WHEEEEE!!!!

You know... I know that a post or two ago I was pretty down about my job. Those issues haven't fully resolved themselves, but there are some really cool parts about working in a plant, too.

I've been needing a certain dimension on a pipe, and I've been having trouble getting it because the pipe is about 25 ft in the air and scaffolds are in short supply. Enter the JLG:

You see, the fun involved in riding the JLG is two-fold. Part one is that you're being hoisted way up high into the air inside a basket from which Evel Knievel wouldn't look down. On the other, you're at the end of a VERY long moment arm every time those tires hit a bump in the road. The combination is something like jumping up and down on a diving board while the pool moves at about 25 mph. You have to flex your knees, almost like you're skiing. IT. WAS. AWESOME. Since I don't have the necessary paperwork to drive, I got Brian Stogdill (my foreman) to take the stick while I bounced along with a grin on my face akin to a 2 year old on a merry-go-round. Brian is a recent Army vet, very matter-of-fact type guy. I couldn't tell if he was amused or annoyed, but it didn't make much difference to me. It was one of those moments in life that's too much fun to be self-conscious.

On that note, I want to announce a new personal policy. I'm going to make a conscious effort to laugh at least 3 times a day. This usually takes care of itself, but there are those days when, as the cowboy in The Big Lebowski said: "The bar' eats you...". I'm realizing that there are lots of people who don't laugh 3 times a week, unless you count that awful nervous laughter on elevator rides. Really. I think it's important not to take life too seriously all the time, especially when everyone around you seems to be.