Sigh....
Another legend gone. Joe was always kind and helpful...quick with a story, quick with a helping hand. RIP!

Very sad. "Uncle Ormie" was a truly sweet guy! Had some memorable times with him.

Camella and family,

So sorry to hear of Brad's passing. Everyone who knew him will miss his wit and warmth. He brightened every place he went, and he'll brighten the place he's in now.
                                                                           -Steve Holcomb

Pete,

So sorry for your loss. Your dad was a legend in this business and a truly fun guy to be around. He helped make those long days at Turkey Point more fun than they had any right to be. He will be missed.
                                                                -Steve Holcomb

Long time Hanford RCT - Vince was killed in a motorcycle accident on Friday.

Vince was always friendly and helpful to me. He always took the time to find out how you were doing, how your life was going. I'll miss him. Deepest sympathy to his family.

Steve H.

As seen at SONGS in the very early 90's: "ALARA..... As Long As Rooms Available" Showing an exploding containment due to the large #'s of techs being pushed in to the equipment hatch with a bulldozer driven by the RPM. Wearing it was grounds for instant termination. ("Go see Frank")

Ah yes...I remember it well. The craft's managers decided that it "didn't look good" to have people milling about at the beginning of shift and after lunch, so they made every single worker enter containment and THEN have the morning meeting/pre-job.

The plant RP department put a pretty quick stop to the whole mess. As for the one contractor who bravely(foolishly) wore the shirt in and told all that "No one can tell me what I can or can't wear"....well, he got his GSF and went bye bye immediately.

We'll always have wonderful memories of one of the sweetest and sassiest ladies to ever grace this industry and this planet. Our warmest thoughts to Ray, Pam and the rest of her family. Sweet dreams darlin' .
                                            Steve & Amanda

Chose Oregon and Vermont 'cause they're two sides of the same coin (and Portland's my favorite place) and Florida 'cause I grew up there. We just moved to North Carolina, so as I get to know it, it may move up on my list of great places.

I've been told by those who know me...including my wife, that the best way to view me is with heavy make-up or a mask on.

Great post, Henry. Karma to ya!

most memorable job is probably the time three of us (HP Techs) were sent into an 8 foot diameter circ water line to frisk it (a decommish)...   the safety rep was an older fellow who had less than a year to go before retirement, was bored and probably had a touch of the alzheiszmer...   he was so worried we'd get lost in the pipe that he kept wanting to tether us off...   i was accused of initiating this (the two other techs were a couple of cuties) but it didn't happen as there were cooler heads prevailing... and as it turned out..  we didn't get lost in the pipe since it wasn't exactly a maze...

Boy Gonzo,

You missed it at the end - surveying the drain pipe from the backyard to the river - from the inside...tethered off with a Bechtel guy trying to stay awake at the end of your rope. Ya shoulda come back!

Sorry to tell you that there were MANY Hippie rent-a-techs years before St. Lucie existed... complete with the long hair, beards and beads.

Aint it the truth. I can recall the plant maintenance guys at Pilgrim ( who were generally older, more "stable" types) saying "Lock up your daughters, the techs are in town" when the bunch of us would stumble into GET. Good times!

One more bit of info please.  I know this sounds a bit dumb but...If one were to map quest Diablo Canyon, what address would one use?
I know how to get to San Luis O. but am unsure of how to get to the plant.

If you google map it, look for Avila Beach, then follow Avila Beach Dr. As you approach Port St. Luis, you'll see a road that runs up the coast and appears to end at nothing. That's the plant access road - one of the prettiest drives you'll ever take!

As we've already seen, you could probably make a "Top Ten List" in all the various categories. Rather than taxing my admittedly addled brain, I'm gonna just make a list of my all-time favorite "characters". These are the folks who always made me laugh and don't include those who became famous for being disgusting or slackers. In no particular order, they are:
       - Bill Mahoney
       - Wyatt Wood
       - Ray "Wildman" Perry
       - Billy Sullivan
       - J.R. Box
       - George Basquette
       - Dave McDaniel
       - Chris Brevig
       - Lou "Chin Loo" Lyons
       - Jack "Gonzo" Conrad

Some pretty fine techs on this list, as well!

Another one of the true characters of the industry gone. I worked with Bernie when he was a junior...the only junior at Point beach, if I remember right. He was always ready to help out a newbie to the business and was quick with a smile and a joke. Condolences to his family. Bernie left behind a wealth of great stories and a million smiles for those who were lucky enough to have known him.

I'm currently staying in a "corporate suite" which is actually a one-bedroom apartment in one of the closest complexes to the site. It isn't exactly cheap but includes everything - furniture, dishes, linens, once-a-week cleaning and no 30 day notice to vacate. The Name of the company is Paragon Corporate Housing - number is (888) 632-5511. The website is www.paragonsuites.com. Good luck!

Having worked there for quite a bit of time and having married a local, My opinion is that there's no "secret word or funny handshake". I quickly came to the realization that while certain areas of the country consider the behavior of New Englanders to be rude, THEY believe that they are showing a "polite reserve". They are just as confused by the outgoing familiarity that Southerners and Mid-Westerers feel is normal. Once I realized this, I started treating the locals with (to my mind) a stand-off attitude until the person got to know me. Once I was known and accepted, the friendships I made there have lasted almost 30 years now.

Having said that, I understand how it would be hard for a single mom to be out in the community meeting and interacting with locals...and I mean locals, not plant folk... but until you do, I'm afraid you're stuck being the newbie. Hope things get better for you, as the good parts of the area are incredible.

Very sad. I remember Mike as one of the few co-ops who could take the torrent of abuse we used to hand out. He was one of the good ones and will be missed.

My opinion -
A.) Those of us old-timers already know that the TRUE whack jobs were already weeded out (pardon the expression) when FFD came along; and

B.) Having just spent a year out of the business working with a bunch of programmers and other high tech brain types, let me tell you...the Nuke Industry aint got nothing on those folks. Whacko is an industry standard over there.

Therefore, let's just go with the good old MMPI and enjoy our diversity.

Seabrook is definately my favorite.

Honorable mention to Susquehanna, Columbia and Crystal River

Gimmee Nights - always. Always seemed like the house supervisors on nights were the ones who either weren't in favor with the politicians on days or were the ones who just had too much common sense.

Chuck was a pleasure to know and work with. Always a smile and a kind word. Condolences to his family.

This is truely sad news for all of us who had the privilege to know Vance. He was one of the sweetest, funniest guys on the planet. After reading this, my wife and I just sat around remembering Vance stories....the potato cannon....setting a source by the IPM's to "test the new Juniors reaction time"...leaving a few charged capacitors around for the "curious". You could just go on and on. You're right Wayne...the world is a quieter place, but it's a better one for Vance having been in it. Our condolences to his family and all his dear friends.
                Steve & Amanda

I'm now 1 year into my very first non-nuclear job after ~30 years in the biz. I enjoy the work, the pay is decent, and Mrs. Hulk likes to see me every evening (a shock to anyone who knows me).

What I truely miss though are all the wonderful friends we made all over the country. It just doesn't seem right that I can't look forward to the first day of an outage, when you see all your old pals and get caught up on their lives. Who knows, maybe I'll be back out there. I do know I'll last longer at this job than UncaBuffalo at his. BTW Unc- Mrs. Hulk gives you six months at the outside.

OK Mike -
I AM one of those pre -FFD old-time roadies. When I got into this business in the late '70's, there was a lot of drug use...both in the industry and in society in general. The only thing that made us different from your "normal" folks was that we were a very small insular society with more money than most. I freely admit that I had my share (ok...more than my share) of illegal smiles. Most of the people I knew were in the same category. When FFD came along, the VAST majority of us changed and conformed. We found other things to enjoy (for me, a beautiful wife). A mere handful of folks could not, or would not conform. Most of them went on to have successful careers outside Nuclear power, by the way. For you to state that I'm a druggie is an insult to me and to every other worker who provided the foundation of the business and the solid base that your soapbox is on.
...getting off mine now. Thanks
Steve

"Son, there's 200 Marines out there outside the fence who would shoot you  to get your job if I asked them, so why should I listen to this conversation?"

                        - Frank circa 1992

Ahhh Frank...
We could fill up an entire topic just with Frank stories.

If he liked you, he could (and would) do more for you than any site coordinator in the business. If he didn't like you, you could do no right...ever...never. I was one of the lucky ones - he liked me and liked my wife. Good thing, 'cause I certainly had my share of "disagreements" with some of the SCE folks. I always thought Jim did a good job after Frank left, but you just can't replace a legend.

Worked SONGS a number of times, from the "Daddy Frank" era onward. Worked for the best superviser I ever had (Ruth Lubeski) and the very worst (never-you-mind). The place has a dynamic that's like no other in the business. It has some of the finest people I ever met, and some of the most exasperating. I kept going back because no matter how frustrated I got, the people there and the area made it all worthwhile. I never made a lot of dough there, but I never expected to. The cameraderie, the incredible area and volleyball after nightshift was worth the hit to my pocketbook. I still miss the folks there.

Is that a Hair Joke,Firthlan?? I'm hurt...really...deep down

Over the years I've tried most everything...except I never had the money set aside to buy the RV. Done cabins, apts.,motels, a tent once.

Most memorable was me and the two Traveling Rowberry's in a one bedroom apartment that wasn't even on the market it was so decrepit. Hal talked the guy into letting us stay. Different, but a lot of fun.