How Many State Employees . . .

How many state employees does it take to install a cup holder?


Actually, only 2. The guy in the middle is Billy Bryant, Project Manager for NCSU. He handles projects for the Athletics Department.



A little while back, I posted an entry about this year's maintenance project at Carter-Finley Stadium.

At the time, we expected to be pretty much finished last week with the critical items, such as new railing, needed before this year's games. I made facetious comments about how the Athletics Department would be freaking out if they saw construction going on in the week before the opening game.

Well, not so fast with the quips there Joke Boy!

Guess what we were doing today? Yep - another Final Inspection to see if we're good for opening day (Saturday).

Hopefully all the last minute stuff will be done tomorrow (Thursday) and the equipment and crews will be cleaned up and out by Friday.

It's at the point where people aren't even yelling and having fits anymore. We're way beyond that. You just sort of shake your head and laugh a little because there's not much else you can do.

Billy, the guy in the hard hat in the first photo, sports the shaved head look. What little hair he had left he's pulled completely out.

These photos were taken last Thursday.




At this point last week, I was at a loss for words. Still waiting on some railing, last minute concrete patches were still being done, drain leaders not secured, and we were having some unanticipated problems with the anchor rods for the sideline chair seats.

Anyway, last week a Come To Jesus Meeting and Camp Revival was held. People finally saw the Light. Past Sins were Forgiven and Repentance and a Promise to go Forth and do Good was the new Order of the Day.

If not, the Athletics Director was going to make inquiries with the ROTC guys about convening a firing squad.

Today, we're there. Almost. We're really really close. Cross my heart.

BTW - Take a look at the last photo above. There will eventually be protective metal covers fabricated that will cover the anchor rods and nuts. In the meantime, no matter how neatly you cut the excess, there's still going to be burrs and spikes which could snag people and tear skin. Not good.

Billy came up with a temporary fix. In the photos below, the nuts and anchor rods have been covered. Those little caps are 3/4 inch PVC pipe end caps. They're held on with silicon glue. Once the glue sets up (hopefully by Saturday) the caps will be secure but flexible. Allowing future removal for access without being brittle like a solid drying adhesive.

Cleaned out 2 Lowes and 1 Home Depot so far of all 3/4 inch pipe caps. Still about 300 short. By tomorrow, you won't be able find a single end cap in any home improvement store in Raleigh.

LOL

I sure hope the adhesive sets up and cures in time.

Please look down upon us favorably oh ye Gods of Gluedom such that Cletus and Billy-Ray, in their drunkenness, doth not pry off the caps and fling them down upon their fellow Wolfpackers.



There's been close projects before out here. But nothing like this year.

This will never ever happen again.

I don't think people's nerves could handle it.

Trivia

How often is the football field grass cut?

3 times a day. Yep - a day. Morning, mid-day, late afternoon. Continuous cutting promotes a dense root system and creates a close and dense lawn. That field is like a putting green. It really is that nice.