I’ve been disabled these last 6 or 7 years but carry everywhere, everyday. recently my brother got me a part time job in a doctors office as drug screener. Doc doesn’t care about TCH only other prescription drugs and the harder street drugs. The person whom I replaced wanted to open a prescription center next to the doctor’s office and prepaid for internet installation.
Te guy I replaced has since left but didn’t cancel the install. My brother was talking to the installers in the back and I was processing a urine sample. We live in a Constitutionally Carry state and I heard voices getting loud. My first thought was for the ladies up front and headed that way. Nice and quiet
I turned around heading to the back where my brother was. As I get there, my brother and the installers, 3 of them, were coming my way. The installers thought they were going to miss a days pay and was letting their anger out on my brother. It was handled by letting them install but not turn anything on. Not sure how far it would’ve escalated but I learned or had it reinforced to be watchful of service installers.
Anyone unknown in my home doing any type of work, is normally distracted by my wife while I stand guard with my eyes on the prize and my hand on the grip in a relaxed manner.
There are ways to make contractors complete their work faster. Keep the conversation on them, their family life, number of kids, what kind of pets they own, what credit cards they use, pet names for their wife, what they eat on Sunday. If they get chatty, delve deeper. How long you been at your current job, what’s your social security number, what’s your bank PIN number, how many guns do you own ( that’s a show stopper) works every time. It also keeps them from up selling, they just want to finish and get out!
From fixing a leaky toilet to laying tile in a kitchen, see how quickly they concentrate on the job when you get personal! Make them feel uncomfortable while making them feel comfortable! Use when necessary!
Friendly psychos can turn on a dime. Don’t turn your back, sorta the same way you would treat a radical leftist liberal.
Ted Bundy was the nicest guy you’ll ever meet until you meet him. Every stranger that works in my home is considered a Ted Bundy. ( if you think about it, all the freed prisoners and creeps let free by idiot prosecutors need a job, when no one else wants to work. Great way to survey a home! )
Every home should have a TBR ( Ted Bundy Rule ). Be polite, be professional but always have a plan! Never ever let them out of your sight don’t be distracted and always check and re check all doors/windows, gates/garage doors and lock them, as they leave. Complete a threat assessment around your home, sleep tight! There are too many people out there willing to take advantage of the pre-elderly or those they think are incapable of protecting themselves!
Long story short, I once caught a contractor at day’s end unlocking one of my exterior doors, total conjecture on my part, but no stupid mistakes at my castle.
The old person-in-your-home unlocking a door or window is one scenario where I am glad to have an alarm with sensors on all the doors and windows, sensors that send an SOS out immediately if they are tampered with. Even if one could get out of sight and unlock something, when the alarm is set, those sensors are still going to be in play.
I find it impossible to always keep an eye on anybody in the home. We had our basement finished recently, I would have had to practically be unemployed and make it my full time job to don a dust mask and sit down there ~8 hours or whatever a day, for weeks on end. Plumbing, electrical, drywall, drywall, drywall, paint, all the carpentry work, flooring, electrical again, plumbing again, paint…
I work in the “trades” as a Project Manager. I roll into all kinds of houses and meet all kinds of folks. Some keep us in our assigned work areas under a watchful eye while others leave us a lock box. I have a video of one of my “former” employees who thought that a lock box meant the homeowners didn’t care. I use it as a training aid for my new employees as well as for semi-annual refresher training. Since we are a “program” company, the insurance companies have very strict rules as to conduct and dress in and around the house as well as WHO we can hire and how often we must test for drugs. This fool thought he could go in the back yard and light up a blunt. I have another of another former employee staring into his phone for 2.75 HOURS straight. I have a simple rule for my guys, “There is nothing in that house worth your job or worth us loosing our preferred program status, don’t make me choose. Always assume that the home owner is watching, because as soon as you don’t, they are. They can also HEAR you so watch your mouth.” I have good guys and I don’t worry much but I like to keep that edge sharp more so than any other, times have been tough lately.
The worst one “for me” was a widow’s house. We had to pack out her entire first floor due to water and mold damage (long story) I recovered 27 pistols all loaded and all rusted (most beyond repair) including some used to be very expensive ones. She had no clue they were there or what they would have been worth. The pair of sequential 6" Colt Pythons almost killed me, they were both orange and fuzzy from rust.
Not all contractors are malcontents but some do bear watching.
Cheers,
Craig6
That’s what retirement is all about, nothing but time. DON’T retire.
I’m loving retirement. Key is fitness and keeping busy, imo. Doing projects myself has kept me busy, and no issue with the contractor 
Got to thank Brandon for getting me out of the rat race early. Let’s go Brandon!
Other people think you have nothing to do and they try to tell you do this and that, and I say I’ll do it Tomorrow so I’ll have something to do. For me there’s not enough time in the day. I know people that are lost once they retire or, gee this and that. ( i’m lost too but don’t want to be found ) catch me if you can.
** PS: it took me a while to get use to retirement cause I pride myself I what I could accomplish, Took pride in my work, wanted to make more money to spend more money ( oh boy I did ). Now I look back and think how the hell I did all the things I did. I also think I blinked my eye and where did the time go. One more blink
and we will be dust, enjoy it while your can ( in your own way )
NOT THE END**
Yup. Today was sweep the chimney, new gasket on the stove, cut and split wood, fix a deck chair, and now a walk. Looks like I’ll be pointing the chimney once it warms up as well…and a few other household jobs as well, staining some of the exterior might be a good idea.
Nice having the time to do things right instead of just quick…
Young blood, go get um.
Stay safe
had a heating and air person pull some stuff on me… there is a warning on the heat sensor for the pilot that you are NOT to touch it… seems the oil from your skin causes it to fail early… saw him wipe his finger on it just before install… failed in less then a year… and they usually last a lot longer… oh… and if you do touch it use rubbing alcohol to clean it BEFORE installing…
I am a Satellites TV Technician, i am in peoples homes all day, working inside and out.
I see the signs of people who likely have firearms and on occasion, they have them left out like a handgun on the nightstand they forgot to put away.
I usually just compliment them on their firearm or somthing as a hint, strike up a conversation while working, etc…
Some of my best customers are those who own firearms…
Unfortunately company policy states we can’t carry on the job and since i have a company vehicle, cant leave it in the vehicle.
I’m in a similar situation. I’m working on a federal installation right now, so I can’t even have a pocket knife with a blade longer than 2.5" 
let alone a firearm
Same with my wife. She works on an Army Depot and they don’t allow anything. I was in the Army, hated every second of it. It was good to me after I got out with the college money and home loan.
I work in Navy shipyards. Knives are not a problem as long as they are follow state knife laws.