u/pvfobol

Warning: mentions use of firearms between people.

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Oh, come on now. I need a glow-in-the-dark pencil sharpener because I need to be able to see at least some part of my pencil-sharpening after these triangular-looking scoundrels power everything down. They refer to themselves as “refrigeranauts,” but the only time I have ever witnessed one of them being even in the same room as a refrigerator was when I told them to meet me in the lobby at the mechanic shop to drop off my celery cologne. The fridge wasn’t even for customers; it was behind the desk. And this dude didn’t say a word about this fridge or acknowledge it in any way. He just popped in and was like, “here you go brah-brah” and split. That was ninety-two days after I learned of their chosen moniker. It’s not like it was a mini fridge that you’d have to be standing at the register to see. Someone was getting a lemonade out of there in that very moment and everyone could hear both the sound of the lemonade being opened and the fridge being shut. I processed the discrepancy pretty quickly, so as he drove off I shot at his car. I fired three 9mm rounds into the tailgate. He pulled over, got out, brandished, but we just began shouting at each other. I made myself pretty clear: “How are you a ‘refrigeranaut’ if I’ve neither seen any of y’all do anything with a refrigerator, nor heard about what it even means?” Then he just shot me in the ankle and left.

Frankly, I’ve grown weary of these engagements. They tend to be a waste of both gas and mental energy, and they turn things like my legitimate visit to a mechanic shop into an unnecessarily violent scene. I do not like that. I do not like fluffing my pillow differently just because “scarecrow philosophy” is the current Zeitgeist. I do not like worrying about ducks at the park wearing a wire. I start thinking, “if this duck is wearing a wire, to whence is the input being transmitted?” And then I daydream about pouring bone broth on all the equipment in whatever place that may be.

It’s like…what is actually going on? How did we get here? I have to sing Auld Lang Syne to an A.I. answering machine to get in touch with the Refrigeranauts. I have to take nursery rhymes seriously because they claim to have a cryptic message associated with most of the well-known ones. I’m only just now realizing that that’s like saying, “if you listen to the birds outside, it’s like I’m talking to you.” I’d rather just ignore these guys and play Wii in the pantry. I wish the President or somebody would be like, “yeah, it’s illegal to be these guys and do the stuff they do.” If not, I’ll cry blood and do a buncha drugs.

The only thing that kept me entertaining the idea that I could interact reasonably with the Refrigeranauts was this guy who goes by “Pipsi.” Uncharacteristically for one of their ranks, he actually explained the entire lore behind his name. But I am not at liberty to disclose any of that. They might shoot me in the face instead of the ankle and I would likely perish. He had stickers and whatnot that looked like the Pepsi logo but changed to “Pipsi.” He keppit a buck with me as far as I’m concerned. If I ever have to meet up with him again, I’m not going armed. Not because I’ve ruled out having to defend myself from him, but in case I feel the need to shoot myself. Ontologically speaking, though, we weren’t too sure of one another. So, Pipsi, if you’re reading this: I’ve never sworn up and down by the smouldering smithereens of any civilization, but I can forgive and forget like a motherfudger.

Oh and by the way, more like refrigera-NOTs, am I right?

Sum’m like’at.

In the Disney+ doc, as it gets into the SMiLE period, there’s a clip of Carl saying “he started getting into really deep waters…I should say that’s when he started getting into difficulty…and yet the music was fantastic.” It must have been in the 90s because he looked like as old a man as he ever got. Rest in peace, Carl.

The last thing I wanna be is wormy or a busybody, so if I should stuff it, just tell me.

Corporate campus. Crew of around 10-15 guys. Only a few of us JIWs drive company trucks around the campus. We also have to retrieve and return access badges. There are new dash cams in said trucks.

Quitting time is 3:30. Two paid 15min breaks outside of lunch, all of which we do take. Non-union contractor present on the campus with us. Most of our guys are absolutely gone by 3:00. I think the main reason this happens is because the super and GF practically live in the job trailer which is not where we park. I usually return my badge around 3:15 in the company truck while the guys I’m working with are either gone or rolling out.

Three things that come to mind:

1. The day that this contractor wants to crack down on time, who would it be easiest to prove are rolling up too early and then discipline? Guys driving the trucks with dash cams. I guess?
2. The fact that some of us have to return badges while others are rolling out seems to betray not leaving anyone behind.
3. Last but not least, 8-for-8.

Not looking to rat anyone out or give a speech. Just want to know if my concerns are legit for how I carry myself and teach apprentices. There are other things that happen out there that I have to teach them about the right way as opposed to what they see, and I’m mostly content with that extent of influence.

Not much of a union mindset out there either. Lot of newly organized guys. And heck, I’d want us all to be home earlier. Thoughts?

Thanks