Shifting gears a bit

[BPTactical]

Well life plays you some interesting cards.
Last Monday a buddy of mine from CDOT calls me and tells me that he has a gent I need to call and gives me his #. Now my buddy left CDOT about 2 months before I did and for the same reasons. He works as an outside sales rep for the same company the gent works for. I figure it is for some Smithing work so I give him a call.
Right off the bat he starts asking me about my metal working and machining experience, supervisory experience and related type information. He asks me to come to his place of business and he would like me to look at some work he needs done.
I figure what the hell, why not? A bit of sub contract work might not be a bad thing.
I go to his place of business, a well known truck parts supplier.
We meet and chat for a few, getting along well and he asks me if I would like to see what he needs done. He leads me through a warehouse into their shop area and there is a well equipped machine shop.
But only one machine is running, a fella older than dirt is whittling away at a hydraulic cylinder.
I notice a pile of cylinders on a pallet and he makes the statement he quoted the job a week and it is sitting at a month plus right now.
I make the statement that his shop is costing him money, customers and product on the floor that is not going out the door makes the shop a liability and not an asset.
He looks at me, smiles and says "You get it".
He asks me again about my prior machine shop experience and repair/fabrication experience. I worked in a job shop for quite a while, repairing/fabricating anything that came through the door. I also told him that was at least 25 years ago. He then asks me again about what supervisory experience I have had and I explain my CDOT years and a couple of other shops where I had been a lead worker on a truck line building bucket and dump trucks.
He looks at me for a minute and then says "How does XX.00 an hour sound to start? I need somebody that knows their way around machines and a a shop environment. I need somebody to manage and run this shop that has his head on straight and can get the product out the door."
I am floored.
I take a minute and tell him about my business out of the house and that I am not about to give it up. He tells me no problem and he knows about my Smithing business, he did some homework on me. If I need part time he is willing to do it but he would really like me full time. He then tells me he is willing to give me a day here and there if the Smithing business needs it.

I start the 9th.

Effective June 9th we will be rolling back the Gunsmithing business to the old schedule, after 4 pm during the week.

Yup, sometimes the cards that are laid on the table turn into a good hand.
Depending on OT and bonuses I should be able to top my best year at CDOT by about $20k.