Ode to Center-Pivots and Wheel-lines

Today, Jack and I had a date. (Jack is my bright red, Giant brand, mountain bike.  He's great.)

You see, Daddy-dear just got me some brand-spankin'-new, Specialized bike shoes complete with Shimano-brand clips and pedals.  I just HAD to try 'em out. ;)  (Sidenote: They're pretty spiffy, and I love them!)

You know those times when you're running or biking along and you're just so hot?  You're burning up.  You're tired and thirsty, and running over hot, black, sticky asphalt does absolutely nothing to help.  You think briefly about calling your mother to tell her you're dying of heat-stroke...

And then you hear it.  The slow, steady chop of the ginormous rain-bird that sits on the end of a center-pivot.  Suddenly, you can see it and the huge, black, watery, and delicious spot it's making on the road in front of you.

You buck up, make that your goal, and sprint with strength you didn't know you possessed to reach that beloved spot in record time.  And you stand there.  And stand there.  Aaaand stand there in the glory of the river-water that is being hurled at you from above.  And you love it.  Don't try to tell me that you don't.

Yes, my friends.  That is why you bike in Idaho.  And if the sprinklers are on the wrong side of the road, ride on over!  Odds are, you won't see a vehicle in the time you're riding.  Refreshed, and with new-found courage, you continue on your way only to find that the path you chose to run/bike along is quite literally littered with other such places of joy and happiness created by those dear, thoughtful farmers who saw fit to position their wheel-lines and pivots to your best advantage.  ;)

You spend at least a mile of your trip running through puddles and artificial rain.  So much for heat-stroke! :]

Now if I could only find a solution for those dad-blasted dogs...

Made. My. Day. :)

Sometimes doing granite work makes life a little interesting.

Like, I have scars, blood-blisters, and callouses on my hands.
Or I always come home covered in epoxy and mud.
OR sometimes I have very interesting conversations with customers.  :]

Hehe!  This is a good one. ;)

Background:  Dad and I are installing kitchen countertops for a small, sweet, white-haired, couple.  The wife is very sharp, neat, and detail-oriented.  Her 86-year-old husband has a hard time hearing and a harder time understanding.  He is also somewhat suspicious of the newcomers (us), and he falls asleep from time to time.  They sit and watch us the whole time we are installing.

We started working, and all the time, the husband was interrogating us--trying to figure out who we were.  Sometimes the conversation would go like this:

Grandpa:  So how old are you?
Dad:  Forty-eight.
Grandpa:  Oh.......(long pause)......
                Where are you from?
Dad (with a smile):  Out at Springdale.
Grandpa:  Where??
Dad (louder): Springdale.
Grandpa:  Oh.  My family used to live out there.  ...  Did you know my great-grandfather?
Grandma (cutting in quickly):  No, he didn't know your great-grandfather.
...........[pause]........
Grandpa:  ...They built the Church out there on our family's land. (Dad nods) ....They used to call it [insert family name]'s Church.
Grandma (cutting in even quicker):  No they didn't either...

He he he  :)  BUT my favorite conversation happened while Dad and Grandma were outside:

Grandpa:  So how old are you?
Me (loud, with a smile):  Nineteen.
Grandpa:  ....Do you have a boyfriend?
Me (smiling bigger):  No.
Grandpa (jumps, raises his eyebrows incredulously, and drops his jaw while saying...):  What?  (taken aback) Nooo...  Why not?
Me (trying not to laugh at his reaction): ...
Grandpa (grinning):  I took Mom (his wife) on our first date to a sweet shop, and I came home and told my parents, "I found the girl I'm going to marry."  And they...(shakes his head and face-palms (demonstrating)).  Back then, we earned 50 cents an hour... and I took her on a date for 50 cents.  You could do that back then, too.  A movie cost 10 cents a person, and then I'd take her to the sweet shop.  We'd get hot-dogs for 10 cents each, and some candy with the last dime... (He trailed off, reminiscing, and shortly fell asleep.)

Hahaha!  It was so cute and funny!  I loved it!  I'll be honest, I'm kinda jealous of those 50 cent dates.  Sounds pretty grand to me! :D

:)