Maybe tower work, maybe rain, maybe we get one done before the other washes it out -- or not. I don't know.
My part of the work is to be on the ground, refraining from smoking* and possibly running the elevator, since it's the kind that doesn't have any controls in the elevator car. To this end, I have bought a new pair of work boots -- well, that and the realization that the too-narrow pair of boots I've been keeping in the car will be sheer torture if I have to wear them for a whole day.
The "pink tax" on work boots is especially pronounced and the selection women are offered is lousy. I found a pair of men's Wolverines that didn't look too awful and were under a hundred bucks. Carolina Pole Climbers, they're not, but the lead time on those excellent boots was too long.
So, off I go, tower workers being of the opinion that morning daylight is the best kind -- and if you had ever climbed steel that had spent hours baking in the sun, you'd agree.
Our crew has been plugging away at the job of inspecting every single tower worthy of the name that my corporate employer owns, across all of the United States. This is a number possibly pushing above five hundred and they're just over halfway through. Met them yesterday and they look a bit tired. Most of the people who actually inspect towers in detail are mechanical engineers (of the Certified Professional Engineer variety) and most of them do their own climbing. It's a combination that can make for interesting personalities and they're usually worth listening to.
_____________________
* With a tip of the hat to the late Eric Frank Russell, who observed the importance of that task in his fiction. And it's easy enough, since I haven't in decades.
BUILDING A 1:1 BALUN
4 years ago
2 comments:
my most recent field boots were a pair of Red Wing hunting boots, purchased from a store known to cater to "lady hunters." (For my fieldwork I basically need hunting boots - need a firm stiff sole that's not easily punctured, need good ankle support).
they were a gift so I don't remember how they compared pricewise to the men's boots. At least a good pair of field boots, if I take care of them, will last 10 years or more (my field career probably won't last much more than 10 more years at this point)
though frankly these days, if I'm working on less horrific terrain and am unlikely to run across snakes, I'll just wear old tennis shoes and pull my long socks up over my pants cuffs (to resist ticks)
Our tower (and elevator) turned 50 this year. Control system is newer, and the radio controls work, but I usually stand by in case they don't.
I haven't owned a set of real work boots for awhile. I'm usually wearing Merrell Moab 2 hiking boots...they fit me perfectly. I don't even try them on at the store, I just grab my size and go.
PE's that climb, eh? I bet they free-climb cliff faces to relax.. :)
Post a Comment