How's your work holding out?

[HURRICANEBOB]

I work for the Armor center on Ft Knox and I lost my job today but I start a new one on Monday with the same $$. But there are 159 of my coworkers that are gonna lose their jobs on 19 August. I hope they all find work because they all have a good work ethic and they really gave their all at work. I can't stop thinking about them. I pray that everyone finds work.

I work at the Knox DOL Trans Office doing the BRAC move of the school to Bennning. Just sent another train south to Benning with more tanks, Brads, Stykers, and M88's, and 28 more truckloads of wheels. Another 200 vehicles will be the last major shipment in early August. During each shipment, I work with the guys that support the equipment. Many I talk to I've known for years at Knox, as they went from job to job, and as I did too.
Darn dedicated, hard working, smart, '"get-it done" attitude people. Some say they were ready to retire and this was a good opportunity. Some are looking forward to the next major contract swap out as that will offer some opportunitites for those who elect to retire, then comeback as a contractor. I too think alot about the folks that have done so much for so many, and now will be looking again. One of the small silver linings I see, is that anyone who hires any of those folks will be getting people that care about what they do, do it right, know what on-time means, and find ways to get things done when others would scratch their head and walk away. Just what being around and supporting the Armor force has always been about. Since 1994 on Fort Knox, I was a term GS, then a contractor, then a permanent GS, then retired, and back to part-time temp, then temp, and now GS term again. The only thing that is constant in the armed forces and GS civil service.....is change. Adapt and overcome is just a way of life.

Good luck to you! Some boss has a winner coming to work Monday!

[Catfish Bob]

Very busy with landscaping. All the rain this summer has helped out tremendously in getting lots of new accounts. Everything is growing fast and needs cut or trimmed.

Over 17,000 people applied for those 1,800 jobs at Ford. I'm one of um. I would absolutely love to work for Ford. Its a long shot but definitely worth the hour of my day it took to apply for a chance.

[00SKEETER]

Work is good on my end. I work in the Cell Phone Industry. Seems like people can not live without a cell phone these days. They will give up food and clothing before they give up their cell phone. Amazes me when you're watching the news and you see all these people standing in line to receive government grants for heating and cooling cost but they're texting or playing with their IPhone while waiting in line. Can't afford their heating bill but some how manage to pay $80 per month for IPhone. Go figure.

[DJD]

Work is good on my end. I work in the Cell Phone Industry. Seems like people can not live without a cell phone these days. They will give up food and clothing before they give up their cell phone. Amazes me when you're watching the news and you see all these people standing in line to receive government grants for heating and cooling cost but they're texting or playing with their IPhone while waiting in line. Can't afford their heating bill but some how manage to pay $80 per month for IPhone. Go figure.

A little off topic (sorry Tim) Anyone on gubment support should be drug tested and never be allowed to use gubment funds for things like that. JMO

[KYCatfish]

As for work, after getting laid off and starting my own lawn care business, it's booming right now. All this rain is keeping me mowing....sometimes twice a week!!!! Last year I lost 8 weeks pay b/c of the drought so I'm enjoying the rain....as long as it's not like the monsoon we got this spring. I've almost doubled my customer list this year.

[HURRICANEBOB]

It's a gamble for them since the game is get in the door and then get change order after change order at HUGE margins to make up for the loss of taking the project.

Been doing Govt work with contractors for years. Always amazes me how Uncle Sam can let a contract, and then remember all the stuff he forgot to put in it. Yep.....chnage orders cost us dearly. Never much amazed me the costs would be high on each change, after all, at that point the contractor knows he's in progress, and Uncle Sam does not want to have to stop work, settle a contract, then re-do the solicitation, offer it again, and go back thru re-award, and re-start.

[know1]

Just started working for a company in the IT industry. Things seem to be great for them. They've been around 30 years and have just come off the 3 best sales quarters in their history. They've hired a bunch of new people and new positions this year. So business seem to be booming.

[Chubminnow]

While it might sound good for the economy, I guess now is a bad time to start thinking about having a house built. Materials up, cost competition/price competition pushing prices down, sounds to me like owner risk in having a quality house built would be up. I'm being serious and not clowning like usual. Am I putting the pieces together wrong? Sounds like the builder gets pinched by lower housing market value, higher cost for material, and that to the consumer, that would make it that much harder to sort though builders to find the good ones.

You're sort of on the right track...material is high but...next year it's gonna be higher. So really there's no time like the present to purchase material. But yes, with so many contractors hungry like they are now there's plenty of them to weed through to get to the reputable one's. For instance, like DJD wrote, he's been doing hospitals for awhile now. I've been doing hospital work for a long time myself...but about three years ago or so when the threat of Nobama becoming POTUS started becoming reality and things started spiraling down hill like they did, well all of a sudden EVERY architect and engineer started claiming they knew hospitals inside and out.

On a separate note Bob, cemetary vaults will be more expensive next year too, just figured I'd throw that in for ya, lol...

[HURRICANEBOB]

On a separate note Bob, cemetary vaults will be more expensive next year too, just figured I'd throw that in for ya, lol...

I plan on waiting till the price goes down again

[roadrunner]

My local funeral director made me an offer to go early and save 10%.

beep beep

[KYCatfish]

While it might sound good for the economy, I guess now is a bad time to start thinking about having a house built. Materials up, cost competition/price competition pushing prices down, sounds to me like owner risk in having a quality house built would be up. I'm being serious and not clowning like usual. Am I putting the pieces together wrong? Sounds like the builder gets pinched by lower housing market value, higher cost for material, and that to the consumer, that would make it that much harder to sort though builders to find the good ones.

I'm building a house right now and got very luck to start when I did in April. Shingles that I bought at $60 sq are now over $100 at Lowe's. Materials were/are a lot lower with the down market. Also, you have contractors/sub-contractors fighting for business and are bidding less and less. The only issue I am having is the dang drywall crew has done a crappy job and they are coming back to fix a lot of stuff before they get paid. My uncle is the supervising contractor and he's just making a small % over costs. He arranged everything and is supervising it.

If you are not in a hurry, I'd wait til next March. Winter prices are typically lower and with all unemployment benefits stopping in January, I expect there will be another big dip in the economy.