Over Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I installed VDSL based in-room broadband systems into the Bert Hinkler and Reef Gateway motels in Bundaberg. The installation at the Reef Gateway went smoothly but the Bert Hinkler didn't have the phone line with the DSL as Telstra said it would.
The lead up to the installation was going fine until I discovered the equipment was not ordered until 2 days before hand - apparently a fax order was sent the Friday before but wasn't followed up. As the equipment did not arrive until 6 hrs after I was due to leave for Bundaberg, my entire timetable was out by half a working day, for which I had to make up for. The PFY came up with some equipment that was left behind in my rush out the door, he turned out to be of good assistance, distributing the equipment to the rooms and tidying up the install after I was done. In the end I was only 1hr behind - dropping the rental car off at 6pm instead of the intended 5pm. Thursday was Australia Day, a public holiday for most, if not all...
There is still a few things that need to be done up there which I will finalise myself tomorrow, other things involve running data cable etc and that will take time that I don't have. I will leave that task up to the local contractors.
These installations are fkn hard work. Crawling under desks and drilling holes to fit cables, screwing adaptors to the underside of tables and shifting mini-bar fridges from out of their cavities to make use of their power point isn't particularly easy nor enjoyable. I'm no stranger to hard work I stacked and sorted scaffolding/formwork and made thousands of treated pine garden products in my early days and that kind of work was great - just get in and do it. This kind of work is difficult- organise everything, resolve all issues that arise and then continuously monitor the contractors and underlings while trying to get your own tasks done. Yet somehow the clients always like me, must be doing something right.
