Tuesday, February 13, 2007

6AM comes awfully early...

Its one of those beautiful, snowy days in Central PA--the kind where I'm torn between playing in it, and peering out suspiciously from the comfort of a warm room. I'd have opted for the warm room, but there was this little Issue called Work. So at 6 AM I was enjoying the sight of large, crystalline flakes as I headed into, you guessed it, the DIY Emporium! Now that I've taken up with the 3:30-midnight crowd at the call center, I'm doing more 6AM shifts at the other job--the one that allows me to play and keep my sanity, and occasionally buy nice power tools. It was snowing enthusiastically a couple of hours later when the phone in my pocket rang and this voice says"could you guys take delivery of the stone truck if I bring it a day early? Hmmm, sounds like fun, and if I'm receiving a truck, I don't have to sit here taking any more tests...(That continuing certification thing). I asked my manager, who just happened to be standing there, ???

"As long as he gets here by noon..., OK." "Besides, BIG grin, its fun to drive the forklift in the snow! Let me know if you want help."
The truck shows up at 10:00, I grab the forklift, and the fun begins. There is a decent amount of snow at this point--not intimidating, because I've driven a LOT in snow, and of course, I know what I'm doing. Yeh, Right. I got the forklift stuck almost immediately. Those large, crystalline flakes?--slide under the wheels like I'm sitting in powdered Teflon. I'm having visions of how ignominious I'm going to look if I manage to tip the forklift with a pallet of stone on it. After a boost from the trucker, who is a really nice guy, I'm able to get myself and the pallet to a safe resting spot. The snow is still falling rapidly, I get done with all the "manageable" pallets, and try for one on the slope side of the truck. Here we go Again! DAMN!!! This is getting a little embarrassing. As a charter member of the local chapter of the Burly Women's club, I have a reputation to uphold after all. Donna asks,
"Do you want me to call Bobby? This is taking a long time."
Then I was Really embarrassed. At the same time, my hands were so cold inside my gloves that my fingernails were starting to hurt, so I agreed meekly that it would be very nice to have my managers help. He comes out dressed in jeans, a flannel shirt, and a watch cap.
"Yes, I would really appreciate your help, but will you be warm enough?"
"Yeah, we won't be out here that long."
I felt better when he got the forklift stuck--Repeatedly, and had to go in for his coat and gloves after only one pallet. Meanwhile the snow is getting deeper, fast. The trucker and I shoveled like mad, the salt guy came along, and my manager came back dressed in a parka and big gloves. The trucker meanwhile is chortling,

"Yeah, Oh Yeah, I'll be just Fine like this!"

I grinned at him,

"well I feel better now, He got it stuck too!"

I learned LOTS of new forklift tricks by the time the truck was unloaded, and I can hardly wait to try them out in the next good snow

Monday, February 05, 2007

Beginnings

"and now that I've asked too many questions and you're deciding we can't be friends, will you give me the recipe for your dessert before you vanish?"
"you're probably one of those girls who keeps a sword under the bed..." Blink. "two, actually."
"Its a long story"..."do you know any short stories?"

Thinking this morning of friendships, and beginnings, and... feeling very glad that my treasures are the self-maintaining kind.

"what made you think we would enjoy each other?"

And recognizing that the thing most of them have in common is me. Hmmm..., no, that one isn't a good topic for casual thoughts... Reminds me of the tale of the demon, presented with the endless knot, who is enspelled because his geas is to unbind all ties... One could spend an eternity looking for a loose end--or accept that all things are connected and that context lends perspective...

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Cleaning Spree!

Its a Beauuutiful, sunny morning here in Central PA. Good, because the sun feels fabulous on my face, and all the plants are growing aggressively. My indoor plants, that is_ It FINALLY got cold enough here that the outside ones are in winter mode--and it IS cold! I wheedled one of my housemates into taking a walk before she sets off on her adventure today, and for awhile there, my ears were complaining. Time to find the earmuffs? Probably. I decided though, that if I walked fast enough, I would get hot, and my ears would be OK. So I took off like a bat. Bless her heart, she kept up gamely till we were about halfway up the hill. About the time I decided I was getting comfortably warm, she gently pointed out that she might not make it to the top of the hill with me. We started joking about scenarios for losing housemates/fellow hikers and were giggling so hard we were both gasping by the time we made it. We did greet one other enterprising soul, and encountered a taxi driver with Things To Do and Places To Go who was aggravated that he had to share this quiet residential street with two pedestrians( the sidewalk was liberally covered in black ice and it was safer to walk in the street) He blew his horn as he drove by, which made me think of Boston, and the cabdrivers there. Horns are a form of self-expression in Boston, and people look at you suspiciously if you don't use yours. In Alabama, on the other hand, they're reserved for when things get serious. Quote from my lovely friend Monica "I was SURE I was going to DIE on the drive from the airport!" "Oh, that's why you had the death-grip on the door...--No, that's just Boston. The only reason more accidents here aren't fatal is that the streets are so short and crowded that the really bad drivers can't get up a decent momentum." Back to Central PA and that Beauuuutiful sunny morning: The bad part about beauuutiful sunny mornings is they reveal life in brilliant detail. The Dust Bunnies are Organizing. Pretty soon they'll want Equal Rights. I think I see a union boss headed this way. Time to get out the vacuum cleaner...

Friday, February 02, 2007

Listening

Another reality check from the Powers that Be...Today is my day off. I actually have a whole two days off--from both jobs, which was a Good Thing. I've been feeling very stressed, and rather savage, and I was intent on Avoiding People today. As I was sitting at the computer catching up on business, correspondence, etc. though, the Voice in my head said, "Go To The Library". "No! I am Hermiting!!!" Fine. another 10 minutes go by, and "GO TO THE LIBRARY!!!" "I said I was Hermiting!" another 10 minutes, I've almost finished the really pressing stuf, and "DO IT NOW" "You're not going to shut up, are you???" I got dressed, (its snowing, by the way), collected my books, and drove to the library. Just as I parked, a very little old lady gets out of the land yacht next to me and starts trying to open the hood. Car trouble. We got it sorted out, she went on her way, and I thank the Powers that Be for reminding me to Listen.