Nice Day

The weather was awesome today. The climate here in Amishland is often cruel in August. The humidity with the heat often reign; the 'feel' brutal. Today was perfect. It was brightly sunny, low humidity. So many of the pictures posted here are not local. I posted the one above to show; I really do live in Amishland. I snapped that Wednesday as I was working.

The weather seemed to affect people's attitudes, too. I had fun with most of 'my people' today. Other than one local woman who seemed 'distant;' all the people I encountered today were pretty cool.

Woman 1

I learned early on that she was not 'from' this area, either. She was well-traveled; not a part of the local culture, either. We had a nice conversation; we both had past childhood 'ties' to the Washington, DC area. My dad was at the Pentagon with the Air Force; her dad at the CIA out in Langley. It was very cool to talk to her.

Guy 1

My second personal contact today was with a gentleman who lived in an apartment. I was there to correct a problem he was having related to a system-change we had made at the office. It was a quick setting change on his TV sets. He spoke with mild accent. I asked soon after I entered the apartment, 'Sir, where are you from?' He answered, 'Russia.'

I smiled and looked at him and said...IN RUSSIAN...'I don't understand Russian.' He laughed loudly. Told me I was 'very good,' in Russian! It was all good. We had a nice talk, too.

Woman 2

I was dispatched to correct an internet trouble for a customer. Again, it was related to a systemic system change we had made. I needed to replace the cable modem. I knew that before I knocked on the door. A very nice woman opened the door and somehow through casual conversation we found that we knew many of the same people. She worked for a company that was a 'spin-off' of the company I worked for before I became the cable guy. That company went out-of-business; a lot of the people moved on to the 'spin-off.' I could have gone there, too.

It's rare on my job that I meet many people with whom I have any 'personal connections.' I work in an area 15 miles or so from where that previous job was. Most of the people, including myself, lived within a couple miles of the plant. This place is very 'parochial;' people don't stray very far from their homes. My second morning woman contact was with Valerie; it was very cool to talk to her and 'catch-up' on names I haven't spoken for quite a long time. The core company had been a cool place to work; we all 'played together well.' After that company dissolved; we all went our own ways. Valerie provided a thread of contact to many of the people I used to work with. Small world; here, indeed.

I was 'intrigued' by the prospect of being the cable guy; seemed like it would be a pretty cool job. Just for the record; I applied for and became 'the Cable Guy,' BEFORE the movie was released. I have been doing this now a long time. I now have enough seniority that I get 'first choice' of days off; the company maintains 'quotas' as we are a service company. I am sixth in seniority at our office; the quota now is seven.

There are 22 'Cable Guys' at our office. Some of them do only 'construction,' some of them only do 'line maintenance.' The rest of us have customer contact. We work different hours; work on-the-road, too. We often only see each other occasionally. The guy below me in seniority saw me the other day and we had a chance to talk. The 2010 vacation calendar is being 'passed-along' now. As we are both now among the 'privileged seven' he was happy to tell me after almost twenty years he could now get the Friday after Thanksgiving off. I was bit more fortunate; it only took me 18.

As I am talking about cool people I meet at work; I have to mention Sue.
I showed up at her door one morning this week to correct a problem and through our conversation learned that her daughter lives within a block from my friends Steve-and-Nancy in Manhattan. We both knew the same corner diner for Saturday breakfast nearby. We laughed about running into each other there. Was very fun to meet and talk to Sue, too. I posted the pictures below for her to share with her daughter; no doubt, it's her neighborhood.

Small world, indeed.