A mere 20 feet behind my store UVA is building a seven story parking garage. They have been drilling holes that are three feet wide and seventy feet deep. The one they did this morning is the closest to me. It only took them about an hour and a half.
And then they brought in a mini-crane with something that looked like it came from a kid's swing set. A guy suited up. His harnesses were checked several times. And they dropped him down the hole.
At the other end of the adrenaline spectrum is this. The public street that accesses the construction site is 11th St, next to my store and my 30 space parking lot. 11th St is all of 15' wide and 180' long before it dead ends at the construction site. But it is a public street and evidentally the law requires that it be kept clean.
The dump trucks and cement trucks and tractor trailers delivering stuff use it all day every work day. Eight hours a day five or six days at first. But now they do four 10 hour days.
And there are these two guys, the same two guys since the project began, who spend all of those hours sweeping the dirt up on that 15' by 180' stretch of asphalt. That is all they do. All day, every workday.
They are quite diligent about it, much more than I guess I would be. They don't lean on their brooms. They keep them moving.
The smaller of the two guys started yesterday at Main St and after a couple of hours he had gotten one lane totally swept for about a third of the 180'. It looked good.
I reckon I can't imagine having a job like that. I can't imagine what it must be like to get up in the morning and realize how I was going to be spending my day; 10 hours of sweeping the pavement I had swept yesterday and 10 hours I would repeat again tomorrow.
I am, I suspect, laying the groundwork for a much broader comment about something. But I can't quite make it become clear to me. Something about subsisting on a few ruppees or pesos a day. Something about being 60 years old and pushing a broom down the same street over and over again.
Wondering what you'll say, me being more on the sweepers' realm, although somewhat from the landowners'plotz, some time ago.
In the meantime, give the guy a drink and sustenance.
Just outside my window here, slightly to the right is a telephone pole. And all day everyday from dawn through dusk, there is a mockingbird. And he does his thing, from dawn to dusk.
He is a pretty good looking bird and seems to me to sing well. I am wondering if he is still looking for a mate---getting kind of late, dude---or whether he is spending all of his energy each day singing to keep predators away from his lady's nest.
Tough work, singing all day, not becasue you want to but because that is your job.
The foil top on my yogurt has a picture of a youngish farmer type with the words:
His heart is in his work. His milk is in our yogurt.
Doesn't seem very... sanitary.
Guy walked by .. his t-shirt said, in big caps: "Pablo Escobar will never die"
Saw a middle-aged Jewish guy walk down the street in 'full costume' - happens often enough, this is, at least nominally, still the Jewish neighbourhood. Hat, these curls or braids, big beard, heavy black cloak-like coat.
But its 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
http://flickr.com/photos/theonug/470404373/ 
Cree-eepy...
He also got a nice coupla photos of himself with guns..
Wasn't Pablo Escobar a major drug lord? (runs to google...)
Assuming I remember right, now there's a tee shirt.
OK, well, yeah...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Escobar
Spam: "Surprise everyone with your new increased length"
Everyone? who all do they think people are showing their dick to?
Couldn't find "grit your teeth or grimace" and this one actually matches better.
My 20-year HS reunion is coming up. I've re-connected with a bunch of people via Facebook. Haven't checked in much though, just did, catching up. One of my friends -- who has always looked like me and still does now according to pics she has up -- was talking about baby showers. Oh, she's having a baby? Cool. More reading... no, it's her DAUGHTER who is having the baby. She's going to be a grandma!
OMG.
@nimh,
nimh wrote:
Spam: "Surprise everyone with your new increased length"
Everyone? who all do they think people are showing their dick to?
Well...if you wear REALLY tight pants...you know...the ones where you can tell what religion you are.....
@sozobe,
Heh heh...Wittle Wosie the Wiveter is weally growing up....
@dlowan,
Wosie is ageless.
Me, on the other hand...
What should I do for my midlife crisis? I'm thinking of buying a motorcycle...
@sozobe,
sozobe wrote:
Wosie is ageless.
Me, on the other hand...
What should I do for my midlife crisis? I'm thinking of buying a motorcycle...
Lawdy, don't ask me!!!
I don't think I have had mine yet....and I am way past halfway through my life.
Just DON'T do the red sports car...it's soooooo passe.
@dlowan,
Do women do red sportscars?
Maybe a mohawk... tattoos...
@sozobe,
What made me stare today....
welllllllllll, driving along the motorway and this guy - beauuuuuuuuuutiful car.... parked on hard shoulder...... he was standing on the side of road - full view - having a weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!! I was singing rather loudly and smiling already - but boy....... I did stare as I cruised on by :shock Shut me up for all of 5 seconds!
