Lack of capable "tradesmen"

[redlite]

Since there is only a hand full of us tradesmen on here that exchange stories I need to vent about the lack of capable "carpenters" these days

Here in westport there are pretty much 3 big well known contractors with multiple crews that primarily deal with remodeling and I have come to the conclusion that they all suck. they are sending out the most incompetent workers with absolutely zero attention to detail or quality control. I have spent the past few months coming behind redoing their work. It has been very frustrating and heartbreaking for the home owners wallets.

One job is an apartment remodel. I have come to the conclusion that the guy's levels were out of calibration. I have had to carefully remove and completely rehang 7 brand new interior doors that would not close. they were off a 1/4 inch at the bottom. Jambs were not plumb. A brand new exterior door leaked like a sieve. He was too lazy to break back the vinyl siding and flash/ tape it in at all.

The brand new blue kitchen cabinets have been a nightmare. Of course none of them are plumb or level (see level comment ). well not only that but before they threw the cabinet hardware on they did not plumb or align the doors. so when I did properly tune them up, all the hardware not plumb so required some tedious creativeness to correct. As far as the drawers go, he put the wrong width pulls on the wrong drawers. I had to putty and try to match sprayed paint as best as possible. To top it off I think my kids could have done a better job painting the place with water paint brushes. I know they certainly wouldn't have gotten so much wall paint on the ceilings. Been good for my wallet, not good for homeowner. Crazy how much they charged for such shoddy work. Disgracefuly shameful

Another job I have working on was an exterior remodel (roof, siding gutter, trim). well this particular contractor did not have gutters installed even remotely correctly. Pitched wrong, peeling off facia as brackets not installed at all correctly, most spinning out. Full of water and #^&#^&#^&#^& and leaking in corners. Well after getting water out of them and examining they sealed all seams up with about 12 tubes of silicone. a nightmare to clean up and correctly seal with gutter goop. The icing on the cake again makes my face turn white thinking about. After dealing with gutter leaking issue (still gotta go back with boss and properly rehang and pitch gutters, I am doing a final inspection and notice that the house service from the pole is bowed out around the gutter. Holy #^&#^&#^&#^&. I am lucky the wires hadn't rubbed thru and electrified the whole gutter while I was working on them. Unbelievable. Lots of other obvious bad mistakes around that job.

Now I get a call from another member here last nite that I need to go behind another contractor on his in-laws house. The rakes and gunstocks were rotten and some had gotten knocked off by a faling tree. Work was an insurance job. well apparently rather than replace the rotten trim, they just wrapped in aluminum and now that has all fallen off because it is hard to hold a nail in rotten wood. Apparently way, way over charged as well. Ridiculous.

We have also had to deal with 3 mega houses in a development that gutter guys put gutters pitched towards cheek walls instead of down spouts. Rotted out Hardie plank, and sheathing, etc Just looking at from the ground could tell was wrong from the get go.

I don't know if it is a systemic issue of not given an F, get in get out get paid and on to the next job, but there has to be someone with at least some small clue on these jobs that could say hey, that aint right. We pride our selves in the attention to details and live by our motto that we do every single job as if it was our own house. Wish more would do the same, but then again wouldn't have as much work if they didn't

[Hookedagain]

A lot has to do with the younger generation. Not all, but most don't give a rats a@%. Can't even get them to come in early for work...let alone be on time. I have been working with another company (Being subbed out by my boss) and one guy there is the most difficult guy I have ever worked with. He is around 28, been doing "Carpentry" for 2-3 years now. Consistently has a better way to do every task I give him. I task him with something along with very specific directions, I'll return to him an hour later and he did it his way. Very frustrating when the next step was dependent on what I told him to do. Now take it apart and please do it the way you were told....and I get an attitude. I do think you're right though, get in..get out..get paid. Seems to be the new normal. We are craftsman and these guys are just in it for the buck. They all want a raise because of the times we are living in but none want to take it to the next level. Lets not forget the fact that none of them have their own tools.

[Rmarsh]

Wow Mike.....I understand your angst. As you know I work for a large contractor in the area.....you might even be talking about one of our houses.
I do the finish work and have no say or control over the subs we hire. If I did we might not get a lot of houses done because most of them suck. I stick to my job..which I do to the best of my ability.
Unfortunately not a lot of young men are interested in working in the trades. It's hard work for sure and the candy ass kids today are too soft to tough it out and learn to do things the right way.
I have a lot more to say on the subject....later

[redlite]

Originally Posted by Rmarsh

Wow Mike.....I understand your angst. As you know I work for a large contractor in the area.....you might even be talking about one of our houses.
I do the finish work and have no say or control over the subs we hire. If I did we might not get a lot of houses done because most of them suck. I stick to my job..which I do to the best of my ability.
Unfortunately not a lot of young men are interested in working in the trades. It's hard work for sure and the candy ass kids today are too soft to tough it out and learn to do things the right way.
I have a lot more to say on the subject....later

I hear ya on plenty more Bob. I constantly think about that framing pic u posted a bit back of the rock in-between the top plates.

I mean Im sure that others might question why/ how we do some things compared to their own approach. But there would never be an issue in the long run and if there was we stand behind our work and admit when something wrong on our end to correct. These other guys just leave it and some of them I have suggested the home owner go after the other people and they get no response. All these jobs were done in the past 18 months or less and now the home owners are paying for the same thing twice. They seem to operate by the motto that "caulk and paint makes it what it ain't."

The gutters on the big houses were built by the company you work for about 15 yrs ago. I blame that on the subs that did the gutter installs, but again when we pulled up and stood in the driveway and looked up it was obvious clear as day the cause of the problem, so ultimately whoever was in charge should have noticed.
You must have done the stairs in all of em cause they were perfect and issue free and I could tell the level of dedication and attention to detail the went into em. Still No squeaks.

Now I gotta put my auto mechanic hat back on and get back out in the garage since I took the day off to continue repairs on our fleet of cars that are driving me absolutely insanely frustrarting as F.....Cars suck.

[Rmarsh]

Most of the framers, sidewallers
roofers, gutter and insulation installers, sheetroockers, tile guys don't speak any English....or just play dumb when you point out the hack job. So I don't waste my time with trying to show them their errors. That's where the trades are going......they're hard workers....just don't have skills....or care about getting it right. Most American boys want no part of anything that's hard work.
My boys are both big strong giys...when they work with me all day....they go home and go to bed....tell my wife they're beat.
I tell her they hardly did anything.

.

[Got Stripers]

Common theme lately, if I didn’t go over our cottage build with a fine tooth comb, I’d be dealing with issues I should never have to for years. Had to have the tile guy back twice, the kitchen cabinet company several times, the builder cost us a year on getting an occupancy permit because he built the patio and deck above 9” over the plan, I had to clean up after the insulation company because they didn’t bring any brooms, painter twice back and I’m still dealing with sh*t. Last fix was to move the entire condensing unit, because the day they installed it, the builder just didn’t think about the parking and outside shower enclosure.

[Rmarsh]

[QUOTE=redlite;

Now I gotta put my auto mechanic hat back on and get back out in the garage since I took the day off to continue repairs on our fleet of cars that are driving me absolutely insanely frustrarting as F.....Cars suck.[/QUOTE]


Ill admit ...I used to be able to work on cars or trucks back when they were a lot simpler....wont touch my wifes lexus .helped a guy change an engine out of a donor car in a parking lot once though.

[spence]

Originally Posted by Rmarsh

Ill admit ...wont touch my wifes lexus

I tried to replace a headlight bulb on my RX350. Turns out you have to drop the front bumper and remove the entire assembly. Even at Firestone it cost over a grand for two headlight bulbs

Been disappointed with most carpenters I’ve ever hired. The guys who built a deck at my last house cut stair treads to different depths and I had to calculate the baluster spacing for them. One guy grouted a toilet in and the dudes who did the epoxy floor in the basement mixed it too stiff so the paint chips didn’t settle. They had to wet sand the entire floor then they mixed a top coat too thin and it didn’t set. Had to remove it with acetone. Third time finally got it right. At least they didn’t bail on me.

[Guppy]

I had a lot of guys that didn’t make it past lunch time…

The one I always liked… “ I’ve been doing it like this for 10 years “ me… you’ve been doing it wrong for ten years… good bye.. :-)

Oh! One more thing,,, sometimes good customers are hard to find… I’ve had some doozies…. LOL

[Slipknot]

I saw it a lot when I was working out in the field a lot in the 80's and 90's installing but been mostly in my shop custom work last couple of decades. I know during the 80's building boom when work was plentiful, hackers came out of the woodwork to make a buck not knowing what they were doing. Same thing happens again when times are good.
But with today's young people feeling entitled and not willing to "EARN" it like we all did, I don't know how the stuff will get done. It literally is a competition among customers to find and hire competent tradesmen.
I am going thru a bit of it myself building an inlaw space at my home for my wife's mother. Been doing ok so far hiring the right people for the most part. Doing as much as I can myself of course but it is costing a small fortune for a 20x36 addition. Waiting on rough electrical now before we can insulate. Once this is done, I then will remodel my kitchen before I totally destroy my body.

I think the level of care is just not there with many people when things are busy especially. Maybe greed has something to do with it.
I find myself taking more time to do jobs these days because I am even more fussy than I need to be or ever was, but it has to be right no matter what it costs me as the priority is quality first. Materials have been a problem last few years, corners get cut and stuff gets shipped so I find myself having to fix crap I buy if it's not worth the hassle of getting replacement. pretty sad.

[Rmarsh]

Any trade, and especially carpentry, requires training.
You cant just buy a compound saw, strap on a tool belt. watch a few youtube videos and "voila" you're a carpenter.
It takes a few years of learning the basics as an "apprentice"....now there's a word you hardly ever hear...nobody ever calls themselves an apprentice anymore....they're a carpenter ...which is ridiculous. I'm not talking about shop class or vocational school. I mean on the job doing real work, under the close supervision of a "master carpenter".
If you start out your career working for a hacker you're not likely to become any more than that. You also need to accept criticism....sometimes harsh criticism....with a little cursing....to emphasize..... when you're not doing things correctly.....or taking too long to do a task.
I got yelled at daily by the best carpenter I've known to this day....but I was determined to tough it out and took it like a man.....and not quit over hurt feelings.....learned a hell of a lot from that guy while everyone else quit.
If you get your "feelings" hurt and take it personal and quit the first time you get yelled at, you'll never make it through said "apprenticeship".
In addition to that I've seen so many guys who fail at it due to the lack of basic math skills and reading comprehension. On top of that it is a physically demanding profession and will wear you out and takes its toll on your body.
My sister asked if i had work for her husband who was laid off from Shaws. I said sure he can help me with a roofing job I am doing.
I gave him the easy job. Later that evening my sister called and asked "what did you do to Peter".... "Why" I asked.
"Well" she said "he was so tired that he ate dinner and went right to bed saying he was worn out and hurting".

[Rmarsh]

Originally Posted by spence

I tried to replace a headlight bulb on my RX350. Turns out you have to drop the front bumper and remove the entire assembly. Even at Firestone it cost over a grand for two headlight bulbs

Spence....its crazy...her directional light was stuck on....even after the car was parked and shut off. Couldnt fit my hand in there to check the bulb. Disconnected the battery so it wouldnt go dead. When i reconnected it light was off and working properly....its happened a few times. Wow...a grand for two headlighy bulbs....that's scary.

[nightfighter]

Originally Posted by Rmarsh

Any trade, and especially carpentry, requires training.
You cant just buy a compound saw, strap on a tool belt. watch a few youtube videos and "voila" you're a carpenter.
It takes a few years of learning the basics as an "apprentice"....now there's a word you hardly ever hear...nobody ever calls themselves an apprentice anymore....they're a carpenter ...which is ridiculous. I'm not talking about shop class or vocational school. I mean on the job doing real work, under the close supervision of a "master carpenter".
If you start out your career working for a hacker you're not likely to become any more than that. You also need to accept criticism....sometimes harsh criticism....with a little cursing....to emphasize..... when you're not doing things correctly.....or taking too long to do a task.
I got yelled at daily by the best carpenter I've known to this day....but I was determined to tough it out and took it like a man.....and not quit over hurt feelings.....learned a hell of a lot from that guy while everyone else quit.
If you get your "feelings" hurt and take it personal and quit the first time you get yelled at, you'll never make it through said "apprenticeship".
In addition to that I've seen so many guys who fail at it due to the lack of basic math skills and reading comprehension. On top of that it is a physically demanding profession and will wear you out and takes its toll on your body.
My sister asked if i had work for her husband who was laid off from Shaws. I said sure he can help me with a roofing job I am doing.
I gave him the easy job. Later that evening my sister called and asked "what did you do to Peter".... "Why" I asked.
"Well" she said "he was so tired that he ate dinner and went right to bed saying he was worn out and hurting".

A lot of good comments here, but this one really hits on the way things used to be done... When I first went out on my own I was able to team up with a gruff, ex-biker, Viet Nam vet who a lot of people did not care for in the trades and especially those who had worked under him at the construction firm I had been working for. He had the skills and experience. I had the education, contacts, and patience. I ran the business, but he ran the show. I learned SO MUCH from him. I was the paymaster every Friday, but I was his whipping boy for the rest of the week. I had hired the best teacher, even if he lacked some social skills. We lasted just over ten years. Not all relationships are meant to be forever, business or social. But we always overbuilt, had a clean/neat jobsite at the end of the day, every day, and did not ever say "that's good enough". I carry those with me today, on every job. I definitely don't have the largest bank account, or the highest profit margins. But I carry the pride in my work, that has MY NAME on it. I would love to have skilled, caring, neat tradespeople working with me every day, just like they show on This Old House. I just don't know where to find them... And the toll on the body is real.

[nightfighter]

Actually, a number of you have met this guy I speak of.... #^&#^&#^&#^&. I brought him on one or two Cuttyhunk trips! Clammer remembers....

[Guppy]

Sold a couple boat stands on ebay, a dad shows up today with his 16 yr old son who paid for them… he goes to cape cod tech and works for a boat build / repair outfit in Orleans… he’s project boat is a 20’ ? Formula …… 16 and knows what he wants and working hard to get there,,,, I told him I have a bunch of supplies left over and to get in touch and it’s his,,,,
There is hope for the future….

[Nebe]

It’s the same in the glassmaking world. The idea of craftsmanship is fading. An eye for detail is a rare thing to find in a beginning glassmaker.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[spence]

Originally Posted by Nebe

It’s the same in the glassmaking world. The idea of craftsmanship is fading. An eye for detail is a rare thing to find in a beginning glassmaker.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I wish we lived close so Griffin could have a chance to apprentice in the studio. He’s totally an artist by instinct but doesn’t have the proper outlet.

[Rmarsh]

The state of the carpentry trade today....as compared to fifty years ago.
First....the trade these days is divided up into different categories.
Framer, roofer, sidewall, gutter installer, insulator, drywall, finish work, hardwood floor, ceramic tile, stair builder, cabinet installer etc...all being specialties and we hire different subcontractors for most of those....and all are jobs we use to handle ourselves.

When I entered the trade in the seventies we....carpenters... did all of that even the painting lots of times. Learning to build a house from the ground up far surpasses learning one specialty of the job....and not fully understanding the different phases intimately means they will never be fully fledged qualified carpenters.. I've even done footings and foundations working with my form subcontractors and building kitchens and vanities with plastic laminate counters on site was the norm. I know every aspect of every task that goes into it.
Today is totally different....over the years I've transitioned to finish work and fully understand what came before.

We have guys on our finish crew today that install pre-hung doors....which takes practically no skill...and our factory built window trim kits install in less than a minute...again very little skill or knowledge required....even the aprons are precut with returns attached. These finish carpenters would be hard pressed to trim a window from scratch. Looking at the tools they have.....they wouldnt be equiped to do said work.....not one of them have a block plane or sharpening stone.....christ...my boss use to sharpen his utility knife blades. So todays carpenters will never reach master carpenter status. IMO they dont meet my definition of carpenter. Carpenters helper is an old term....but it fits most of them. I dont mean this to be personal or condescending....just fact.

[redlite]

Bob, I know what you mean about "carpenter" that's why I titled this tradesman. There aren't many that can do it all to a high level of quality
I was fortunate that my dad's philosophy has always been " why buy it when we could build it or make it. He highly educated but has always had an interest in other things as his hobbies as he definitely not a sports guy. Captain in the army. Great job with the state. Absolutely hated video games and wouldn't allow them in house. Mom was an ER nurse. We weren't poor and could more than afford what we needed and things we wanted. Lbut enjoyed to make and fix everything and use stuff till it was beyond McGyvering. My mom loves to sew and knit as her hobby so liked to make a lot of our clothes. dad a tinkerer. He would take night classes at vocational schools esp how to weld. He worked in a garage in college so fixed the cars. I tell him all the time after the past few weeks dealing with our cars I don't know how he fixed the cars by just reading amd looking at black and white pictures ina giant repair manual. Thank god we have YouTube videos cause even with that it is frustrating We made most our toys ( guns, trucks, and such). As the crap available in the toy isles weren't what we wanted. We loved to play war in the woods We'd go to gun shops and trace the guns we wanted and make them out of wood in the extensive work shop in the basement. Most of our toys survived our abuses and are still being used by all of our kids today
My younger brother is the only one of the us 4 that didn't go to college as he was an auto mechanic. He is the most successful one of us as he a fire fighter and now water dept superintendant. We completely gutted and rebuilt his house so I learned a lot that I wouldnt deal with in corporate America. Glad i did cause that's how I became a carpenter more out of convenience about 12 yrs ago when we started havin kids and I became mr mom ( not the dream job I thought it would be) as wife the bread winner. Guy I played hockey with that had been doin carpentry his whole life had just gone out on his own and needed a 2nd set hands. I could use a tape measure and knew that a hammer was to hit, a saw to cut, how to read a tape measure, and use power tools with out cutting my fingers off. He was an absolute hack. Fortunately after a year another hockey buddy was in the same predictment, was gonna pay me more, and have now been with him for 12 yrs. He was pretty green, and yet again younger than me, but took
Pride in his work. We work extremely well together and have better expertise in different aspects that complement each other like a fine oiled machine. There is NOTHInG from frame to finish that we dont do to a higher level quality than specific subs that we have tried that why we do it all ourselves but cause it's our names on the work and the homeowners trust and want that.
But now kids are all off to school and like others have said, my body just can't take the abuse anymore
Hopefully time to put college education back to use so I don't have to suffer in the elements
But I am more than grateful for the ability to problem solve and fix stuff
Around here cause even though my time is at a premium, it is a better feeling to spend the time to fix stuff myself than waste it away watching tv just to pay some else my hard earned money to fix stuff esp since things are made like crap these days and my kids excel at breaking stuff.
Why buy it when I can build or fix it myself
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Rmarsh]

I've worked with a quite a few amateur hockey players and found they make decent carpenters.....takes grit and balls to be good. I played for years....every friday night....still can....67 years old and can skate like the wind.

[Rmarsh]

Mike ....skating....another skill we learned.....before iPhone and computer games. Pickup games on cranberry bogs all weekend

[Got Stripers]

Originally Posted by Rmarsh

Mike ....skating....another skill we learned.....before iPhone and computer games. Pickup games on cranberry bogs all weekend

Hockey games on the ponds were always a fun way to spend the weekends, the climate has changed to the point it’s rare our ponds freeze over long enough to even skate on. Sledding and skating are not in play much nowadays, or even ice fishing for that matter.

[Rmarsh]

Originally Posted by Got Stripers

Hockey games on the ponds were always a fun way to spend the weekends, the climate has changed to the point it’s rare our ponds freeze over long enough to even skate on. Sledding and skating are not in play much nowadays, or even ice fishing for that matter.

I agree.....doesnt freeze up like it used to. I have a small bog 500' over from me. i built nets for......set up and guys from all over would just show up.

[Rmarsh]

Originally Posted by Got Stripers

Hockey games on the ponds were always a fun way to spend the weekends, the climate has changed to the point it’s rare our ponds freeze over long enough to even skate on. Sledding and skating are not in play much nowadays, or even ice fishing for that matter.

I agree.....doesnt freeze up like it used to. I have a small bog 500' over from me. i built nets for......set up and guys would just show up.
I bought roller bades

[Rmarsh]

Originally Posted by nightfighter

A lot of good comments here, but this one really hits on the way things used to be done... When I first went out on my own I was able to team up with a gruff, ex-biker, Viet Nam vet who a lot of people did not care for in the trades and especially those who had worked under him at the construction firm I had been working for. He had the skills and experience. I had the education, contacts, and patience. I ran the business, but he ran the show. I learned SO MUCH from him. I was the paymaster every Friday, but I was his whipping boy for the rest of the week. I had hired the best teacher, even if he lacked some social skills. We lasted just over ten years. Not all relationships are meant to be forever, business or social. But we always overbuilt, had a clean/neat jobsite at the end of the day, every day, and did not ever say "that's good enough". I carry those with me today, on every job. I definitely don't have the largest bank account, or the highest profit margins. But I carry the pride in my work, that has MY NAME on it. I would love to have skilled, caring, neat tradespeople working with me every day, just like they show on This Old House. I just don't know where to find them... And the toll on the body is real.

Ross...the guy who broke me in as a scrawny 18 year old was 32....had done his basic training at Paris Island and after discharged took advantage of gi bill and went to Wentworth institute of Technology where graduated with honors....i know of other guys who dropped out.... heard its extremely tough.

Neat? this guy had a crewcut....matching pressed tan work pants and shirt with pocket protector. He had to be 6'3...but lean. Always had his lunch box with like 4 sandwhiches and stainless thermos. Had to sit with him at lunchtime and all he would talk about was what we were going to do next....while he was chewing.
When we framed he turned into a maniac....barking out orders....sometimes saying mean things. One time another guy got hired and then nailed the ceiling strapping on the wrong or opposite side of the chalk line. Boss went nuts....knocking it all down with a sledge....swearing like you wouldnt believe. Guy comes running out and tells me "that guys nuts" and left.
It wasnt all bad though... He had a huge newly built fully equipped shop stocked with an inventory of building materials....i liked that I got to run all the big shop tools..once he showed me....thickness planer was my favorite.. we used it a lot....but joiners....shapers etc.
The town where he was the prominent builder was a beautiful seaside down here just off cape that I knew little about but it was definitely upscale from what I came from....and i liked it being a short commute. Became so familiar with towns people and places...i felt like a townie.

I stayed with him and i learned all i could.....which was enough to build a home for myself 4 years later. We parted a few years later in 1980 when I got offers for bigger and better things. I talked to him just recently.....hes 81 now and remembers me.

[Rmarsh]

Some people think....you go to school or college and get a "degree" in something and that means you're qualified. Nothing could be further from the truth.
No substitute for the real world ...on the job learning. I've worked side by side with voke grads too......hard when they think they know it all and want to pull rank. It can be embarasing for them when they #^&#^&#^&#^& something up. Funny how qualified some of these guys think they are.......oversell themselves in the interview then fall on their face when challenged.

Given a choice between a guy with four years of school versus a guy with four years on the job doing real work.......its a very easy call as to who is more qualified or valuable employee to a contractor.
And they dont teach "Grit and Balls" which is also a requirement to succeed in construction.

[Rmarsh]

Originally Posted by Guppy

I had a lot of guys that didn’t make it past lunch time…

The one I always liked… “ I’ve been doing it like this for 10 years “ me… you’ve been doing it wrong for ten years… good bye.. :-)

Oh! One more thing,,, sometimes good customers are hard to find… I’ve had some doozies…. LOL

Good customers? Few and far between.....I love doing the work but dealing with cheapskates gets tiresome.

[Rmarsh]

My niece just passed her pipefitters license exam and I'm thrilled for her.
Shes been working for a sprinkler system company for a couple of years now and shows some great potential. Company gave her a truck and has rewarded her with raises for her work ethic and dependability. She keeps that truck and all her tools so neat and organized im embarrassed for her to see my truck!
Shes had a very tough time as a child....father died when she was four...i did my best to fill in, he was also my best friend, but ....mother remarried and then as a teen she got caught up doing drugs with bad friend and she was also confused or in turmoil over her sexual preference for women. A real mess!
Addicted...living on the streets....selling herself and robbing family members....including my wifes jewelry for drug money. Spent time in jail and then after years of struggle and rehab she's turned her life around. Now a productive and happy person who has a big smile on her beautiful face everytime I see her. Work has given her pride in herself and shes a very hard worker. She says she puts up with a lot of crap from some of the guys......she says theyre mostly jealous and lazy.....unmotivated ones who can barely show up for work on time. Having learned a trade plays a big role in her comeback.
I forgave her for stealing from me a long time ago....her getting better means a lot more to me than the jewelry i bought for my wife. She's alive and happy!

[piemma]

Originally Posted by Rmarsh

My niece just passed her pipefitters license exam and I'm thrilled for her.
Shes been working for a sprinkler system company for a couple of years now and shows some great potential. Company gave her a truck and has rewarded her with raises for her work ethic and dependability. She keeps that truck and all her tools so neat and organized im embarrassed for her to see my truck!
Shes had a very tough time as a child....father died when she was four...i did my best to fill in, he was also my best friend, but ....mother remarried and then as a teen she got caught up doing drugs with bad friend and she was also confused or in turmoil over her sexual preference for women. A real mess!
Addicted...living on the streets....selling herself and robbing family members....including my wifes jewelry for drug money. Spent time in jail and then after years of struggle and rehab she's turned her life around. Now a productive and happy person who has a big smile on her beautiful face everytime I see her. Work has given her pride in herself and shes a very hard worker. She says she puts up with a lot of crap from some of the guys......she says theyre mostly jealous and lazy.....unmotivated ones who can barely show up for work on time. Having learned a trade plays a big role in her comeback.
I forgave her for stealing from me a long time ago....her getting better means a lot more to me than the jewelry i bought for my wife. She's alive and happy!

Great post my friend.

[nightfighter]

Good report! She has walked the walk more than 99% of us here, for sure.