Category: On The Job

Crazy Times, Kenny Lewis, On The Job, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Death By Seatbelt

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Once when we were doing a project in Dallas, my Suburban was having mechanical problems so I took it to the shop. They gave me a rental car. This was in the early 90s. Kenny was up helping me on that project so we would go eat before we would go to our apartment each evening. This night we determined where to go eat on our way home, but then I changed my mind. He was following me when we stop at a red light. I just opened the drivers door and stuck my head out to tell him to … Continue reading Death By Seatbelt

Crazy Times, On The Job, The Construction Biz, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings3 Comments

I Felt Kind Of Guilty For Contributing To This Fellow Getting Fired

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Alvin was a TxDot employee, the supervisor over all of the survey crews. I first got to know him in the early 70s when we were contracted to work on the I-35 expansion through downtown Austin. TxDot did all the layout in those days and had a bunch of survey crews. Now-a-days they mostly hire it all out I think. In fact they may not even have a survey division. Sometime later, around 1980, Alvin was seeing retirement coming so he started his own surveying company and would go out on weekends and do work. I hired him to do … Continue reading I Felt Kind Of Guilty For Contributing To This Fellow Getting Fired

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, In and Around Austin, On The Job, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and Musings, UncategorizedLeave a comment

My Memorial Day Memory – 1981

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Memorial Day is a time for reflection and to honor those Military Person’s that gave the ultimate sacrifice for this wonderful nation. But 40 years ago Memorial Day was marked by devastation to parts of Austin, like nothing some of us had ever lived through. The story below tells my personal experience that day. During the early morning hours parts of Austin received 11 inches of rain in the span of 3 hours. I have no doubt that one of the highest elevations around, Jester Mountain received that much rain or close to it. We were building what is now … Continue reading My Memorial Day Memory – 1981

Funny Happenings, On The Job, The Construction Biz, The Early Days2 Comments

Always Watch What You Say Around The Little Ones

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I did a job down in Hockley, Texas a long time ago. I was on that project when I heard that Elvis was dead. Funny how we remember those things. When I first started the project I needed someone in the office there onsite to help keep the pipe and other material ordering straight as well as keeping up with time and other office duties. An older fellow dropped by looking for an employment opportunity. He lived in the area and knew his way around. He was a strikingly handsome old fellow. He dressed nicely, but seemed like he constantly … Continue reading Always Watch What You Say Around The Little Ones

Crazy Times, Meeting New People, On The Job, The Construction Biz, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings1 Comment

Borrowing Money On Your Word And A Handshake

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Early in my contracting career, G.K. became my accountant, sidekick and office guy. His marriage had failed due to his drinking and other circumstances, so he was free to move around the state doing projects with me. Something that I was able to easily do too. Madeline and I were fairly portable. We went to Huntsville, Houston and eventually we ended up in Brackenridge, Tx. We only had one child, a baby – Matthew, when in December 1976 an opportunity came along to go do the largest project I had ever undertaken. It was in Stephens County, Texas. It was … Continue reading Borrowing Money On Your Word And A Handshake

On The Job, The Construction Biz, The Early Days3 Comments

My Guy Friday

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A good old fellow that worked for me for several years in the 70s and 80s went by Friday. His name was Troy Hargraves. Lot of people told me he got the name Friday, because that was his favorite day. Friday was a steady hand. He knew the road and excavation business. He was an estimator mostly, but worked in several positions within the company during his time with us. He was very gruff sounding, but was the kindest and gentlest soul you ever would meet. All the guys out on the jobs loved to see Friday coming. He’d bring … Continue reading My Guy Friday

Crazy Times, On The Job, The Construction Biz, The Early Days2 Comments

Eavesdropping Through The Motel Wall

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Back in the late 70s, we decided to bid on a project for the City of Laredo. I usually traveled to these out of town destinations alone, while Kenny kept an eye on things back at home. But this time he accompanied me on the long road south. We left really early in the morning so we could look at the job site conditions and see what kind of productions we could expect. We checked into a Holiday Inn Motel in Laredo to finish up on a bid that would be turned in later that afternoon. We were staying over … Continue reading Eavesdropping Through The Motel Wall

Crazy Times, Kenny Lewis, On The Job, The Construction Biz, The Early DaysLeave a comment

The Contractor That Did It All

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One time we ventured off to Laredo to bid on a project, a new water line. This was way back in the late 70’s. The bids were turned in the late afternoon. We had to stay over until that night when the bids were opened and read at the city council meeting. I figured that was a ploy to get more hotel tax revenue. My brother, Kenny was with me for this trip. We got to the council meeting and saw where not only our bid was going to be opened that night but probably 6 or 8 other bids … Continue reading The Contractor That Did It All

Construction, Crazy Times, On The Job, The Construction Biz, The Early DaysLeave a comment

Hauling A Parsons Ladder Trencher

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Back in 1970, not too long after I graduated from high school, I was driving a truck for Nelson Lewis, hauling equipment. I remember being dispatched to Devine, Texas to haul a Parsons Trencher from there over to Port Lavaca. It was a trip of around 200 miles, maybe more with weaving my way down through the many little south Texas towns. This was before any big highways were built. Those towns were connected with Farm to Market Roads and a few State Highways. I got to Devine late in the afternoon one day, loaded the machine and chained it … Continue reading Hauling A Parsons Ladder Trencher

Crazy Times, My Friends, On The Job, The Early DaysLeave a comment

Dink Wrote Me A Check

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George Lester McDuff was a fiery little fellow. Everyone called him Dink and he always had a story to tell. He had the ability to make me laugh. He could make anyone laugh. I first met Dink in 1963, when I was just a kid. He and my dad worked for the same utility construction company. Dink ran the roadboring division. Roadboring is where a horizontal hole is drilled under a roadway or railroad track a then pipe is installed. It was dirty work with mud knee deep and oil and grease everywhere. But everyday Dink showed up in starched … Continue reading Dink Wrote Me A Check