Chapter 1

"I don't remember if it was in the fall of '78 or the spring of '79. Well, I do, but I've always wanted to start off a story that way. I'm old enough to talk like this, but I DO remember! So, here goes...

These are memories of my 45 years working in the Electric Power Field. Mostly as an Electric Journeyman Lineman climbing and building power lines across America. Traveling Linemen were called "Tramps". Many of my expressions, terms, tool names and actions are used only in the Lineman Trade. I will try to explain them as I go and try not to interrupt the stories. (Which, by the way, are mostly true) If any are not understandable to you, please Email me with the Link at the bottom and I will try to explain what I'm talking about. Deal???

In the fall 1977 I took a job offer at a Junior College in northwest Iowa. I had been working in the Oklahoma Panhandle but life there was getting a little sideways so I was ready for a move. Actually my father had found this job posting and encouraged me to try teaching. With 17 years in the Lineman Trade, I thought it would be a piece of cake! But after about 10 minutes of giving my introduction to the class, I had ran out of stories. Time to hit the books again!

At that time the Junior Colleges Lineman Apprentice Program was in a turmoil. The original 2 Instructors that had built this Program was holding out for money and had quit. I was hired as well as another old Tramp originally from New Mexico. He had lots of stories and had kept photo albums which helped him a lot. Whenever a Student would call "bullshit" to one of his stories, he had photos to show of his story. He lasted about 4 months and I lasted about 6 months which got me through the harsh Iowa winter staying warm mostly inside a classroom.

But I did spring a few surprise tests on the students. I drew up 3 transformers and said to draw in how to wire these 3 to get secondary voltages of 120/240 volts and also 120/208 volts all at once. I left a space at the bottom labeled COMMENTS. I said "Take these tests home and turn them in tomorrow." I found out later that they grouped up, ate pizza, drank beer and tried to work out the answer.

The next day they handed them in and started asking for the answer(s). I said I would grade them and let them know. At the end of the day I told them that everyone failed the test except for one student. Boy, were they upset! I told them that the passing student had written the comment "There is no frikkin' way that this will ever work!"

They said "Why would you give us a test that we would fail on and get a failing grade?" I said the lesson here is that just because someone demands something does not mean that you have to do it. You will have your life in your hands and the lives of others to protect. I said that this test would not go on their grades and they were OK with that. But they had a great discussion going on about what I did to them. And they carefully watched all other tests I made up to give them after that.

The Teacher's pay was a lot lower than what I was used to and getting paid monthly (instead of weekly) really sucks big ones! In the spring of 1978 I found a job in Des Moines, Iowa working on underground (UG) electrical installations for new housing tracts. I've always hated UG work, but when you're hungry you grab what's available. 40 hours a week was enough while working in the muddy housing tracts. I would check with the Union Hall every week waiting for a "Big Job" to break open.

Well, a "Big Job" finally broke and I was very happy. A 345,000 volt steel tower electric transmission line (345 kV) line was going to be built from Winterset, IA to Omaha, NE. Man, was I happy! Usually lots of hours per week and overtime would be in abundance. I had my old Chevy pickup with a camper shell on the back with a bed built in and I was ready to "Tramp" so more. I was one of the 1st Tramps to clear out of the Hall for this job. It didn't take me long to "drag up" from the muddy housing tract job!

As Winterset was less than 1 hour from Des Moines, I went there to check out places to stay. Winterset is about 5,000 population so I figured I would sleep in my camper some nights while there and just commute when I was working less hours or we got rained out. It was easy to spot the equipment already moved there, the "Show Up" gas station and the "Rain Out" bar as there was only one bar in town of any size. It was raining there, so naturally I went to the bar. I ran into 3 Operators that were moving the equipment from Topeka, KS to the job location. We spent way too much time in there talking about the Tramps we knew and before long it was dark outside. So I decided to just sleep inside my pickup camper shell.