Woo Update.... Autobiography

Wise Old Owl · Sep 17th 2016, 9:45pm

Well 95 million Americans are out of work, I just joined them... let me be upfront, I do not plan to join the dole. This post is not for sympathy, I had no choice, even with all my state licenses, and being 55 years old, I am screwed. There is clear ageism in the good ol' USA. There is still 8 months later a mass exodus of employees leaving my old employment, as well as clients. I don't miss the place, I miss the clients. I got on Angie's list today as I was launching a web site and read the reviews from the old company going back over the years that mentioned everything I did for the great folks that took the time to write a thank you. I had forgotten how many folks were so appreciative of what I did for them, I saved them money, charged fair prices when needed, fixed horrible issues that would have made many puke.

So here was my solution or retirement plan for the next ten years. I started my own company... figured out the LLC - Federal and State Tax system, Insurance, and the hardest part - a campaign of marketing... I have reached out to professionals and cannot afford their services.... So it's going to be a hard 4 months.

i miss you folks. But family comes first.

Traffic Jam · Sep 17th 2016, 10:04pm

Best wishes, WOO.

JimBlue · Sep 17th 2016, 10:12pm

Good Luck !

IMScotty · Sep 17th 2016, 11:16pm

WOO, my hat is off to you for making the best of a difficult situation. I wish you the best in your endeavor. Word-of-mouth is the best marketing of all, but it will take time to grow. Hang in there and keep on treating those customers well.

sheepdog · Sep 18th 2016, 8:21am

Good luck brother!

jimmyjam · Sep 18th 2016, 8:35am

Best wishes Woo

Dan76 · Sep 18th 2016, 8:39am

Knowing the accounts payable track record of Trump owned companies, suggest avoiding same.

Best fortune to you in this endeavor.

rhjanes · Sep 18th 2016, 10:17am

Wishing you the best.

CoachLou · Sep 18th 2016, 5:28pm

Good luck WOO :thumbsup:

Socks · Sep 18th 2016, 7:19pm

It's hard to get fired when ya work for yourself, go get em!
Then again working for yourself...everybody's your boss, but there is something very gratifying being able to say "Naw, I'm not doin' that"

Bodyman · Sep 18th 2016, 8:33pm

Good Luck WOO :thumbsup:

Mountain-Mike · Sep 18th 2016, 8:56pm

Good Luck!

odd man out · Sep 18th 2016, 10:25pm

You can do it. Best of luck!

Wise Old Owl · Oct 31st 2016, 10:19am

Just a quick follow-up, I got all the licenses to run my own company, the process takes a few months for the state to come thru. The LLC was quick by comparison. I started buying and assembling tools and equipment to do the work and holding off on the truck. Then one of my old managers found out what I was up to and asked for help and hired me this Wednesday to cover Delaware for sales. I am officially back to work!

Socks · Oct 31st 2016, 10:31am

Wise Old Owl wrote:

Just a quick follow-up, I got all the licenses to run my own company, the process takes a few months for the state to come thru. The LLC was quick by comparison. I started buying and assembling tools and equipment to do the work and holding off on the truck. Then one of my old managers found out what I was up to and asked for help and hired me this Wednesday to cover Delaware for sales. I am officially back to work!

ah,

dats a old trick...don't do it Woo!
But seriously, good luck wherever ya land, I don't wish anyone outta work that wants to work.

Socks · Oct 31st 2016, 10:35am

Ya know, on another note there's always sub-contracting. You could work for that fella when he's swamped as a sub...saves him money on benies, and you get top dollar for your craft and the ability to tell em to go scratch every now and again.

Mountain-Mike · Oct 31st 2016, 10:37am

Great new Woo!

jimmyjam · Oct 31st 2016, 1:09pm

mental note wrote:

Ya know, on another note there's always sub-contracting. You could work for that fella when he's swamped as a sub...saves him money on benies, and you get top dollar for your craft and the ability to tell em to go scratch every now and again.

Yep. That's pretty close to what I do. Allows me to get my hiking fix a couple of times a year.

LIhikers · Oct 31st 2016, 1:28pm

Good luck to you which ever way this plays out.

Astro · Oct 31st 2016, 2:32pm

A big

max.patch · Oct 31st 2016, 2:49pm

congrats...now call mountain mike about his ladybug infestation problem.

JimBlue · Oct 31st 2016, 3:24pm

Congrats... and he might be worried about the competition. You being good at what you do.

Wise Old Owl · Oct 31st 2016, 7:22pm

max.patch wrote:

congrats...now call mountain mike about his ladybug infestation problem.

First thing that comes to mind would be a small shop vac... Chem free idea!

Wise Old Owl · Oct 31st 2016, 7:23pm

JimBlue wrote:

Congrats... and he might be worried about the competition. You being good at what you do.

Uh well, that really has merit. But the motivations and his intent is clear - he needs quality help.

Mountain-Mike · Oct 31st 2016, 8:59pm

Wise Old Owl wrote:

max.patch wrote:

congrats...now call mountain mike about his ladybug infestation problem.

First thing that comes to mind would be a small shop vac... Chem free idea!

Exactly what I am doing. Small 12 volt shop vac & release them into the wild. Now if I could figure out a way to tag them to find the repet offenders...

Wise Old Owl · Oct 31st 2016, 9:57pm

Mountain-Mike wrote:

Wise Old Owl wrote:

max.patch wrote:

congrats...now call mountain mike about his ladybug infestation problem.

First thing that comes to mind would be a small shop vac... Chem free idea!

Exactly what I am doing. Small 12 volt shop vac & release them into the wild. Now if I could figure out a way to tag them to find the repet offenders...

Uh no... Here is what is really going on - this is just a "little" help. Ladybugs, Stinkbugs, & Boxelder, harbor - but do not hibernate. They store energy much like a bear - but cannot handle freezing conditions. So they work their way into a small crack, crevice or your attic or bedroom to survive the winter. Once it warms up their eyes notice change in season and make their way to the window in spring. Here is a feather of thought. Ladybugs are now "harvested" grown to sell to farmers to stem the tide of Aphids.

Dan76 · Oct 31st 2016, 10:29pm

I'm noticing insects in the shop apparently readying for winter. About .5" in length, black with red trim on the body, and active on warm days. As they appear to cause no damage to the structure, i've left the creatures alone.

Mountain-Mike · Nov 1st 2016, 12:34am

Wise Old Owl wrote:

Mountain-Mike wrote:

Wise Old Owl wrote:

max.patch wrote:

congrats...now call mountain mike about his ladybug infestation problem.

First thing that comes to mind would be a small shop vac... Chem free idea!

Exactly what I am doing. Small 12 volt shop vac & release them into the wild. Now if I could figure out a way to tag them to find the repet offenders...

Uh no... Here is what is really going on - this is just a "little" help. Ladybugs, Stinkbugs, & Boxelder, harbor - but do not hibernate. They store energy much like a bear - but cannot handle freezing conditions. So they work their way into a small crack, crevice or your attic or bedroom to survive the winter. Once it warms up their eyes notice change in season and make their way to the window in spring. Here is a feather of thought. Ladybugs are now "harvested" grown to sell to farmers to stem the tide of Aphids.

Their bloom here has been annual. You mean I've been loosing money by literatly throwing them outside by the hundreds? Is it really worth it to catch them? I could easily harvest a few thousand a day when they swarm. They are all over my trailer. Still bas wnough that I am avoiding light colored clothing as it seems to attract them more. It's been like being in the north woods in blak fly season.

Rasty · Nov 1st 2016, 11:09am

Mountain-Mike wrote:

Wise Old Owl wrote:

max.patch wrote:

congrats...now call mountain mike about his ladybug infestation problem.

First thing that comes to mind would be a small shop vac... Chem free idea!

Exactly what I am doing. Small 12 volt shop vac & release them into the wild. Now if I could figure out a way to tag them to find the repet offenders...

Suck in a little blue spray paint into the vacuum

Socks · Nov 1st 2016, 11:29am

Rasty wrote:

Mountain-Mike wrote:

Wise Old Owl wrote:

max.patch wrote:

congrats...now call mountain mike about his ladybug infestation problem.

First thing that comes to mind would be a small shop vac... Chem free idea!

Exactly what I am doing. Small 12 volt shop vac & release them into the wild. Now if I could figure out a way to tag them to find the repet offenders...

Suck in a little blue spray paint into the vacuum

use green, it's reds compliment, that way when ya open the vacuum it'll look like Christmas, albeit a mass zombie Christmas.

WanderingStovie · Nov 1st 2016, 7:19pm

Mountain-Mike wrote:

Wise Old Owl wrote:

max.patch wrote:

congrats...now call mountain mike about his ladybug infestation problem.

First thing that comes to mind would be a small shop vac... Chem free idea!

Exactly what I am doing. Small 12 volt shop vac & release them into the wild. Now if I could figure out a way to tag them to find the repet offenders...

purple nail polish

Wise Old Owl · Nov 1st 2016, 8:07pm

Purple Rain - nevermind! Just suck them up and bag and toss.

Wise Old Owl · Dec 24th 2016, 8:09pm

Dan76 wrote:

I'm noticing insects in the shop apparently readying for winter. About .5" in length, black with red trim on the body, and active on warm days. As they appear to cause no damage to the structure, i've left the creatures alone.

Box Elder - harmless stuff vac inside - Then next year in Sept. power spray 4 gallons of water & (Maverick) under the eaves around the outside structure.

Wise Old Owl · Dec 24th 2016, 8:23pm

FYI things are about to-get better! As a follow up to this thread I moved forward with the job offer as I have worked with "my friends" for years and all of them have worked at a previous company where we bonded and brought in 2.3 million here in PA annually. Some of the most successful & smart people were fired or pushed out for the wrong reasons, perhaps like myself. This is awesome to me as people who I admire regardless of age, creed, or ethnic background reached out to me to include me in their successful program. They formed this new company that in three years has grown to 7 million in annual sales and all I can say I am glad to be back on the team. I have aligned myself with 14k of new service starting in January and looking forward to the challenge.

Best Christmas Present ever!

Dan76 · Dec 24th 2016, 8:28pm

What a great way to initiate 2017.

max.patch · Dec 28th 2016, 11:26pm

went up to the attic to change the furnance filter and noticed evidence that bats have been roosting outside on the attic vent. they can't get inside becasue of the screen. they are not there now. are they gonna come back, and if they do, how do i encourage them to leave?

JimBlue · Dec 29th 2016, 12:00am

Don't know if this will work, but predator sounds playing in the attic could work.

They might be trying to get away from the cold.

Winter is not a good time for me either.

jimmyjam · Dec 29th 2016, 6:23am

max.patch wrote:

went up to the attic to change the furnance filter and noticed evidence that bats have been roosting outside on the attic vent. they can't get inside becasue of the screen. they are not there now. are they gonna come back, and if they do, how do i encourage them to leave?

why not leave them alone if they cant get inside? Bats will eat mosquitoes. People in tidewater Virginia actually put up bat houses in their yard to attract them for skeeter control.

max.patch · Dec 29th 2016, 8:56am

jimmyjam wrote:

max.patch wrote:

went up to the attic to change the furnance filter and noticed evidence that bats have been roosting outside on the attic vent. they can't get inside becasue of the screen. they are not there now. are they gonna come back, and if they do, how do i encourage them to leave?

why not leave them alone if they cant get inside? Bats will eat mosquitoes. People in tidewater Virginia actually put up bat houses in their yard to attract them for skeeter control.

because there is a about an inch of crap on the bottom of the outside of the screen, and worse, there is some crap and urine that made it thru the screen and is on the wall inside the attic under the vent and on the floor. i don't want to hurt them, just want them to move along.

jimmyjam · Dec 29th 2016, 9:03am

Max:
Yeah bat crap is nasty stuff. Don't breathe in any dust from it or touch it with bare hands. Putting a light in your attic for a while to shine on the louver will probably keep them out. WOO may know what will work.

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