I went back to the training facility to learn more welding techniques.  I didn’t know there were so many different welding techniques.  After getting a couple compliments on how well I was doing, I took a break in the lobby.  There was a middle-aged man in the lobby looking for someone.  He asked me if there was a secretary that he could speak with.  I ran over to find one of the instructors to assist him.  The instructor met with him in the lobby and he asked if the Boilermakers Local 83 was hiring.  “Yes, we are.  How did you hear about us?”  “Well I saw this guy on the news that works here and I thought this would be a great career change,” he replied.

January 7, 2009

After three days of training under my belt, I felt like I was ready to go out into the field as a Boilermaker.  The field happened to be a coal fired power plant.  California doesn’t have coal power plants, so this was the first time I had ever set foot in one.  Most of California is powered by windmills and hydroelectric from the Hoover Dam.  I met with the foreman at the entrance of the facility where he brought me a hardhat and safety glasses.  He wanted to show me around so I could get comfortable with the environment.  To be honest, I don’t think I could ever get comfortable working at the heights that he showed me.  The boiler at this plant was around 450 feet high, but the scary thing was that it was really windy and the hand rails were really low.  I felt like I could’ve just blown right over.  No wonder every Boilermaker that I met was much larger than me.  I should probably gain 100 more pounds to feel more secure.  The most impressive part of the day was how these larger Boilermakers can fit into the entrance of the boiler.  I could barely fit inside. 

The power plant was shut down for the entire week because there was a leak in one of the pipes.  The leaked caused a buildup of coal that hadn’t been burnt.  The hardest part of the project was to locate the leak.  There are so many components to the boiler that I was overwhelmed trying to understand the prints.  Even though the plant was turned off, the boiler was still a couple hundred degrees.  It’s very costly to shut down a plant for maintenance because the plant makes nearly 1 millions dollars per day.

January 5, 2009

The first thing I noticed driving into Kansas City, Missouri from Topeka, Kansas was the radio stations.  It’s like they got rid of 2 Country music stations and replaced them with 5 R&B stations.  I heard a commercial advertised on one of the stations for Big T’s BBQ and I didn’t hesitate to try it out.  I tried burnt ends without knowing what it was.  These cuts of beef were as good as they advertised and now I can’t stop eating barbeque. 

I started work yesterday morning.  Well, I was actually training to be a Boilermaker.  I have a couple days designated for training.  I have to learn how to weld properly before I can really perform on a real boiler.  The training facility reminded me of my 7th grade metal shop class.  I have always thought of it as a hobby, but now I am experiencing it as a career; a career that is very popular in Missouri.