Thread: How's your Christmas Eve shaping out???

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How's your Christmas Eve going this year? Mine started out with a fight. I had to replace a trans cooler on a 03.5 Dodge 3500 with a Cummins diesel. It has this big deer/cow killer bumper with welded on head light gaurds. It made it real fun to get the condensor out of the way, to get the intercooler out, to get to the trans cooler. I got it apart yesterday before work, but couldn't get the lines to unlock. I borrowed a trans line release tool from my Dad and went at it again this morning. I had a heck of a time getting the lower line off. But I had a worse time gettin the lines to lock on the new cooler. It was an aftermarket reproduction, so I was leary. Anyhow, I got it all back together, leak checked it, and ran it. Everything was good, so I called the owner to come get it.

Right before the owner came to get it, I was talking to my brother and his friend. As my brother was ribbing me for having to go to work, a little dirty dog with a blanket thingy, walked right in my shop. I was like what the heck? I called for the dog and it just laid down. Well at that time, the truck owner showed up. I went over to talk to him, he had to show me the next project. he has a 2000 F350 he needs the cab and front clip swapped out on. So we return to the shop to discuss the cooler lines. I told him I was shutting my phone off after he left in case the lines blew off. (I was joking) Just then the dog walks back out. I tried to call her again and she went back in. I walked in and grabbed her, she was wet, and shivvering as it has been snowing and raining here the last day and a half. We looked, and the dog had tags. Amazingly enough, there was a phone number too. The truck owner called the number and the lady said the dog had been missing for two days. The truck owner left and I took the dog to the owner's house. It was a sweet elderly lady that owned her. She said the dog wandered off and she said she thought she'd never see her again. The woman's daughter and granddaughter were there, with her. The daughter insisted on giving me something for returning the dog. I wanted no part of that, I was just doing what a decent person would do, and I was all nasty from working on that dumb dodge. I went in and the daughter gave me money. I tried to give it back several times and the lady wouldn't allow it. I felt really nice to see the grandmother get her dog back, let a lone on Christmas Eve. I told them Merry Christmas, and went on my way.

I had to go get diapers, milk, and stuff some other supplies for my wife. I went to the Dollar General, and as I came out, Mr.Customer called me. A line blew off the truck 8 miles away. Nice, real nice. So I sent my brother to get him since both my punk brothers have the day off. Now I get to put new trans cooler lines on the PITA dodge this weekend, and they get to go tow it home. I'm not sure who had the last laugh? But I'm sitting here on hold ordering parts, or trying to, but no one else is at work? Haha

What big plans do all of you have this Christmas? Drive safe and have a great time! Merry Christmas!

Here is some holiday cheer my friend shared with me, and I'll share with all of you! Anyone up for some whiskey?

Well, I can't match that, but I had a text from a nephew - his wife bought him a new ping pong table for Christmas, and they had borrowed a truck to get it home. One of those units that fold up to store against the wall, with a nice metal frame & locking casters, the beast weighed almost 400# in the box! Well, long story short the store just sells the tables in the box and assembly is up to the buyer. They had hired some jack-leg "handyman" to put it together, and after five hours last night he'd ripped one mounting plate out of the table top, and then told them that one of four hinges was assembled wrong from the factory and left. My first advice, thinking that the store had delivered it and sent their guys to put it together was "Call them, tell them that this one's jacked up by their guy, and that you want a new one along with someone who can read and follow written instructions! Well, that almost had the wife in tears, and after they made it clear that they had brought in their own "handyman" to put it together we took another tack. Indeed one of the hinge units was assembled backwards, but it was a simple matter of drilling out a rivet, flipping the mounting bracket and replacing the rivet with a 1/4x20 bolt and lock nut. The little #8 screws holding the bracket had pulled out of the MDF table top, so four #10's filled the bill, and tightened up nicely. After tightening up all of the fasteners the guy had left finger tight, installing the "new" hinge and four "stop" screws that he had neglected to install we folded it up smooth as silk, and then dropped it back flat with no issues. All in it was $0.94 for a bolt, metal lock nut and four hex head sheet metal screws, and one happy couple for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day! A win-win!!

Very nice Roger!

Roger, THAT, is what this Season is supposed to be about - - - - - sounds like you might have gotten as much joy as they did!

Em

I guess my evening is more like Ryan's. I was supposed to work 'til 4. but we ran late on some things so I'm heading for the door just before 5 when the whole plant goes black! Dang... power failure.. So myself and another manager get the plant restarted and then we each take half of the pump stations and begin to bomb around town to get them restarted.

We were about halfway through and the sky opened up in torrential downpours. I was almost done with my last station when the alarm company calls me to say the station on the other side of the town was reporting a power failure. DANG! this meant to me that the plant was probably back on generator power and some of the pumps would need resetting/restarting.. here we go again!

To end this story I did get home after 7 and have now finished my dinner and am awaiting the phone to ring with some alarm I'll need to respond to.. just like the one at 3:15 this morning! Sigh...

But at least my junior operators with kids can have the night and day off right?!?!

Good luck, and hopefully they don't bother ya anymore!

Well I won"t say much about sitting around grazing and eating cookies .

.

34-40 & 40FordDelux,
I was going to LIKE your stories, then I thought a heart felt "Im sorry" may be more appropriate.
Hope you have a MERRY CHRISTMAS to all!

Originally Posted by bluestang67

Well I won"t say much about sitting around grazing and eating cookies .

.

I've done my share of that too Bobby.... now it's time to renew my dues payment I guess.. did I say how nice it is to see you again!

Originally Posted by 36 sedan

34-40 & 40FordDelux,
I was going to LIKE your stories, then I thought a heart felt "Im sorry" may be more appropriate.
Hope you have a MERRY CHRISTMAS to all!

Thanks, it's all good.. it's how we pay the bills I guess.. 8-)

Thanks for lookin' out for the family guys, 34-40. I used to do the same thing; my kids were grown and gone, so I tried to cover holidays and weekends, on calls and emergencies, and even night shifts for the guys who had kids at home. To be honest, it wasn't entirely magnanimous, I got paid really well for the overtime and shift differentials that were generated; but no one complained, and management allowed it, so it all worked out. I was just paying it forward, to use a modern term. When I was going through my second/third apprenticeships, my kids were still in school and sports. I had a "Stud", or Lead Journeyman who would always take the slack so those of us with families at home could "tend to family stuff", as he called it. He also would not let his apprentices pay for their own coffee or donuts, or lunch if we had the treat of eating lunch off site, so I did the same with my charges when I got in that position.

Not so good... Christmas night the house that my ex owns caught fire behind the chimney some how. Getting them re located until we can figure things out. All is covered but just another thing to deal with... Guess that is what life is all about. Thank God no one was injured.

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Wow, sorry to hear that Bob. I hope everything works out for her. House fires are never a good deal.

Dang that sucks Bob, Bob & Bob! Good to hear no one was injured but, the holidays aren't supposed to be like this.

Rumbler, I'm glad to know there are others out there who think like I do - try and support the family guys. Unlike you though - I don't / won't get any extra pay. It wouldn't matter, even as a manager and on salary, I'm doing it 'cause some son or daughter needs their parent on that special morning.

It infuriates me that department stores and the big box stores either are open or want to open and force employees to be on duty on these special holidays. If it were up to me - I wouldn't even allow them to be open on Sundays! Bunch of money grubbers can't figure out that if they didn't sell it in 6 days why would a seventh help?

OOPS, guess you hit a nerve than doesn't apply here! Back to the family - I hope you all enjoyed spending time with yours, I'm having dinner with my parents on Sunday evening... a new chinese restaurant opened.. I can't wait! LOL..