[.:4:.]

Last frday arvo the manager from my old job calls me. Now we are good mates, and were good mates when i worked for that company. So its not unusual for him to call on a friday arvo to catch up on the social level. It wasnt a social call to begin with, he was stressing out about an email sent to him from a site that is no longer a customer about a job i did 4 years ago. Now granted, i dont remember the specifics, but it the email sounded like i was a dodgey bastard. Now after asking me mate to look up my service report. It was apples. Thats the reason i used to be descriptive of the works i did. It made perfect sense, under instruction from building management (the old company, the building has since been sold) xyz, thats your answer. So he put that info in an email and called me back for the social chat. He knows i have no inclination to get back on the tools, but joked about how spastic the current guys on the tools are and said they should employ me as a consultant. And it is retarded.
Now, due to heavy staff turnover at that place, i only know 5 people who still are there since i left and only answer tge phone to 3 of them. 1st is a bloke who finished his apprenticeship under me 5 years ago. He doesnt call me to ask how to do his job. He only calls when he has been looking at something for hours but wants a second opinion. Usually a fresh set of ears, or if he sexts me a picture, a fresh set of eyes, usually its staring him in the face, but frustration at times blinds you. Yep, we've all been there. My last apprentice. I answer the phone to him. He is a fresh tradesman. Really smart an clued on. I never answer his questions directly, I'll point him in the general direction, but being a fresh tradesman he has to learn how to work it out himself. You learn more in your 1st year out of an apprenticeship then the 4 years being an apprentice.
I also answer the phone to my old manager. When its not a social call, its because clients are blowing up about incompetent staff. So that, well, the persons he blows up i dont know, so those staffers, he says ill call you back, 30 second call, i say its this that or the other. He calls the person on site, tells them, takes all the credit, and reminds them that its not his job to tell them how to do theirs.