Back to My Tools

 

     Last month the decision was made that I should go back to my tools, and I am not upset about it at all.  I missed getting dirty, I missed the camaraderie of being on a gang and most of all I missed building things.  I will not get into all the political BS that I know some of you reading this are hoping for. Sorry sunshine but the absolute biggest take away I have from my time in management is to focus on the positive, because the negative can easily consume your life.

     I really feel like I have been given a second chance.  When I was in management it was all life consuming, I worked ALL the time.  I went an entire month without even laying eyes on my horses or cooking my husband a meal.  That is not the life I want to live and I am so happy to have been given the chance to find a better balance.



First fish of the season!

     So the positive, I am back on an 8 on and 6 off schedule, so I have a little more time on my hands.  Of course me being me, I have quickly filled that time.  I have started taking a writing class, I found an old barn that needs to be taken down and I am waiting on permission to start recovering the wood.  I plan on riding more, writing more, cooking more, building more and enjoying the hell out of life more.  There are a lot of fish out there to catch and mountains to climb.

     My first week back was interesting, I had to drive the boom truck for the first time in 2 years and I was definitely a little rusty.  There was a little gear grinding going on and I did have to stop on a hill when I missed my downshift. It is coming back, but I could still use a little practice.

     I am on a crossing gang now and we have plenty of crossings on our schedule and each one requires a specific design so I shouldn't have much of a chance to get bored on this gang.  I am already pinking up the place with my pink tools, pink nails and pink phone charger but I made cupcakes so the guys can't get to upset with me.  In the future look for more posts with me in awkward and interesting positions.  If anyone has any questions they would like to ask, post them in the comments and I will try and answer them in future posts.


My pink phone charger in the work truck