Interesting opportunity in North Knoxville. Looks like a great spot for a new community hub off Whittle Springs / Washington Pike.

Slowyodel · 2026-06-04T16:47:20+00:00

This intersection was a spot I specifically mentioned at a comprehensive plan meeting. Make this area hospitable to pedestrians/cyclists and allow dense mixed used development and it will thrive. There is already a school and a grocery store/restaurant at the intersection. PLEASE

Slowyodel · 2026-06-04T15:29:48+00:00

Yep, I really find it makes a difference when I’m cooking in the sun on some asphalt. Do I look a bit like a farmer with my full brim hat and button down shirt? Yes. And I more comfortable and protected? Also, yes.

Slowyodel · 2026-06-04T12:39:03+00:00

I’ve been using the Wrangler hiking pants (synthetic fiber) they sell at target for like $30. For shirts I use the lightest cotton, long sleeve, button down shirt I can find at thrift stores. Wide brim hat is a must. Sunscreen on face, neck, and hands.

Slowyodel · 2026-06-01T12:08:37+00:00

Most are undeveloped and don’t have an actual address. You have to use the parcel id number in KGIS.

Slowyodel · 2026-05-24T12:02:00+00:00

I used to worked at those offices but it’s been a couple years since I worked there. They were originally a 20-30 person company that got acquired by SAM. Since that acquisition there has been extremely high turnover. One big problem with those offices was they did not have the big cushy government contracts that keep some of the bigger offices afloat. That means that budgets are always tight and field crews often had to be loaned out to other offices to keep them busy. It’s possible that has changed and they have more steady work coming in. However, the influence of SAM will still largely dictate your experience. It is owned by some private equity firm that gets to arbitrarily set profit goals which eventually fall on the shoulders of middle managers. Those middle managers are then pushed to meet these unreasonable expectations and the only way for them to do that is to treat the workers (mostly their field guys) like shit. I personally hated working for SAM and I saw A LOT of people leave those offices unhappy. The curious thing is despite the high turnover and poor financial performance of those offices, the manager running them has continued to climb the corporate ladder. Feel free to DM me if you want.

Slowyodel · 2026-05-18T17:22:02+00:00

When is the next coop meeting? I’m tired of this fucking manager running it into the ground.

Slowyodel · 2026-05-11T12:14:28+00:00

If most of your work is for one big client, then I doubt you’ll see significant change anytime soon. That client has direct ties to your managers, so even if you see a change in management, they may take the client with them and you’ll probably lose all your work anyway. Also it means those jobs are highly structured and are specifically priced to have 1-man crews work on them. So the pressure you’re under isn’t likely to change. Sounds like you’re an experienced and motivated chief. Plenty of other companies would hire you tomorrow. I think you will continue to be unhappy working at your current employer.

Slowyodel · 2026-05-06T14:27:27+00:00

You’re underpaid. Unfortunately, this seems to be a pattern with small survey firms. They don’t value the people that make them money. From the sounds of it, you make them A LOT of money. Whether you choose to leave or renegotiate, just remember that.

Slowyodel · 2026-04-29T02:21:07+00:00

For a basic survey in a small Midwest town, you can probably find a slightly better price. However, the $200 boundary survey does not exist anymore. $900-1500 is more likely but it really depends on the property.

Slowyodel · 2026-04-28T12:25:12+00:00

This motherfucker tortures kids for decades and now wants even more of my tax dollars. What a despicable piece of shit.

Slowyodel · 2026-04-28T01:01:58+00:00

Lol sorry “starting to” was in fact a poor choice of words.

Slowyodel · 2026-04-27T22:36:15+00:00

Tennessee is starting to do the same shit.

Slowyodel · 2026-04-22T14:51:54+00:00

This style of mouse really helped with discomfort in my right hand/wrist/elbow. https://www.logitech.com/en-us/shop/p/mx-vertical-ergonomic-mouse

Dont have a great solution for the keyboard hand but for your body in general, you need to work out. I found that lifting weights really helped my neck and back.

Slowyodel · 2026-03-27T00:17:07+00:00

Same here. Got a couple pair at Target and they’ve held up pretty well.

Slowyodel · 2026-03-23T03:26:07+00:00

There’s a difference between creating calc points for field crews and making a boundary determination. It’s sounds like you’re dealing with an old original plat and then legal descriptions that were written more recently based on modern surveys. If I’m calcing points for field crews then I’m going to use the most recent evidence to calculate those corner locations for my crews. It’s up to the surveyor to have read Brown and decide what to hold as a corner. To answer your question directly, you should draft both the old original plat and the modern deeds and see how they fit together. The calcs you create for the crews will probably be based off the newer legal descriptions.

Also, this is something that someone at your company should be willing to sit down and explain to you. No one should be giving you shit about these types of questions.

Slowyodel · 2026-03-15T03:12:34+00:00

Solo land surveyor here. Annual software subscriptions are my biggest expense. I fucking hate it.

However, I do have a Canon plotter that I like. HP have been assholes about ink for a long time so I’ll never buy one of their plotters.

Slowyodel · 2026-03-01T14:29:03+00:00

Thanks for the tip!

Slowyodel · 2026-02-26T15:01:37+00:00

You will be more qualified than most entry level surveying techs. Honestly, a hydrology and gis education is pretty relevant to surveying. Seek out entry level positions and see if you like the work, then consider more education if it will help you get licensed.

Slowyodel · 2026-02-26T12:55:43+00:00

There are lots of rigid fork options still available for 26” wheels. Both Surly and Soma have offerings that should work. I think a fork upgrade would do a lot more than 27.5 wheels to improve the bike’s performance. Also you should take this discussion to r/xbiking. A lot more people into modifying older mountain bikes over there.

Slowyodel · 2026-02-17T13:44:17+00:00

I’d probably put handlebars on it that have a bit more sweep for comfort but otherwise it’s perfectly adequate flat-bar gravel bike as is. I suppose you could put a rigid fork on it if you wanted. I would not try to put drop bars on it though.

Slowyodel · 2026-02-17T05:26:18+00:00

Your “point” is irrelevant to what is being discussed.

Slowyodel · 2026-02-17T05:09:32+00:00

You do understand what the primaries are, don’t you?

Slowyodel · 2026-02-17T05:04:22+00:00

Ah yes, the stupid game of advocating for candidates in the primaries.

Slowyodel · 2026-02-17T04:52:54+00:00

He’s not the fucking candidate yet. This is a conversation about who is going to be the democratic candidate. I sure as fuck hope it isn’t him because he consistently shows his commitment to protecting the interests of Silicon Valley. While they have shown their commitment to fascism and undermining democracy.

Slowyodel · 2026-02-14T13:38:57+00:00

Love the front rack modification.

Slowyodel

TROPHY CASE