06-1998-1994

I was naïve enough to believe I would be in that area for a long time because there was 10 Nuclear plant within a 100-mile radius of where I was living, but that wasn't to be.

As soon as my work was done at Limerick Nuclear Generation Station was called back to San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station with a promotion to grade 28 management level in a project manager position for the maintenance contract. The assignment was for five years, which was a long time for me. That was the longest assignment I had during my entire career in construction. James was long gone by then and I do not know where he went or what he was doing, but when he needed help, he was there. Once I learned I was going back to San Onofre, Chris got hold of Scott to help her with the animals and it worked out well because it took a year for her to sell the place. That's when I had a goat named Ted that was into everything. Once Chris sold the place, I flew back and hauled the animals back to California and boarded them until I found a two-acre place in Valley Center, CA. 

I built two metal barns and a riding arena and did a lot of tractor work with retaining walls, including a septic leach field repair during the process. They furnished me a car to drive back and forth to San Onofre, along with the assignment I had to work with the labor relations representative Regie Phelps and the business managers for the various unions in the San Diego area. Some perks came along with it, such as dinners and golf outings at the expense of Bechtel.   

James showed up, and I got him a job with the boilermakers union initially and put him to work. I didn't think he would pass all the tests they put you through to work on a nuclear plant, but he did. Later, he joined the pipe fitters union and work under my general foreman (Bill Menne) who ran the pipe fitters for me. James did well after joining the pipe fitters and eventually wound up as a pipe liner with his truck, all customized for the job. Pipeline work is a tough business, and he did very well at it.