Working Life: The Eternal Grind (2 Viewers)

Jesus you minivan people are like vegans. Or worse, limpers. Always trying to recruit new members to your lame club.

My kids ride in a pick up they need help climbing into. All conveniences removed.

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I love wagons and have always wanted a performance version of one. Problem is they don't solve the seating for 7 plus room for luggage problem.
yeah, this is true. It helps if you only have 4-5. Once you get up to 7, you’re in school bus territory- lol.

I will give the mini-van crew the nod over the suburban monstrosities:

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Standard issue in the Dallas area. Come to a complete stop every time you need to turn and take up 3 lanes (on both sides of the road) while doing so - lol.
 
My dodge caravan on US129…aka “The Dragon”.
Yeah, they run semi tractors up Pikes Peak every year, too. Even before the top was paved. Doesn't make it something a sane person does.

I've run the Dragon numerous times, in everything from a prepared TR-8 to a Formula Ford. They used to block a section of it off once a year for competition. Can't believe it would be much fun driving the Queen Mary, though...
 
Can we get back on topic please? This thread is for people doing the daily grind for the man.
So I get to my daily grind in a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica.

It has a couple little quirks, but overall has been very reliable and comfortable for the 50K-ish miles I've got on it. Beyond routine care, I've had two problems:
  • "Safe Hold" stopped working really early in the van's life, and I never bothered to have it repaired.
  • I had to replace the USB port that I use for Android Auto. It got really loose and frequently disconnected from my phone or locked up. $75 for the part and 20 minutes of my time to swap it out.
I think minivan >>>> SUV. It has more room for me as a driver (I'm a big guy) and much more room for passengers, and I probably paid 20-30K less than I would have paid for a comparable SUV.
 
Can we get back on topic please? This thread is for people doing the daily grind for the man.
I'm an hourly employee. So far in 2024, I've "taken" 3 personal days off and 3 holidays. I usually have to make up the hours of weeks in which I wish to take a "day off" .. so it's not really a day off. I'm limited to 40 hours per week, per my contact, and I plan on billing just under 2000 hours this year. By my math, there are 4 holidays I have to take and one I am not sure if I can work through (Columbus Day). I might take a day off around Christmas time.

For meetups in which I get there on Thursdays, I usually work 12 hour days M-W, and 4 hours before leaving Thursday. While my hourly rate is higher than a salaried employee, at this pace, I will burn out REALLY quickly.
 
I'm an hourly employee. So far in 2024, I've "taken" 3 personal days off and 3 holidays. I usually have to make up the hours of weeks in which I wish to take a "day off" .. so it's not really a day off. I'm limited to 40 hours per week, per my contact, and I plan on billing just under 2000 hours this year. By my math, there are 4 holidays I have to take and one I am not sure if I can work through (Columbus Day). I might take a day off around Christmas time.

For meetups in which I get there on Thursdays, I usually work 12 hour days M-W, and 4 hours before leaving Thursday. While my hourly rate is higher than a salaried employee, at this pace, I will burn out REALLY quickly.
That sucks dude - do you basically don’t have any PTO at all really?
 
That sucks dude - do you basically don’t have any PTO at all really?
I get 40 hours of paid sick leave, which is required by the county in which my owner opened her business. Outside of that, correct, I get 0 PTO.

In theory, it all balances out. Lets say I were to make 100,000 / year, but get 4 weeks PTO and 10 G. Holidays. that equates to 30 days off. Remember that my company still has to pay for all of that leave. it equates to 1840 hours.. but you still calculate salary based on 2080 hours, so you get an hourly rate of about $48/hr. Now, as an hourly employee with no PTO, they calculate the rate based on me taking time off, even though I might not. for this same job, they may pay me based on that 1840 hours I will bill .. so they increase my hourly rate to say $55/hr .. or even $60/hr. now, if at $60/hr, I can bill 2000 hours, I can now make $120,000..

Whether or not you work as much as I am right now to maximize income, or take the needed time off (banking the excess $ from earlier weeks to cover the days/weeks you get $0) is up to an individual. At this point in my life, I want to get some things taken care off, so I'm in the work more camp. It helps that I like my job and the people I work with..
 
Yeah, they run semi tractors up Pikes Peak every year, too. Even before the top was paved. Doesn't make it something a sane person does.

I've run the Dragon numerous times, in everything from a prepared TR-8 to a Formula Ford. They used to block a section of it off once a year for competition. Can't believe it would be much fun driving the Queen Mary, though...
It’s awesome no matter what you are driving…
 
Dodge w/ Power 3rd Row Seats. Awesome feature and makes you feel like you're driving Optimus Prime. Stadium Seating is AWESOME!
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Demo:

 
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