The financial plan was firmly in place in 1994 and there were several things that we had adopted from consultations between the Dowty mob, a subscription to the Gordon Pape financial newsletter, detailed notes from numerous seminars (free cake!) and advice from Ken Miller, our financial advisor at the the time.
The nuts and bolts would have sounded crazy to me a few years before this, but we were at the point were we were borrowing money on a line of credit to maximise our joint RRSP contributions and usually after the investment deadline, most paydays were basically a wallet flush as we paid down the PLOC and our mortgage.
Karen and myself would jokingly say that we were broke, but financially, even before my jump back into contracting work, we were doing things right and the increased cash from job shopping would only accelerate the ending of the mortgage on our little townhouse.
If the PLOC was mostly paid off before we received our tax refunds from the RRSP, the remaining money would be paid directly off the principal of the mortgage. It really was a smart plan and indirectly forced us to "pay ourselves first" which of course is a Wealthy Barber reference and if you've never read that book, you should.
Ken Miller arranged another meeting for the Dowty investment group up at the local pub, the Harp and Thistle in Ajax, and once again, beers were quaffed and a lively discussion about money yielded another valuable nugget regarding our mortgage.
Ken advised that if wasn't the time for locking into any mortgage, and that we change to a variable rate. I remember that at the time it seemed a frightening prospect to "give up" the security of a locked in rate, but I respected his advice and the following week I was down at the bank for another "crazy" tweak to our plan.
In time I would call this evolving tweaking process by one engineering term that described an abrasive machining process to produce a precision surface.
Honing.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Sunday, April 17, 2016
The List of Kens
I understand if you have the impression that Ken Marlton and myself were leaving Dowty because of the taunting from our coworkers, because that's the way I've pitched it. In fact, there were several other things that a lot of the permanent members of staff had become pissed off with, and as I composed my two weeks notice letter, I could not resist making a list.
We had enjoyed a 37 hour week at Dowty and in one giant sweep of the pen, the company informed every one of the permanent office staff that in fact, the working week would now be 40 hours, and our salaries would remain the same.
An instant 8% pay cut.
Ken Marlton had told me what his salary was before leaving, something that was taboo in our industry, nevertheless, Ken had informed me that he been enticed into the managerial role with a salary 30% higher than we "senior" analysts were earning, all strength to Ken, but details like that along with a fake profit sharing scheme for the grunts added to the overall disgruntlement.
In my three years at Dowty, the yearly salary reviews had been phased out and management had started to display a "like it or lump it" attitude, something I had seen in previous employment, the odd thing about all of it was that management were quite surprised when we started to jump ship.
I was never on the Christmas card list, but my pointed letter of notice certainly placed me on what we ended up calling "the list of Kens" a list that had us permanently added to that bad monkey group in the eyes of a certain few.
A group that would continue to get bigger.
We had enjoyed a 37 hour week at Dowty and in one giant sweep of the pen, the company informed every one of the permanent office staff that in fact, the working week would now be 40 hours, and our salaries would remain the same.
An instant 8% pay cut.
Ken Marlton had told me what his salary was before leaving, something that was taboo in our industry, nevertheless, Ken had informed me that he been enticed into the managerial role with a salary 30% higher than we "senior" analysts were earning, all strength to Ken, but details like that along with a fake profit sharing scheme for the grunts added to the overall disgruntlement.
In my three years at Dowty, the yearly salary reviews had been phased out and management had started to display a "like it or lump it" attitude, something I had seen in previous employment, the odd thing about all of it was that management were quite surprised when we started to jump ship.
I was never on the Christmas card list, but my pointed letter of notice certainly placed me on what we ended up calling "the list of Kens" a list that had us permanently added to that bad monkey group in the eyes of a certain few.
A group that would continue to get bigger.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Notice.
Friday, 20th May, 1994
I had a version of Direct Access version 5.0 running on my IBM computer, which was possibly the most underpowered desktop PC in the building, but an absolute treasure for me with its ability to bypass the cumbersome office typing system with Wordperfect and the convenience of the beloved spreadsheet clone "Aseasy 123" that held my mortgage ending logic.
The urgency of the situation seemed to be heightened for some odd reason, and I composed my letter of notice simply at first, but then thinking about it, and I think we all do, I wanted to explain a little more the reasoning behind it all, you know, to get my point across.
Sigh!
In retrospect, for every one of us, making marginally political statements in letters of resignation is such a temptation, but in my great wisdom here as I approach my sixtieth year, I think we should all just move on and keep our reasons to ourselves.
However, in that moment of composing my magical words, I wanted to vent just a little.
I will see if I can dig out my copy of that note and post it here, because I bet parts of it are hilarious.
Anyhoo, as I was typing away, the Chief came up behind me and said something like "I can see that you're busy, but I'd like you to come back to my desk shortly for a meeting regarding your responsibilities on the Global Express work now that Ken Marlton has gone"
Great, Responsibilities, that's music to every permies ears.
I think the letter of resignation was sitting on my screen at the time but apparently the Chief did not see it, I nodded nervously and the meeting was arranged for eleven o'clock.
The race to get my point across was on...
I had a version of Direct Access version 5.0 running on my IBM computer, which was possibly the most underpowered desktop PC in the building, but an absolute treasure for me with its ability to bypass the cumbersome office typing system with Wordperfect and the convenience of the beloved spreadsheet clone "Aseasy 123" that held my mortgage ending logic.
The urgency of the situation seemed to be heightened for some odd reason, and I composed my letter of notice simply at first, but then thinking about it, and I think we all do, I wanted to explain a little more the reasoning behind it all, you know, to get my point across.
Sigh!
In retrospect, for every one of us, making marginally political statements in letters of resignation is such a temptation, but in my great wisdom here as I approach my sixtieth year, I think we should all just move on and keep our reasons to ourselves.
However, in that moment of composing my magical words, I wanted to vent just a little.
I will see if I can dig out my copy of that note and post it here, because I bet parts of it are hilarious.
Anyhoo, as I was typing away, the Chief came up behind me and said something like "I can see that you're busy, but I'd like you to come back to my desk shortly for a meeting regarding your responsibilities on the Global Express work now that Ken Marlton has gone"
Great, Responsibilities, that's music to every permies ears.
I think the letter of resignation was sitting on my screen at the time but apparently the Chief did not see it, I nodded nervously and the meeting was arranged for eleven o'clock.
The race to get my point across was on...
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Phone Call number four.
The first phone call from Larry was to establish if I was willing to return to the Menasco Stress Office, the second from him was a question if I would work offsite for them, and then the third was a request for my resume.
I thought at first it was an odd request, as Larry already knew everything about me, but he explained that he needed it to attach to the purchase order.
I was an official purchase order and that made it all seem real all of a sudden.
Ken Marlton had left on Friday the 13th and we'd all been down to Wongs buffet for lunch, I had a quiet word with Ken as we said goodbye, he was the only one in the office that knew what was happening with me, we both had a quiet chuckle about it.
The fourth phone call was early on Friday the 20th May, and Larry told me that everything was approved and I should give my notice in.
I said I'd give my notice in the following Friday and I immediately sensed that the big grinning Lancashire cat at the other end of the phone changed his demeanour.
"You'll bloody give it in now!"
In that moment, Larry had become my new boss and when he said paint it pink, by golly, I'd be painting whatever it was he wanted a bright shade of pink.
The decision was made and all I had to do was create my polite resignation letter...
I thought at first it was an odd request, as Larry already knew everything about me, but he explained that he needed it to attach to the purchase order.
I was an official purchase order and that made it all seem real all of a sudden.
Ken Marlton had left on Friday the 13th and we'd all been down to Wongs buffet for lunch, I had a quiet word with Ken as we said goodbye, he was the only one in the office that knew what was happening with me, we both had a quiet chuckle about it.
The fourth phone call was early on Friday the 20th May, and Larry told me that everything was approved and I should give my notice in.
I said I'd give my notice in the following Friday and I immediately sensed that the big grinning Lancashire cat at the other end of the phone changed his demeanour.
"You'll bloody give it in now!"
In that moment, Larry had become my new boss and when he said paint it pink, by golly, I'd be painting whatever it was he wanted a bright shade of pink.
The decision was made and all I had to do was create my polite resignation letter...
Long time no chat.
Monday, May 9th. 1994
I could tell the person on the other end of the office phone line was smiling like a Cheshire cat, or should I say a Lancashire cat.
"Hello me old fruit"
It was Larry Abram, the stress office manager at Menasco Aerospace, and we had not exchanged a single word in three years, yet just hearing the old farts voice made me smile.
"A little dicky bird told me that you'd be wanting to come back and do a bit of jobshoppeurism"
I worked out quite quickly that the little dicky bird would have been Ken Marlton, and apparently Larry had phoned him and offered him the job first (yes, the ongoing story of my career) but as Ken had his own plans to leave Dowty he had refused, but told Larry that he thought that young Weldon was pining for the fjords once again.
That's the way I remember it anyways.
It was a short conversation really, Larry wanted me to come back to the fold and be paid "direct" and he assured me that there was plenty of work this time, some issue with the Fokker 100 and a mountain of MRB work to do.
"You don't mind lowering yourself to do a bit of MRB do you?"
I could tell the person on the other end of the office phone line was smiling like a Cheshire cat, or should I say a Lancashire cat.
"Hello me old fruit"
It was Larry Abram, the stress office manager at Menasco Aerospace, and we had not exchanged a single word in three years, yet just hearing the old farts voice made me smile.
"A little dicky bird told me that you'd be wanting to come back and do a bit of jobshoppeurism"
I worked out quite quickly that the little dicky bird would have been Ken Marlton, and apparently Larry had phoned him and offered him the job first (yes, the ongoing story of my career) but as Ken had his own plans to leave Dowty he had refused, but told Larry that he thought that young Weldon was pining for the fjords once again.
That's the way I remember it anyways.
It was a short conversation really, Larry wanted me to come back to the fold and be paid "direct" and he assured me that there was plenty of work this time, some issue with the Fokker 100 and a mountain of MRB work to do.
"You don't mind lowering yourself to do a bit of MRB do you?"
Friday, April 1, 2016
Christmas Card List
Ken Marlton, the permie, was not happy and was being harassed by the other permies and the elder statesman "new" jobshopper Jim Collins. Dave Weldon, the permie, although enjoying winding Ken up, was not happy and was being harassed by his own version of elder statesmen, the jobshoppeurs Dave Rutherford and Pete Clark and after all of it, something had to break.
May 1994.
After all his promises, Ken Marlton saw the light and gave in his notice at Dowty, in that exact moment he was expunged from the Chief's Christmas Card list forever, instantly no longer a friend and was to be sent to a sort of Coventry that fortunately for Ken involved being paid more and paying less tax.
And it saved Barry a stamp.
The knock on effect was that the Global Express landing Gear work had to be done by someone, and apparently, in addition to my already burgeoning responsibilities, that was going to arrive at my doorstep within hours of Ken's submission of renewed jobshopperism.
Apparently.
May 1994.
After all his promises, Ken Marlton saw the light and gave in his notice at Dowty, in that exact moment he was expunged from the Chief's Christmas Card list forever, instantly no longer a friend and was to be sent to a sort of Coventry that fortunately for Ken involved being paid more and paying less tax.
And it saved Barry a stamp.
The knock on effect was that the Global Express landing Gear work had to be done by someone, and apparently, in addition to my already burgeoning responsibilities, that was going to arrive at my doorstep within hours of Ken's submission of renewed jobshopperism.
Apparently.
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