Category: The Construction Biz

Amazing Things, Construction, Crazy Times, On The Job, The Construction BizLeave a comment

The Day The Dollar General Truck Caused Chaos

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Once when we were working on the Inks Dam anchoring project there were many obstacles to overcome everyday. There was one day when the stars aligned and it appeared we would have a banner day of pouring concrete. We ordered up 2 huge concrete pump trucks that were capable of sending concrete all the way across the length of the dam. They came out of San Antonio, at a hefty price for mobilization. We had a huge team of finishers that we had hired out of Austin to help place and finish the concrete. The concrete was batched out of … Continue reading The Day The Dollar General Truck Caused Chaos

Construction, Crazy Times, On The Job, The Construction BizLeave a comment

My Dallas Hotel Room For The Night

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It was about this time a year in 1988. There were several of us in the underground utility business from Texas that belonged to an Association of Utility Contractors would meet in Washington DC in June. Among other things we would attend a Congressional Breakfast. It was a time where you could eat and visit with various politicians from around the country and let them know what we needed them to be working on. I was the Texas Chapter President for a couple of years, so it was a big deal to go to Washington DC. I had business in … Continue reading My Dallas Hotel Room For The Night

Crazy Times, In and Around Austin, The Construction BizLeave a comment

They Made The Mayor Cry

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A long time ago I had a contract with the small city of Sunset Valley, a suburb on the southwest edge of Austin. The contract was to rebuild a crumbling street. When we finished, a condition of getting paid was I had to go to the City Council Meeting where the payment would be approved and they would write me a check right there on the spot. What I didn’t realize was there was a new mayor, a lady, and a couple of new male councilman. I sat through the entire meeting, with the approval of my payment coming at … Continue reading They Made The Mayor Cry

Amazing Things, On The Job, The Construction BizLeave a comment

The Techno-Redneck or Gadget Man

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Over the past 30 years I have adopted two nicknames. I like each equally. It all started back in the mid 90s when mobile phones were becoming more widely popular and affordable. I always thought I wanted to newest thing out so when a new gadget hit the market I tried to be the first to have it. I usually had a string of employees that were more than willing to take my hand me downs. I didn’t feel too bad about buying the new cutting edge devices because I was convinced that being in the forefront could help one … Continue reading The Techno-Redneck or Gadget Man

On The Job, The Construction BizLeave a comment

Cell Phones On The Cheap

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After the prosperous years of the 80s came the real estate bust of the late 80s and early 90s. Kenny, Coy (of double tailed quarter fame) and I were once again teamed up again doing work together. The days of mobile phones had given way to pagers and pay phones. Mobile phones were very expensive in the early days. My average phone bill in the 80s was $1,000 – $1,200 per month. That wasn’t for the whole company, that was just me. I stayed on the phone constantly, conducting business and doing a fair share of BS’ing. Those costs just … Continue reading Cell Phones On The Cheap

Crazy Times, Meeting New People, The Construction Biz

We Weren’t Made To Feel Very Welcome In Victoria, Texas

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Back in the late 70’s things were going pretty well for us in the construction business, but had slowed a bit. As things often happen, a miracle job fell out of the sky. A Burnet County fellow had gone off to Houston and was doing well contracting with Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. I knew of this guy but mostly just by name. He was a generation ahead of me, about my Dads age. He had been offered an opportunity to bid a project for SWB in Victoria. He didn’t have the manpower nor the proper sized equipment for such an … Continue reading We Weren’t Made To Feel Very Welcome In Victoria, Texas

Crazy Times, The Construction BizLeave a comment

While Building The South Austin Hospital – Early 1980s

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We had contracted to install the water, wastewater and storm drainage for the new hospital that was being built just west of South 1st on Ben White. We were getting down to the end of the project. Everything had worked out about as well as we could have hoped for. It was time to hook into the city’s 66″ water main that crossed Ben White and continued south on James Casey Drive. We were required to tap into this large main at night, since it was the major source of water for all of South Austin. We worked through the … Continue reading While Building The South Austin Hospital – Early 1980s

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

Cecil Lewis Was Always Resourceful And He Taught Us

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In the early days of our roadbuilding careers, there was a need to haul heavy pieces of equipment, mostly a D-7 Caterpillar Bulldozer, from Smithwick to Jonestown. We didn’t always have trucks that had the horsepower and the gears to get us over all the hills. We knew from experience which ones were going to give us fits, so I’d go along in a pickup and before we’d get to one of those such hills we’d pull over and hook a chain to the front of the truck and I could give just enough of a tug with the pickup … Continue reading Cecil Lewis Was Always Resourceful And He Taught Us

Crazy Times, My Friends, The Construction BizLeave a comment

There Are Times You Have To Take The Bull By The Horns And Then Hope For A Miracle

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I have a friend, I’ll call him John. We had worked doing the same type of construction for many years. He had worked for a couple of my competitors, but each were friendly competitors, so we have been in various joint venture arraignments throughout the years. Somewhere along the way, due to a divorce or perhaps it was the cause of the divorce, John developed a serious cocaine habit. He came to me in the need of employment. His habit had caused him to be fired from his last job. Not realizing that cocaine addiction couldn’t be cured with compassion … Continue reading There Are Times You Have To Take The Bull By The Horns And Then Hope For A Miracle

Amazing Things, My Friends, The Construction Biz, UncategorizedLeave a comment

My Friend Jim

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Here I was a couple of weeks ago, sitting thinking, thinking of my past. I decided 20 years was too long to go without seeing and talking to my ole friend Jim. Jim and I had once belonged to the same church, played on the church softball team together and between the two of us, we had 9 kids, with only 1 girl in the bunch. We had a lot in common, yet hardly anything in common. Jim was college educated and had worked in the non-profit world and I barely made it out of high school and was attempting … Continue reading My Friend Jim