Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss What a day

Here at Arkansas Tech it is all to common to have a major problem while working on a sampling project. A few weeks ago an outboard got clogged with sand and it had to go to the shop.

Today we went to do some sampling on a lake south of Fort Smith which is 90 miles from campus. The first problem was when we were backing the boat down the ramp and realized the key to the ignition was missing. Somehow the key got stolen this past friday. This was not so bad because a dealership was about 5 miles away so the professor left to pick up a key while the rest of the group did some shoreline surveys.

The next problem occured when we went to hook up the elctrofishing unit. The generator and the shockbox did not have the same connections so it wouldn't work. The professor then had to drive back and meet another student to pick up the other generator.

Two and half hours later we get the generator hooked up to the shockbox. We then realized that the lights on the boat won't work because there is not an AC outlet on generator. It takes 20 minutes to wire up the lights to the generator.

We then head out to do some elctrofishing. We start the generator and start adjusting the shock box. All of a sudden there is a pop sound in the shock box and smoke starts to pour out.

So for 9 hours of our work time we only got 3 shoreline seines.

Lemme see. You are going there for an education. Is that right? Sounds like you got one. Actually, it sounds like a pretty average day around the DD1 Ponderosa.

Yep,I think you got just right Dave.Sounds like a normal day at my house too!

When you do this for a living, you'll know what consequences poor preparation can have on productivity.

I have to agree with Theos. Unprepared in every facet. Pink slips come to mind, but because you guys were actually paying for the schooling, you really can't be fired.

Sunil -- not so fast there. A pink slip would be a lot better than being fired by a faulty wired shock system. Being unprepared can get you killed in a thousand ways.

I would say a very good and lucky day of education. It is best not to tempt faith to often -- be prepared and think about what is happening. Survival is the best sign of intelligence and preparedness.

There's an (engineering) concept (that used to be) called "History of Errors."

The main point of it, as I understand it, as that when something goes wrong, you don't just fix it, you try to figure out WHY it went wrong, and fix THAT before proceeding. I learned the importance of this by ignoring it, continually replacing blown fuses in an 8-track deck before the wiring traces on the circuit board melted. Wonderful smell, btw.

It becomes really important when life and limb are on the line.

I read this as our team is loading the truck for a big aeration install today.

Now I'll have to go through the truck to make sure everything is there and works properly!

We need to be working the entire 10 hours and not running around looking for parts!

I just learned from you Chris, thank you.

That'll eat you alive in any business. I hate farming days when all I do is find out what parts I'm missing and go drive around obtaining them.

I do it or something like it all the time. Gotta change oil in a tractor. While I look for the filter wrench, I notice something else that I had misplaced and couldn't find for another critical task. OK, hop on that job before I again lose that part or tool. Heck, it may be the next day or next week by the time I get back to the simple oil change. I blame it on too many distractions (toys) and my dearly beloved blames it on too many years.

At this time, I have about a dozen fishin poles that I can't use because I need to change the line. Heck, easier to buy a new reel. My wife doesn't mind me buying a new reel if I toss the old one. Not a chance.

Sadly, my maintenance schedules are "as needed".

Your post hit me like one of those old TV shows about parallel universes. One of us seems to have plagarized the other's life!

That is a very common pond nut affliction. Now where did I put that wrench ? --

Affliction is right! I thought I had a solution to the missing stuff, buy two over everything that you have trouble keeping track off. It was a failure. Now I have 7 side cutters after I clean the shop!

You cleaned the shop? Why? I'm impressed.

I recently found 2 partially drank beers in mine. Now, when did that happen?

I have a solution that might help...a place for everything and everything in its place.Now where was I using that dang scewdriver thats missing?

It's gotten real bad in my shop ever since the Chinese starting making reasonable tools. My good tools, many of which I've had for over 40 years, are fairly well organized in a tool bag that is always in the barn when I need it at the house, or in the truck which I just lent the truck to my son, or . . .

So, I've bought a lot of other cheap tools, that are actually pretty good. For instance, the 6-,8-,10-, and 12-inch set of adjustable end wrenches from Harbor Freight for about $7.00 is real hard to beat. I seem to buy about $50 worth of "junque" from Harbor freight two or three times a year. I just spent another $40 at Harbor Freight, and got a big heavy box that anybody would be real happy to get for Father's day or Christmas. I stop by each Cummins Tool Sale when they come to town. I stop by each Cummins Tool Sale when they come to town -- oooh, their pellet rifle and pistol are absolutely awesome.

You guys have it made. Try being self employed at home and the pond duties beckon! I tell myself when I put down the taxidermy tools that it won't take very long and it has to be done but of course as we all know things always take longer than we think. And although I make money at the fish raising it's not instantaneous. Then there's the wife asking me how I'm coming on that house payment. &^%$#@#

Cecil,

I was self employed for about 25 years. The first 20 were great. The last five will cause me to work well past normal retirement age. Except for my 4-1/2 hour commute, I'm now glad I work for a big company that instills discipline in my work day. Not only that, they let me order lots of neat tools and other great toys, as long as I can justify a need.

Ken

Wow 4 1/2 hour commute! I hope that is not every day! If so I'd hate to have your gasoline bill!

Cecil, Please help me understand. Many of us have house payments and have our own business. So why do we have it made and you don't?

That is an easy one for me to answer, my job is just next door, similar to Cecil's. It is easy to get distracted by things that I see that need doing as I walk passed them. While in the car on the way to work those are out of sight if not out of mind.
Another factor is that I seem to go next door less prepared because it is just a short walk if I need something which then leads back to the first problem, not to mention the time loss from just walking around. I am not complaining, it is just that there seems to be less distinction between work and home when you work at home.

Last year, I gave up my office of 25 years and moved the whole works to my home. Had to part with some stuff but that was OK. I now have a different set of distractions. The ladies(?) across the hall have been replaced by occasionally cleaning a gun, rebuilding a reel, freeing up a hydraulic jack and occasionally taking a nap.

Same thing for me Dave when I closed my office and moved home.
Worked well until I would sneak off and go fishing.
My wife had to stay home by the telephone - this was before reliable cell phone service.

That's when my secretary became my full time fish' buddy...

It's elementary my dear Watson. Time away from the shop not working on fish taxidermy is money not being made in ths short term. Rad is right. When one gets distracted at home and isn't doing the taxidermy one is not bringing in income. And believe you me the pond projects can take up some time and are much more fun to do. There are weeks that fly by and by the end of the week I wonder what in the hell I've been doing! A months feels like two weeks to me!

A major difference I have found between being self employed and working for someone else is the end of the week comes too quickly, and I don't always feel I've been productive enough when I look at the books. However when I worked for someone else, regardless of how hard I worked, Friday could not come quickly enough.

Does this make sense?

And before someone thinks I'm undisiplined and lazy I typically put in 12 hour days six days a week.

George I've been in the same office doing the same thing for 30 years this Oct. Once again, wife has proven she has more 'guts' than I! She left her comfort zone of 20+ yrs. and started anew as a case Manager for Exxon/Mobil employees. After a year she can work from home provided we have DSL and a "lockable" private office (in our home mind you) for the new privacy act. She's advancing quicker than I to move to the country.
You are where we hope to be some day!
Dave my best distraction is the tractor. I guess one never gets caught up on things to do...what therapy it provides me.