Plumb Bob

I am wondering if the newbies in the survey world even know how to use a plumb bob or hold a chain correctly so there tender little fingers don't get pinched or they get pulled off balance???

When I first started surveying we chained in everything. When we set a property corner we doubled our angles (how many remember that?), we would chain miles of curb and utilities, up hill, down hill, through curve deflections, through brushed line, it was quite a thing. We would then drop back and grade everything with a level. The funny thing is that a 3 man crew got it all done a lot faster and more acurate than the button pushing drones of modern day and we could visually see a bust and we all were running numbers in our heads always checking each other.

The plumb bob was the most important thing. Used for anything from its actual use, to a back scratcher, a hammer, a toy to punch holes in things (lots of broken tips), a paint can puncher explode and run device, something to stick in a power pole, a pry tool, a digger, an accidental foot poker, cactus remover, this list goes on.

Remember leaving it in the truck and the party chief reaming your ass for about an hour after you did a full bore wind sprint to get it??

Also remember the best way to get the broken tip out? Simply set it in the back of the truck out of the scabberd and it would work its way out.

As a lot of things the plumb bob is kind of a dead technology unless you are a good concrete guy or mason.

There is something that made a man tough when you had the ill tempered 225 pound crew chief leaning on the front of that chain yelling at you to hold steady.

As a skinny kid I learned real fast how to use my body as leverage and hold my own. I've always kind of had the gift of balance but that was a whole different thing.

I used to watch these big guys get pulled off of their feet because they thought chaining was all about strength. It rarely happend to me because I understand leverage.

While a thing of the past the plumb bob will always have a special place in my heart. It was like an appendage. You never left the truck without it.

I used mine on a site the other day. I found a monument that landed under a tree. I set 2 nails +/- 90 degrees from each other a 2 taped in the rebar which was in a hole. It hit pretty good. Within Board standards anyway.

This is a little blast from the past. I think a new surveyor should have to spend 6 months kicking old school in order to fully realize what they are doing. This process could eliminate a lot of future head up ass and that saying "well the data collector says it".

Clients

One good thing about being in business for myself is that I get to meet a variety of people.

I have had the good fortune to operate for the last 20 + years in the more affluent areas of the valley and in doing so have made the acquaintance of some very interesting people that I have learned a tremendous amount from.

I have discovered that when asked people will share. I always take a great interest in what people do and I always ask about them. I could care less about talking about myself due to the fact that I know who I am and what I do. However when asked I always go to great length to make sure people understand what I am doing.

This job of surveying has led me down many a path. I have met rock stars, heavy duty business people, a couple of actors, a lot of well known athletes (they all live in PV), significant government officials, doctors, attorneys, very influential people in the community, the list goes on.

The one thing that all of these people share is that I took in interest in who they are and I actually learned something  from all of them albeit good or bad and some I am still in contact with.

That brings me to the point of this post.

This last week I met an incredible couple. I was retained by them to help straighten out an issue with a municipality.

I gave them the appropriate cost and they reluctantly hired me. I think in hind site they are happy that they did. I really saved them a lot of heart ache and I knew the correct questions to ask the city.

I arrived at their home to do a small amount of field work and after I was finished I knocked on their door. I was immediately invited in which is unusual and we all sat at the kitchen table for a bit while I explained what was happening and the evidence that I had collected.

I will tell you right now that this is the first time doing this job that I felt welcome and comfortable in a clients home. I usually never go in and request that they step out but this time it was different.

Why was it different? I think that we just got along well and also there was a little fate involved in our meeting. We actually had a bizarre inadvertent meeting 3 days prior and when we started talking we discovered this fact that I will not go into here. It was actually quite amazing.

Our conversation while it mostly revolved around the survey took different turns and before I knew it I had probably been there a little to long. A couple of days later another conversation ensued that was even better and had really nothing to do with surveying which I love. Talking about surveying is something I avoid unless it's with a colleague.

There is a massive amount of things we can learn from a client. Everyone has something to offer and if we slow down and listen it may end up being one of the best experiences you could ever have.

Been a While

The other day I did something that I have not done for a very long time. I turned down a job.
Yes that's right, I turned down a job.

You may be asking yourself why on earth would he turn down any kind of job??

Well it's like this. I was asked to give a price to do the staking for a custom home on the side of a massive hill. When I received the call about it something in my gut told me to decline right then. However things being what they have been I always say yes to any project.

Something was just eating at me about. Did I mention that I did the topo on this lot? Well something was just eating at me, screaming at me "Don't do it!!!!!". I kicked it around for quite a while and figured that I would just high ball the estimate in the hope that I would just get beat.

The guy called me on Friday looking for his numbers. I called him back and told him that I would be unable to do his project due to the fact that my work load has become such that being able to give him the kind of service required would be difficult for me at this time, which is actually true.

I figured that this job because of the retaining wall system and extensiveness of the layout would have been 30+ trips and the liability would have been a nightmare. I have had many projects like this in the past and this one just yelled at me that the contractors would be 100% reliant upon me and if anything went wrong I would be the shit eater. Been there, done that, no thank you.

Upon making that call I felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off of my shoulders.

Thinking back I should have done this so many times in the past.

I have a problem though. I am a driven business man and I am in love with my bottom line, however when I have blown off what my gut was telling me, most of the time the heartburn that incurred because I did not listen would have been worth a lower bottom line and in most cases it dropped because of issues.

Today I think I took a huge step for myself.

Whoever gets this project I hope you have a lot of time, patience and E&O insurance.

Shout

I want to give a shout to Dan Muth for starting an interesting new blog. http://dmjmpls.blogspot.com
In my opinion Dan is a very articulate and well spoken guy. I am sure he is going to have a lot of interesting things to say. I encourage anyone that reads my page to check his out.

Next, to Mike Miller at the City of Phoenix. Last week I posted a request for info on Topica and he was on it within the hour. He provided me with some old surveys that proved a couple of monuments I was using.

And then there is Brian Dalager. Dude, your GDAC program is by far the best thing that has happened to surveying in Maricopa County. It is one of the tools I use on a daily basis and it has enhanced my bottom line like you would not believe. They should issue a coin in your honor.

I know I keep saying how great GDAC is and I will continue to do it. It is a trend setting site.

Keep up the great work guys.


Thank!!