Part 6, Get to Know Sub Sea Staff!

This week, we spent some time chatting with Greg Young, who is a Systems Specialist with Sub Sea Systems (that's a lot of S's!) Greg's relationship with Sub Sea's founder, Jim Mayfield, goes farther back than our company has even existed! Greg shared some of his fondest memories of his lengthy history with the company, as well as his personal background. Read below to learn more about Greg!

Greg-way back when

Q: When did you first start working with Sub Sea's founder, Jim Mayfield?

G: I met Jim at Dimetrics Welding. It was about 1983!

Q: What was your first project for SSS?

G: I went to Pete Burgin’s (SSS Engineer) shop and helped finish a semi-submarine! Pete was subcontracted to build the sub for SSS, I went and repaired some of the work that had been done on the sub. The Coast Guard had found a leak and I was hired to go and help repair and finish the welding. I think that was in 1994!

Q: You have had the opportunity to travel for SSS. Where have you visited for work?

G: I've taken many work trips and have had the opportunity to travel to Dominica, Fort Lauderdale, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, China, Catalina, San Diego, and Alaska. My favorite was Dominica– when I wasn't working, I took a very cool trip down a river on an inner tube.

Greg working his magic

Q: Out of all of the projects you have done over the years, what was your favorite?

G: Anytime there is a new product for me to work on, it becomes my favorite project! Lately, that's been Aquaticar. I've been building the frames for the latest version of the car. Change and "new" are always good!

Q: You have had quite a lot of experience with the FunCat, Sub Sea Systems' Solar-Electric Catamaran. From ordering parts to fabrication, assembly, and customer service, you know the FunCat inside and out. What is it about the FunCat personal catamaran that you like most? 

G: Getting on the water in a FunCat is a lot of fun, and they're easy! When you go out on one, you’ll be smiling. When I send out a FunCat, I know it’s going to make someone happy.

Q: Tell us about your family

G: My wife Kathi and I have been married since 1986 and it still hasn’t 86’d yet! Kathi works as an Accounting Clerk and has been at her job for many years. We have two adult children, Ryan and Alisha. We also have two fur kids, Oreo the Queensland Heeler and Aries, a Boxer/White Husky mix.

Greg with his Daughter, Alisha

Q: What do you do for fun?
G: I enjoy a lot of outdoor activities– golf, motorcycling, dirt bike riding, target shooting, camping, boating, and fishing.

Q: What are you most proud of?
G: My kids. My wife and I raised two great ones!

Q: What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
G: It came from a former co-worker, many years ago. I was a trainee, making very little money. The advice was "do a really good job... do your best, and the money will come." Less than three years later I was an "A-level Assembler," with a skill level that was in high demand. I was also the only employee at Dimetrics to win a quality of work award, the only one in that company's history. And, it netted me an extra day off!

Fun in the office- Greg with Hannah de Bie

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Wacky & Weird Travel Hacks That Just Might Work!

Traveling is amazing…and expensive! The cost of flights, hotels, dining out, and excursions can really add up. If you’re budget-conscious, every little bit of savings helps. We’ve discovered a few unique hacks that might help you keep cash in your pocket. At the very least, you will enjoy reading these creative ideas!

Save money on dining – right from your room!
Most of us haven’t yet discovered that hotel rooms offer opportunities to save money on dining. Did you know you could make a healthy, hot breakfast with inexpensive items purchased at the grocery store, right in your own room? Avoid the overpriced hotel restaurant or lackluster coffee shop muffins by purchasing some eggs and bacon and get cookin’! Utilizing the in-room coffee maker, place whole eggs in the carafe, fill the reservoir with enough water to cover the eggs, then run the machine. Let the eggs stand for about 15 minutes. Voila– hard boiled eggs! Prefer something toasty? You have TWO options to make a yummy grilled cheese sandwich or quesadilla. Remove the coffee pot and place bread on the burner. Add cheese, then another piece of bread, and flip your sandwich.

If your coffee pot burner isn’t large enough, you can also utilize your iron! A little pre-planning is all it takes. Pack a few sheets of foil in your luggage, and you can iron a sandwich by wrapping it in foil and pressing it with the iron.

Speaking of the iron, you can also cook bacon on it. Make sure you use plenty of foil and raise the edges so that you do not end up with a greasy mess.

If you don’t want to work so hard for your breakfast (after all, you’re on vacation!), pack a few envelopes of instant oatmeal and cook it in the aforementioned coffee pot. You can even throw in a tea bag in the pod holder section, for added flavor (we like apple cinnamon).

Conquer common, yet annoying hotel room inefficiencies
Hotel rooms often lack the kind of lighting that’s needed for a late night trip to the restroom or a not-too-bright reading lamp. But you can create your own nightlight! Just turn on the flashlight on your cell phone. Place the phone on a table, light facing up. Grab a full water bottle (make sure the outside is dry) and place it on top of the phone. Instant, glowing nightlight! Learn how to make it here.

Hotel room curtains have a habit of not quite closing completely. If you’d like to enjoy sleeping in, you can keep the curtains closed by grabbing a hanger from the closet (the kind with clips). Pull the curtains together and clip them closed with the hanger’s clips. Now you can rest peacefully without having to worry about unwelcomed morning light.

Hotel fridges are great. No more wasted restaurant leftovers or worrying about food from your grocery store run. But, what if you forgot plastic wrap, or didn’t have room in your suitcase? No problem! Most hotels provide brand new, sealed shower caps with their free toiletries. You can wrap up your leftovers or even cover a full-sized plate of food. That freebie shower cap can also provide you with an instant shoe bag, or protection for wet bathing suits!

Stash your cash
No in-room safe? No problem! You don’t have to walk around with all your cash. Containers typically utilized for other purposes can be great for hiding money. Remove the spool of dental floss from its case and place the cash inside. Other common containers also provide sneaky hiding spots. A packet of gum with a few sticks removed; an empty lip balm or deodorant container (internal plastic removed); or a shampoo bottle lid can all be utilized to hide money in your room. But the best hiding place we came across was in the back of a hairbrush! Hairbrushes with plastic backs can be separated from the bristles. Pop the bristle section away from the brush handle section, and hide your stash. No hairbrush? Peel back the innersole from your shoe and you’ve got the ideal place to hide money. But remember; don’t forget your hiding place!

Before you go
A little planning ahead can spare you some travel headaches, as well as extra room in your suitcase. Instead of packing a full container of your favorite cosmetics, you can use an inexpensive contact lens case for your favorite liquid makeup or your moisturizer. The lids stay on securely and the container takes up very little bag space. And, plastic pill cases are ideal for holding rings and earrings!

Dryer sheets take up almost no space in your bag, but they can really save you when it’s time to pack up your dirty laundry. Grab the dry cleaning bag from the hotel closet (they’re free) and use it for worn clothing. Toss in a dryer sheet to keep the clothes odor-free. Dryer sheets are also great static reducers. And, you can stick one in your pocket to ward off insects while hiking.

Chances are, you’re taking a cell phone with camera capabilities to capture every moment and take awesome selfies. But, that little camera offers much more. Take photos of all of your documents, boarding passes, and even your driver’s license, to use as a backup if something gets lost. Pictures can be viewed even if there’s no wifi, so you will be able to access them at any time.

Add a brightly colored luggage tag (or even a shower poof!) to your luggage before you take off, and take a photo of it. If your luggage is lost, this will help your luggage stand out and speed up the recovery process.

Finally, if you are frequently frustrated by the teeny drinks offered on planes, you have two options that will save you money and give you plenty of refreshment. You can pack an empty water bottle in your carry on, or, you can freeze a bottle of water before you leave for the airport. As long as the water remains solid through security, you can take it with you, since it is no longer a liquid.

What’s your favorite travel hack? Share it below! 

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