My brother got me some sweet Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pants for Christmas. They're pretty comfy. I generally don't wear pajama pants, usually opting for a pair of shorts, but these are nice. I could get used to this.
Adventures in snow moving:
I got to the shop around 9 Friday morning and returned at 11:30 that night. My only "break" was to walk into Wal-Mart long enough to pee and buy a bag of beef jerky and two bottles of water. This actually wasn't the longest day of my life - I've had a few 6:30a.m. to 11:30p.m. nights doing field work when rain was coming - but this was different. Field work gives you an opportunity to get out and wander around a little bit, and you're usually only going 5-6 mph. Moving snow is a lot different. You're going as fast as possible all the time, dodging curbs, light poles, parked cars, and Mexicans that think it's fun to climb on top of the huge pile of snow you're building. Yes, I understood your sign language. No, I'm not going to stop so you can take a picture. I have shit to do. You would think the people walking in and out of Wal-Mart would stay out of the way of a 40,000 pound tractor, but no. They apparently don't know that tractors don't stop like cars. I was told that usually it's not this hectic, as we'll usually work late at night/early in the morning, but this snow came at a weird time. It sucked missing New Year's eve and messing up our weekend plans, but the money is nice. The jury is out on whether or not I'll do this next year. I guess I'll give it more time.
My dad plows, too, and has been doing it every winter for as long as I can remember. It's a rough living.
ReplyDeleteThere are some great stories sometimes...like Dad doing donuts in huge plows in fresh snow-covered grocery store parking lots. My dad was my hero that day. :)
When it starts getting tough, just remember you're helping people stay safe in the snow. And that snow plowers are misunderstood and way, WAY under-appreciated.
I'm with Michelle. There was one night I had to drive from Seward to York and the roads were terrible--just sheets of ice. It would have been faster to jog back. I was about halfway there and hadn't really breathed for about 8 miles when I saw a plow pulled off the side of the road in front of me. I think he was waiting for the next car to come down 34 (I was the only one--obviously everyone else was a lot smarter than I was). Whoever that angel was, he pulled out in front of me and cleared a path while laying down some gravel the whole way to York with me tucked safely behind him. And...
ReplyDeleteI think everyone who puts up a tree feels that feeling you're describing when taking it down. I know I do. Each ornament I remove brings a new question. The biggest one is: What will our lives look like? I pray for safety for Nora a lot while undecorating. (new word--I'm ok with that.) But like Michelle says, God's got this one.