Life as an automotive student and apprentice: Vol. 2

Month number 2 of wrenching for Lexus passed by like the air from a freshly punctured tire.
As I continue my quest towards technical savvy I realize that there are a lot of challenges and rewards in store for me. There are a few milestones I reached recently that I'd like to share...

Certifications and Recognition:
I was recently recognized with a "Circle of Excellence" award at UTI for my efforts with the student council to improve professionalism standards amongst the student body and for my contribution to founding the Student Mentoring Program, which is designed to help incoming students acclimate to their new surroundings and get their education off to a good start.
It was a pleasant surprise to receive this award and has been an encouragement to keep working on these student oriented initiatives.

I passed my first ASE test! ASE, an acronym for Automotive Service Excellence, is an organization that sets the stringent technical standards for professional automotive technicians to follow and maintain their education and certifications. Although not legally required, becoming an ASE certified technician is a requirement of most employers in the industry and is a testament of a technician's knowledge of their craft and dedication to quality service.
I have earned a certification from ASE in Automotive Engine Repair and am planning to take 3 more tests during the spring testing session. It is my goal to earn the 8 required certifications to become a an ASE Master Technician within 3 years. 1 down, 7 to go!

Life as an Apprentice:
About 3 weeks ago, I was working my full Saturday shift (which is the only shift where I work on my own without my mentor) and for the first time I "beat flat rate" for the day on my own. Flat rate is how we techs measure time on a daily basis. Each procedure has an assigned amount of time estimated to complete the task (determined by the manufacturers and industry professionals). Every hour is split up into ten pieces, six minutes each and every procedure performed on the vehicle is worth so many tenths of an hour.
For example, an oil change may be worth 4 tenths of an hour (24 minutes), or .4... When I do the work, I record my time on the work order and that time is then credited to me in the computer. In order to be considered efficient, I need to book at least the amount of time I was on the clock (i.e. If I punch in for 8 hours, I need to produce a cumulative 8 hours worth of tasks for that day). As an apprentice, I am not expected to meet the flat rate or, "book time", because I am still learning and things take me longer than the experienced guys. I am, however expected to work at it because when my apprenticeship ends, my daily flat rate will determine my wages. So, being a new technician still early in my apprenticeship, it was a good feeling to book 9.6 hours when I worked for 8.5 with no comebacks.

Another realization that I am making (although not totally unaware of this before I started my apprenticeship) is the amount of tools I will need to do my job. I have a tool chest that boasts an impressive 23,631 cubic inches of space and a 2,400 pound load capacity full of tools. This chest is 4'6" long, 2' deep and 3'4" tall with the space split into 11 drawers. It is literally about 2/3rd's the size of my last car (VW Jetta). I keep it obsessively organized which may eat a little more space, but it is the only way to be efficient while working. I have a solid foundation of all of the basic wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, hammers, electrical tools and a collection of sockets that makes a lot of techs jealous. I have the essential air tools and I have begun a respectable collection of specialty automotive tools. This box is almost full already and I just bought it last winter. On top of that, I have a small collection of tools at home in another tool chest/cabinet combo (considerably smaller than my work box) that I use for personal projects. To put all of this in perspective, consider the hard numbers: I have approximately $10,000 to $12,000 worth of tools (not including the actual storage chests which are valued at an additional $5,000) and I have a list of diagnostic tools and other specialty items I still need that is easily another $6,000 and is most assuredly not the last of what I'll be purchasing throughout my career.
Don't get me wrong, I am certainly not complaining. I feel that these tools are a good investment and really are the vehicle with which I earn my income. I just didn't realize how many specific specialty tools there are. It really is impressive and helps me understand why, as cars evolve and require more training and tools to repair, it becomes increasingly expensive to maintain and repair a vehicle. (See below for a sampling of my growing tool collection)



On the school front:
I am beginning to feel a twinge of excitement as graduation slowly approaches. The proverbial light is beginning to illuminate the end of the tunnel and I have a hard time not counting down the days until I take that last test, a short walk across the stage and enjoy a serious helping of "I did it-ness" as I accept my diploma from our Campus President. In 5 months (or 7 three week course cycles) I'll be tossing my square hat into the air, neatly stacking my last textbook on the shelf along side the other 25 and heading into the shop full-time armed with of a host of certifications from UTI, Toyota, and ASE.

As my series on life a s a student and apprentice continues, I welcome your comments and thoughts. Being a musician at heart, I always take requests so, if there's a specific topic you'd like to hear about, let me know I'll do my best to weigh in on the subject in an upcoming addition to the ol' blog.

Thank you for your continued support throughout this crazy journey.

A first time for everything....

It was a typical Monday morning which, for those you who know me well enough, means I was in a coma-like state as I ambled into the shop for another long week of work followed by school, rinse and repeat.
I unlocked my toolbox, put away my keys and sunglasses in exchange for my trusty pen (always in my left breast pocket) and my safety glasses (propped stylishly on my head). I stood there and stared for a minute thinking about what projects I had already started last week and how to best prioritize my tasks for the day. This process usually sucks up the first 8 to 12 minutes of my Monday morning by the time I meander back to the coffee pot and prepare my first cup of fuel (appropriately dubbed by yours truly because of its strong taste and quick results). I am not exactly a morning person and I really hate Monday so the guys in the shop just steer clear of me until around 9:30, but not today. My co-worker Mike, who is big on intelligence but not so much in stature, makes his way to my box about 7:45. Fully aware of the risk he is taking that early in the morning, I knew something was up so I looked at him as pleasantly as possible and asked him, "What's up Mikey?" He smiled and replied loudly, "Good mornin'! How are you?" with his slight southern drawl from the Hoosier state. He has this little grin that most of the time people find generally endearing, but at 7:45 on Monday morning, I just wanted to put a brown paper bag over his head. To his credit, he does lighten up my day most of the time so I kept the bag in my toolbox for another day.
I gave him my typical morning reply, "Well, I'm here, that's good right?" This is where it gets interesting... Where he would normally chuckle and ask me about my weekend, his little grin faded and he looked around to make sure no one saw us talking. In a quiet, subdued voice he says, "Did you here?" to which I replied, "No man, I just got here about 25 minutes ago and no one has talked to me yet." He leans in and says, "They're layin' off again. I reckon they let a few go already this mornin' and they're aimin' to cut more loose."
As he's speaking, I immediately start thinking about the "debate" I had with my boss about 3 weeks prior about the company's broken promises of fair pay. Yeah, the "debate" that I lost which also alienated my boss and I from each other.
I looked at little Mikey and said,"Well shit. It's been nice workin' with ya then.... the boss is probably looking for a reason to dump me off" to which Mike replied with some words of encouragement about how I survived the lay-offs last winter and the company can't afford to let me go and blah, blah, blah. Call it intuition, a gut feeling, the force, whatever... I knew my number was about to be up.
So, I slammed the cup of fuel and decided to just start working and hope for the best. As I worked on my machine, I thought about the interview I was supposed to have last Friday (post-debate job searching) that didn't turn out so well. "Maybe I shouldn't have told that guy off" I thought to myself, but trust me, he had it coming (which is a story for another day). I thought about how graduation is getting so close and I just need to make this job work for 7 more months.
Around 11:30 my Supervisor Dave walked over to me and said, "The boss is lookin' for you. He's in the conference room." I looked up at him, chuckled and winked at Mike as I walked by and said, "I told you so."
By 11:45, I was out of the meeting and saying goodbye to some of the guys that I had built a rapport with in the past year. They were all real supportive and upset offering me references if I needed them. I shook more hands than a priest on Sunday. I locked up my tool box, told the boss I'd have to rent a truck and come back for it and ambled back to the car in a similar fashion to which I had came in that morning, but this time I was more disappointed and a bit surprised. This was the first time I had ever been asked to leave a job.
I took the next two weeks off of school to focus on finding another job as quickly as I possibly could. I had a few calls from headhunters, I sent out my resume to a few places but it's tough to get a part-time gig in the packaging equipment industry.
I called a member of my new family in Iowa, Don who is a Lexus Master Technician in the Des Moines area. He and I had met at my Mom's wedding this summer and talked for hours about cars, the industry and all of the boring shop talk that only my lovely fiancee had the patience to endure. He told me to call him when I was looking for work and he'd try to help me out.
I called in Don's favor and help me he did!
Don sent out an e-mail to a handful of local area Toyota/Scion/Lexus dealers here in Chicago and I got a call the next morning from the service manager of McGrath Lexus in downtown Chicago. "Come in Saturday and we'll talk".
The next day, my old boss called... "Hey John, I don't know if you've found anything yet but, if you haven't, business has really picked up and we'd like you to come back." I paused for about 1.5 milliseconds and said, "I'll have to get back to you. I'm interviewing with Lexus tomorrow."
Damn that felt good. Let him rot over the weekend and then turn him down.
So, after a 15 minute sit-down with the Service Manager at Lexus, all I have to do is pass a background check and a whiz quiz and I'll be wearing a Lexus uniform.

With a large thanks to Don, I am glad this story has a continuation and not an ending.

Check back in as I revive my blog, once again, and write about the adventures of student life and becoming an auto tech.

From the knee of John Harley...

It was a beautiful Saturday. After a nice morning of sleeping in and a late breakfast, Erica and I decided to run a few errands before we hit the beach. "Let's go open my TCF account" she said, in anticipation of incoming paychecks from her new jobs. We hopped in the car towards the bank.
On the way we stumbled across an art fair that spanned for blocks, full of all kinds of booths and food carts. We decided to take a quick look after taking care of business at the bank.
We walked for a couple of hours, laughing, looking, eating overpriced fair food and holding hands. I bought Erica this really cool dress that looks amazing on her (I love how she looks beautiful to me in so many ways every day). The band up the street caught our ears from a few blocks down. It was this crazy string/rock fusion and they were excellent! We danced and clapped as we talked about how cool it would be if they played at our wedding someday... of course I hadn't proposed yet, but it was a fun topic for conversation.
When leaving the fair we were getting hungry so we decided to go one of the local restaurants down the street and grab a bite and a drink. It was a beautiful evening on the patio of Leona's. We talked about the day over a candlelight dinner and decided to go for a walk on the beach after dinner....
The moon was a giant yellow ball resting heavily on the horizon of the lake leaving a trail to the edge of the Earth. The lake, as smooth as glass. To add some intensity to the serenity, lightning was illuminating pink clouds miles off to the West.
And then she gave me the cue I was looking for.... "This reminds me of Hawaii".
Backstory: It was my hope to take Erica to the ocean and propose, but I knew she would see that coming and, we're college students... Need I say more?
When I heard that I grabbed the ring that I had been nervously carrying in my pocket since we left for dinner, dropped to one knee as I spun her to face me and as she began to giggle and utter expressions of nervous disbelief, I asked her to be my wife. She asked me to repeat my request so she could hear me ask without her reactions drowning out my voice. I asked her again and she said "Yes" with a kiss and a smile.

It was the best night of my life (so far... the wedding is coming up) and I thought you all might like to share.

A Bittersweet Goobye

I wrote this before moving to Chicago last summer and thought I would post it here as I watch, for the first time since 2001, the beginning of the motorcycle season without a ride of my own.

A few months ago, upon the wonderful decision to move to Chicago and pursue an education, I started thinking about selling my Harley as a way to help pay for school, rent and the general costs of living. Family and friends told me not to, they told me I was crazy for even thinking it. So, I held off on the idea. I mean, come on, I love my bike... what am I thinking? Right?

As the big move drew near, the thoughts of sharing a place with my lovely Erica and her sister Heather, attending college again and living in a new city were all making my heart go pitter-pat. (Seriously, I can't think of a time when I've been more excited than I am about this!) Along with that also came the practical side of Yours Truly thinking about a job, bills and all of that fun junk. I was trying to think of ways I could save some extra cash to keep out of pocket expenses down, which would also increase the number of hours spent doing homework or taking in the glorious city of Chicago instead of working, so the idea started creeping up again and I gave it some more thought. This time, I didn't tell everybody right away so I couldn't get talked out of it before I could make my own decision. This bike could pay the rent for a year or more, give a little cushion in case of emergency.... from that perspective, it didn't sound so crazy. The thought of going to school full-time and working a more comfortable part-time schedule sounded pretty good. Not only that, where would I keep it? No garage = No Harley... It seemed like a waste to have this beautiful machine sitting in storage, collecting dust and carbon build-up instead of being ridden. It was meant for the open road, for speed and style with a rumble un-matched by any other machine or living creature. I hate seeing a sweet bike or classic car that the owner won't ride because it's worth a lot, it's rare or worse yet, they just "don't have time". The builder made it to run, and that's what it should do.

Along with the afore mentioned practicalities, I had other things to consider.
Not too long ago, a friend of my family and his wife were nearly killed in a motorcycle accident. Fortunately, they survived, but their bodies will never be the same. News of the accident shocked my family and I, and really got me thinking about all of the close calls I've had. Damn! There's been more than I'm comfortable admitting. I reflected back to countless news stories and personal accounts from other riders of fatal or life-changing accidents that I've heard about. I started thinking about my future, my goals and dreams and decided that I really want to be alive to make them happen. I'm not saying I will die if I keep riding, but, I definitely increase my chances every time I hit the road on two wheels. I quit smoking for the same reason (bye the way).

After much deliberation, I decided to hang up my chaps, at least for now, and focus on my family, school and the wonderful future that is un-ravelling in front of me.

So, today it finally happened. I watched my bike, MY Harley, roll down the street in the back of a pick-up truck and out of my life, leaving me with a wad a cash and a million wonderful memories. I know it was the right thing to do, but sometimes saying goodbye is tough, even when it is right.

I'd like to thank my Harley for always being there for me, for making me feel good when I was down and for making one of my childhood dreams come true. I will miss you, 1998 Harley-Davidson FXSTC Softail Custom, but I will never forget you. Thank you for your contribution to my future, and for being an amazing part of my past. I will always appreciate you.

I haven't forgotten you....

It's been too long since the last time we were together. Life has taken a lot of twists and turns, time has been running as if it were scared by something but, amidst the craziness of life, I've been thinking about you more and more lately. I have been approached by a few people recently with an opportunity for us to be together again and I'm not sure what to do. I was hoping that writing to you may help me decide what happens next for you and I. I remember when we spent hours together every day creating some of the best memories I'll ever have. I've been feeling guilty for leaving you behind, but honestly you would hate it here. I know, we would be together here but we would never be able to spend any time together and that would be hard for both of us. I know you're safe and warm now, and I want you know that I'm coming back to you.

I remember the first time I saw you... I was only ten years old and you were one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. You were hiding in the basement, just waiting for me to find you sitting there waiting for me. I did a double take and actually jumped as I rushed towards you. I was so excited that all I could do was smile as I started hitting you uncontrollably. I continued the beatings every day and we both knew it was meant to be.

As we grew closer, I bought you little gifts to make you look more beautiful and to let everyone know you were mine. A new cymbal, that double kick pedal you'd been asking for and don't forget when I bought that new rack (you know, that one we planned on using together on the road). Yeah, we've really had some good times together. I've laughed and cried with you, taken you on many travelling adventures, spent countless days in the studio with you...

Well, I guess what I'm trying to say to you Tama Rockstar DX, Zildjian K/Z Series cymbals, Tama Iron Cobra Pedals, Roc-N-Soc Throne and Vic Firth sticks is that no matter what happens next, you are still in my heart and I haven't forgotten you.

Becoming a Master: The beginnings of a Chicago adventure

So there we were, Erica and I sitting at our favorite table at Figlio (one of Uptown Minneapolis' finest establishments) and it was about time that we stopped flirting around with these notions of returning to student life and started making decisions. We had both done our homework and knew more about our respective schools than most of the professors probably did. Erica was debating about applying at Columbia University in New York, University of Oregon in Eugene or Columbia College in Chicago. She was ready for her Master's degree and the time was at hand. She'd been writing for the Sun Current for 5 years, and she had the respect and street cred to prove it. Any school would benefit from having her amongst the ranks.

I wasn't trying to decide if I wanted to go to school again, but which program and what city did I want to be in?... Those were the issues at hand. I had initially chosen a Harley-Davidson technician program, but I was not all too happy about living amongst the sea of Depends and rental cars in Orlando for 2 years. I love motorcycles and the thought of living in a place where I could ride year-round was awfully tempting, but ultimately not enough to lure me into moving there. I didn't want to ruin my passion by making it a job and I didn't want to worry about living in the frozen tundra trying to keep a job working on motorcycles. And, last but not least, here is this amazing woman that I'm starting to fall in love with.... no education is worth losing the greatest opportunity a man could ever ask for. (I always seem to complicate things for myself, but this was fate and I knew it!)

Meanwhile, Heather (Erica's sister) had decided to apply at Columbia College, Chicago for her shot at a Master's in photography. So, inspired by Heather's bravery and resolve, Erica decided to take a crack at Columbia too.... how sweet would it be to go to college with your sister right?
Simultaneously, I am taking all of this into consideration and find out that the school in Florida has a campus in the suburbs of Chicago. The program is automotive and I felt like I would be better off working on cars in Minnesota that bikes, and I really have loved cars ever since I learned what a wrench was as a little tyke in my Grandpa's garage.
And that's how the adventure began....

As it came out over the next few months that we had a ll been accepted and would be moving to Chicago together, our family and friends were all so proud and excited for us. None of us had ever lived away from Minnesota before and what a great city to spread our wings in! Chicago would be the home of life's next chapter.

With moving day drawing near, we decided to take a road trip to the 2nd city to find an apartment. We found a great place 2 blocks off of the beach on Lake Michigan and less than a block from the Red Line train to downtown. As soon as we saw it, we knew the search was over... and we only looked for a day. Amongst the excitement and laughter and ambitious chatting about our new digs, we realized that we were all going to be earning a "Master's" title. Heather and Erica would be earning earning their Master's degree and I would be working towards a Master ASE certification and hopefully a manufacturer specialty as well. That was the dawn of "The Masters".

It seemed like only minutes later and we had moved in and started school. The hustle and bustle of student life is now coming at us head on. Mac N' Cheese is back on the menu, late nights doing homework and loading the car with laundry whenever we head home.... we are officially students again.

Currently, Erica and Heather are nearing the end of their first semester and are both kicking the proverbial ass of the collegiate world. I have a 4.0 and am just happy to be working towards a career that I will enjoy every day.

So far so good here in the Windy City. Pleased stay tuned as more tales of this fair city come your way from here at Masters HQ in the beautiful Rogers Park, Chicago, IL.