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Monday, February 02, 2009

Changes are a comin'

Everybody have a great Super Bowl Sunday? We had a good one.

Sunday my husband and I and our boys headed to the city to have a conversation with my mother and step father. My Step-father will find out soon if he will be one of the many people that are people laid off in the 2nd wave at one of the local aircraft plants. Things are getting bad here, every one, Beech/Hawker (aka Raytheon), Boeing, and Cessna have all laid off and will be cutting more jobs this month. This is bad for the economy here is Wichita. Spirit said they won't have to lay off until Boeing does. All the major factory jobs are being cut, From Big Dog Motorcycle to Koch Industries. 9/11 hit our community hard when it came to building airplanes. Our local news broke it down, the job loss is staggering even compared with all the lay offs that happened in 2001. Many of the people being laid off, are not new workers, these people have held these jobs for 12 years to almost 30 years. Many of these workers have held no other jobs straight out of high school. This trickles down, and will affect my husband's work. Luckily motorcycles are cheaper transportation, and the work shouldn't completely dry up. And we just got word about a couple of other friends that have been laid off of their non-factory jobs. Shoot, this isn't what I was going to talk about. See what you people do, ya get me going on the wrong subject. I had a history teacher in 6th grade that if we didn't feel like learning about a certain subject, we would ask a question about something else, and spend the next hour talking about it instead of the text book. . . I digress (thought you could trick me, did you?)

Some of my readers should remember me talking about a farmstead that we have an opportunity to homestead. Well, the time has come. We will begin work on it very soon. Sunday, my mother, stepfather, husband and I got down to a few details. What needed to be done first. My priority is corals for my animals. I will not be able to spend large amounts of time out there without the cows. Patch, the milking goat should be having her babies soon, and Donkey would just be plan lost without someone there to tell him he is a good boy. My mother wants the house going first. I guess the roof leaks, but the house is still standing, which is good enough for me. My husband has declared himself the keeper of the windmill and plans on having the running asasp. My stepfather has been working on a homemade generator so that we can power the farm off the grid. But after all the talk I think we have an objective of a quick coral, than house, while the men work on water and power. So anyone that is interested in that apprenticeship position better hurry.

One other change that will be taking place is how I blog. My mother had a camcorder and I thought it would be nice to record what is happening on the farm, and embedded the results here. In the beginning the video's won't be frequent, and I will still be writing. But as the days get longer, it might turn into a daily episode.

I was wondering how all of you felt about this. I have a very slow dial-up and really can't watch video's on my pc. I know I am not alone. Please, if you would, leave your opinion in the comments. Would you like to see me in action? Or prefer that I continue to write it all down. Or would you like the video's and a recap of what went down in my own words at the end or later in the week?

25 comments:

Zan Asha said...

Hey Phelan, it all sounds good, although I am sad to hear about the job cuts. But congrats on the homestead!

Hmmm...well, I've had dial up before and so I feel your pain. If it is too much to do, then I say don't worry. The quality of the blog is great as it is, I wouldn't leave or be annoyed if there isn't video, so either way is fine with me!

Melissa ~ Mom to 6 said...

The job cuts last week ~ 2600 at the press release and then 2,000 MORE in an email to employees really stopped me in my tracks. Every day I wonder what's next. The fall out will hit late spring/summer. You guys are good to start activating plan B now. We'll help you any way we can. I have no idea about the video blog. Whatever works for you is probably the best way to go. I can't wait to see more photos of the new place.

Unknown said...

I think that's a great idea. YouTube has really been a huge help for me in actually seeing how things are done and getting ideas. I guess I'm a more visual type of person that way. Go for it!

I too am sorry about what is happening around your community. I do appreciate you posting the information though. Hearing only the big national/international numbers by the media really doesn't paint a clear picture for what is going on. Things are really getting bad.

SkippyMom said...

I, too, am going to digress. I was watching TV this weekend - and I saw the greatest commercial - I don't know if it is in your part of the world, but...

It is called 1-800-JOE4OIL - and this is a company that helps and pays your heating bills for the winter if you can't. It is run by a gasoline company [SHELL, I think?]...but they provide heating oil for circumstances like yours, no cost because they say no one should be cold [bravo!]

I thought it was worth a try. Maybe you could call and get the back pay cleared up.

Hope it helps, sorry to be off topic, but I was trying to figure the best way to come and tell you.

Skip.

HermitJim said...

Hey Phelan...video would be nice, but I like your writing and your blog is one of my daily reads. I would do whatever is easiest for you...I would LOVE to see the pics, thopugh!

If I can do anything to help, just say the word...

It's me said...

I can't watch video at work. And yes, I KNOW I shouldn't read at work. But I do stop by and it's nice to keep up. And also on my phone when I'm traveling. Video might not work so well there either.

But you know what... do what YOU feel called to do, not what I feel!

Peace my friend.

Anonymous said...

I prefer text to video, but sometimes there are things that should just be shown.

Judy T said...

This is your spot. Do what works for you. I enjoy it just the way it is although an occasional video would be way cool.
One thing to remember though, if you're using a dial up: Not only will videos be hard for you to watch, I would think that they would also take 'FOREVER' to upload so you may not want to do it often.
We lived with dial up until just last year. One of my husbands requirements for any acreage we homestead is that he has to have a hi-speed connection. That severely limits our options :(
Judy

Anonymous said...

I am sad to hear about the cuts. =*( Congrats on the farmstead though!
To video or not to video is your choice. I love this blog and visit every day. Do what is easiest for you. =) We'll tag along.

Irma said...

I think your blog should be exactly the way YOU want it to be...if you want to post vidoes, great. If you want to write things down, that's great too. It's all about YOU, sistah!

Tim Appleton (Applehead) said...

Videos would be good. I would watch them.

Country Girl said...

Sounds like an exciting adventure. How about just take pictures of what your doing i/o video?

The Thinker said...

I suggest periodic video. Once every week or two. I would love to see you in action. But, during my real-live web surfing episodes, I don't watch a lot of videos. I'm not sure why that is and everyone else's experience may be completely different. But to me, it's like video watching brings everything else to a halt. If you don't give it your undivided attention, then you have to start it over or rewind it, etc. I don't get that as much when I am reading. I'm sure exactly the opposite can be argued,this is just my experience. You DID ask! :)

Good luck with everything. I can't wait to see how it all comes together. In words, pictures, and video!

Anonymous said...

Please, please don't do video. I enjoy reading your blog but even with satellite internet, which I call mediumband, I can't watch videos. I have to go to the library in town, which is a pain. More pictures would be great though, if you can stand the agonizing wait uploading with dial-up.

Unknown said...

Phelan, Has your stepfather considered relocating? I find it strange that the airplane plants up that way are laying people off. My husband works for a company called Custom Aircraft Cabinets in Little Rock. They aren't doing a lot of hireing but they are doing some. I know Falcon Jet has cut all the overtime they were getting for the projects they do for them. There is another company out of St. Louis for whom my husband builds their bulkheads. Right now Hes averaging around 60 hours a week.

Our Local Rayethon Company has been stealing employees from CAC. They have been on a huge hireing stint over the last couple of months.

CAC is going through some growing pains right now. They have cut off all raises until further notice, they are re-evaluating their bonus program and they are insisting that if you take your sick day you have a notice from a doctor saying you or your child was actually there. But, all of this is happening so that they can get a loan to expand the parts department so they aren't dependant on the companies they build for to send them parts.

It might be worth it to your Step-father to consider relocating. Expecially if he works for Rayethon can can get them to simply transfer him to a plant that needs help instead of laying him off.

Good Luck with all your plans and I hope that the layoffs aren't to bad out there.

Cygnus MacLlyr said...

mix em up!!! I'd love to see video, too, but couldn't nearly live if you didn't xlate to verbiage what we minions need...

Kella B said...

Maybe you could post a short (1 0r 2 minute) vid once a week or so? Personally, I love your blog as is. I prefer a few photo's with really good (lengthy) explanations. It would be a bummer for me to wait for you to upload, then wait for my aging not-so-broadband to download, then have to watch a vid with the sound all distorted, or the camera all shaky.
:) kmaree
P.S. Australian interest rates got slashed today, but that doesnt help those of us who panicked and fixed the home loan (or business loan) rate last year :( We could be in for more people losing houses and companies going under here too. sigh.

CatHerder said...

Hey! So sorry to hear about the job cuts..all these people losing jobs makes me feel lucky i have something right now even though i know its temp. Awesome on the farmstead...id love to see video, but also like to read, sometimes i have a hard time viewing the clips....Garden Girl does both, she has her website/blog, but has videos on the side if you want to watch. Good luck to you and your family :-)

Phelan said...

ok people, I get it, it is my blog. However a good writer wants input. They value your opinion when it comes to formats and article suggestions. I don't want to make a decision that will cause issues with the ability to look in on this blog.

There is one video I would like to capture and place here for you. Night time on the farmstead. You have got to hear the Banshees.

As for the layoffs, my stepfather could relocate. They have transfered him before to keep him from being laid off. This time he will not be. The thing is, the farm is here, family is here and right now our family believes it is a good idea to be in a safe place, and the farm is just that for us. The farm will be completely paid off shortly, and there is money to make there. This is a decision that wasn't taken lightly, and all feel it is the best one we have. Thank you for you idea however. I don't know why your community isn't seeing the layoffs we are. But count your blessings. I think it is about 70% of our workforce is tangled up with the aircraft industry here. It is our bread and butter. We will know soon if my stepfather is one of the many to be laid off.

April said...

UGh, I hate to hear about all the lay offs going on down there.

I would love to see videos if your able.

Anonymous said...

If you do some video you might consider blip.tv as the links could be added to the post without slowing down folks with dial-up.

Desert Cat said...

fullfreezer, regarding remote high-speed internet access, Wildblue.net is a satellite service that reaches pretty much anywhere that you can set up power to run it. My mom has this set up at her place on our remote farm. It has high latency (so no online FPS gaming and no Vonage), but otherwise is comparable to DSL for most other purposes.

Phelan, I think occasional video could be valuable, especially if you're doing how-to stuff. I don't tend to click on video when I'm browsing between tasks at work. I usually save it for home and the evening (if I remember).

Robbyn said...

Both, either, all :) SO SO happy you all came up with the farmstead plan!

Unknown said...

I think either way that you go is great. I wish you all the best in this new endeavor, and if I wasn't so dang far away, I would jump at the chance to rent your current place.
Good luck either way! I love reading your blog.

Unknown said...

I'm on 53.6 Kbps & will be for the foreseeable future (20 years? I was quoted that by a telephone engineer) ~ this is far faster than the 2.4 I had this time last year, but makes videos impossible. (& they want farmers to do things online as Dublin has working broadband & all farms are in Dublin... Farms in the rural areas? people in rural areas? rural areas have computers? Don't be stupid ~ stop the broadband roll-out)

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