New Year's Day- Past Year 2019 Reflection-Originally published 1-1-20

HAPPY NEW YEAR Everyone! *Originally published on 1/1/20* I hope and wish that everyone had a SAFE NYE???!! Drunk or sober, it was definitely not the night to be out on the roads last night for any reason. When I worked with the tools, we often referred to NYE as "amateur night". The rest of the year is reserved for professional drinkers (joke). I kept to myself and watched the festivities on tv last night. Being a hermit has been my theme for 2019. I need to force myself to venture out and stop staying in the house. #2020 NEEDS to be better than the last!!👌👌 Upon reflection, I describe the year #2019 as, "going in like a lion and going out like a lamb".🤔 This has indeed been the monumental year where I no longer accept, "half ass", "minimal effort", and "useless lip service" 🤷‍♀️🙏. I had finally put myself to a place where it is "okay" to walk from things that only serve as pain while managing to make one feel less than deserving. Solitude is a fine tool to reset your mind and body (almost too used to it) that leads to internal growth. It took almost a year of being in solitude to reverse the damage done by a person who essentially did a quick build up and a gradual tear down over the past five years. Simultaneously, I have been taking major steps to end some physical pain. After some physical healing, it has brought me some relief. That helps me to continue functioning in life so I am grateful for that. I call my two sons my "dudes". The shining part for 2019 is that the "dudes" have grown bigger and wiser. My youngest son, we call him Jho, now has a shoe size that is very hard to find. I learned this fact over the holiday season. I keep mentioning to Jho that he needs to study electrical engineering and get into my union with his brother as well. As of late, Jho speaks about going into the military. He has some time to figure it out and I have some time to convince him. Meanwhile, my eldest son is still on his career path to become an electrician like his mom. He is becoming more and more adult like in nature so that is a wonderful thing. Overall, the year 2019 has brought on more changes in many avenues than it has been in a long time in my circle. The best part of this year has been the flood of gifts of good people entering in my life when I needed it the most. I am learning that actually terrible stuff happens and makes other foreseen stressful events better.😳 That must have been the oddest lesson learned over the past two years. I have also learned that continuing on a path that one is not supposed to be on any longer can bring on tremendous bad luck! Once I found the strength to pull myself away from a growing and evolving bad situation, the air felt lighter and my luck got better. I am in a place in life currently where I am very cautious about putting myself in a new situation in the event that it brings on more pain or bad luck. One tends to lose themselves in many aspects during the motion of service in a relationship. The ability to laugh again is a blessing along with coming and going as one pleases. Despite it all, I wish those I have parted with peace, love, and light. Life is too short to hang onto anything that can be too heavy to carry. The focus for 2020 is my creative and 9-to-5 work, more solitude, hanging with the dudes, and digging out of the pile from the recession. #ConstructionTales #funny #books #NextChapter #WeBuildThisCity #WomanInTheTrades #NYC May the year 2020 give you the inspiration to stay on the path that works and to change within the avenues you need changed with the pace of one step at a time.... Cheers! Leslie M. Jasper #Scholastic #nonfiction #bookstagram #DropEverythingAndRead #SpringBookFair2021 #LoveOfReading #Reading #ConstructionTales #books #funny #NYC #podcast #Spotify #VerballyDisastrous #bookfair #bookjoy #ReadAnywhere #LoveToRead #AllForBooks #Adult #FBF21 #LBF21 #BEA21 #IKBF21 #KLF21 #HKTDC21 #GBF21 #IIBF21 #LATFOB21 #SIBF21 #FILBO21 #EIBF21 #BAIBF21 #MIBF21 #BIDLDSP21 #BS21 #BBF21 #HIBF21 #IBTAF21 #IBBF21 #ITEF21 #JLF21 #JIBF21 #LBF21 #NDWBF21 #TiBE21 #TIBF21 #BCBF21 #LIVREPARIS21 #SDLDM21 #HBF21 #FIL21 #IIBF21 #SBF21 #BuchWein21 #VIBF21 #ADIBF21 #AIPF21 #bookstagram #book #bukuislami #b #bukumurah #islamicbookfair #buku #booklover #bukusejarah #buchberlin #booklove #cher #bookshelf #internationalbookfair #bookholic #jualbuku #jualbukumurah #reading #obralbuku #bukuindie #bukujogja #tokobukumurah #buchmesse #langka #pasarbuku #bukulangka #bhfyp #jualbelibukuonline #onlineshop #jualanonline #booklovers #anresbooks #readingbooks #booksofinstagram #boekuitstalling #buch #bookish #buchberlinkids #tokobukuonline #boimela #lesen #bookworm #poetry #gontor #fbm #bazarbuku #bookreview #berlin #read #writer #berlinerbuchmesse #buchmesseberlin #author #instabooks #boekverkoping #virtualbookfair #bookaddict

I Locked Myself Out of My Blog For A Few Years- I AM BACK!!!

hello everyone!! I managed to lock myself out of my account for the past few years. Every once in awhile, I would think about how to get back into my blog. It was a source of brief frustration along my walk in life. I had emailed Google and they ignored my previous requests for guidance. It made sense that they would not help me since I looked like a hacker...LOL. I had given up on the idea and just opened up a second blog. The issue occured when I had changed phones a few years ago. It didn't occur to me until TODAY that I had a way to get back into my blog!!! I had to dig into my old phone and find my old gmail account and figure out how to get into it. I was then able to transfer my account to my computer and new phone. I was so elated to figure this out without tech support! For goodness sake, I worked with the tools for most of my career and initially hated computers! This is a huge accomplishment!! I have a blog on Word Press and I am working on transferring content from my Blogger pages to Word Press. I will pull content from my second Blogger page and add to my initial blog- meaning this one. I am also actively planning on launching a podcast on Spotify! It is going to take me a few to set it up. I will announce when the first episode lands on Spotify. It is entitled, The "Verbally Disastrous" potcast. If people can give me some topic ideas, I would appreciate it. Otherwise, we are going to pick some topics and just run with it and create some podcast episodes. I have been working on quite a few things since 2017 when I was locked out of my blog. I believe I released my audio version of the book on Audible. Here it is: https://www.audible.com/pd/Construction-Tales-Volume-I-A-Womans-Journey-to-Become-an-Electrician-Audiobook/B07P5PNCS7 It should be available worldwide for people to listen to my book. The blog content released on my back up blog will be shared here as soon as I can load it up from the second blog. Well, I have chewed your ear off long enough after a big pause in my blog. I thank you all for stopping by and reading my content. It is appreciated and I look forward to speaking with you all soon! Cheers! Leslie M. Jasper #Spotify #podcast #VerballyDisastrous #ConstructionTales #books #funny #NYC #ImBack #lockedout #crackedthecode #Amazon #BarnesandNoble #iTunes #Audible

#Scholastic #nonfiction #bookstagram #DropEverythingAndRead #SpringBookFair2021 #LoveOfReading #Reading #ConstructionTales #books #funny #NYC #podcast #Spotify #VerballyDisastrous #bookfair #bookjoy #ReadAnywhere #LoveToRead #AllForBooks #Adult #FBF21 #LBF21 #BEA21 #IKBF21 #KLF21 #HKTDC21 #GBF21 #IIBF21 #LATFOB21 #SIBF21 #FILBO21 #EIBF21 #BAIBF21 #MIBF21 #BIDLDSP21 #BS21 #BBF21 #HIBF21 #IBTAF21 #IBBF21 #ITEF21 #JLF21 #JIBF21 #LBF21 #NDWBF21 #TiBE21 #TIBF21 #BCBF21 #LIVREPARIS21 #SDLDM21 #HBF21 #FIL21 #IIBF21 #SBF21 #BuchWein21 #VIBF21 #ADIBF21 #AIPF21 #bookstagram #book #bukuislami #b #bukumurah #islamicbookfair #buku #booklover #bukusejarah #buchberlin #booklove #cher #bookshelf #internationalbookfair #bookholic #jualbuku #jualbukumurah #reading #obralbuku #bukuindie #bukujogja #tokobukumurah #buchmesse #langka #pasarbuku #bukulangka #bhfyp #jualbelibukuonline #onlineshop #jualanonline #booklovers #anresbooks #readingbooks #booksofinstagram #boekuitstalling #buch #bookish #buchberlinkids #tokobukuonline #boimela #lesen #bookworm #poetry #gontor #fbm #bazarbuku #bookreview #berlin #read #writer #berlinerbuchmesse #buchmesseberlin #author #instabooks #boekverkoping #virtualbookfair #bookaddict

I'M BACK!!!!! I am Actively Working on Launching The Verbally Disastrous Podcast on Spotify!!

Hello everyone! I am launching a podcast entitled, "Verbally Disastrous", on Spotify with my very close friend Melissa. I intend on having other interesting guest on the program as well. I am learning how to navigate through this new podcast process- a technological challenge that I am powering through. I think I am getting better with the whole technology thing in the past five years. I don't scream, cry, and thrash around as much as I used to in a rage of frustration while trying to figure things out. I thank the tech gods for YouTube tutorials! How the hell I managed life before YouTube is beyond me!?! My lifelong career has taught me to learn via watching others so tutorials are key. I like to be creative and come up with humorous things. I had to survive in my career by thinking on the fly and spewing out a sharp retort to some random asshole on the jobsite. Coming up with the podcast title only took me a few moments. After some momentary (say 10-20 min.) soul searching, I came up with the title and thought it was funny so I ran with it. I am really counting on the podcast title not previously existing. Chances are, no one else has the title since I think it is unique. I will be pissed if I have to modify it; fingers crossed that is not the case! The whole reason I started blogging is solely because of my book that I had written and was compelled to market it relentlessly upon release. I wrote a book entitled, "Construction Tales: Volume I: A Woman's Journey to Become an Electrician" on Amazon. I have been shamelessly whoring out the book since the Amazon launch in 2013. I may have pissed some people off via abusing the hashtags on Twitter- I apologize for my aggressive behavior (sort of). I am tickled when I hear random stories that other people know it exists. As the title suggests, I wrote about my apprentice years as a young electrician in New York in the mid 1990's. I bring a unique and often humorous perspective that is based upon my experiences. I wanted to share my journey since few of us have written about the journey. I map my interactions with my peers and showcase their unique personalities that are on display on the job for all of us to see. My goal is for my podcast to be funny, unique, interesting, and to serve as a guide to learn and grow mutually with all that I discuss topics with on the podcast. My goal is to come up with some topics to focus on for our podcast that have not been previously talked about in other platforms. I am sure I will entice my sons, Tom and Johnny, onto the podcast to discuss things on the show. We end up having very interesting chats between all of us. I have some fellow union Local #3 NYC electricians who will come on the show and talk shit with me. I am looking forward to those episodes. Please join me on Spotify and let me know the good, bad, and the ugly so I can learn, grow, and evolve. Here is the blog section I have on Word Press that is talking about my upcoming Spotify podcast project that I am working on: https://constructiontales.com/2021/01/20/welcome-to-the-verbally-disastrous-podcast/ Well....I am done chewing off your ear-for now. Have a great day and speak with you soon! Cheers! Leslie M. Jasper #ConstructionTales #books #funny #Amazon #Audible #BarnesandNoble #iTunes #WordPress #Spotify #NYC #WomanintheTrades #Scholastic #nonfiction #bookstagram #DropEverythingAndRead #SpringBookFair2021 #LoveOfReading #Reading #ConstructionTales #books #funny #NYC #podcast #Spotify #VerballyDisastrous #bookfair #bookjoy #ReadAnywhere #LoveToRead #AllForBooks #Adult #FBF21 #LBF21 #BEA21 #IKBF21 #KLF21 #HKTDC21 #GBF21 #IIBF21 #LATFOB21 #SIBF21 #FILBO21 #EIBF21 #BAIBF21 #MIBF21 #BIDLDSP21 #BS21 #BBF21 #HIBF21 #IBTAF21 #IBBF21 #ITEF21 #JLF21 #JIBF21 #LBF21 #NDWBF21 #TiBE21 #TIBF21 #BCBF21 #LIVREPARIS21 #SDLDM21 #HBF21 #FIL21 #IIBF21 #SBF21 #BuchWein21 #VIBF21 #ADIBF21 #AIPF21 #bookstagram #book #bukuislami #b #bukumurah #islamicbookfair #buku #booklover #bukusejarah #buchberlin #booklove #cher #bookshelf #internationalbookfair #bookholic #jualbuku #jualbukumurah #reading #obralbuku #bukuindie #bukujogja #tokobukumurah #buchmesse #langka #pasarbuku #bukulangka #bhfyp #jualbelibukuonline #onlineshop #jualanonline #booklovers #anresbooks #readingbooks #booksofinstagram #boekuitstalling #buch #bookish #buchberlinkids #tokobukuonline #boimela #lesen #bookworm #poetry #gontor #fbm #bazarbuku #bookreview #berlin #read #writer #berlinerbuchmesse #buchmesseberlin #author #instabooks #boekverkoping #virtualbookfair #bookaddict

My Projects In Progress & Renewing My OSHA 500 Certification!

hello everyone, I have been busy with a big transition in my life (making my life MUCH easier) and with work responsibilities that soak alot of my time. I am happy to be learning and growing on the business side of the electrical industry. I am working on helping finish a project on a 56 story building in Manhattan. I do have small duties on my Flushing project in Queens still. I have been asked to pitch in and help work on my old project in Brooklyn that is a college addition. I am working on picking apart the schedule and documenting the milestones via photos. It is indeed a learning experience for me since I have never done alot of these tasks before. You get to learn somewhere so I am blessed to have my foot in the door for over three years now. I am happy to gain the experience with general contractor and ownership interface. I have a good group of talented electricians to call on and get things done. This is a vital ingredient for meeting deadlines and encountering issues that need to be fixed. You are only as good as your team of worker bees. This is why it is vital to clear the path for them and keep it moving by feeding them what is needed. I am currently traveling to take an OSHA 502 instructor renewal course. This course keeps me qualified to continue being able to have job certification, if needed, and give people OSHA courses and issue OSHA 10 & 30 cards. I have a backup plan for either during the next recession, a layoff, or as an older person in need of some income. The last recession was difficult and taught me that multiple means of earning cash is necessary. A major pivotal moment for me was sitting out for huge blocks of time back in 2008 and forward. This forced me to consider other options never reviewed before. I plan to study and sit down for the NYC master electrical license in the next 10 years. This not only establishes a steady path for myself but my eldest son as well. My son chose to follow in my footsteps ans become an electrician as well. My sin just got in as a first year apprentice in my union. He sends me clips of his work and daily operations. I got a kick out of how much he realized that people know and respect me. He said he has alot of pressure on him to work as hard as I did and be like me. It warms my heart to see that I have made a positive impact on his life. He is understanding the magnitude of my contributions to his career path. I have yet to hear more of his journey and see him blossum to become an electrician. I fully intend on being the member who hands him his A card in 5-6 years from now when he finishes his apprenticeship. I am sure I will blog about his funny future stories. He said he loves the dynamics of his coworkers since it can be quite humorous. He is shocked at how the guys gossip so much!! I am sure he will have stories to share in the future that I can live vicariously through him..lol!! Well, time to catch my flight!! Talk to you all soon! Cheers! Leslie M Jasper

Originally Published 6-7-17: Here Are Some Progression Photos of My Last Basement Project! Time To Buy Another Project

hello everyone! I keep forgetting to show my last home project that I worked on mainly solo. I had help doing the tile even though I prepped by removing the old floor, a hot water baseboard install, and taping. The rest was my baby. My sons did a few guest appearances to help sheetrock. I framed and did alot of rock solo. I built a sheetrock buddy and joked with my friends that "he" was my boyfriend named, Juan Carlos. I am now done with house projects. I painted the room red then changed the color to a beige so I could put it on the market. I plan to buy house #2 at some point and work on that one. I am leaning towards a condo so work will be lighter than a house. I bought this house at 20 years old with a car accident settlement. I watched guys at work and did projects at the house. I have done some trial and errors along the way. It is highly rewarding to show off a job well done. I was getting roofing estimates years ago. A roofer came to the house and asked if my parents were home. I laughed and said that I was the homeowner...he has so uncomfortable that I was highly amused! After 22 years, it is time to move on and find another diamond in the rough. I shall see what I come up with in the future. Have a safe day at work since it is Hump Day already! Cheers! Leslie M Jasper #Scholastic #nonfiction #bookstagram #DropEverythingAndRead #SpringBookFair2021 #LoveOfReading #Reading #ConstructionTales #books #funny #NYC #podcast #Spotify #VerballyDisastrous #bookfair #bookjoy #ReadAnywhere #LoveToRead #AllForBooks #Adult #FBF21 #LBF21 #BEA21 #IKBF21 #KLF21 #HKTDC21 #GBF21 #IIBF21 #LATFOB21 #SIBF21 #FILBO21 #EIBF21 #BAIBF21 #MIBF21 #BIDLDSP21 #BS21 #BBF21 #HIBF21 #IBTAF21 #IBBF21 #ITEF21 #JLF21 #JIBF21 #LBF21 #NDWBF21 #TiBE21 #TIBF21 #BCBF21 #LIVREPARIS21 #SDLDM21 #HBF21 #FIL21 #IIBF21 #SBF21 #BuchWein21 #VIBF21 #ADIBF21 #AIPF21 #bookstagram #book #bukuislami #b #bukumurah #islamicbookfair #buku #booklover #bukusejarah #buchberlin #booklove #cher #bookshelf #internationalbookfair #bookholic #jualbuku #jualbukumurah #reading #obralbuku #bukuindie #bukujogja #tokobukumurah #buchmesse #langka #pasarbuku #bukulangka #bhfyp #jualbelibukuonline #onlineshop #jualanonline #booklovers #anresbooks #readingbooks #booksofinstagram #boekuitstalling #buch #bookish #buchberlinkids #tokobukuonline #boimela #lesen #bookworm #poetry #gontor #fbm #bazarbuku #bookreview #berlin #read #writer #berlinerbuchmesse #buchmesseberlin #author #instabooks #boekverkoping #virtualbookfair #bookaddict

Can A Relationship Be Ruined By A Woman Being "Too Independent"??

hello everyone! I responded to a friend's question regarding being in a relationship with a woman who is fiercely independent. He asked if attempting to date a woman who is "too independent" ruins it due to her high level of independence?? I thought about it and here is my response below. Feel free to respectfully agree/disagree. I do put thought into these types of questions because they do hit home. I may have scared off many of potential suitors in my day due to their perceptions of how an independent woman operates her life. I don't believe that I missed out on life experiences since they were not meant to be. I have a wonderful man in my life who actually took the time to ask me loads of questions and gain an understanding about who I am as a woman and what makes me tick. He has then worked to systematically serve as my rock, my voice of reason, the man who compliments my flaws, and the man who views me as his treasured stone. He finds what I am capable of doing with my hands and my mind to be extraordinary and it compliments what he brings to the table. We have had some rough patches in the past 3 years and even have taken a break from each other. This was needed, in hindsight, to see if we could weather the storm and fix what was broken and move past it. In addition, it was a good moment to see if we missed each other and how much was not having each other going to impact each of us. I have had a spiritual advisor for the past 5 years now serve as my guide. It has been spot on and well worth the time and money spent. Not to mention the accuracy of her readings on points in my life!! I either see Cindy Grogan in person or chat on the phone with her to do a reading. I have developed from personal growth on learning what works for me and what doesn't work on different aspects of life. I didn't intend to speak about Cindy but her guidance on this life path of mine is instrumental and credit is due to her ability to be so on point!! Cindy Grogan lives in New Jersey and can be reached by looking up wwww.TheSensiblePsychic.com My response to dating an independent woman: An independent woman is self sufficient financially, physically, and emotionally. She would like to have that connection but she survives without it. A man comes into her life and his question is why is this woman is why is this woman "too independent" (missing alot of details)?? Instead of asking why and allowing it to be a sticking point, work to be the kind, loving, and the supportive man she needs in order unravel the layers of armour she must put on to protect her heart from the world. She is fighting for your hand to try to take over the wheel of her life. That wheel is her sense of security and way of survival. Why should she give up that power to a man who merely requests it?? You need to SHOW that you are consistent and capable of taking the wheel as a co-pilot not just being the captain. I have established my way of life and I am NOT going to give the keys to my castle to just anyone. I will never be "dependent" and ever lay in a fetal position. I do not view "independence" as a dirty word. I fully respect women who choose the "dependent" since it is risky but reaps rewards if done correctly. I have chosen to do life "the hard way" for the past 20 years. I had found no one in my travels that I felt comfy letting them take the "wheel" of my life as a co-pilot. I do have someone in my life that I am slowly offering the "keys" to the palace due to his constant work to SHOW me that he has my back. This is accomplished through being the "better road" in managing life challenges that end up panning out better than my method. His goal is to earn that spot as my "co-pilot" since I have clearly demonstrated my ability to not only be a great co-pilot but fully run the ship in the event he can't or serve as his rock during tough times. Prior to wanting to take the wheel, you need to review her life experiences and figure out if you are capable of being the physical rock in the time of need or merely speaking that you want to be one. Then, you work to consistently be the co-pilot that she needs....

Cheers! Leslie M Jasper www.lesliemjasper.blogspot.com

Interesting Construction Drawings (& NYC Job Photos) Found During My Jobsite Walks

hi everyone! Now that I am an assistant project manager in New York City, I often have to walk the job. I take alot of photos with the intent of visually seeing our progress and determining if my field crew faces obstacles. I oftentimes use the photos to communicate issues on the job. It is no surprise that I discover some rather funny artistic creations. Here is a collection from the job and for your amusement!! I added some views of Manhattan from the jobsite as well!

Cheers! Leslie M Jasper