Monday, February 22, 2016

Roll On

Today my job was compaction.  I was in charge of a 3-ton vibratory roller, which when the compaction was switched on, provided six tons of compaction to the surface.  

There was a lot of skill involved.  I had one lever - push it forward to go forward, push it back to reverse.  The compaction button was located on the lever, at my thumb.

Forward and back.  Forward and back.  For approximately nine hours, minus a lunch break and a few pee breaks.  It was cool when I started, and pretty comfortable all day because there was a lovely breeze, but the sun did get a little fierce in the afternoon.  

So I altered the rental equipment to make it a little more practical for working under the midday sun:
The umbrella helped a great deal.  I still got more sun than I should have - I officially have the farmer arm tan - but it did cut the intensity.  And it looked cute.  Even Ed got in on the action.
My brother and Ed took turns running the skid-steer spreading the dirt, and I followed behind them, rolling the dirt in nice, neat rows, like cutting grass.  Right now it's just neatly compacted dirt, but around the driveway area I want to plant either hedges, or oleander, or what they call out here "natural fencing" - like tall skinny cactus or ocotillo plants - it creates a nice privacy screen but will also make the property waaaay prettier. 

It actually wasn't that bad.  I sort of enjoyed myself.  I had my earbuds in, listening to music, sunglasses and visor in place, floating around the other equipment like I was in a site-prepping ballet.


My friend Kim stopped by when she got off from work.  She laughed as she walked toward me, watching me do my thing on the roller.  Her first words were, "Are you wearing makeup??"  Of course I was.  She's known me for twelve years, it shouldn't have even been a question.
When I was done, Ed tested the surface by driving the truck on it (tractor only) and it was perfect.  Damn right, it was.

I'm not only the master or sitting and driving.  I'm apparently also the master of sitting and rolling.  




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2015: AdiĆ³s

2014: Shades Of SOBE
2013: Set In Stone
2012: How To Make A Mustache Famous
2011: Homemade Dessert Is The Bombe
2010: Olga And Eddie Travel The Country Viking Style
2009: They Say
2008: Eddie Lounges In Cozumel Friday
2007: I Think I’m Dating A Narcoleptic
2006: Groundhog Surprise
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!
 

2 comments:

squidgybo said...

Hilarious, that looked like a lot of fun. So what you doing with it, making a parking lot or maybe opening an IHOP?

The Daily Rant said...

Oooohhhh. An IHOP. I didn't think of that! LOL