Questions from a clueless noob

Am fully aware its a lifestyle. When things were so slow last year had the opportunity to take off a couple of months (not a layoff...no points/no pay) and did so and deemed to ride with a really good buddy of mine and absolutely loved it! Granted, I know there's big differences between riding shotgun and driving.

As far as have 6 mos pay ratholed back, am triple that! Have held my current job for 6 years with very few issues, short of being shoved back to nights! Despise nights with an unmatched passion-just got home but won't get into details. This will be right at a 90 hours week so like I said, hours and physical work doesn't scare me. As far as physical goes, if I'm not slinging boxes full of parts on pallets and loading/unloading trucks (yes, I primarily work the docks) am on the production floor on plastic filling in when they're shorthanded. My big thing is being on concrete on my feet 12 hours or more has gotten to the point it absolutely kills my knees. My shoulders and knees both sound like rock crushers and generally feel like someone has has beaten them with a bat especially after being in production for a shift.

Normalcy and routine...HMMMMM! Goes something like this: get up, go to work, come home, shower, clean the house/wash clothes/cook, to bed REPEAT. In 2 weeks it will be: Work, shower, tech school (getting a couple of certifications that will doubtfully ever be used), work. So yeah like I said, I don't have much of a life so that is no big deal. When I was on days, I would go to the track with my truck and get a few runs in after work (my stress relief!) but didn't do it too often.

Family functions, more like family disfunction! Only time we ever get together is family reunions (which I rarely go to) and Christmas (Mom's side). I try to spend as little time as possible around the entire group because it feels like a zoo! My sister and sister inlaw (can't stand either of them because they're both alike) are always running they jaws and trying to start crap with someone or get upset because they're not the center of attention. Too many people and too much drama for my liking! It was pathetically funny earlier this year when a close friend and I were talking and getting closer and my SIL was trying to run interference and start crap. My folks and auntie knew all about the 2 of us (ok am closer to my auntie than my own siblings) and laughed in her face. I think that is one of the biggest reasons I'm wanting to drive. Get out and away from the two nosey fools and keep them further out of what littel bit of life I have. Plus just needing to get out and away from here. And yes, I'm burned out on warehouse/factory work period! Worked at Amazon.com for awhile and loved receiving but disliked everywhere else in that building. Went from there to a place 75 miles from the house (before fuel went through the roof) and have never been so bored in my life. It was a gravy job welding/running 3 cnc lathes making automatic transmission parts for Honda but hated it due to the lack of mental stimulation/physical movement. Went from there to place that made bottles (45 miles from the house) and hated the swing shift and got a call to go where I'm at and been here since.

As far as not wanting to watch me fail, there are a few arseclowns in the family who would delight in nothing more. The folks just want me to be happy and currently am just riding along in life. I live in the backwoods down in the holler! Is there anywhere else to live?

As for the economy goes, it is picking up according to the volume coming and going. Purchasing screwed up (going on old levels-not the current!) and ran out of material for a bit tonight and according to the manifests its just going to keep picking up for at least the next 6 weeks. As far as the economy being "good" NO but its much better than it was at this time last year!

 

As far as getting my CDL goes, will be going to the "local" tech school which is about 65 miles from me. Same one I'm attenting to keep a couple of my certifications current. Have busted my butt since day one in the public working world. Thank the big part of my work ethic comes from my farm background. Compared to putting up hay and tobacco nothing I've done seems nearly as physically demanding. Some days I miss it! Going OTR won't bother me much. I have very few real friends and won't miss most of my family members. Those would be the ones that accuse me of being a lesbian just because I'd much rather be somewhere that there are diesels/not a diva/have very little interest in anything that doesn't have an engine. I just want to do flat to prove something to myself plus it goes back to the whole "when we used to farm" thing. I'm barely 5' and am used to scaling pallets of parts to get them to the right height/unloading the empties. Been accused of being part monkey! I know what I want in life, its just getting to that point. If the economy every turns itself around, my final life long dream is to have my own fab/welding/performance/repair shop. Will happen SOMEDAY.

 

BTDT and not busting my butt for minimum wage or driving 200 miles round trip for $12/hr. I already know what I want to specialize in. Ace Chassis needs some competetion.