Moments of Zen

[Old Wombat]

Australian government regularly sends everyone over a certain age a free bowel cancer screening kit.  When I worked in Delivery Post Office Box customers would ask me "what's this the government have sent me?".  I would inform them and a significant number would tell me to return the package because they were not interested.  Morons.

I accept & use mine as per the instructions.

[Nick]

Australian government regularly sends everyone over a certain age a free bowel cancer screening kit.  When I worked in Delivery Post Office Box customers would ask me "what's this the government have sent me?".  I would inform them and a significant number would tell me to return the package because they were not interested.  Morons.

The one time you can legally send crap to the Govt, for free, and they said no?! 

[DogfighterZen]

Australian government regularly sends everyone over a certain age a free bowel cancer screening kit.  When I worked in Delivery Post Office Box customers would ask me "what's this the government have sent me?".  I would inform them and a significant number would tell me to return the package because they were not interested.  Morons.

The one time you can legally send crap to the Govt, for free, and they said no?! 

So true.

[TheChronicOne]

This Is the type of attitude i don't find anywhere else on the web and part of what makes me call this forum my modeling home. Especially the jokes, you guys crack me up.   

YUuuuuuuuuUUP! Same.

[DogfighterZen]

So, i'm now officially a public water technician! Not sure if that's what it's called in other countries but i think you guys get the idea.   
It's a rather relaxed job, mostly just taking samples of water in several places around the district and working the settings on the machines that inject the purifying products into the reservoirs before it's sent into the public grid.
It's been challenging to learn so much new stuff but i feel like it's much more rewarding than just driving a forklift around in the rain carrying crates of sweet potatoes.
There's much more responsibility but i've been having several formation sessions on the water's treatment process, how to operate all the machines, valves and systems.
The salary is much better and the colleagues are all good people and very helpful. There's even one guy who's also a modeler and musician so, there's always something to talk about during lunch hour.

Regarding models, i've been slowly working on the RF-5E and it's not far from the finish line. Yesterday i've finished putting the decals on and now i just have to take care of the landing gear and missiles before a varnish coat and gluing on the small bits.
Pretty happy with how it's coming out, the camo is beautiful and i have to blow my own trumpet by saying i did a fairly good job of it.

Also started to mask the Blue Thunder again to spray a new mix of blue to see if it looks more like the real one, and even did a bit of sanding on the F-16W's new wings so, i guess that the new job has really brought my mojo back by making me feel better about the "real life" side of things.

[NARSES2]

Well done with the new job mate. Hope it goes well for you 

[TheChronicOne]

That's kickass, dude!! Man, you got yourself a winner there.... that sounds like a job that will be good to stick with for many years and it's FOOLPROOF.....   "clean water" isn't a trend and it's not like demand will ever disappear so you have true job security in that regard. Time to interrogate your new model building friend and once you've established what strikes their fancy..... work that into sucking them into "what-if." 

[kerick]

Learn everything you can about water treatment and make yourself the "go to guy" for everyone else's questions. Can you get licensed as a water treatment operator?

[DogfighterZen]

Thank you all for the support! 

That's kickass, dude!! Man, you got yourself a winner there.... that sounds like a job that will be good to stick with for many years and it's FOOLPROOF.....   "clean water" isn't a trend and it's not like demand will ever disappear so you have true job security in that regard.

Sure is, it's a basic necessity and will always be so it's a good job to dedicate myself to, which i am doing.

Time to interrogate your new model building friend and once you've established what strikes their fancy..... work that into sucking them into "what-if." 

I already have! Got him thinking of how Portugal could've bought one of the smaller US carriers after WWII and developed it's own naval industry to build some in the future, up to the point of having a nuclear powered supercarrier. A couple of days ago he said he's been thinking of a Portuguese submarine in WWII so i guess i may have converted one.

Learn everything you can about water treatment and make yourself the "go to guy" for everyone else's questions. Can you get licensed as a water treatment operator?

I am trying to learn and although it's not been a full month, i have learned quite a bit and am able to do the basics on my own in quite a few different stations now but, even guys that have been working there for ten years still don't know all that one could know about it so, i'm taking my time to learn things but learning them well.
As to a licensed water treatment operator, i guess that, in a way, that's what most of my colleagues are as i am, although obviously as a very new apprentice.
There may be a professional school that has some sort of course one could take to get certified but i haven't thought about it yet. A lot had to change to accommodate for my new shift hours and i need to let stuff settle down a bit more to start looking further ahead.
As i've said above, it seems to be a really good place to start a new career but it's only been 3 weeks and although it seems good now, i've been through enough to know that i haven't seen the bad parts of this type of work with permanently changing shift hours...
I also know that every line of work has good and bad things and i gotta make a living somehow so, i'll just take it as it comes and do my best to learn as much as i can, as i've always done. 

 

[TheChronicOne]

Already sucked in. HA! I love it.   Dude, I don't think I've EVER known anyone at work that builds models in all my various year and jobs,.... I'd take it as a sign perhaps... What are the odds?   He's also a musician, so as long it isn't modern country, I think we've got a winner on our hands!     

[DogfighterZen]

Already sucked in. HA! I love it.   Dude, I don't think I've EVER known anyone at work that builds models in all my various year and jobs,.... I'd take it as a sign perhaps... What are the odds?   He's also a musician, so as long it isn't modern country, I think we've got a winner on our hands!     

He likes good old rock'n'roll and good music in general but i don't think Modern Country is in his list.
Cool guy, he told me about a modeling store where he's been buying some kits and suggested we both go there someday. It opened very recently and it needs new costumers so i guess it would be rude if i didn't do my bit to help... 

[kerick]

Good plan!

[zenrat]

Ah, the joys of working in a treatment plant.  Done a chlorine drill yet?
The plant I worked at used the PA system to alert everyone but we were based "out the back" where there were no speakers.
So they used to tip me off the day before the surprise drill and then ring me when it was time to get everyone out to sit and wait out side the back gate.
The amount of chlorine stored on site means it is a major terrorist target.  If they manage to blow it and the wind direction is wrong then a wall of Chlorine will sweep over a Bayside suburb.
Part of my site induction briefing was "if you see a cloud of yellow gas, drive then other way".

[kerick]

So true! Sewage treatment plants use a lot of chlorine too unless they use UV light to sterilize the water before release into a waterway.

[DogfighterZen]

Well, we haven't had a chance to visit the model store but my colleague did make me start a Tamiya 1/72 Aichi M6A1 Seiran at work... it's for a diorama he wants to make.
It's a totally different thing from anything i'm currently building and that i'd never thought i'd build but although i've only glued the float's halves together and cleaned up the seams, i think this will be a fun build to work on during the night shift's boring hours. 

Ah, the joys of working in a treatment plant.  Done a chlorine drill yet?
The plant I worked at used the PA system to alert everyone but we were based "out the back" where there were no speakers.
So they used to tip me off the day before the surprise drill and then ring me when it was time to get everyone out to sit and wait out side the back gate.
The amount of chlorine stored on site means it is a major terrorist target.  If they manage to blow it and the wind direction is wrong then a wall of Chlorine will sweep over a Bayside suburb.
Part of my site induction briefing was "if you see a cloud of yellow gas, drive then other way".

Nope, no drill yet and i don't think we'll have one anytime soon as i believe that it's something they've never doen before. I'm not sure if there's no risk or if it just doesn't warrant such a type of safety procedures.

No real modelling related news beside the Seiran i'm building at work, been lazy in the past days but i have a full weekend off work starting now so i should be able to find some time and will to get something done.
Also been treating myself to some goodies like a kit that will be a trip down memory lane for me, the Hasegawa 1/72 EA-6B Prowler.
It was my first real kit ever, my dad bought it for me when i was 7 or 8 years of age. I made it into a glue bomb, obviously but, it started me into the hobby and complemented my already huge love for aircraft of all sorts.

Yesterday i went crazy and bought a kit i've wanted for a while now, the Tamiya 1/48 F-14D Tomcat and also, the Airfix 1/48 Spitfire FR MkXIV. Those were delivered today!  Also today, i really lost it and ordered what i believe will be my last modelling purchase of 2021, the Meng 1/48 F/A-18E Super Hornet.