Intel's Ronler Acres Plant

Silicon Forest
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Monday, March 28, 2005

Weekend

Actually used to my truck to do some real work this weekend. Went to home depot and picked up two loads of timbers and blocks for the retaining wall we are planning on building in the back yard. I figure each load weighed about one ton and cost $200. There are basically two sizes of blocks made for retaining walls: Manor stone, which weighs 60 pounds each, and cottage stone, which weighs 30 pounds each. In the spriit of family cooperation, we elected to use cottage stone, because they are small enough that Johnny can carry them, and if he can carry them, everyone else in the family can carry them to.

The timbers are another matter. The are 6 by 6's, eight feet long. The must weigh at least 100 pounds. I carried six of them by myself around to the back of the house. I got help with the others. Johnny helped with a couple and daughter helped with the rest. I probably shouldn't have had daughter helping me. They were very heavy, and it was wet and if we had slipped, somebody could have gotten seriously hurt. But we survived.

Ross and daughter got back from their trip to New York late Friday night. Johnny and Ross immediately started in on each other, just what you would expect. Sounds like everyone had a good time in NYC.

Thursday, March 3, 2005

Software Consulting

Friend on mine runs a software contracting shop. They charge by the hour. Rates run from $50 to $90 per hour to the customer. Guys who do the work get %70 of that.

He told me a story about two people he had working. One was very methodical, organized and efficent. Went in, figured out what to do and then did it with a minimum of fuss. The other one was sloppy, inefficent, and disorganized. Constantly consulting with the customer over all kinds of problems. Project finished up, contractors went home. Time goes by. Customer has another
project. They call the contracting house again. Who do they ask for? The methodical, organized, efficent one? You want to put money on that? They asked for the sloppy, inefficent, and disorganized one. They remembered him. They had spent so much time talking to him. Stupid customers.

So I'm thinking that I need to form a tag team with a publicist. I need someone to sing my praises and advertise my accomplishments. Someone who depends on me getting the work done.