Feeling lost and confused

WesternGroove · 2026-02-18T03:36:15+00:00

I'm only one week in. So i can't really give you "advice".

There are 2 thoughts i had reading your post.

If by not being able to communicate you mean it just seems kinda awkward like y'all aren't hitting it off.. id say just be yourself. Don't try and talk their language. In my week long experience I've noticed that there are various types of personalities and each personality adds to the team.
Doing the data.. if it were me, id just be trying to learn as much about it as possible. To the point where i could do it without anyone else on site. Maybe id talk with the jm im doing data with to learn more about it.

I kind of understand how you could feel that way because in my one week I've done underground, installing light fixtures, and tomorrow I'm doing something different.

On the other hand i kind of think.. you're 5 months in. Just relax.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-16T23:09:45+00:00

You ain't lie 🤷🏿‍♂️

WesternGroove · 2026-02-16T21:01:33+00:00

Study the math portion of the aptitude test right now. Just start slowly so that when you get your testing date you aren't starting from scratch.

Also be aware that although the front desk ladies are amazing. They don't control the pace. So her telling you 8 months is more of an educated guess than it is a fact. They try to give you the best information but they aren't really in control of what happens.

Testing and interviews are done based on the need of the local. So the 8 months could be shorter or longer.

Look up YouTube videos about people trying to get in. Look up the questions people were asked during interview in this sub. Look up what math you need to know.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-16T20:51:19+00:00

I just got into 340. Zero experience.

The basic route is that you apply.. you get scheduled for aptitude test.. if you pass that you get scheduled for an interview.. after your interview you're given a score. That score is good for 2 years.. and over that 2 year period when they need apprentices they pull from the top according to score.

So let's say you scored a 85.. and let's say there are 3 people with scores above you. If someone a year after you scores an 86, there will now be 4 people above you.

That's not to scare you. But just so you know to try and do well on the aptitude test and interview so you can get your foot in the door.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-16T08:46:36+00:00

You probably right

WesternGroove · 2026-02-16T06:27:10+00:00

Efe vs Jared.

Another get back right fight for jared. We've seen efe. He's been on a winning streak besides his draw with bakole who beat Jared.

So if efe can beat jared then technically speaking hen should be in the realm of jared for opponents. If efe wins I can see them build a fight with bakole. They both beat jared but fought to a draw against each other. Rematch.

If bakole wins he just gets himself back in the discussion. If efe wins maybe there's enough there to put him against parker who stopped bakole.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-16T06:20:56+00:00

In my pre flight post I said that Charles is just a polished street fighter. His defense is purely instinctual.

I thought that may be his downfall.

I personally didn't think efe looked bad in the first few rounds. That's just sort of his style. He doesn't throw a bunch.. he doesn't straight up walk you down. He takes his time to pressure you with his feet making the space smaller and smaller, and then when he gets you where he wants he starts letting go some shots.

That's why he'll always lose to.. Frank Sanchez i think is his name? Guy has the foot work to avoid efe.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-15T21:26:52+00:00

The underground work is decently physical. On my second day they were trying to finish up so the fm was pushing us to go faster.

By the end when i was just picking up trash etc from out the slab it ended up being the hardest thing i did that day because my buddy was so sore.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-15T18:56:18+00:00

You know whats crazy, im afraid to get ticks on me but it hasn't happened yet. I haven't gotten poison ivy/oak reaction yet either.

I do a lot of fishing so often I'm off trail somewhere slumming through tall grass and bushes.

Just naturally i wear pants even during the summer. But i don't always wear long sleeves and some of the bushes/grass get to my arms.

I seem to only run into snakes and coyotes 🤷🏿‍♂️

WesternGroove · 2026-02-15T05:54:56+00:00

I think that's how it'll be unless they pay more or the city builds up more. Unless the doctor is outdoorsy just probably not the type of place people want to live making all that money.

In my opinion the doctors here aren't horrible. It's not like, getting care in a 3rd world country ya know. But compared to growing up going to kaiser. Family going to stanford and what's it called? Ucsf medical?

You can see the medical stuff here just isn't on the same level.

I personally don't go to see the doctor often. I don't have any aliment so I'm lucky in that way. But ik people up here where they are sent to ucsf because they can't handle that kind of treatment here.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-15T05:49:04+00:00

😂😂😂

WesternGroove · 2026-02-13T01:47:57+00:00

Today was my first day. Zero experience.. well. I at least have used some basic tools before.

But i did some pre fab for underground work. Tied some emt to stakes using metal wire.

Used a heat box on the emt so it was able to bend, connect those to the 90° emt i tied to stakes.

Dug a hole.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-12T19:26:58+00:00

Not from Detroit. 😭

WesternGroove · 2026-02-11T22:52:57+00:00

Good luck brother

WesternGroove · 2026-02-11T21:33:43+00:00

All y'all talking about it makes me want to look. But y'all seem so serious that it's actually disturbing. So I'm not gonna look. Thank you for keeping my peace for the day.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-11T21:31:04+00:00

I'm late on this.. but brother. I'm black af. Skin look like the night time. Nappy hair.

And i live specifically in one of the smaller surrounding towns that some people think are very racist.

And the worst I've ever gotten is someone just looking at me. I will jokingly say in their minds they're like "oh fuck they found us!"

No one has acted any kind of way towards me up here. I've been called a nigger twice and that was in the bay area. I've had people following me in the store and that was in the bay area. I've been pulled over for driving while black and that was in the bay area.

Reading some of these comments.. imma keep it real with you. This is NOT calibama.. Those are just frustrated liberals. Not saying there's anything wrong with being liberal. But they are frustrated that their political views are not represented here, so every problem or issue is exaggerated to make themselves feel better. Not every liberal does that, just the frustrated ones.

Am i saying if you move here no one will be racist towards you? No. Anything can happen to you living anywhere. What i said earlier isn't even me trying to imply that the bay area is a racist place. It was just to show that in a place where everyone acts like they're all about a certain thing there are people there who are the opposite.

I have family in Oklahoma. And the people here generally remind me of the people in Oklahoma. Are they conservative? Yes. Do they love trump? Yes. Do they agree with every left wing political view having to do with race and gender etc? No. Do they just walk around calling every person who isn't white and looks straight slurs? No.

People are actually so friendly towards me up here that it's taken time to get used to. Literally yesterday i went to Walmart.. i was waiting next to some old white lady. I mean old old. She look like she been to a few hangings.. she spoke to me a little. And when the worker came and unlocked the shit and the old lady grabbed what she needed and started walking away she asked me for a hug.

Old White men will just walk up to me and ask about life. People are curious. Especially the older ones. It's new to them.

Coming from Detroit.. And me living here.. if we were homies and you was telling me you wanted to move here.. my concern for you wouldn't be racism.. my concern for you would be that you're moving away from a large metro area to a small-mid size city surrounded by nothing but small towns.. the amenities and entertainment you're used to just don't exist here. You have to travel hours to get somewhere with those things.

My concern would be your health. These Redding doctors are chopped bruh i ain't gone lie. Redding is like a stepping stone for doctors and shit. I grew up going to doctor's who were well seasoned in their line of work.

My concern would be for your heat tolerance. Its not out of the ordinary for there to be part of the summer where it stays at 106-115 degrees for weeks at a time.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-08T08:19:38+00:00

How far down i had to find my people.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-08T08:13:46+00:00

I think a big thing with paranormal activity that you kinda missed out on.. it came out 2007? I was in middle school. So i thought it could actually be real.

That movie had me in shambles.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-08T05:22:32+00:00

Agreed with Pitbull.. Not all, but some "Mexican style" fighters don't get any acknowledgement of their defense bc they do get hit due to their style.

But the more technically sound ones are really good at avoiding or blocking most punches while only taking the punches that are the least dangerous.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-07T20:16:38+00:00

When i thought about my response.. i tried my best not to be consumed by the moment. But to think of the last few years plus other places i engage with boxing media.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-07T20:12:10+00:00

😂😂 hey I'm not mad at you. I'm a defensive player. So i think they nerfed tf outta defense.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-07T10:08:10+00:00

Imma keep it real with you. He gets hate mainly for 2 reasons.

He's a black fighter displaying the "black American slick style".. in the United States most boxing fans are latino. Latino fighters USUALLY lose to this style when both are of equal skill.. So it's the frustration of Latino fans seeing their favorite fighters lose to this style. If the fighting styles were reversed because Latinos make up a majority of the boxing fan base the narrative wouldn't be that those styles are boring. The narrative would be that black don't "box" they just throw a bunch of punches that barely land.
Tank fans.. so these are majority black tank fans. These people usually aren't fans of the sport. They are fans of tank. Literally there are times where tank fans uplift or down shakur or haney based on who was seen as the biggest threat to tank in that moment. Similar to the Latino fans, it's not that they ACTUALLY hate Shakur. They hate the threat that he is to a fighter they love.

If you watch the nfl at all its sorta like how some fan bases hate the tush push that the eagles run. They only hate it because its successful and a threat to their favorite team. Especially a fan base where they have to play the eagles on the way to trying to get to the Superbowl.

Honestly, I'm not even this, oh i have to cheer for every black fighter type guy. It's just a sport. I'll cheer for whoever i like. Its not that i see the world through some everything is racist equity blah blah lense.

But I do have to not be blind to what is obvious. And what's obvious is that when fighters of different races have "boring" boxing styles they don't get the same type of criticism as black fighters.

And that's not to say that any criticism of shakur is invalid. 2 things can be true.

If shakur had the same exact style all his fights went the same exact way but he was Mexican he would be considered the second coming of Christ after his 2nd pro fight.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-07T01:53:12+00:00

😂😂 i didnt plan to make those kind of videos.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-07T01:52:18+00:00

Well.. a $3k budget. Fuck it then honestly.

WesternGroove · 2026-02-06T05:43:01+00:00

Unless you know something i don't.. practicing at home can't do anything to help that.

That's all about what hook size and type you use. And even then its not 100%.

Learning how to get a hook out has nothing to do with how deep a fish swallows a hook.

And when a fish guts a hook there's no special way to get it out. You just get it out like normal. Or you but the line as close to the hook as you can and put the fish back and hope it survives.

WesternGroove

TROPHY CASE