong with the property that they have decided to sell it, rather than keep hold of it. Let someone else deal with the issues. So wifey n myself are back to digilently house hunting once again.

Wifey's sis has flown back home again. Spent the past week sleeping on the sofa while they had the bed. Strangely I found I slept much better on the sofa than the bed. I put it down to 2 things. 1st, the sofa cushions actually give support where as the bed is a foam mattress, which is now the thickness of a piece of paper. Hence no support at all. 2nd, no dog on the sofa. It's bloodly hard to sleep soundly with this 4 legged, creature walking around on the bed and shifting positions all over the bed in the middle of the night.

Work today is awkward. My plane was supposed to turn up last night but as of this morning hasn't shown up. So once again I am stuck with sweet FA to do. And cos I anticipated work, I left all my study notes at home. So while everyone rushes about on planes I am not qualified on I am sat here doing bugger all, on my own. It ain't so bad doing sod all if you are in a group, but on ya own is something else.

Xbox is off on repairs. Should be back intime for the weekend. Just right to starton the back log of games. Should send my laptop off to be fixed too. Think its a hardware problem not a worm. As the problem of the "P" kep being pressed; I found if I open a TXT file and as the line of P's form, when I hold the Shift key it shows upper case Ps. So keyboard fault I guess. Pain in the ass. Laptop is less than 3mths old. More cash to spend on repairs. Dammit