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Western Oregon | My 2-135 started up this season with a little blow-by. Now when I say "a little blow-by" I mean a gallon of oil out the vent tube per tank of fuel. Still has good power and starts fine. Number one cylinder was a little cooler than the rest when checked.
So, when it started raining we pulled the engine. Found another hercules out of a 2-155 for a reasonable price and plan to swap. Now, if only I can remember which engine goes where. They look a lot alike... Have been listening to Pink Floyd out in the barn so my be a bit numb...
Of course my stellar employee who has gained another 50lbs over winter (putting him at around 350lbs) does not feel like working today. I had expected that as I got angry at him for not putting my tools away last night. I do see his point and I did explain to him that I understood. You just have to look at it in perspective. Why wipe your bottom when all you are going to do is make it dirty again?
I really hate dealing with long term help. We are a small farm. Way too small in fact. We have always run older stuff. The key to this was keeping it in good repair. So when we got an employee that was content to work for low wages and would take off work when we ran low on money we were oh so happy. But, you get what you pay for. While I liked to think that he worked for us because we gave him free gas, a cell phone, invited him to family functions, loaned him money to fight his ex wife, bought him an older car, gave hime time off when ever he asked, and tried to be great people to work for... The truth is that sometimes the more you do for someone who is down on their luck, the more they expect, the more you are understanding, the less they respect you. Not, all hard-luck stories are like that. But, most are.
So, today he TEXTED me saying he didn't feel like working today, his legs hurt. But he would come in if I really needed him.
So we have a big dry-erase board on the wall. It has all the jobs that need to be done by spring. We look at it all the time. And we have a 2-135 taken apart. Why would he even have the nerve to ask? We are not ready to plant corn, chop silage, bale hay, no-till drill is sitting on a dike surrounded by water (don't have to worry about that one for a while). Not to mention that he took off last week when it was nice weather and I was off planting-so we didn't get all our ground worked before the rain.
Plus there is the fact that one Friday last fall he called and asked for a couple days off, he said he would be at work Monday, he didn't show up again until the last week of April... Kind of a long weekend.
In short I have to fire him.
He is really a nice guy. I just have not been able to do it. He always apologizes and begs for his job. It is so embarrassing I just say it is ok.
So anyone want to move to Oregon, work for low pay-but here is the hook.... ON MINNEAPOLIS-MOLINE tractors? It would be like donating your time to a living history museum! We have our own virtual antique farming association! We could have a slogan-AGCO orphans of the world Unite!
Just an idea...
Edited by unifarmor 5/6/2009 11:52
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Anybody know how this all goes back together? (Humor for White tractor people)
