The last few weeks have been busy, to say the least. We're starting up a new service line down here, and meeting the technical requirements have been rather trying. I've been bouncing back and forth between the two lines trying to learn how to run the new equipment while at the same time trying to keep up with issues on the frac side.
We've also had a fair number of people come down from Calgary to train us on said new equipment. It's been good to see some old familiar faces. The flip side of that, though, is that I've been eating out more than usual. This is not entirely a bad thing, as it's allowed me to find a couple of new restaurants and at least one really good pub* out and about.
After living down here for six months I finally got around to seeing Memphis. At a mere two hours away I probably should have gone sooner (say, for Memphis in May) but c'est la vie. Myself and a compatriot from the Calgary office crossed the Mighty Mississippi into the town. We visited the National Civil Rights Museum**, the Rock and Soul museum, wandered Beale Street and in general gorged ourselves on the food there***. Good times.
No. Graceland was not visited. Maybe next time.
The weather down here has actually been relatively mild. According to the locals we should be pushing 100 F daily with no rain. Instead for the most part it's been overcast, raining nearly every evening or night (we went through a week where we had hour long downpours start at 5 pm on the nose), and only about as hot as Calgary gets on its hottest days - if that. That might have started to finally change if yesterday was any indication.
And I made another ridiculous purchase. Behold!
I know. It's not a John Deere, but on the plus side I didn't have to take out a second mortgage to pay for it either. I finally got around to giving it a workout yesterday and it was... satisfying. Not necessarily fun, but definitely satisfying. The fact that it will go through the underbrush that's in the unsodded part of my lawn and not even slow down was immensely gratifying****.So now it's poll time, ladies! Do you think my tractor's sexy? I just need one of you to say yes so I can hum "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" while I mow my lawn.
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*75 different beers on tap = much fun.
**I was quite pleased that neither myself nor my compatriot - both burly white men with extremely short hair (me) and completely shaved head (him) did not get even one strange look going through there. In all seriousness, though, if you're ever in Memphis go see it. It's definitely worth it.
***In the unlikely even that I ever open my own restaurant I'm hiring a baker. Free fresh buns will be provided to all diners.
****Seriously. Parts of it haven't been mowed in two months or more and some of the weeds growing in it are taller than me and about an inch in diameter. I figured I'd need a machete and a British accent to cut my way through it.
5 comments:
OK, just for you... "Your tractor's sexy."
I'll have you know I have never put those words together in that order before. The things I do for friends... :)
Woohoo!
(singing) She thinks my tractor's sexy...
Now if it would only stop raining today so I could use it.
Oh! Oh!!
(I *have* put those words together before, but only about "real tractors", not lawn mowers. [grin])
What I wanted to mention was that if I were you, I would have gone out with a machete and a British accent *anyway*, and I'd have got myself some binoculars and one of those safari hats and the khaki shorts and shirt and hiking boots, and I would have stayed out there, hacking away at the weeds and shouting things like "By Jove!" and "Bugger all!" and "Bloody Irish!" until someone stopped me to ask if I was okay, and then I would have said, "Yes, yes. Quite all right. Been some time since I was back in the cottage in the Colonies, don't you know, old man. I say, this heat is quite bothersome, don't you think? Let's stop and have some tea, shall we?" and then I would have stood there, staring expectantly, until the confounded silence became *nearly* unbearable, at which point, I'd have used my machete as a pointer, and gone on about Missus Pemberley making the very best ices, which would be ever so refreshing, wouldn't you say?
Man. This is going to be funny for a very, very long time.
It's a *nice* "tractor"; it's just not what I'd call a *sexy* "tractor". I think sexy tractors have wheel rims bigger than I am (which is saying a lot, these days), and I am a hard, weather-beaten farm girl, so, y'know, it's probably just me. It probably really is a *very* sexy "tractor". As lawnmowers go, it's definitely sexy.
Dear god.
I was thinking something along those lines, but your description was priceless. Thank you very much for starting off my morning so well. I haven't laughed that hard in a while.
You're probably right about the tractor, though. It depends on your point of view, and to people who are used to working with *real* tractors it probably isn't that sexy. Maybe I should pimp it out. Put some massively over sized rims on it, a preposterously large spoiler, maybe drop it down...
I think I might have come up with a new television show.
*Totally* jack that puppy up, put on some ho-rims, and a disco ball. *Definitely* you need a disco ball. So you're an engineer - you'll have to put a big steel bar up the back of the seat, then hook up a plant hanger to it and dangle a disco ball.
Then you'll need an Ipod with external speakers to play your tunez, and hydraulics so that your tractor can do that bouncy-bouncy thing and the hos on the fenders (wait; I've forgotten the photo already; does your tractor have fenders? If not, you'll have to install some. How hard can *that* be) can get their jollies. Erm. I don't know 'hip-hop speak' for 'jollies'. Sorry.
And then post *another* picture, cause that would be *awesome*. Also, if you cover your tractor in bits of mirror, then they will reflect the dicso ball and hey, more shiny can't be all bad, right?
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