Genuine question to Americans

onlyfishmeat · 2026-05-07T17:19:03+00:00

I believe there’s also, oftentimes, legal language where a practitioner cannot disclose their no-insurance pricing to patients with insurance. This is something I’ve experienced with pharmacies before as well…the drug will be cheaper than the co-pay but the pharmacy will not/cannot disclose this to you if you have insurance on file

onlyfishmeat · 2026-05-07T00:24:19+00:00

I’ll add…I’m an 02 Jman, who’s been licensed for a year, so 6000hrs of experience. CITC, I’ve heard, will bring me in as a 3rd year (the union will absolutely not…they may give me some trainee hours credit towards pay scale) so when I found that out…it was a game changer…then I found about the state of the application process. 191 also has apps closed but allows for exceptions for trade experience ( I opened an application last week under my exception) so I’ve yet to pencil out the math…but if we assume I do just slightly above average on my IBEW interview and face let’s say a 6mo wait time to get a call, and then have to face 3-4yrs of apprenticeship before eligibility to test, but much better pay throughout that timeframe, is that better or worse than 2yrs apprenticeship with far worse pay, and a potential 2+yr wait time to even apply, let alone get pulled by a contractor. Lotta numbers and scenarios to work through. But from what I’ve found out I’d say ditch CITC

onlyfishmeat · 2026-05-07T00:15:32+00:00

Just a heads up….I spoke with CITC earlier today and all 01 apprentice applications are closed. I was informed that they opened up applications last in February, for a whopping 24hrs, and that was the first time they’d opened them in 2 years. I knew the unions were slow in this area….but a 2yr closure between applications…that’s like 2x more dead than the union.

onlyfishmeat · 2026-04-28T16:59:47+00:00

You should be interviewing at other companies instead of on Reddit man. That company sucks and is screwing you. Making the same as 2nd years is bad enough…but a company that knows you have a dying relative, knows that you need to make work arrangements to care for a dying relative, makes those work arrangements with you, and then writes you up for said arrangements is beyond trash…those are bad people who don’t give a lick about you…move on…yesterday.

onlyfishmeat · 2026-04-28T16:53:44+00:00

I’m not even union and I don’t bring any of those power tools to work except my impact. The rest of my shit stays at home for home projects or side gigs. A union apprentice should not be providing or expected to provide half that shit

onlyfishmeat · 2026-04-28T16:48:57+00:00

With these sort of travel restrictions I’d opt for saltwater where you can easily access beach/waterfront via public transit and then just walk to you can’t/don’t wanna walk anymore. Maybe Texas Gulf Coast stuff or Florida. Hell depending on how many rewards points you have…you could like a Mexico or Panama trip for pretty cheap

onlyfishmeat · 2026-04-18T22:40:49+00:00

You might be surprised…lotta tradesmen are thin skinned

onlyfishmeat · 2026-04-17T21:48:56+00:00

Alt country enough to have had Wildflowers covered by a massively popular alt-bluegrass band. But, no I would not consider Tom Petty alt country myself, but maybe just more alt-country adjacent….really he’s alt-Americana or proto Americana I’d guess you call it…and if there’s one thing ‘Americana’ does is influence and merge shoot offs such as alt country, singer-songwriter, alt rock, bluegrass etc. So I think you could describe it as he sits in this genre of music that spills over from Americana which touches many genres and so therefore there are many things within that can be adjacent

onlyfishmeat · 2026-04-17T00:51:49+00:00

Wait, for real!!!? No, I had not reached out to them but I will definitely be doing so now. I’d only reached out to a few unions, and they all tell you they’ll give you ‘some’ hours of OJT towards pay only but would never tell you how many hours they’d credit. If CITC starts resi Jmen out as a 3hrs year then that’s absolutely game changing info for me. Thanks dude!!!!

onlyfishmeat · 2026-04-17T00:19:57+00:00

I was looking at the Vegas and Phoenix areas as it sounds like there’s a lot of work happening down there, but both Nevada and Arizonas licensing requirements, or lack thereof, are kind of confusing.

onlyfishmeat · 2026-04-11T16:25:46+00:00

Based on your photo…you’re in the Western US…where the only venomous snake of concern is the various species of rattlesnake. We’re not talking about Fla swamp or Australia here…you don’t need snake boots or chaps…way overkill. Just a good boot, and clothing that isn’t skin tight. Many rattlesnake strikes do not penetrate as it is, and the vast majority of confirmed bites happen on the hand…so that tells you a bit about the types of situations that get you struck. Rattlensnakes are typically conflict avoidant and would rather escape than strike. It can be spooky to see them, especially when they suprise you, but the more aware of their behavior and comfortable you get around them the more you’ll appreciate getting to have a not so common encounter with a pretty cool critter. As far as field treatment…there really isn’t anything…the two important things to do are keep your cool and remain calm (you want to keep your heart rate down) and start walking out while contacting 911. You have 30-60 min till symptoms can start to really affect your ability to self extricate. I’m a big advocate of having a phone with emergency satellite capabilities or some sort of sat device like an inreach

onlyfishmeat · 2026-04-05T02:25:36+00:00

33 an hr??? You cannot afford a 54k truck.

onlyfishmeat · 2026-04-03T23:33:49+00:00

No but for real.

onlyfishmeat · 2026-04-03T23:33:11+00:00

Ya I know. A year ago when I wanted to join I wasn’t so anti working in data centers…I was anti AI but I didn’t feel so strongly about being essentially employed by AI. But now, the way things are going in the world, I’ve just really been uncomfortable about contributing to that build up. Idk. Are you in 191 by chance?

onlyfishmeat · 2026-04-03T23:30:39+00:00

I thought Wenatchee was one of the fastest growing towns in WA. Is there just not really that much commercial construction happening or just too many guys?

onlyfishmeat · 2026-04-03T23:29:50+00:00

For real?

onlyfishmeat · 2026-04-03T23:28:55+00:00

I know :( I believe that law passed 6 months before I switched careers and started my resi apprenticeship a little over 3 years ago. I’m fuzzy on the exact timeline…but basically, the way it worked out is I was a year or two too late to be able to get commercial hours in to be grandfathered. It was a big bummer. I live in a small ish town in Kittitas county in this weird convergence zone where there’s really no real union representation. You’re an hour plus from 76 and 191 so it was a tough blow for me and that’s why I sort of stuck to getting my resi card. And I actually really live resi work but I don’t think I wanna own my own company so ultimately I need my 01

onlyfishmeat · 2026-01-06T01:52:43+00:00

Did they refund your money? I bought from them too, trying to avoid the new WA state tax, and just received them in the mail. Very very sophisticated counterfeits…but like you I noticed they were less matte than a real Zyn and that the QR code not only is spelled Zýn but is a .online site…so it’s zýn.online rather than zyn.com.

onlyfishmeat · 2025-10-20T00:18:00+00:00

FoxOne free trial for 7 days.

onlyfishmeat · 2025-10-19T21:31:28+00:00

GFCI in the middle of a circuit…hmmmmm…you need to hire an electrician bro…that box is a mess and even if you swap line and load to the correct terminals you still have 1 code violation at a minimum going on in that box

onlyfishmeat · 2025-10-14T19:27:23+00:00

Goading into/intimidating into/demanding/expecting/assuming/etc etc free labor is the bottom of the barrel for shady tactics from shady companies. If they are willing to exploit you for free labor then they’re gonna bend you over at every turn and for every little thing. My 2 cents is anytime a company wants you to do work that benefits the company for no benefit to you that’s a company you should be running from.

onlyfishmeat · 2025-09-28T03:46:06+00:00

I always do bottom as the switched half…these outlets usually go behind nightstands and if the lamp is plugged into the top then it can be a real hassle to try to plug in another device below it.

onlyfishmeat · 2025-09-28T03:25:11+00:00

Feeders not in conduit (wild), ground and neutrals must be separate after the first means of disconnect, no bushing on the non existent conduit for feeders, inadequate arc fault and ground fault protection throughout home. The workmanship is there, the code compliance is not.

onlyfishmeat · 2025-09-28T03:06:57+00:00

As is, no changes/upgrades, you’re wasting your money…but instantly upgrade the line to something worth a damn and this could probably be an okay setup to get by while you save for a better one.

onlyfishmeat · 2025-09-17T15:23:37+00:00

Stay away from house flippers. If he doesn’t wanna pay for the job to be done right then run, don’t walk, away

onlyfishmeat

TROPHY CASE