Phase 1 Is Done

If you checked out my post from yesterday, you saw that I was at the beginning of organizing my piles of screws, nuts and bolts, washers and an assortment of other items that has accumulated over the years.

These are the items I had within eyesight....I'm sure more will turn up shortly. How many phases do I have ahead of me?....not a clue.


Reggie  

Organizing

This is just the tip of the iceburg.

I Needed Wheels

To continue from my previous post, there is one thing that I do miss about my job and that is I didn't have to worry about transportation. We were allowed to drive the vans home after we were finished for the day; that was a big savings in fuel costs, maintenance costs and insurance costs I didn't have to worry about.


So now I was in need of some wheels. My first thought was what I would be doing and what type of vehicle would best suit the purpose. I already knew what I wanted and needed but I had to go through the routine because it wasn't just about me and what I needed it for. Price of course comes into play because the funds are very limited so I had to stay within that certain range. Something that would get decent gas mileage which would have to be a car, but would be too small in the long run. I started looking at mini vans and suvs while still looking at cars. As it turned out, the prices for cars were about the same or higher than the vans, so that's where I turned all of my focus although I did test drive a mini van or two. 


I've always liked older cars, not sure why. Maybe it's because I can work on some of the problems that may arise on my own. 


What I really wanted was an older Chevy van. Back in the early ninety's I had a 1977 Chevy van. We loved that van; it had four captains chairs and an area in the back with a table that transformed into a bed if you would. The seating area around the table was in a U shape and lifting the table top off of its post and laying it into the U opening would give you a bed. 


I like vans because they are versatile such as bad weather when you need to haul something. So I come across an ad for a 93 Chevy van, must see the add said. I pass it up. I was about $500.00 more than what I wanted to spend. I continue shopping and begin to get more and more frustrated. Days turn into a week and then more. The van is still on the market with a price drop....hmmmm. This looks promising. I decided to rent a car for two days because it's crunch time and my timeline is slowly dissipating; the longer I have the money, the more chances it will also shrink. 


I drive onto the lot looking for the van as I pull in, I spot it. After parking I get out and walk straight to it. It's clean and no dents, but it's a window van....ugh! I like vans but window vans are not on my list of favorites. I ask for the key and it fires right up. There is nothing inside but two front seats. It has air, I check it and it's cold....looking better....I look it over inside and spotless is how to describe it. For a van this old I was expecting some damages, but nothing major that I could see. 


Now it's time to negotiate. I knew coming in I was $200.00 short of the new price but I go for it. He said he would have to make a phone call and...bingo! I get it for $600.00 less than the original advertised price!

I know you're thinking I now have an extra $600.00 to work with....not so....remember when I said that I came with a couple hundred less than what they wanted for the van?....yes, the funds had already began to shrink due to odds and ends popping up. 

But I have my van!

On Moving Day

There is not much to say about the time between my last day at work up until now but I will bring you up to speed. I'll start with moving day. Samuel just love trucks so when he had a chance to sit behind the wheel of the moving truck, he wasn't about to past that up.

ok....i got this!

hmmm this might be a tight turn...

The move itself took much longer than I thought it would and longer than it really should have. Yes we were two families moving to two different locations but we had more stuff coming here that I remember having.

We took our time and moved in what was supposed to be two days, but dragged into four....don't ask. Boxes were moved, unpacked, shoved to one side, moved to another, stacked and re-stacked. 

Things slowly began to come together. Reg took care of his room pretty quick and I didn't mind taking care of the rest; so while TheWife worked I concentrated on getting key areas (kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bath) set up so each room had a spot that could be used as everything else was put together. We finally got a chance to really attack the living room and get the love seat off of the couch....I had to stack them because it was so tight in here.

That time spanned the last week in March and a little less than two weeks into April. That's basically the move in a nutshell. I'm not sure what I'll have next. Until then.....WhatrUWorkinOn?   

It's About Time

I think it's about time to let you in on what has been going on in my life these past few months. It took a lot of prayer and searching within to make the major decision that took place in January. I talked to TheWife and Reg and we all agreed that it could be done. 


So in January I gave my two weeks notice with a company I had been with for 5 1/2 years, but an occupation I have been doing for the past 35 years. I believe I had mentioned in a previous post or two how over the years my income was depreciating. Like many big businesses, it was becoming customary that employees get paid by production. It's not like I remember back in the day when raises were awarded yearly. I do understand that times change and companies have to restructure in order to stay afloat, but it was becoming more difficult for me to adhere to the fact I had to work harder and harder as I grew older and the wear and tear began to take its toll on my body. Sure I could have stuck it out for many more years, but my speed was becoming an issue which played a part in my income. 


If you're not aware of the work I am talking about....it's auto glass replacement. I remember when I first got into this type of work. I was originally a warehouse driver for a auto glass distributor.....that was in 1977. At the location where I was employed, they also had a retail shop for installations. Customers would bring there cars in to have broken windshields, door glasses and back glasses replaced. On a daily basis I walked past these cars and the guys working on them. I was fascinated at how complicated it looked but also amazed at how they got it done. They would prod me often about getting into that line of work but I would always refuse.


I was in my early twenties at the time and started thinking about the future and what I would do to support the family TheWife and I talked about. I began to see how becoming an installer (what we were called back then) would be beneficial to me and my future. 


A guy by the name of Tom K. trained me. He was a top notch installer and everybody had a lot of respect for him and his quality of work. That rubbed off on me big time. I was gradually becoming a mirrored imaged in the quality of training given to me by Tom. Speed wasn't important to me but quickly became a factor in the changing times. So I stepped it up quite a bit and the years of that and the decrease in pay was too much for me to deal with anymore.


I have to admit this wasn't the only driving force to have a part in my decision to quit, but it was major.


So what's in store for the future?.....stay tuned.....

My My...Another Move

I have decided...at the last minute...to transfer my domain, WhatrUWorkinOn.com to WordPress.


Overall I think the switch will be better than I realize. This gives me a bit more flexibility with all that I have planned.


I will be updating the site over time and will also be introducing services I will have available locally...here in the Norfolk and Virginia Beach area...and also online with my CafePress Store.


The WordPress blog Reggie's Thinking, was primarily used for poetry which will redirect back to WhatrUWorkinOn.com


That's about it for now....by the way, I'll have pic of the new place soon.

Small Update

This was taken not long after my last post. I took more later but they didn't turn out.
I have more to share...