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15 Feb ’12
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Nice, how are your plans for the career change coming?
Some good progress, and some unexpected hurdles.
Apparently breaking into the carpentry business is a tough go. I've been speaking with people in/around the industry that I know and most employers are only interested in bringing on labour, not in bringing on guys and registering them as apprentices. They way it works here is you have to have a related job first, then you can apply for the apprenticeship program provided your employer will back you. Since it is more work for your employer, and in the end they end up paying your a higher wage, most are reluctant to do so.
I'm going to keep up with the two carpentry unions in my city, looking for opportunities there, and I've been compiling a list of local builders/renovators that do efficient or green building that I am also watching for opportunities.
I'm looking at some courses over the fall/winter that might give me a leg up. Things like WHMIS training, fall prevention training, first responder training, that sort of stuff. There is also a LEED certificate course offered that provides the basics of LEED building practice. Basically I am looking at anything that can show I am interested in the field and my mind/body are ready to rumble.
Finance wise I've retired all debt but the mortgage, reduced my living expenses, and I am building my war chest so I am more in line with my future expected income in the first few years of the transition. I'm currently living off 60% to 70% of my salary in a given month, but would like to get that down to 50%.
In short I am making progress on the things I have control over, and rolling with the punches elsewhere. My hope is in the spring I'll feel more comfortable with my war chest, I'll have completed a few courses, and hopefully some opportunities will open up as things are a bit seasonal around here.
I didn't put it as a goal as I am a chicken. Maybe this will give me some added motivation to man up.
20 Feb ’12
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Nice, how are your plans for the career change coming?
Some good progress, and some unexpected hurdles.
Apparently breaking into the carpentry business is a tough go. I've been speaking with people in/around the industry that I know and most employers are only interested in bringing on labour, not in bringing on guys and registering them as apprentices. They way it works here is you have to have a related job first, then you can apply for the apprenticeship program provided your employer will back you. Since it is more work for your employer, and in the end they end up paying your a higher wage, most are reluctant to do so.
I'm going to keep up with the two carpentry unions in my city, looking for opportunities there, and I've been compiling a list of local builders/renovators that do efficient or green building that I am also watching for opportunities.
I'm looking at some courses over the fall/winter that might give me a leg up. Things like WHMIS training, fall prevention training, first responder training, that sort of stuff. There is also a LEED certificate course offered that provides the basics of LEED building practice. Basically I am looking at anything that can show I am interested in the field and my mind/body are ready to rumble.
Finance wise I've retired all debt but the mortgage, reduced my living expenses, and I am building my war chest so I am more in line with my future expected income in the first few years of the transition. I'm currently living off 60% to 70% of my salary in a given month, but would like to get that down to 50%.
In short I am making progress on the things I have control over, and rolling with the punches elsewhere. My hope is in the spring I'll feel more comfortable with my war chest, I'll have completed a few courses, and hopefully some opportunities will open up as things are a bit seasonal around here.
I didn't put it as a goal as I am a chicken. Maybe this will give me some added motivation to man up.
11 Mar ’12
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i'm feeling the same about the gardens. I'd like to have a tractor that runs.
Be RADICAL Grow Food
15 Feb ’12
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tractor still not running? what are you thinking of changing in the garden?
20 Feb ’12
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A few things on the go.
- Fully finish the basement. Back room is close, then middle from the ground up, then ground up in the front room.
- Add another 50 or so square feet of raised beds.
- Replace walkway from house to street, filling in with dirt, which will then become raised beds down the line. We'll use the driveway to walk up/down since it is wide enough, and we'll reclaim a 3 foot wide strip of useless concrete. When the lot is only 31 feet wide everything helps!
If I can get that stuff done I'll consider myself blessed.
15 Feb ’12
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Nice, how are your plans for the career change coming?
15 Feb ’12
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Now that Im no longer in an apartment, I am looking forward to doing a real garden and not just some nonsense on my patio. I will probably keep it very simple.
Ive wanted to grow specifically to make homemade V8 for a long time. So grow tomatoes, celery, bell peppers, carrots, beets, etc....then blend it all up and seal up in mason jars. If I could get 100+ jars that would be ideal but Im not sure I have the space to grow enough for that. I could probably get about 50 jars worth.
11 Mar ’12
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The tractor needs a lot of work. It ran enough to get the cutting done but it really needs work.
I want to expand the gardens, and actually tend them all summer. Things always seem to get out of hand. I'd like to be able to sell specific items to resturaunts, including some wild foods.
I'd also like to apply for organic certification.
Be RADICAL Grow Food
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