Am I The Only 1?

Poolman

I'm not your age Day(I'm 38), but I know what your saying. We all have our ups and downs, but I think this year will be better than last year. I am generally a very optomistic person.

This was a difficult year especially the second half. But one of the indicators we watch is the Dow Jones Average - It bottomed in November. This gives me some hope the economy is slowly ticking upwards.

Happy Birthday Joasis!

Scott

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Scott

Is this going to be expensive?
It's all relative.

woodchuck2

Your wife is a CO. huh, i have been there and done that. If you think your job is stressful ask her how her day was and the crap she puts up with. Do yourself a favor and stick with what your doing. I would rather be balls deep in snow, -20f and a spade shovel to dig myself out with before i went back to being a CO. You dont realize how good you have it until you try something else. At least running your own business you can make your own hours, take off days if you please, no manditory overtime, no watching your back in fear of being stabbed/slashed, no worries of being spit on or feces/piss thrown at you, no having to work holidays, fewer worries of lawsuits, and certainly no worries of the typical seniority crap.
Everytime i get stressed about no money coming in, too much work to handle or the weather boning me i just think back of what i would be doing on the "inside". That brings my spirit back up as i realize i am now FREE and no longer incarcerated with the inmates.

joasis

My wife was a probation/parole officer, and now she is a supervisor with 10 officers working for her. State job...in these rough times.

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rustyjames

Sounds like Mid-Life crisis to me. And it's true, after 20 or so years doing to same thing and you're ready to do anything different, even if it's selling apples. But just remember--if you have your health, you have your wealth!

Blas

I was having anxiety attacks, so I stopped watching the news. It's one thing to worry about loosing your job and another thing when you are afraid for your entire livelihood because there are no other jobs available. I feel sorry for so many people that don't have anywhere to turn right now and I can't imagine what I would do if we went belly up. I am happy for now that we have work and I just sort of made up my mind that I was going to take this thing one day at a time. I am 28 years old and I am stressed out and tired because I feel the weight of all the guys that work for us on me. I hope that work picks up for everyone, I know how hard it is for business owners with moral obligations to employee's and personal survival. Hope we don't have to cut too many people next year.

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"It is what it is"

ruskent

I am glad this mess happened when I am young. I am only 22 but this crash will effect me the rest of my life. I will NEVER spend money the same way again. NEVER.


No more 5-10 dollar breakfasts. 8-15 dollar lunchs, 3 cups of coffee in between per a day. I going to start by eating breakfast at home and packing a lunch from home. I am going to buy a cheap coffee pot and just make a pot of coffee on the job site each morning.

My eating habits are just the starts of the cuts.



I am just never going to look at money the same way again.

tgeb

Awe, you guys just have the "mid winter blues" happens every year.

As soon as the flowers start pushing up threw the snow....we will all be rip roaring and ready to go.

But I do agree, at 46 years old, some years are tougher than others. I am blessed with some good work right now, and some very good prospects for the coming year.

Better times are coming, we just have to survive long enough to be in position to take advantage of the new upswing.


Happy Birthday, Joasis!!

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Tom

www.gebcon.com

rino1494

Are you guys as miserable as my dad is ?? He will be 57 next month, well actually not since he was born on leap year. Anyway, he has been doing this since he could walk and over the past few years has slowed down alot. He won't call anybody, won't chase work, and is tired of people stringing him out for money. I am young and want to work and I keep pushing him to find work for me and he gets mad when I bug him. He just says that I'll sell everything and you can go work for someone else.

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Life is hard. It is harder when you are stupid

Uncle Sam wants YOU....to speak ENGLISH

neolitic

He's earned the right.

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Tinstaafl

That's the toughest part of this whole gig, and he's been doing it for how many years now? If you're so young and full of energy, how about giving the old man a break and doing some of that footwork yourself?

I'm 58, and have busted my nuts for years to give my boys a head start. They have no interest in this life, and I don't blame them for that. But whatever they decide to do, standing on their own two feet is the biggest reward they could give me.

dayexco

i TOTALLY disagree....from what i've gotten from Jason, is he's a go getter....he's not a hired 8 to 5'er off the street. at his young age...by his posts, i can see that he commands the respect of his peers, his customers, and us..he's invested already a lot of his young life into his dad's business, and kept it afloat/rolling while his dad was on the mend. it might be his father's right, but in reality nothing short of a slap in the face to somebody who has dedicated the time/effort like Jason has. you know as well as i do, that with his drive, skills....he could have taken those attributes and sold them to a bigger contractor and no doubt doubled his income. he, like many of us...feel a loyalty to the name, to the business, to our fathers. Jason, i wish you well, i truly do, i think you're a pretty remarkable young man, you're full of fire. now might be the opportune time to sit down with your dad, and get things worked out. with children at home to feed, you need to have a few more "knowns" in your column. in your dad's defense............he no doubt gets like me, frustrated with the current business outlook/economy, with his heart attack..feels somewhat helpless. you remind me a lot of my son. know this Jason, there are literally 100's of contractor that would pay dearly for a young man like you with the skills/capabilities you have.

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someday, i'll be as patient as Nick.

neolitic

Not meant as a knock on Jason.
Just saying, after so long......
sometimes a guy has just had
all he can take.

His Dad, and I both, probably could
put things better.

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dayexco

yeah, sorry about that, i jumped on that pretty quick....but i've been on both sides of this fence...it's tough for both parties

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someday, i'll be as patient as Nick.

neolitic

I know.
I'm glad my son isn't doing
some of the crappy stuff I do,
spends his days inside, no snow,
no mud,....
but a lot of the time I really miss
working with him.
Of course I don't really have
much more than a reputation
to pass on to him either.

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dayexco

isn't that the greatest gift we can give our sons? i've been extremely proud of "where i cam from"....i think my son feels the same. when it all melts down into a pile of shi "r"t....nickels and dimes don't count...it's who you are/were.

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someday, i'll be as patient as Nick.

MACEXCAVATING

Hey Day, I totally respect the fact that you have a multi-generational business. It could have been that way with my family, but we are all so damn hard headed that none of us can get along plus many other things. It takes a very special family to do business together. Even though you are tired, it sounds like you have a lot to be thankful for.

With that being said, I have been in the trades all my life, minus my Navy tour and short tour as a cop. Sometimes I get in a funk and ask myself "what the hell am I doing?" Especially starting a business in this economy, which is about a year old now. The last couple of years have been an eye opener. I finally pulled my head out and realized I have been drinking away my gifts. Well I took a stand and said enough is enough, I am following my dreams. I guess if I loose everything that will be better than playing it safe and wondering "could I have made it?"

I think a couple of the other statements made are also true. When spring time does come, we will be ready to kick ass again. Also the slow year didn't help either. Hang in there everybody, things Will break loose

Just my .02

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"The land of familiarity belongs to the dead."
"We're playing in the dirt BROTHER!"

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