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Shoutout to the old guy at the Port of Seattle who called my dredge a 'floating garden rake'
I was working a job on the Duwamish River last fall, running a 10-inch cutterhead. This older guy, a retired operator I think, was just watching from the dock for a good twenty minutes. When I took a break, he walked over and said, 'Son, you're running that thing like a floating garden rake, just scratching the surface.' He pointed out I was moving too fast for the material, leaving good pay dirt behind. He told me a story about a job in Alaska where they had to go so slow the barge barely moved for a week, but they got every last bit. It stuck with me because I was so focused on production numbers, I forgot the basics. Ever since then, I watch my spoil like a hawk. Has anyone else had a veteran give you a simple tip that completely changed your approach?
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the_zara1d ago
That "floating garden rake" line is perfect, lol. It's crazy how a tiny piece of advice from someone who's been there just clicks. I had a grill cook tell me to stop poking the burgers so much, that I was just squeezing all the good juice out. He said to just let it sit and listen to the sizzle. Sounds dumb but I was messing with them every ten seconds before that. Now I just set it and only flip once. Total game changer.
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oliver21d ago
Just let it sit and listen to the sizzle" is such a good line, @the_zara. It's all about trusting the process. Same goes for letting a steak rest after you cook it, that's another one people mess up.
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