There are always tricks of the trade that some contractors use in order to increase their bottom line. We've had to raise our prices due to the increase in gas prices and we are not pumping out as many septic tanks as we used to. People can't afford to pay the increase, we thought. It turns out that there are contractors out there that have found a way to raise their prices a little bit and still make money.

A young driver for one of our competitors asked hubby how many tanks he can pump out with the size tanker we have. Hubby told him 2 or 3 depending on the size of the septic tank. The youngster didn't understand how we could be making any money paying gas and dumping fees on so few tanks. It seems that some other contractors are charging $15 less a tank and NOT pumping the entire tank out. They are taking the crust off the top, leaving the water and bottom sludge in the tank. They are cheating people by doing that and charging for a full pump out.

Without completely emptying the tank the contractor can't spot deterioration in the tank itself. Holes in the bottom that may be allowing septage to leak out into the surrounding soil can't be identified. Most people who have septic tanks also have wells. Eventually this septage can leach into their wells causing bacterial infections. The Department of Health says that all septic tanks must be 100 feet away from the well, however, many properties were not large enough to accomodate this distance so variances were issued. The contamination in the well happens slowly so the current residents build an immunity to the problem. Problems arise when they try to sell the property and the well does not pass a water purity test.

We couldn't figure out how our competitors were affording the purchase of new trucks. Now we know. Due to the fact that septage is a hazardous waste, we never thought anyone would be playing fast and loose with their pumping practices. When Hubby pumps a tank he empties it, rinses it down and inspects it. He notifies the resident of any problems that should be addressed. This means that if we pump 2 septic tanks that are 1000 gallons each we are taking in $400 plus sales tax.

Dumping fees on that volume amount to $160 and then the gas runs pretty close to that amount usually around $100. Which leaves $140 towards insurance and truck maintenance. Our competitors are pumping the sludge off the top which amounts to about 200 gallons. So, with the same size tanker they can pump 10 tanks to equal that $160 dumping fee. What are they charging people? Just enough under our price to get the business, usually $185. They probably use more in gas but they can afford to with the expenses coming out of approximately $1850 compared to $400. We make more when Hubby has to labor to dig the tank up which is essentially how we get by.

Most homeowners are not going to stand there and watch the process so they have no idea that they are being cheated. Once you uncap the tank the odor escapes and believe me it's not pleasant. Many times, when we have too much month left at the end of our money, Hubby has said he must not be doing something right. At the end of our conversation about the practices of the other contractors, I had the pleasure of telling him that apparently he's the only one doing it right. We don't make much money, but we can be proud of our ethics. I guess that means we aren't very good business people, and I'd rather not have it any other way.

I happened to mention country music to Bella. It seems that I might just as well have told her there was a mouse running up her leg. Now, I'm from the north and along with many other genres of music I also happen to like country music. What type of self respecting southern gal would shudder at the thought of it?

Grant you, the country music artists like Hank Snow, Hank Williams Sr, Ernest Tubbs and others of their generation isn't as much to my liking, but beginning in the very late 60's and on through today the sound has changed.

Cross over hits of the 60's that stand out in my mind, and caused me to really take a look at the genre with an open mind include songs like "Harper Valley PTA", "Ode To Bille Joe", and "King Of The Road". The 70's brought us "Delta Dawn" and "What's Your Momma's Name" from the vocal chords of a child named Tanya Tucker. In case nobody noticed, she knew how to rock those songs.

The more I looked the more I found to like. Duo's like The Judds and Brooks and Dunn. The mellow tones of "The Troubador" George Strait, and he's pretty hot looking to boot. I really shouldn't say The Dixie Chicks and Toby Keith in the same sentence, but well....

Garth Brooks, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, all brought their own personalities to the genre. Reba McIntyre, Shania Twain, Tricia Yearwood all did the same for the ladies of country. They brought a southern rock attitude to their music that traditional country didn't have.

I've even found that I like the older traditional music that I used to think was all whine and twang. It told a story of love won and lost, and defined a generation of life in some way that, to country music lovers, doesn't need explaining.

So, if someone will hogtie Bella to her chair and start one of these videos for her, I'm sure she'll see that it's not her Daddy's country music we listen to today. Well, maybe she'll admit that, but I bet she still won't like it.

You Can't Take The Honkytonk Out Of The Girl...Brooks and Dunn



Long Time Gone....Dixie Chicks



My Maria...Brooks and Dunn



I posted this one because of the Fred Astaire/Rita Hayworth subject that was used. It made for a very interesting video.

I wonder when we noticed there was a light bulb in the White House that wasn't as bright as some of the others?

I wonder who it is that thinks this is an improvement?

I wonder if we'll ever wake up?

I wonder if we give him too much credit?

I wonder why she just don't tell him to SHOVE IT?

 

I had no intentions of posting today until I read the current post at Edgewood Estates. Chandabear is ranting about the resumes she is getting and offering her view on the mistakes being made. One of the reasons I was always behind for the 7 days I worked in the office was because of the applicants that applied for the job.

I was raised before the workplace instituted casual Fridays, so there was a dress code that we used to adhere to. Even the poorest of us managed one good outfit for church or in some cases job applications. There used to be classes taught in our senior year of school usually titled something like How To Dress For Success, or How To Dress When Looking For Employment. After 7 days of dealing with some pretty frightful looking applicants, and reading chanda's post I decided to share what I saw. All of what I saw.

1. Her name was Destiny. She was a young mother applying for her very first job. She's married, has one child and is now ready to join the workplace. She says she is very empathetic and believes she would enjoy working with someone's grandmother or grandfather so they can continue to live in their own homes. Very pretty little thing wearing daisy dukes and a halter top which exposed her back tat in all it's glory. The tat is that of her husband and child facing each other with a red heart between them. Truly lovely, but...

2.  Her name was Tricia. She is employed with people with disabilities on a full time basis and would like to work part time with elderly people. She was wearing a grease stained ball cap over greasy uncombed hair. She had on a Ralph Lauren polo shirt that has definitely seen better days. What wasn't also covered in grease had a few bleach splatters on it. Top it off with a pair of men's khaki Dockers and dirty sneakers. We frankly didn't know, until we read her application, that she was a girl. Oh, and she was quite honest about her arrest record. One DUI and one disorderly conduct.

3. Then there was Tiffany. She had on spandex leggings, a tube top and some sort of shrug. She also weighs a couple of hundred pounds. Enuff said?

4.  Alicia said she applied because she is out of work and having difficulty finding another position in her chosen field. She was honest about not knowing if she'd like this kind of work. She has children. I could smell and see the baby vomit and something that smells worse on her torn Tshirt.

5. Amy was obviously making some attempt at looking somewhat professional. She had a nice blouse on and a pair of attractive slacks. Unfortunately the blouse could have used a bra underneath, and I can tell you she wasn't wearing underpants. When she sat down you could see the crack of her behind for quite a stretch down. The Director suggested I inform her of this. I didn't want to embarrass the girl, but...

6. Jennifer appeared wearing low rise jeans complete with bare muffin top. She had sandals, absolutely filthy feet, a tank top with bra straps exposed ( Hey, she at least was wearing one), plus ALL of her facial studs in plain view. I asked her how her Grandmother liked her piercings. Her response was that she won't look at her. Somehow I don't think she got my point.

7. Plain Jane was anything but. First off she tried to send her son in to pick up the application, we refused to allow that and she had to waddle in herself. It appears that she only meant to drop him off somewhere after he'd acquired the application for her. She was wearing a one piece strapless terry cloth play suit. From the looks of it...at the very least it was 2 sizes too small.

It seems to me that something has gotten lost in the last few years as far as sensibility goes. I have no idea how these people expect to become viable members of the workforce. Maybe that's the point, maybe they do this so they won't get hired. I have no idea but I must say I would have gotten a whole lot more done if these people and others like them hadn't wasted my time.

If you're interested in finding out what not to do when submitting a resume...

Click Here

Working in the office this past week was rougher than I thought it was going to be. Some situations arose that try as I might, I couldn't bring to a successful conclusion. By Monday it was a situation where just trying to do the least amount of damage was the best I could do. Far too many cases are being left without coverage because far too many employees are simply not giving their best efforts. I walked away from the office on Monday with the knowledge that I while I had struck out, I tried.

The office end of this job is not something I do day in and day out. I don't know where anything is so I waste time hunting for things I need to do some parts of the job. It takes me twice as long in some cases because of that. Everytime I have to work there things I thought I knew have changed, so getting back up to speed is another thing I have to do. There were times when I was simply doing anything, even if it was wrong...and half the time it was. Some of those mistakes were contributed to by the boss and her son. We won't go there.

At one month shy of 59 years old I find that I have acquired limitations. Those limitations might be because I don't have to think fast on my feet for my end of the job, and that may be slowing my ability to do so. I find that I don't need to have things explained to me over and over again, I just need to find the time to put into practice what I've learned. Doing what needs doing was doubly hard this time because of the job applicants. I found myself forgetting where I was when I was interrupted and those interruptions were numerous. I couldn't stay organised.

Somehow or other our boss thinks that we refuse cases, and aren't asking the girls to cover. Frankly, the coordinator does, but I am NOT saying that. On the other hand I feel that I'm never going to know unless I ask. With so many girls out this week on vacation, on medical leave, having car trouble, or just being uncooperative there were cases I simply couldn't cover. On Thursday morning I made 22 phone calls to ask for coverage and was refused 22 times. There was no one left to call.

My boss informed me rather firmly that I WILL cover those cases. She refused to listen to me when I said I'd called every available employee and been told NO. That part she didn't want to hear, I was just supposed to cover the cases. I was supposed to cover cases that we can't cover because we haven't enough help. We don't have enough help because 7 years ago they stopped having more than one training class a year.

Our director of nursing has been trying to retire for all that time. She pleaded with them to hire someone else. She refused to conduct a training program thinking that would galvanize the boss into some action. It didn't, and now it's hurting the bosses pocketbook. So, we are going to have a class, this class will not produce more than 2 adequate employees. They will have 10 people pass, but this type of position isn't for everyone, and those people will drop like flies in the first month of work. After that happens, the boss will go back to blaming the area, and she will again decide that these classes are too costly and stop having them. Just like she has for the last 7 years.

Her Mother, who formed the company and retired from a money making machine, had that because she wasn't greedy. She didn't raise the hourly rates to a point where private clients couldn't afford to hire us. She didn't lease a vehicle at the expense of the company, and burn gas in it also paid for by the company. She conducted 3 or 4 training courses a year so she always had the ability to take more billing hours. She paid attention to the contracts, and the county agencies that provided her with her bread and butter.

She stayed on top of her remote office staff by having nurses meetings monthly and coordinators meetings at least every other month so problems could be caught before mountains became molehills. She was hard on you if she thought you made a mistake because you were too lazy to try, but never if you didn't have the tools to do your job. She saw to it that you had those tools so if she erupted on you, it was not because you couldn't do something it was because you wouldn't. When you played ball for her, she expected you to swing, and swing hard. She also saw to it that when you did so, you had a bat big enough to do the job in your hands. I'm just thankful that her Alzheimers disease has robbed her of her memory and of the ability to understand what's happening to the business that she so carefully built. On the other hand I wish she was still providing the bats for us to swing.