Construction Moving Forward

I recently did a job at a house in PV that belongs to a big paving and dirt contractor.

We got to talking about his current biz which is picking back up. All they ever did was housing and big commercial developments and for the last five years the crickets have been chirping in the telephone.

We actually worked with this persons company several years ago on a very large project and I will tell you that this company is by far the most professional outfit I have ever worked with.

He was telling me that they really have no need for surveyors on their sites anymore as they have gone predominantly machine control. Except for the initial control.

I look at him and said "it's about time, thank God". I then told him that I have always hated staking and found it to be an absolute nightmare and that I have been spouting machine control for years.

The future of construction for the surveyor is surface management and control and that's it. Well aside from asbuilts and all the legal stuff.

He was telling me that they have machine control so good now that curb machines are pouring without stakes. He also mentioned that for underground all they are seeing anymore is manholes, bends, taps and hydrants that have stakes.

I am so thrilled about this. I have always thought that construction staking is a huge liability and it is the single thing that I will lose sleep over at night.

So hoooooray for the the future of construction technology!!!!!!!!!!!

I am going to have a meeting with this person who is the President of his company and one of his field guys and have a long discussion about the surveyors role in the future and what exactly they would need from me as a project manager and too also find out the best way to market myself to them and others of like.

This is a great day for surveyors. Some will dispute this because they think that they are losing work. Well this is true is you are a perpetual hub pounder but if you are a surveyor you will see this as an opportunity to forget about all those hubs and concentrate on being a surveyor.

I have never considered construction staking surveying. I have always considered it a huge unforgiving liability.

As a surveyor and a business man I see nothing but opportunity in this situation.

Make it a great week surveyors!!

Further Agitated

Regarding my post below there is something I forgot to add.

I have some major confusion on how it is that 2 different surveyors have 2 deeds, one is good (adjoiner) and one has a bust.

They both blow off the fact that there is a problem in that the adjoiner purposely made his clients lot to small and blew off his deed and recorded a map and the alta guy just blew everything off even though the deed does not close.

These two guys are taking on the role of determining ownership and that is a scary, scary role.

I will never tell anyone or decide any such thing and it simply amazes me that they are willing to do so.

I am curious how awkward it would get for them if they landed in the hot seat??

Ugh!!!

Agitated

I have to tell you I get really pissed off when I try to do the right thing and people pay zero attention.

Last year I was hired to do a topo on a massive hillside lot. I went in and laid panels and shot the property corners.

I used an un-recorded Alta from another surveyor who I took the job over from because the client liked what I had to say about the aerial being more accurate in this particular case.

I also had a recorded survey next door that seemed to fit with the Alta.

I calc'd the description and quickly discovered a 7 foot bust in the math.

I started looking at the Alta and the recorded survey and noticed that both surveyors are holding a radial call from the rear corner to the radius of a cul de sac and they are creating an excess in my clients lot and a deficiency in the adjoiner.

Me being the diligent monkey that I am went back to the site and shot the points next door and then I calc'd the legal backward and what do you think I found???

Yes that's right boys and girls I found an old rusty rebar that brings both deeds into mathematical harmony!! Yes I did.

I promptly notified my client of the bust in the legal and the other problems. I made an exhibit and sent it over to him. He is a very smart man and wanted resolution and started looking into it right away.

I called the surveyor with the recorded map and sent him my info. Within an hour he called me back and told me that he agreed with me and re-recorded his map.

The Alta guy is a different story. He is in full belief that he is correct which I disagree. For one I found the Alta to be deficient and lacking information, two it was not recorded and 3 there was no mention of the mathematical bust in the deed. I could go on.

In reality if I was the sort of guy that does this kind of thing this person should be turned into the board for this survey, but that is another story.

Time went on and I was in touch with the client several times and provided info when I could.

Then I received another email telling me that the guy next door now agrees with the Alta guy. I call the guy and ask why.

He gets lippy and tells me that he has a really good case based on a copy of an old topography provided to him by the Alta guy. He re-re-recorded the survey to put it back the way it was.

I say great send it to me. Upon receipt it was sure enough a copy of an old topography showing a radial line from the rear corner to the radius.

In my mind I still know that there is a bust in the legal and there are monuments to support deed harmony and then I am amazed that these two guys are putting this much weight on a bearing when clearly it messes things up.

I write the client and tell him that I still disagree with these two people and that the bottom line is there is a problem that needs fixed and it should most likely be the title company to do.

At that point stepped fully away from it. I was after all only hired to do a topo and I should be able to rely on the deed and the Alta.

Today the civil engineer called me and told me that the client want him to use the Alta boundary. I told him to do what he thinks is right, that some resolution has come through title and there are recorded doc's to cover it. I also asked him to remove any mention of my company from his plans.

I then told him that when the builder wants me to stake the house that I will be turning down the job. Can you imagine the liability that could come from this? The builder is a great client too.

This is a strange one. I really hope they work it out correctly.

Bottom line is that I care very much about this and what kind of ramifications it carries for the client.

Thoughts??

Liability

I have been doing a lot of re-plat's as of late.

I recently ran into an issue in which my client's title company has refused to prepare new deeds based on there being no transaction and then referred him to a deed preparation company, stating that it is to much liability.

Huh?

Now I am the first to shirk any sort of liability but this one has me confused.

I have always been under the impression that is what they do. So if this is what they do then what is the issue?

What exactly is happening out there that companies get to dump what they do on others to avoid the liability?

This brings me to a worry spot.

I have met several surveyors throughout time that seem to think absorbing liability is a good idea.

Just today I was on the phone with a colleague that was telling me how he was stuck re-designing a parking lot because the engineer tossed some grades.

I have little understanding of this sort of thinking.

Personally I would have sent it back to the engineer with some as-built shots and told him to fix it. I would have then requested a PO from my client for the new calc's I would have to do as an extra and then billed out today as an extra because the engineer wasted my time by messing things up and then suggested to my client that he back charge the engineer for my extra and wasted time.

I am wondering if this is why I don't do a lot of staking??? Huh?

So back to the deed prep thing. I am wondering if surveyors will start doing more of it even if they are not qualified to do so?? I certainly hope not.

I was on the phone with my insurance agent today. I am renewing my E&O and I once again had to remind her that I not, never have been nor will I ever be a design professional and I in no way should have to be associated with them nor have to absorb any sort of premium that has anything to do with that topic.

I wrote recently about the surveyors need to re-take our identity.

I am going to be writing a lot this year about that and also how we need to cut our liability. Those 2 things are an absolute must for all of us.

Liability surveyors!! Lets all cut back on it the un-required and double our protection on the required.

Make it a great week.

Equipment and Software

I just bought a new data collector, an FC336 with Magnet.

I have decided to go this direction because of the cloud upload capacity of the Magnet and the fact that along with Magnet comes upgrades and keeps me current.

I also chose this particular DC because of the internal modem for network.

I'm pretty jazzed about the upgrade and should have it in my hands in a day or two.

The forecast of 2014 is looking very good and I will be upgrading my GPS and purchasing a robot as well.

Now as for office software. I am still agonizing on this one as I still despise AutoCad.

I have it narrowed down between Micro Survey and the new Topcon office.

Both will have a learning curve but to be honest right now I am leaning toward the Topcon due to fact that I can simply import from the cloud, I can have my desktop connected to the DC and the points will import as the field shots are taken and it looks very simple to use as is TopSurv.

I am really like the idea of using office and field software that are made by the same company.

As the next couple of months unfold I will tell you all about it and the directions I will be going.

Peace out surveyors. Make it a great and profitable week.

Identity

I have noticed something about surveyor's that truly pisses me off.

We have no identity of our own. We are thrown into this mix with civil's and designers that is beyond sucky.

We as surveyors we must take back, yes I said take back our identity. For some reason we have become so aligned with other professions that know one really knows or understands the importance of what it is we do.

As surveyors we are the basis of just about everything that has to do with land. We are by far the most important part of any land based project and if we tube it the whole thing is a mess from there on.

Why in the hell are the design professionals getting all of the credit when most of them could not hit their own ass with either hand?

How many times have your  heard "the engineers are here" or " not our fault your engineer set that point" or " I always thought that surveyors are civil's" or " how many cfm's are my wash" or " can I build it like this instead"???? This list is way to long for me to continue and actually it makes my head spin.

We are not design professionals and we should in no shape or form be associated with them.

How about those fella's that call themselves Civil Surveyors? Pack sand you arrogant ass, you are a surveyor, OWN IT!!!

This whole situation is our fault and it is this man's opinion that we need to do something about it.

Having our own identity will give the profession of surveying a whole new meaning. It will allow us to dictate our own fees, it will give us a face in the community, it will give us more weight at the BTR, this list is also endless.

If we as a profession can achieve what we are capable of instead being a lap dog to some numb nuts civil engineer, we can become a true professional entity that carries weight and has the respect that we are due.

It will enable all of us to have a path that we all deserve and it will eliminate the dirt bag bottom feeders that ruin things for us and give us a bad name.

Yes you know who you are and you should be ashamed of yourself's. You low dollar lap dogs really need to develop some big picture thinking. Try to think past the eye lids. You'll be better off.

OK!! Now I want some serious opinions on this matter. I am challenging everyone that reads this blog to step up and give us your 2 cents. Post as anonymous, I do not care, just say something.

Surveying used to be one of the most revered profession's and it is up to us to make it that way again.

Imagine a world where and LS makes the fee of an attorney?  That's the way it should be and anyone that thinks different should have their head examined.

Peace out surveyors. Make it a great week. We have a great big year in front of us.

Holidays Again

Well boys and girls it's been on hell of a year.

Revenues are up which is a blessing and I am thinking the world is starting to balance out again.

I personally have under gone a lot of change. Some good, some weird and some unbelievable, but at the end of the day I am grateful for it all.

OK surveyors it's that time. Yes let's give it up once again for the Surfing Santa!!!!!

I love red clad this tubby bitch of the water ways. He signifies a lot of things for me and I am sure for a lot of you too.

Remember, no matter how old we get there is still a lot of kid in us. My New Year resolution is to let as much of my kid come out as possible.

So lets have a drink and chug a lug, by our kids a bunch of cool things to open on the 25th and if your are Jewish enjoy the Chinese food and the movies that day.

One thing for sure, even though we may be different in the way we think, our beliefs and the way we do things, we are all still surveyors and it is strange what a small community this is. It's one of those weird little bonds that we can't break no matter what, because there are so few of us.

Make it a great holiday season surveyors. Good bad or ugly I am grateful for all of you.

Peace, love and booty grease!!


Oh and what ever you do try to avoid this situation.

Surveyors of the Future

I have been pondering the future of surveying as of late and am wondering what we need to do as a group to make this an appealing profession for those bright eyed non jaded youngsters of America.

Question: Would you recommend that your children become a surveyor?

My Answer: Hell no!!

So what is the answer from my readers? Please chime in.

So there in lies my dilemma. When I am asked by a young person if I would recommend this as a profession what do I say? Really, if I would not recommend it to my kids how could I in good conscience tell someone else's kid to do it?

Do I tell them the truth?
That surveying is a great job as long as you work under the shield of the government or a big company.
And further be even more honest and tell them that it is an absolutely horrible business to be in.

How does one explain the truth to an enthused youngster without kicking the wind completely out of their sails? A great job but terrible business? Seems to be a contradiction.

How does one explain the difference between the surveying biz and the customer service biz?

Personally I am in the customer service business and surveying just happens to be the professional service that I provide. I get a lot of work from people that have previously used surveyors that have bad customer service.

So fellow surveyors, what say you on this topic?? Please step up with some input.

Make it a great week!

New Board Rules

I have been reading the new board rules and I will tell you right now that I like them.

I had some questions and asked the powers that be and got some great answers and feedback.

It was instantly clear that I need to slow down and be more thorough when reading things such as the rules that govern my profession.

Now I want to take a moment to thank the people that worked on updating these rules.

This is an extremely tough job as it effects each and everyone one of us in the surveying world.

Can you imagine the shit these guys have gotten through this process? How about the endless yammering by the non progressive numb nuts'zzzz?

I call that the not want to do anything but be the first to bitch syndrome.
So if you did not help, shut the fuck up. (Myself included).

Surveying is a profession where things do change. The fundamentals are the same but with technology comes change and staying on top of the rules needs to happen.

I am unsure how often they come up for review but I personally recommend that it get done more often.

So hey everyone, lets give some big ups to the people that stepped to the plate and put their valuable time and energy into something that is so important to us as professionals.

I am sure we will be better for it even with the small changes being proposed.

Peace out surveyors and make it a great week.

GDAC Issue

OK. I have raved for years about how I think GDAC is the greatest research tool I have ever seen.

I continue to say this today, however I found a problem.

The southwest corner of Section 4, Township 2 North, Range 4 East is noted on GDAC as an aluminum cap.

I have been to this corner several times and it has always been a 5/8" rebar with a smashed cap.

Big deal it checks and fits well with everything around it.

I have been working on a lot that the description commences on that corner then runs north 580 feet +/-. Actually every lot around there does the same thing.

Me being the diligent monkey that I am I shoot the section corner and go north 580 feet and what do I find? I find an aluminum cap stamped section corner.

Now here is my question:

What kind of crack was the crew chief smoking when he went to cap that rebar?

This person actually had to walk about a quarter of a mile and 200 vertical feet to cap a point that is no where near the proper location to which that cap belongs.

Now here is another kicker. That 580' point is called out on the GDAC interactive map and hits awesome for xyz.

Things like this are always a chuckle.

Thanks erroneous crew chief for the good belly laugh!!

This is honestly the first time I have ever found a real problem with any GDAC info.

Keep up the great work MCDOT.

Make it a great week surveyors.

Board Rules

Ever so often I do a quick scan through the Board Rules just to blow the cob webs out of the brain pan.

Every time I read them I think to myself, fair enough but one of them just rubs me the wrong way.

It is section 14, E, 2b, and regarding descriptions and it states as follows.

"All controlling monuments, noting their physical description, and whether found,
 set or replaced."

Now why in the hell would I do that?

In my opinion if a monument has another number on it I found it and if it has mine on it I either set it or found it.

At the end of the day if a monument has my number on it I own the responsibility, who really cares if I set or found it. Also if I am calling out other monuments in my description I still own the responsibility.

If I would change something about these rules that would be the one.

I am curious how many of you actually make those notations in a perfectly good description? All it does is clutter it up for the layman and also I believe it will create ambiguity for some green horn that still has a hard time properly writing one.

I would love to hear some thoughts on this one.

Peace out surveyors, make it a great week.

Dollar Value and what not

I have just not been into blogging lately but today I have been inspired.

I was telling a friend of mine that I was waiting for my new website to be built and then I was going to blog away because it would then be embedded in the site. However as most things go this is taking longer than expected to get built.

On to the topic.

I always chuckle inside when someone calls me says something like " It's an old street" "The lot is a rectangle" "Everything should just work because" etc, because they are trying to let me know up front that their particular job is easy and I should be able to do it for a minimal bust obviously intrusive cost.

I had a guy the other day tell me that his lot measures to the millimeter and I should be able to follow it just as close.

I have been estimating projects lately like they should be. I have broken the tip off of the pencil and am sending out real time professional rates.

I would love to see the look on some of these super cheap Mofo's faces when they get my estimate. Tire kickers is what I call them.

I have always marveled at how it is almost impossible for the Land Surveyor to explain dollar value to a client when all the client cares about is what they own which I am unable to legally tell them anyway. I make this statement in regards to boundary surveys.

The average client only understands cheap. They see us roll onto the site, look around for a while with a stick that has a disc on top, leave flagging and then disappear only to later receive a pdf file and an invoice.

I understand their angst. I really do. Hell I'd be pissed.

So herein lies the big question.

How do we intelligently explain the dollar value of flagging and paper to the client?

It's hard. I always explain it in time. Time seems to be the one common thing that everyone understands.
Before I even hang up with a client on the phone I am emphatic about how time consuming a project will be and the estimate goes out appropriately to follow.
It's true, surveys take a lot of time that we need to be compensated for in a professional manor.

As of late I have been getting professional rates and am loving it. The world is opening again and people such as myself can be paid as they should be.


On to the what not.

A couple of weeks back my Hiper had a horrible accident and broke the face plate among other things. It will not take a charge and needed replaced.
I was getting ready to take a quick run up to Prescott at 4am one Friday and noticed that something was just wrong with the GPS. I plugged it in, flipped it on and had 10% power and it went right to zero in a matter of seconds.
Well hell! I called the client and explained what was up and he was happy because he was running short on time and I scheduled one of my awesome contract guys to jump up there the following week.
I then jumped on the phone with Yon from RDO and went over and saw him. He hooked me up with a loaner and got my Hiper into the hospital. The damage was quite extensive and I carry a blanket policy on my equipment and called my insurance agent, told her what happened and she told me that is was a claim and it got filed and paid and Mr. Hiper will return this coming week. Yay!!!

Enough of that, lets talk about some fun stuff.

I am going to kick some major survey ass this week and then jump over to California next week for Fall Break. Fall Break, is a BS hiatus that the school district created for who knows what so I have decided that leaving for a pre-holiday vacation is the most prudent thing I can do. Thank you SUSD!!!

 Surveying will be here when I return.

Wow! What if it wasn't? What would I do with myself? I do think big picture at all times.

Well that's about it for the moment surveyors. I have had a lot of bloggy type stuff boiling and am going to be back into from here on. Until I lose the luster again that is.

Peace out boys and girls, be safe out there and make lots and lots of money!!!

Forward Motion

OK, Lately I have been doing a lot of thinking about how I have done business up to now and the important things that need to change.

After taking the seminar I mentioned in the last post I have decided to create a wall between myself and that dreaded word Liability.

Liability is a word that to many surveyors want to absorb and I have always wondered about that. Why??? Why in the world would one want that??

I recently took all of my contracts and map notes and some other doc's to an attorney that specializes in working with surveyors and engineers and have asked him to do a major sprucing of everything.

I want to separate myself as much as possible from liability and paint a very clear picture of the clients responsibility and liability in every engagement.

I also want to make it abundantly clear that I am not a design professional. I have never designed nor will I ever design anything.

One major point I want to be very clear on is the fact that I can never tell a client what they own. That is a matter of title. I am a professional evidence producer and everything I do is merely an opinion and should be verified if they choose to do so.

There a several other points that am having him work on, those are the most prevalent.

I am through taking responsibility for things that a Land Surveyor should not.

On to another topic.

I have made a solid decision to switch to Micro Survey. I am finished with Auto Cad.

I got a call the other day from a really cute girl trying to get me to update to C3D. I politely told her that C3D is a solution for Civil's and design professionals and I have zero use for a program that I will only use 10 percent of.

She was nice and I decided to let her work me up a cost anyway and upon receipt firmly decided to switch software and I gave her a written punch list as to why.

This coming year is going to be a whole new ball game for this kid. I have a new company name, a soon to be released web site, a solid marketing plan in place and a plan for new equipment and most important a forecast that dictates things are becoming normal again.

Peace out surveyors.

Seminar about Title Stuff

Last Friday I took a seminar on Title vs Survey issues and boy am I glad I did.

The content as always was a little dry but I learned a metric shit load about title issues.

The main reason I took the particular seminar is because I am involved in a problem that was created by an RLS that worked for me several years ago and yes of course my name is on the map.

What happened is this. He did a land division and prepared what may or may not be a bunk legal. I am yet to reach a conclusion. All of the line work is perfect etc.

He later amended it but the descriptions remained the same.

The description was recorded, map filed, the monuments were set, walls were built etc. The buyer assumed he was getting an acre.

Long after the RLS was gone from my company they came back for another amendment and I personally did it and inadvertently fixed the descriptions.

Now here is the crazy part. They never got title insurance on anything. The buyer had it but our client never got it because they owned it outright.

Problem: Buyer loses property to bank, a new guy buys it from the bank with the assumption that he is purchasing the property within the walls, he has a title policy.

The new buyer being diligent gets a survey done and discovers that that deed is that of the old split and that the seller had never adopted the second amended. All of the monuments reflect the lot split but the deed does not and now he thinks he owns an additional 1/4 acres.

I received a call from a very cool surveyor telling me what was going on. He said our survey was awesome and all of the monuments hit really well. I explained to him that they obviously never had any title work done, he agreed and I thanked him and waited for my client to call.

Well we all know what happened when the client called. Of course they are thinking this is our fault. I promptly told them that this is a matter of title and the buyers company was responsible.

I will tell you that making an angry person believe that someone as glorious as a title company man could make such a huge mistake is almost impossible.

It sure is fun owning a business!!! Just one hoot and holler after another.

Well we had a meeting. I put my insurance company on notice. We spoke a few more times and I am yet to hear anything else.

What I did tell them is if they decided to try and sue me for any reason the insurance company would sick some big bad wolf of an attorney all over them, he will prove that they were remiss in the issue, he will prove it is in fact a title issue and he will drive their legal fees through the roof and all I will have to do is meet my deductible.

They also threatened to turn me in. I told them they could but it would do them zero good to do so. I am thinking they are of the mindset that kind of thing is public like the ROC and it would in some way hurt my biz because anyone can have a look for marks.

Now these people are very niece and amiable and I hope it stays that way. I told them I would help in anyway that I can but my hands are tied until they sign a release stating that they will not sue me.

We will play the waiting game now. I have a feeling it will all work out to their benefit. That is if they follow proper protocal.

Cities

I never cease to wonder about the operations and efficiencies of the different municipalities.

The thing I marvel at the most is the utter lack of communication between the separate departments and also the utter inability to make a decision.

Now I understand that a city employee is prohibited from telling you how they think something should be done and they are tied to city guideline, however a little extra effort to point a citizen in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.

I am wondering what causes these poor people to become absolute minimalists? I am sure that they start out ambitious but something at some point sucks the life out of them and they bend into a lifeless wet piece of paper.

I have had some great experiences with most city folk, but unfortunately as humans we have a tendency to focus on the less than good times.

The two I deal the most with are Phoenix and Scottsdale. For the most part I have great success and really like everyone I deal with, but ever so often I get that curve ball that throws it all into a tail spin.

I can only imagine the shit that gets blown at these people on a daily basis.

I am a very chill person and I am thinking that's why I get along with most that I encounter because I am always respectful and grateful for the help even if the result takes me in circles.

I know dealing with the public is tough especially when you get a belligerent numskull in front of you breathing hate.

I also know that everyone is different and piling all of you into the some category is massively inappropriate. Sometimes a guy just has to bitch a little.

So hey city employees. I am here so say thanks for doing a job that I would never be able to do.

Keep up the good work.

Exciting Stuff

So there I am yesterday morning in an intersection in a quiet residential neighborhood that is not quite ghetto.

I look up and here comes a cop blazing down the street. He passes by me, stops jumps out of the Tahoe, draws his weapon and points it at a guy in a car that is in a driveway.

Needles to say I immediately vacated said intersection and went behind my truck in case gunfire ensued.

The cop holstered the weapon and grabbed him and dragged him out of the car while the guy (a great big white supremacist looking fella) proceeded to scream like a little girl. It was actually sad.

By then two other cop cars had arrived and the suspect was subdued and the friend on the front porch was being spoken to by one of the cops.

Exciting? Kind of in that this happened at 5:30 am.

So I was going around a block doing a boundary. I get to my lot and this old guy from next door (Nick) comes out and talks to me for a bit. He keeps an eye on things and the property that I was surveying was vacant. Great guy, he even let me go into his yard.

I was asking him about some of the neighbors because I had to trace some adjoining monuments and he told me that I should probably watch out for the guy on the other side of the subject, that his kid is a heroin addict.

I looked at him and asked if I should lock my truck. He chuckled and said "he's to dumb and to slow to steal your stuff, he's just unpredictable".

Comforting?  WTF?

All in all the job went smooth and I actually made some money on it even with the results of survey that I had to prepare. I'll wait to file it until I have a few to do.

Keep your eyes open out there surveyors. You never know what might land on you.

Back in Action

OK Boys and Girls I am back on the air wave.

You want to know the worst thing about coming back from vacation? COMING BACK!!

Much has changed for this kid over the last month or so. I have been working on several projects (not all revolving around surveying) and yes working on survey things to.

I have gone and changed the name of my company. I am now the proud owner of "Arizona Surveyors Incorporated".

You may be asking yourself why on earth did you change the name?

Simple. Marketing and SEO. That is the only reason and the old name is that of a dead guy. (I think I mentioned that before.)

So now I have a lot of work to do revolving around the new name. First is bank accounts and informing clients and vendors. Second is a website.

The website is something I am jazzed about. This site will be built on new technology using word press and this blog will be embedded in the site itself.

My dusty old RJR site is just that, old and dusty. I will be letting it go into the cyber sky shortly.

Out with the old and in with the new.

I hold a philosophy that when a person becomes to comfortable they will stagnate and fall behind. In many ways I have done that in my equipment and technology. Mixing it up and changing is key to my life.

Cash flow and billings are on the rise again, so I will now blast like a big red rocket of love into the forward motion. I will be an unstoppable machine with a constant increase flowing my way. Business will expand and things will fall back into place.

Then will it be good enough? Good enough never crosses my mind. No matter how good it gets it can always get better. No, it's never good enough.

In case any of you though I did this job for the glory? Ha!!!!! You would be incorrect.

OK. Much is coming on this blog. I have a lot of cool survey things to talk about and also a lot of biz.

Stay tuned!!

Summer Time

OK. It's summer again. This is the time of year when my mind really starts to wonder off to places other than work.

I obviously still have a lot of kid in me.

All I want to do is hang at the beach or anything that has nothing to do with surveying.

Yes business is really starting to pick up and I have some people moving (mostly on construction) and May has been a great month even though I can't really remember any of it, oh and with all kinds of other distractions happening, I still managed to crank some great receivables.

Biz is good and getting a lot better.

OK, now here I am again back in summer mode. Yes I am going to the beach. It's a must. My mind is already there and I am grinding the days and doing it well until I get there.

I am on a blog hiatus until Mid July. By then I should have all kinds of interesting things to spout about. I have been doing a lot of thinking about content and have a lot of things to write about.

Until then I hope the following photos can be as influential on you as they are on me. They truly make life worth living. I have a little something for everyone.

Peace out surveyors. Make it a great summer. Be sure to play a lot, love a lot and whatever you do please remember that there is a fun loving kid in you too.

Sometimes you just gotta hammock up!

Curious

How many of you got that envelope from Leica Geo Systems with the words "For your eyes only" stamped on it with the special email invite to check it out?

Well I did and I have to tell you that Leica did a great piece of marketing with that.

I immediately went to my computer and typed in the address and waited with anticipation as the page loaded. I sat there just wondering what it could be???

Then the anti climax thing occurred. It was an invite to Vegas to check out their new shit that is being released next moth.

I have to admit I was a tad pissed off. I have such a huge imagination that I was sure that this was it, my life was about to change as I know it and off to the races I was going to go like a bullet at 3000 feet per second. However that did not occur.

Now I am sure if I decided to make a sudden change to Leica all of that would come true but those chances are small.

So here I am again on a Sunday with that haven't done my homework feeling and I am facing down a Monday unprepared and all alone. Yes that's right boys and girls a modified version of one of my favorite quotes from Eddie Spaghetti.

OK, enough of all that. I have something much larger to discuss.

A week or so back I went and met with a guy about designing my new website.

I really liked this person, he was professional, well spoken and cut through all of the BS and set me straight about what was what. It was absolutely refreshing to have someone tell me the truth and tell me I do not need an lot of unnecessary stuff.

The guy told me he would get me a cost by end of day or no later than the afternoon of the following day. That was a Thursday.

I did not hear anything from him until Monday afternoon. Not even a message telling me he was running behind or anything.

Needless to say this person lost my account even though I liked him the best. His cost was very good and he was a pretty awesome guy.

So now I am curious how that kind of thing seems to have become the norm in business?

When did it become OK not to communicate when we are in the age of ever rising forms of communication?

Yes, ever so often people are going to drop the ball myself included. The difference between me and others that I have observed in, is that I tell the person that I dropped the ball and then politely ask if they still want me to do whatever. It just happens, but I have noticed this particular trend as of late and frankly it is very irritating.

I know I can only speak for myself and conduct business the way I think it needs to be done, however when I need something, I usually need it right then or at least a call or message.

It is a curious thing this new way of doing things. Yes I know the world can never stay the same and I would never want it to. I love change, but this one I am having a hard time swallowing.

Make it a great week surveyors.

Measuring

Ever notice how you can shoot some monuments and so can 10 other people and they will all come up with different results?

I am of the opinion that it is impossible to take any measurement without a certain degree of error.

Remember the old days as an eyeman when you had that old crew breathing down your neck while you were rapping angles with the good old T2? There were times when I would rap 10 different sets because the mean closure was not good enough.

Fortunately I was honest. I used to be so good with these angles that I could give a false reading so the crew chief would move along. It's all simple math when you think about it.

Which brings me to the point of all of this.

Today's newbies have zero clue what it really means to measure. They will never know a chain for what it really is, they will most likely never rap angles and most likely never run 3 wire levels. Yes there are some exceptions depending on where they work and what they are doing.

So my questions is what will became of the basic fundamentals of survey measurements?

Is the robot or total station more accurate than the GPS? I think absolutely in verticals. Horizontal who knows? I will tell you that I often use steady sticks with the gps, especially when obtaining control and I let it cook a little longer, at least 30 senconds.

There was a time in my life when all we did was run level loops all day long. Yes that's right youngsters loops.

The guy that I spoke about a couple of posts back Howie went to some on site welders and had them make these turn plates that were made of 3/8" steel with bolts in the top and those were the turn plates that we toted from station to station and then back again and again. They had 3 angled legs, were 6 inches tall and then the bolt and were about a foot by a foot and we would drop them and then stomp them in. They weight about 20 pounds each.

We ran some tight stuff and if we checked in over 5 thousandths we did it again. Why? I'm not sure.

I am wondering if the newbies know how to read a rod to the thousandth or if they even know to rock the rod? I'm sure some do.

When I was with Howie he made us use a calibrated deluxe rod bubble and only a 2 section wood rod.

I am wondering how many know how to run levels up and down hills and keep the turns balanced?
Simple. You and the rod man stay exactly 100 feet apart and parallel on the slope and work your way up and down.

Anyone pre 90's probably knows this.

I find it amazing that different companies can shoot the same section with the same character in monuments and come up with significant different results. Tenths, not hundreths. I actually think part of it may be an incorrect grid to ground scale factor. But who knows. It could just be a case of lazy head up ass.

So what is actually happening to measurements? Are they improving though technology or getting worse from button pushers that have zero idea of the basics?

It's a good question.

What say you??

Make it a great week surveyors.