Aaaand now I'm pretty convinced that I brushed up against something poisonous when I was working out in the yard on Saturday as there are two itchy patches on my forearms that don't seem like bug bites to me. Thankfully they're pretty small patches, but I'm not looking forward to the next few weeks if they aren't just bug bites...
Dearest shiny happy person teenager.
How the flying berkeley have you managed to entirely lose a 3 quart stainless mixing bowl, a 2 cup oxo adjustable measuring tube, and 4 spatulas?
These are NOT small things, our kitchen isn't that big, and the only chore you manage to do ever day after being reminded 3-5 times is empty the dishwasher.
What the berkeley did you do with my stuff?
Sincerely
The big shiny happy person that controls your phone and internet, and for 2 more years until you get a license, the only way you'll be able to date your new girlfriend.
Hmm, with a title like that maybe you should pay more attention to me, no?
Anybody have one of those British coin powered electric meters I can have?
Given the exploding house market in my area, it's no surprise that the vacant lot across the street is finally getting developed. They've been dropping fairly large, mature trees on the ground for the past couple of days. The house shakes every time one falls, and the constant chainsaw noises and beep-beep-beep of the equipment is only the warmup to actual construction.
Additionally, I got a rezoning notice for a bunch of area near my house. The area where I live is already super congested and I'm having concerned another large apartment complex is going to choke things up even more.
I'm not a NIMBY type person, but it would be nice if Wake County updated the infrastructure in addition to adding more apartments just ONE TIME.
In reply to Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) :
I feel your pain. The road our neighborhood attaches to has a 163 unit apartment development going on about 37 acres of space that the township did a sneaky rezone from what was supposed to be single family homes on a minimum of half an acre each. The drainage is already leading to yards and basements flooding nearby, and there has been no provision made on the two lane road for the amount of traffic that will be entering and exiting. My wife and I are considering moving farther out, even though we really like our neighbors. Fortunately, we don't have an empty lot across the street, but they are re-siding (and doing other work to) their house in preparation for selling. Our 40-45 year old neighborhood is constantly having houses renovated, so getting a lot of construction traffic lately.
It took 33 years for the family asthma to cause me any issues. What I didn't realize was that it makes normal colds way way worse. Then the kids decide to have a stomach thing all weekend and I'm barely able to help keep everything clean and laundered. Wasted my 3 day weekend completely and called an extra day to be safe. Lots of video games and bored kids.
In reply to Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) :
I live in a college town - and by 'college town' I mean that the city and university have literally fused together like some giant walnut burl / fistula thing.
There is exactly one (1) major route into and out of town in each of the cardinal directions. There are exactly two routes across town in each direction.
Development has exploded for both private student housing and student-related commercial space since the university announced its intention to stop building dorms and close some of their existing ones.
It is a state university so it pays zero property tax to the city. The city council is apparently so desperate for revenue that they will pretty much grant any zoning restriction waiver that's not completely insane.
They finally started - sort of - enforcing the parking requirements, meaning that most new buildings are up on stilts so they can jam cars underneath. It's ugly but marginally functional.
However, they have almost completely ignored any improvements toward getting those cars into or out of the city, except for one spur that points toward the interstate about 5 miles away.
Again, I'm not against increasing urban density, but the infrastructure has to support it. I'll reserve full apoplexy until I go to the rezoning meeting and see if they have some sort of plan in place. I think two of the *best* ways to solve the current issue we have on the two lane street that feeds my dead end road would be to:
- make the feeder street one way
- put a divider down the middle so only right hand turns are allowed.
Really. Left turns against busy traffic the road wasn't designed for causes most of the issues I see.
Yup, definitely poison ivy/oak/sumac of some sort. Thankfully both spots are smaller than a quarter and aren't too bad yet. Given their almost identical location on my arms I'm guessing that I brushed past it while mowing the back-back-yard Saturday that only gets mowed every 6 weeks or so. I should probably go back there and try and figure out exactly where it is and kill it so I don't have to deal with it again, but that will probably have to wait until after the yard sale this weekend.
I understand that lead times are fairly long. I understand that they are subject to change. I know the supply chains are seriously berkeleyed up. I get it.
However, if you give me a definite ship date I fully expect you to meet it. If you tell me the material will ship in 4-6 weeks, I expect it to be on a truck by the 6-week point. These are important dates as these are the dates I pass on to my customers. I do my best to be a man of my word and be upfront with my customers. They know I don't make E36 M3 up because it's what I think they want to hear.
In the future, if you don't berkeleying know when something is going to ship, then tell me you don't berkeleying know. I can deal with that better than an outright guess or some made-up date because that's what you think I want to hear.
Now I get to tell my customer that her doors are going to be at least 4 weeks later than I initially told her, and that's after I already padded your initial ship date by 2 weeks.
shiny happy person.
Batteries. Somehow I've managed to have all 3 daily driver batteries and the lawn mower get to be 6-8 years old. I don't expect this to go well in the next few months.
In reply to llysgennad :
The original battery in our Cobalt was still going strong when we sold the car at 11 years old
Not minor. Putting this here because I need to air some serious grievances about work, and want a bit of extra buffer that makes it less likely that concerned people I know in person would be likely to find this.
I know this is long. The juicy gist is up front. The latter, longer paragraphs are details.
I'm fed up with this company. I've lost faith in the owner. He's effectively been absent for at least the past year, and Covid really drove home how little plan he had for the direction of the company.
I'm tired of forcing a smile and pretending everything is going well. I'm tired of "giving it time". I'm tired of getting my hopes up and then things falling flat.
I need to move forward. I'm trying to decide what that looks like.
:::Here come the nitty-gritty details:::
I'm nervous about where and how to put out feelers for new work. The brewing industry is a much more connected community than most other industries. As soon as word gets out that the brewmaster from somewhere is looking for a new job, it will be very clear to everyone that that company is in serious trouble. I also feel guilty because if/when I leave, that will basically be the end of the company. I'm nervous about how that will make me look to potential employers that I'm looking to walk away from a critical role and let the company implode behind me.
But I need to move forward. I need to figure out what that looks like.
I don't know if I want to stay in the brewing industry or move to another industry. Or whether or not I stay locally or move.
My ideal scenario is that we could get this company on track and healthy. I don't have the power to do that. It's going to take raising money to invest to a profitable model. Only the owner can do that. He's brought in the third member of the founding team who is a great friend and very knowledgeable about whipping companies into shape. But Founder-C doesn't have the power to raise money. He's helped companies get healthy and expand, but the impression I get is that he's done so by taking small companies with solid fundamentals but inefficient systems and unclear vision and getting things tightened up and formalized. I think our problems are at the fundamental level and mostly related to the space we're in.
Following that, I'd most want to stay in the brewing industry locally in the same sort of Brewmaster position I'm in, where I really get the fun of helping run and direct things, and the intellectual fulfillment of creative control of the portfolio.
I'm not sure the chances of finding another role like that locally. I could almost certainly find a position like that if I relocate, or could get a production position (as maybe a head brewer, but not brewmaster) staying locally. Just brewing beer is ultimately just making something, and the brewing industry pays less, has worse benefits, is generally more dangerous, and often takes more advantage of workers than other industries that behave more professionally.
Of course, a lot depends on my wife and what she wants to do. She makes about double what I do. Her company is based here. But she's a programmer and already working from home, so could probably go remote if she wanted.
If I wanted to shift industries, I think I'd find a job in production management pretty easily. To summarize my qualifications: I can speak and translate between production, logistics, management/ownership, and sales/marketing. I know how to train people and get a production team operating happily and efficiently. I'm not an expert at any one subject, but I know I'm not an expert and know how to talk to the people who are.
...I could keep typing, but I figure you get the gist and have read enough for now. This will be an ongoing issue to resolve. I'm sure I'll start another thread after I vent my ranting in this corner.
I read all that but can't give you specific advice. I can only give you this generic bit of wisdom:
You can only fix what you can control.
You can't control the boss, and it doesn't sound like they're interested in fixing what's wrong.
You can't change the space without money - and at this point, a lot of money. And you're a brewmaster, not a financier.
If you decide to leave, it's not your duty to protect your boss and old company from their own decisions (or indecisions). As far as how that looks to potential employers, be frank about it:
"I'm willing to put in the work, but as brewmaster, I just don't have authority to make the changes that I believe the current company needs. The owner doesn't seem to share my beliefs, so it's time for me to find a company that I'm more in line with."
If I was interviewing you, I'd be satisfied with that answer.
Good luck, man.
In reply to Beer Baron :
I'm sure you already know this, but craft brewing is big in Cincinnati, so if you stay in the industry, I'd assume there would be some opportunities not far from where you already are. I'd hope something will happen that can improve where you are now instead, but can definitely understand a desire to get out while the getting is good. Is this at all a situation where you can discuss the problems with the owner before deciding to leave, or is that unlikely to have any positive effect?
In reply to Beer Baron :
Sorry to hear this, twice at the same place right? If you want to vent in person let me know.
eastsideTim said:In reply to Beer Baron :
Is this at all a situation where you can discuss the problems with the owner before deciding to leave, or is that unlikely to have any positive effect?
Both?
He and I are friends and have a pretty good relationship that way. I've had multiple conversations with him about my frustrations and even told him several times that I've been in a position where I've had to consider whether to stay or leave.
I think he doesn't understand or doesn't really have the will to do what is necessary. He's very conflict-avoidant. Conversations with him... he says the right words, but then doesn't follow them up with actual behavior changes. I don't think he understands that the company has never really been healthy. I need a company on a growth trajectory that actually pays me raises.
A big opportunity I want to figure out how to make happen... there's another local restaurant company we've talked about partnering/merging with. This other company has money and eyes on a potential property to start up a concept that would include us doing brewing and possibly distilling on that site. I'm not sure I'm supposed to know that.
I'd like to be able to talk to the owner of this other company directly and say, "Hey, I really want to work with you and make that project or one like it happen whether or not it is as a part of [current brewery] or starting a new brewing company." Not sure how to approach them in a way that doesn't poison the well for the potentially to work something out with the current company.
In reply to Aaron_King :
I appreciate that. At this point, what I really need is to develop a plan and start executing more than venting. Couple decisions need to be made in there:
1. Figure out if I can get myself into or engineer for myself the sort of brewing position that will be fulfilling and sustainable in the local market.
2. If not, would I rather relocate for a brewing position? Or stay locally but change industries and work a job that is maybe less fulfilling, but pays better and is less stress and heartbreak? This is also a major discussion to have with my wife.
Ok rant about the state of the education incoming.
At my wife's school, there will only be 2 of the 4 preschooler teachers left, 2 of the 4 kindergarten teachers left, no first grade teachers, no second grade teachers,, 1 out of 4 4th grade teachers and no 5th grade teachers. Only third grade has lost no teachers. Additionally all the special ed teachers are leaving.
When will people learn that one education is important and two teachers are required to have a functioning system.
Duke said:"I'm willing to put in the work, but as brewmaster, I just don't have authority to make the changes that I believe the current company needs. The owner doesn't seem to share my beliefs, so it's time for me to find a company that I'm more in line with."
If I was interviewing you, I'd be satisfied with that answer.
If I was interviewing him that would be a giant red flag akin to bad mouthing his current employer, one the worst things you can do in an interview.
Something more like, I've grown as much as I can with this company, I'm looking to further my career in a more meaningful role.
In reply to Peabody :
Maybe people actually need to hear the truth, even if they don't like it. Maybe that's why I never got callbacks on so many interviews through the years.
Peabody said:Duke said:"I'm willing to put in the work, but as brewmaster, I just don't have authority to make the changes that I believe the current company needs. The owner doesn't seem to share my beliefs, so it's time for me to find a company that I'm more in line with."
If I was interviewing you, I'd be satisfied with that answer.
If I was interviewing him that would be a giant red flag akin to bad mouthing his current employer, one the worst things you can do in an interview.
Something more like, I've grown as much as I can with this company, I'm looking to further my career in a more meaningful role.
IMO if I ask, construction is far less regimented so "interview" is a few levels higher than the reality, and I get an answer that is carefully crafted to not give me an answer I'm not interested in that person.
Personally I'd rather have the exact reason the person is making a life altering decision to move to another job/career than something that sounds sort of......flighty. People leave jobs for very defined reasons and I feel better knowing what they are.
Not saying that either method is wrong but I wanted to point out that interviews are kind of a crapshoot, just be you and don't try to tell someone something you think they want to hear
In reply to RevRico :
This is why I'm talking through this part of things. I think there is a fine line between speaking an uncomfortable truth and badmouthing a previous employer. Trying to think of how to put it.
I'm leaning in the direction of something like, "I'm looking for more growth than what I'm getting here." Then if pressed can explain, "When I came on board, the plan was to expand to be a regional player. It's been five years and that hasn't happened. I make good beer, but other components needed to grow the company are just not in place."
Or maybe I say strait up: "I want a company growing enough to give me real raises every year for working hard. In five years, I haven't even gotten a cost of living increase. I haven't seen a plan to get the company on track to be profitable enough to give me raises."
Beer Baron said:In reply to RevRico :
This is why I'm talking through this part of things. I think there is a fine line between speaking an uncomfortable truth and badmouthing a previous employer. Trying to think of how to put it.
I'm leaning in the direction of something like, "I'm looking for more growth than what I'm getting here." Then if pressed can explain, "When I came on board, the plan was to expand to be a regional player. It's been five years and that hasn't happened. I make good beer, but other components needed to grow the company are just not in place."
Or maybe I say strait up: "I want a company growing enough to give me real raises every year for working hard. In five years, I haven't even gotten a cost of living increase. I haven't seen a plan to get the company on track to be profitable enough to give me raises."
Not receiving a raise in 5 years is probably as far as you need to go there, that's a huge reason and red flag
In reply to Antihero :
I have gotten a weird promise of a "bonus". But effectively what that is is, "We don't have money to give you a raise, but this is what you should be earning if you'd gotten cost-of-living raises. So, if we have money at the end of the year, we promise we'll pay you this."
The bonus is not contingent on any kind of performance or anything. It's literally just kicking the can down the road.
I don't consider that a real raise until I actually have the money.
Beer Baron said:In reply to RevRico :
I'm leaning in the direction of something like, "I'm looking for more growth than what I'm getting here." Then if pressed can explain, "When I came on board, the plan was to expand to be a regional player. It's been five years and that hasn't happened. I make good beer, but other components needed to grow the company are just not in place."
I think that's good. I don't think I'd make it too much about money.
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