last day of vacation........

[ali123]

grinding out a living due to the fact that I cant sing or dance.... 2 weeks vacation and felt like 2 days, smh… I dunno. ahhh well.... getting ready to put my game face on, get ready for a double shift... the thread is dedicated to everyone in the grind out there... get down or lay down. wink.

 

[Kiwi Rider]

Yeah man, I feel your pain, I'm grinding out a living 5 days a week, 40 hours, and have been on the tools fixing cars for 35 years non stop, now I have 5 years at least, working on bikes and farm quads before I hit 65 and have a break for the rest of my life.
The thing I'm focusing on now is my health, I need to live another 20 years at least, and I dont want to be in pain or have constant illness like so many that have neglected this important part of living.
On Wednesdays we have the 'Ulyssees' social bike club members (their motto is 'Grow old Disgracefully') show up at the bike shop to meet and gather for a coffee and a briefing on a ride plan.

Usually about 15 members turn up, all retired and well over 60, so it gives me hope!
One guy I spoke too was 75 and he just bought a new GSXR750 and is riding every day. Cool.
If you retire at 45 as you plan to, you will probably get bored and do something to keep busy, you can only put your feet up for so long before they get itchy!
Main thing I've learned is to not wish my life away and try to live every day as though it's my last. We only have so many, to waste them is a foolish thing.

 

[ali123]

Yeah man, I feel your pain, I'm grinding out a living 5 days a week, 40 hours, and have been on the tools fixing cars for 35 years non stop, now I have 5 years at least, working on bikes and farm quads before I hit 65 and have a break for the rest of my life.
The thing I'm focusing on now is my health, I need to live another 20 years at least, and I dont want to be in pain or have constant illness like so many that have neglected this important part of living.
On Wednesdays we have the 'Ulyssees' social bike club members (their motto is 'Grow old Disgracefully') show up at the bike shop to meet and gather for a coffee and a briefing on a ride plan.
View attachment 1594683
Usually about 15 members turn up, all retired and well over 60, so it gives me hope!
One guy I spoke too was 75 and he just bought a new GSXR750 and is riding every day. Cool.
If you retire at 45 as you plan to, you will probably get bored and do something to keep busy, you can only put your feet up for so long before they get itchy!
Main thing I've learned is to not wish my life away and try to live every day as though it's my last. We only have so many, to waste them is a foolish thing.

I hear u man.... I TRY not to waste time and enjoy every minute I can... thing is when I was in my 20s I used to think this job was CAKE and easy to do..... now im in my 30s and I feel kinda worn down.... WEIRD because I don't WORK hard per say... but it really is true what they told us in the academy.... GET a hobby.... and DRINKING is NOT a hobby.... the constant lingering tension and stress is what I THINK is grinding me down.... average lifespan for us is 54 years is what they said in the academy (I used to think that was CRAZY.... now I kinda get it.) I hope my stress handling skills (sex and reading) will provide a longer lifespan.... wish me luck.. time will tell.

 

[Bumblebee]

I hear u man.... I TRY not to waste time and enjoy every minute I can... thing is when I was in my 20s I used to think this job was CAKE and easy to do..... now im in my 30s and I feel kinda worn down.... WEIRD because I don't WORK hard per say... but it really is true what they told us in the academy.... GET a hobby.... and DRINKING is NOT a hobby.... the constant lingering tension and stress is what I THINK is grinding me down.... average lifespan for us is 54 years is what they said in the academy (I used to think that was CRAZY.... now I kinda get it.) I hope my stress handling skills (sex and reading) will provide a longer lifespan.... wish me luck.. time will tell.

People who work in a constant stressful job don't normally live long healthy lives without stress relievers, you are doing it right, relieve stress whenever you can. I used to put my job over everything else and it was the one regret I had, I should have put family first.

Luckily I have a good wife who put up with me and now that I'm retired, life is beginning again for us.

 

[ali123]

People who work in a constant stressful job don't normally live long healthy lives without stress relievers, you are doing it right, relieve stress whenever you can. I used to put my job over everything else and it was the one regret I had, I should have put family first.

Luckily I have a good wife who put up with me and now that I'm retired, life is beginning again for us.

that's great man.... im trying to get there... I would love to write a book about some of the wild things that occur in there at some point.... after its alllll over and im retired (if I make it).

 

[Bumblebee]

that's great man.... im trying to get there... I would love to write a book about some of the wild things that occur in there at some point.... after its alllll over and im retired (if I make it).

You will get there, half of the problem is realising there is a problem. You need to pace yourself while you are still young and get out on that bike more.

Life passes by quickly, it seems like yesterday I was in basic.

 

[ali123]

You will get there, half of the problem is realising there is a problem. You need to pace yourself while you are still young and get out on that bike more.

Life passes by quickly, it seems like yesterday I was in basic.

u have no idea how bad I wanted to use the bike this past summer.... I was forced to work doubles constantly due to new guys quitting and old timers retiring... it was SURREAL... I would work my 8 hr shift and get the call half an hour before I was supposed to be going home... "DURANT... ure stuck.... go to the box(SHU).. u got the floor." for another 8 hrs.... happened every 2-3 days.... the chart sergeants voice makes me nauseous STILL.

 

[Bumblebee]

u have no idea how bad I wanted to use the bike this past summer.... I was forced to work doubles constantly due to new guys quitting and old timers retiring... it was SURREAL... I would work my 8 hr shift and get the call half an hour before I was supposed to be going home... "DURANT... ure stuck.... go to the box(SHU).. u got the floor." for another 8 hrs.... happened every 2-3 days.... the chart sergeants voice makes me nauseous STILL.

Been in that situation myself for years and years and many times....I never knew how to balance it all.
I recall being deployed at the last minute for months leaving my wife at home with a new-born in the middle of winter. I then came back from that deployment for a month only to be deployed again for months. This would not happen now to anyone thankfully.

This thing called life can be a tough thing to survive-balance is the key.

 

[ali123]

Been in that situation myself for years and years and many times....I never knew how to balance it all.
I recall being deployed at the last minute for months leaving my wife at home with a new-born in the middle of winter. I then came back from that deployment for a month only to be deployed again for months. This would not happen now to anyone thankfully.

This thing called life can be a tough thing to survive-balance is the key.

ya know…. Its funny that u say "This would not happen now to anyone".... because I have a feeling that in time someone will majorly screw up at my workplace due to exhaustion and it will be big time news.... I have several stories that I could tell... but I cant right now, its allll still being sorted out.... Im glad that ure really enjoying life now man... sincerely, its nice to see nice things happen to good people.

 

[fallenarch]

My job is low level stress all the time and occasionally super high levels of stress and panic. Mostly it's money losses but there is also the potential for loss of human life, so we lose sleep over that occasionally. Architects tend to live short, tortured lives too. We die at 60 of a heart attack or drink ourselves into an early grave. I don't really drink or do any illegal drugs, but have heart failure already at 57. Busa has been my outlet, but frankly I'm getting a little bored. But all and all can't complain, it's been a good run.

 

[ali123]

My job is low level stress all the time and occasionally super high levels of stress and panic. Mostly it's money losses but there is also the potential for loss of human life, so we lose sleep over that occasionally. Architects tend to live short, tortured lives too. We die at 60 of a heart attack or drink ourselves into an early grave. I don't really drink or do any illegal drugs, but have heart failure already at 57. Busa has been my outlet, but frankly I'm getting a little bored. But all and all can't complain, it's been a good run.

heart failure???? I hope ure taking good care of ureself arch... but yeah... I would imagine if an architect makes a mistake... u get ALLLL the blame and little credit when things go right.... so don't make a mistake... lol.... NO PRESSURE though.... again... to reiterate... IF u make a mistake many will die... no pressure.

 

[Mr Brown]

I think that some careers are more likely to cause stress to a person than others, if you have chosen a career that puts you in these high-stress situations it seems you have two choices: either find ways to deal with that stress (which can include a career change) or let it kill you. Make no mistake stress causes physical effects which can kill you. I have friends in both corrections and the mining industries, both of which are high-stress occupations. Either they find a way to deal healthily, or they drink/drug/divorce themselves to financial ruin and death.
I have been in situations where people have stepped in front of or behind a truck or piece of equipment I was running, and I've seen them. One particular situation was at night, backing a concrete truck up to a transfer buggy, a guy was tired and made a mistake by signalling me to back up when I'd seen someone disappear out of my mirror behind the truck and not come out the other side. He had stopped to tie his work boot and the guy on the chute signalling me hadn't seen him. If I hadn't been fortunate enough to be looking at the blind side mirror when that guy left my field of view, I'd have driven the 70,000 lb truck right over him. I wouldn't have noticed an extra 200 lbs resistance. Both guys made mistakes, I very easily could have too. Everyone working that job was tired, it was 4 in the morning and we'd been at it almost 24 straight hours. That incident stuck with me, I decided to switch careers not long after.
My point is this to Daniel and others, take care of yourself. Risk and the associated stressors are part of some careers, but you have to deal with it.

 

[fallenarch]

Heart failure is not as serious as it sounds. In fact many people are walking around with it and don't even know it. But if the heart gets weakened to a certain point, the only option is a transplant. My heart is actually too strong! The muscles are getting so big that they crowd out the blood flow. This comes mainly from pumping against high BP (stress). In my younger days I was super active. I lived on the 5th floor of a dorm for 5 years in college. Used to time my run up and down those stairs 3-4 times a day. Doctor says that's probably why I'm alive today. Played sports and lifted weights all the time. Anyway, haven't seen too much reduction in heart function in the last 5 years so I am controlling it well. Unfortunately my track days are over, can't stand the heat - works the heart too hard.

I worked for a firm in Detroit that had a major collapse during construction that killed 10-12 people. I was not really involved in the project at the time but that was a bad scene. One of the engineers committed suicide. You didn't know what to expect as you walked into work everyday!

 

[fallenarch]

You can get hooked on stress. I can tell you that when I worked 8 weeks straight and pulled off a project everyone said was impossible I felt like superman. It is like a drug. Adrenaline junkies are a real medical condition. My big problem as I get older is not feeling that rush as much. As we get older we are put in supervisor positions and it's very boring. It's very hard to get in the zone now, so I really miss the stress. That's really it with stress though. It's not learning to manage it it's learning to define it as a positive experience. We used to joke in the office "No stress no gain".

 

[Bumblebee]

There are no jobs out there without stress, some have more than others and some people can handle it or know how to handle it better than others. Many jobs don't do enough to train people how to handle stress or know the signs of it.

Case in point, (along with being in the military) I was once a volunteer fire fighter in a busy district, we would go from zero to 100 in less seconds than a Busa and see things people would not normally see-we had no stress training or decompression (as volunteers) after any horrific scenes we attended.

It wasn't until just a few years ago that the military kicked into decompressing us after deployments, I did many deployments with zero decompression-from the battlefield to my living room with nothing in between, my mind hadn't yet come home, I was only home physically.

I carried a lot of baggage with me for many years without even knowing it. People (good friends included) were killing themselves all around me and I was oblivious to the fact I was inflicted with the same thing only sought out help instead.

 

[Cantab]

u have no idea how bad I wanted to use the bike this past summer.... I was forced to work doubles constantly due to new guys quitting and old timers retiring... it was SURREAL... I would work my 8 hr shift and get the call half an hour before I was supposed to be going home... "DURANT... ure stuck.... go to the box(SHU).. u got the floor." for another 8 hrs.... happened every 2-3 days.... the chart sergeants voice makes me nauseous STILL.

Easy for me to say but until you say NO to those extra hours they'll just pile em on to ya knowing you'll do them...gotta make it THEIR problem (staffing) not yours.

 

[ali123]

Easy for me to say but until you say NO to those extra hours they'll just pile em on to ya knowing you'll do them...gotta make it THEIR problem (staffing) not yours.

that's the thing.. its mandatory overtime... ill be written up and possibly locked out if i try to refuse.... all of us are feeling it.... I got some crazy stories but I cant tell them YET....

 

[faseljd]

just finished a double

 

[jeffgordons24]

that's the thing.. its mandatory overtime... ill be written up and possibly locked out if i try to refuse.... all of us are feeling it.... I got some crazy stories but I cant tell them YET....

My girlfriend got into corrections 2 years ago, went through the entire academy and passed with flying colors.....from being stressed physically to pepper sprayed in the face. She thought she was going to love it and being the realist I am, I told her that the job is not the training. The training makes it seem like it is a great job especially with the camaraderie of the training group. At the NYDOC, they make you purchase everything from the uniform to the hand cuffs, whistle, gear bag etc...They literally dont buy a thing.
Needless to say she started the job, was faced with the mandatory doubles (she was put in Rosies wing which was all women, She told me the women are worse than the men) and she ended up hating it and didn't make it even 1 whole month. The men and women who can actually do that job deserve acknowledgment because once you are inside those walls it doesn't matter what side of the bars you are on its still prison. The only thing the side of the bars differentiates is who gets to actually leave. When you get forced into that double you are a prisoner. Sorry to hear your vacation is over Ali