Official Austin COVID-19 thread and discussion. (Howe: wages, airports, rich)

[ATX Wahine]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

When and what did he teach at UT? Maybe I had him .

My folks had a beautiful 'ranchette' (25 acres) out west of Willow City for many years, but alzheimers and age made it untenable and they sold and moved in closer to town. I would love to have been able to buy it from them, but the value had gotten too high and they needed the money .

PM sent!

The folks aren’t too terribly far from Willow City. By God it’s beautiful out there. They are past due for assisted living but they just won’t do it. At least now they are getting some daily assistance. They’ve willed the farm to my husband; it’s a splendid hilltop piece just off 2721. Not sure yet if we’ll ever relocate out there; we love our two acres right here in West Oak Hill.

[m1a1mg]

We are blessed enough to continue to pay our housekeeper through this. She's coming next week for the first time since March.

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by ATX Wahine

PM sent!

The folks aren’t too terribly far from Willow City. By God it’s beautiful out there. They are past due for assisted living but they just won’t do it. At least now they are getting some daily assistance. They’ve willed the farm to my husband; it’s a splendid hilltop piece just off 2721. Not sure yet if we’ll ever relocate out there; we love our two acres right here in West Oak Hill.

Yes, it is beautiful, but also pretty remote. One of their good friends was twice almost killed in car accidents on Hwy 16. High speed limit, very curvy, and deer/vultures thrown in for good measure. Not on the main 'wine route', but still its share of impaired drivers.

From their front yard you could see Enchanted rock in the winter when the leaves were off the trees. The house was on the back of the parcel and the terraced fields fell away to Eckert Rd. They ran sheep and grew hay out there for many years.

[ATX Wahine]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

Yes, it is beautiful, but also pretty remote. One of their good friends was twice almost killed in car accidents on Hwy 16. High speed limit, very curvy, and deer/vultures thrown in for good measure. Not on the main 'wine route', but still its share of impaired drivers.

From their front yard you could see Enchanted rock in the winter when the leaves were off the trees. The house was on the back of the parcel and the terraced fields fell away to Eckert Rd. They ran sheep and grew hay out there for many years.

We took a drive out there last month. About a week after that they had sone strong straight-line winds blow through and do some damage. I’d just kill for a parcel out there. Even with the lookyloo traffic.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

I don't know what the rental prices are down there, but probably not too bad. It is not a terribly 'desirable' area unless you are raising a family, but it does have a student population that probably drives rents up a bit. Caterpillar and a few other big companies are down there. I know some people down there that can hook you up on the social scene details .

I am assuming you are looking at taking 130? There would be tolls, but the speed limit is 85 or somthing.

And you can't talk about Seguin without this!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gIGygRQRyI

Nah those tolls are insane for a one way drive I wouldnt fathom doing that on a weekly commute. Once in awhile when I drive between here and San Antonio I will take the 'long way' to have a bit of fun because it's a blast to drive at that speed but that's about it. Google Maps fortunately shows the fastest route is via I-35 and getting off at Hwy 46 in New Braunsfel and heading south.. so I will probably reserve paying those tolls for when traffic gets bad again.

I got another potential opportunity paying significantly more in Houston as well.. ..that commute will be undoable but it may remain remote.

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by ATX Wahine

Our housekeeper is back today after an absence of two months. She’s wearing a mask and using all bleach products for the first time. Molly Maids was really great about allowing customers to drop service until they were comfortable having them return. It sure hurt these ladies.

We’re hiding out on our back porch while she cleans today out of embarrassment of how messy our house had become. lol.

We dropped our twice monthly maid service for six weeks, and just resumed last week. We had offered to continue paying via the usual auto withdrawal, but the manager wouldn’t take it... until the second month began.
When the four ladies showed up (in masks) last week to clean, we gave each one of them $50 personal tip in an envelope. They still had had some work in March & April, but not much, so we hoped the little cash thanks helped.

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

One of my jobs was to clean homes. It is a nice token of appreciation that some of you paid a bit extra or kept paying, (or tried to) during this pandemic. The money made cleaning homes hardly pays the bills. There is no health insurance and the majority of the money goes to whoever owns the business. Meanwhile the workers are exposed to dangerous chemicals all day long! Cleaning with all bleach products is shortening a life expectancy. That should be done in a haz mat suit but I'm guessing it wasn't. (masks do not help with bleach as it can enter the eyes and it still penetrates the mask to the lungs) There is no "gear" issued...which is another thing because your clothes are ruined from cleaning products. Then there is the usual customer who complains that it isn't "clean" enough. I haven't even touched on what that type of work does to your entire body when you are moving furniture, lifting, physical work all day.

Thankfully I don't have that job any longer and don't have to clean up after someone else's stinkin mess. I've seen enough.
Most of my working career I had a kinship to Boxer and always told myself if only I would "work harder" things will get better. Thankfully either with age or my education or both I'm finally able to let that go. But, I know many workers, especially in Texas, have the same mantra and it gets them no where. Actually it's all over the U.S. in this "service" economy. The service workers are disposable, underpaid and don't have health insurance. But, they're suppose to be "grateful" they have a job. Unbelievable.

[ATX Wahine]

Originally Posted by ScoPro

We dropped our twice monthly maid service for six weeks, and just resumed last week. We had offered to continue paying via the usual auto withdrawal, but the manager wouldn’t take it... until the second month began.
When the four ladies showed up (in masks) last week to clean, we gave each one of them $50 personal tip in an envelope. They still had had some work in March & April, but not much, so we hoped the little cash thanks helped.

I am luxuriating today in a beautifully clean home. It feels awesome. Oh how I missed them!

We go through Molly Maids. Their employees are American and receive good pay plus benefits. I don’t mind paying more for that peace of mind. It’s a hard job.

[Trainwreck20]

Just had our monthly company group meeting (via Skype) and oddly, our March and April financials are well above last year and above plan-projections. We are still waiting for the hammer to come down, but so far, so good.

We do work in the infrastructure sector, which helps, but we do a lot of oil and gas, which doesn't help.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

Just had our monthly company group meeting (via Skype) and oddly, our March and April financials are well above last year and above plan-projections. We are still waiting for the hammer to come down, but so far, so good.

We do work in the infrastructure sector, which helps, but we do a lot of oil and gas, which doesn't help.

Does infrastructure include roadways in this case? And is this like project bidding?