The Life of an Electrical Contractor

["User"]

On a related note, my personal competitive nature isn't nearly what it used to be. Years ago if I quit competitive laser tag I would immediately try and find some other game to take on in a competitive manner. However I feel as I've matured and looked at life differently in the process I realize that such pursuits for me are meaningless. That time is past for me.

Still, the desire to get into something else on a competitive level does manifest itself in me from time to time. I don't miss some of my past, but there are some parts I do miss... :/

[Hidi]

When competitive anything becomes a part of your life, it is really hard to stop without the need to do something! Perhaps a hobby would help? Not that playing TF2 is a bad one .

["User"]

I dropped my car off at the shop to see if it's feasible for them to make any "renovations" to it. In the meantime I don't really have my own car...we will see what they come up with.

[Hidi]

Welcome to the club of terrible GTA transit....Probably more like "Welcome back."

[Wes]

I dropped my car off at the shop to see if it's feasible for them to make any "renovations" to it. In the meantime I don't really have my own car...we will see what they come up with.

What do you mean by renovating? Restoring the motor or what?

["User"]

What do you mean by renovating? Restoring the motor or what?

There's going to look at it and see if there are any major improvements they can do and if it will be financially worth it given that the car is about 12 years old.

In other news, if I post a comment on a random brony's steam profile apparently I'll get other bronies who I don't know post random stuff back on my page. Bronies are weird.

[Gestalt]

One day when you’re old enough you’ll understand our magical friendships, dude. One day.

["User"]

In the process of continuing the job hunt. I have leads I'm looking into with Veltronics and Iko. This might not lead to an apprenticeship opportunity (companies have a list of requirements from a legal point of view with regards to them) but it will land me a job, money, and most importantly practical experience and connections.

["User"]

Today was my first day at work! I was pretty nervous at first for other reasons beside it being my first day. It was an industrial establishment and most of my 5 month trade school course involved residential/commercial with less on industrial electrical concepts so I have to review some of this stuff.

The contractors have been on this for three weeks already prior to my arrival. We are completely reworking a huge ass machine (50 feet long roughly) that makes tubing of various shapes and sizes. This involves, among countless other things, completely replacing the aluminum conduit that houses the conductors that are used to power the machine with 1" and 3/4" rigid steel conduit that can withstand higher temperatures than something soft like aluminum.

I spend most of the day taking measurements for some of the existing conduit, used an electrical saw to cut the same sizes for the 3/4 and 1" rigid steel, used a pipe threader and pipe threader machine on said conduit and used various access fittings to put it all together (after tearing down all the existing aluminum conduit first).

Besides getting acquitted with the other tradesman (mainly welders) and learning stuff that you would learn on the first day of any job I also drilled holes in various cable trays and nut and bolted them. Being under the machine at times which is a very tight and cramped space isn't that hard for me because of my build. It's better to be thinner then to be shorter as being tall is a natural advantage for an electrician.

It was a dirty environment of course, places like this usually are, and I've got all sorts of nicks and minor cuts but it was something that I enjoyed doing. I look forward to tomorrow. :-)

[Hidi]

That's good to hear. You were mentioning yesterday you were a little nervous. Not unexpected since you're starting out. Hopefully it'll be nice! You're lucky you're tall. I'm short in comparison to many of my teammates, most of whom are younger than me!

["User"]

Given that I've now completed one week of my job and due to other reasons I'm hereby done with games.

That is all, wish I could say it ended on a positive note.

[The Shaper]

You aren't quitting SF-O too, are you?

["User"]

Given that I've now completed one week of my job and due to other reasons I'm hereby done with games.

That is all, wish I could say it ended on a positive note.

Okay I rescind that declaration. God dammit...

[Icy]

^

Well, congrats on the job and it does sound fun. Keep at it! :-)

[Gene Inari]

Okay I rescind that declaration. God dammit...

I KNEW that was gonna happen.

[Hidi]

You couldn't have if you came and Joined Breeze and I. Even for a few minutes.

["User"]

After having my first dream last night concerning ponies from MLP I've decided to bite the bullet and download the first two seasons in 1080. I have already done a hypothesis on what to expect from the show and I'm pretty sure it'll end up being correct.

There appear to be 52 episodes but I will not watch any tonight. I'll post further thoughts on this after I watch about 10 episodes.

[Icy]

I started watching it in September. I just consider it another TV show I watch. I keep watching it because I enjoy it quite a bit.

Let us know what happens. xD

["User"]

So two weeks have come and gone at this job and I've been learning a whole bunch of new concepts that trade school didn't completely go over. It's been relatively decent so far, although I wish I'd get a formal apprenticeship ASAP. Good things the hours worked here transfers over to the over 9000 hours needed in order to write the 309A CFQ.

Every day I get home I just want to relax with no games or any other "work". I'll talk with people on Steam and read the news and end up going to bed early so I'll always get 7-8 hours sleep. Consistency is the key here - most people who claim they have insomnia just don't go to bed and wake up at the same time.

Since I haven't been playing TF2 nearly as much I've been trying for game nights to increase me skills at the engineer. My scoot skills are rusty and I'd rather try something else. Also, no MLP for me as I'm not sure if I care enough to give it a watch.

[Hidi]

It's over 9000! Sorry User, I couldn't resist when I saw that.

I suppose this means Breeze and I may see you either tonight or tomorrow during game night? I guess we'll see!

["User"]

I quit my job, tomorrow is my last day at work.

I made a serious error in judgment when I first started to desire to be an electrician. I failed to properly gauge my mechanical aptitude. Trade school and the projects that associate with it are by far and away not the same as working at a real job site. Through the last two and a half weeks, while a learning experience, I've come to the conclusion that trades in general are just not for me. Other co-workers who I get along very well with came to the same conclusion.

That being said, I wouldn't call the last year of my life wasted in the end. Overall, I've definitely progressed in more ways than I thought possible at this time a year ago. So right now, it's back to Square One. Electricity is not my kind of thing.

["User"]

I played my first official UGC match a couple of hours ago. I filled in for a pretty good brony friend of mine in the scoot role. I know a few of these guys on the team from playing with them on pub servers many times. It was kind of last minute but I was eager to make my debut - even in a one time match.

Round 1

http://cloud.steampo...90C680555DC22C/

Round 2

http://cloud.steampo...FDF32DF03656F9/ - One of the other teams players left after the round ended

The team (Ponies of Steel) finishes the regular season with a 6-2 record and will probably be in the playoffs.

What a rush!

[Thu'um]

Nice! its shocking to not see you at the top of the score board though these must be good players

["User"]

Nice! its shocking to not see you at the top of the score board though these must be good players

The other team had ha 5-2 record beforehand as well. I'm uploading the demo's to Youtube right now, I'll post them up in the replays topic later today. I'm happy with how I performed although I could have did a couple of things differently.

Scoots aren't at the top of the scoreboards on maps like Gravel Pit in almost all cases.

The people who I played with I know from the Pony Fortress 2 servers. I underestimated the skill of the bronies there initially (they have a ton of good scoots that are usually playing) and the pub games are often a challenge. I wouldn't touch 101 and his 6 or 7 hales own rocket weapons (including a 70,000+ direct hit which he used in the first round)

["User"]

Since I quit my job I've been playing heavily on TF2 servers that have a high concentration of very good players of all classes that make me (as a scoot) look average in comparison. The last place where I would expect this much talent to assemble are on a bunch of pony servers (Pony Fortress 2). It's been extremely fun and ridiculously difficult some rounds. I've donated to the servers and signed up with the associated message boards and made new steam friends I've met and this has been most refreshing.

I've used the last few days as an escapism for me to allow me to clear my head to focus on what I am going to do next with my job situation. That being said I've made my decision.

I've decided to ask some local electrical contractors in my city if I can work for free. The job experience will be invaluable and a big reason I didn't do so well at my first job was because I was thrust into the middle of somewhere where everyone had higher expectations for me. More experience is needed until this stuff becomes second nature to me. It also looks good on the resume.