We are getting a break from the wind and snow right now. I have enough overtime on this next check to pay for my room at NEST plus some food and cocktails without touching my vacation money. But I'm tired. I plowed in the windy blinding dark of 2am and the snowblinding light of 2pm with very little breaks between storms. I pulled two brunettes, one blonde, one redhead, one bus, and one old drunk guy out of various ditches and snowbanks. Not that I'm complaining, you understand. It is part of my job and I knew I had to do it going in. But there are perks besides the very healthy paycheck that may seem small, yet they sorta keep me going and looking ahead in those long hours.
The most important to me is a little girl who has to get to the porch in a hurry when she sees me coming. She loves to watch the snow curl high in the air from my giant V-plow. This in itself isn't much but it is all worth it to see that big smile and the way she puts her hands shyly over her eyes with embarassment when I smile and wave at her. If it is dark and not too late she will be wildly waving from the picture window of the house. It's funny how I start to perk up myself when I start down her road.
Secondly is this old woman who lives on a dead end county road of mine. I have to plow it since it is still incorporated into the county. I have come to find out that I am her lifeline during bad weather making sure her people can get to her to check up on her. But it is more than that. We have this mutual thing going on between us. I make sure her road, or if you can imagine it as really a 3/4ths of a mile driveway, is open and that I see she still has electricity or she is moving around inside the house and she in trade is making me fat by baking me cookies, brownies, and anything else fattening and forcing me to accept them. OK I bought a big new coffee thermos to go with the brownies. If you could taste them you would have bought one also.
So basically my winters are saving or entertaining pretty girls of all ages while being sleep deprived or getting fat on home made goodies. I like to think I earn the goodies.
And I just happen to like coffee so shut up.
The most important to me is a little girl who has to get to the porch in a hurry when she sees me coming. She loves to watch the snow curl high in the air from my giant V-plow. This in itself isn't much but it is all worth it to see that big smile and the way she puts her hands shyly over her eyes with embarassment when I smile and wave at her. If it is dark and not too late she will be wildly waving from the picture window of the house. It's funny how I start to perk up myself when I start down her road.
Secondly is this old woman who lives on a dead end county road of mine. I have to plow it since it is still incorporated into the county. I have come to find out that I am her lifeline during bad weather making sure her people can get to her to check up on her. But it is more than that. We have this mutual thing going on between us. I make sure her road, or if you can imagine it as really a 3/4ths of a mile driveway, is open and that I see she still has electricity or she is moving around inside the house and she in trade is making me fat by baking me cookies, brownies, and anything else fattening and forcing me to accept them. OK I bought a big new coffee thermos to go with the brownies. If you could taste them you would have bought one also.
So basically my winters are saving or entertaining pretty girls of all ages while being sleep deprived or getting fat on home made goodies. I like to think I earn the goodies.
And I just happen to like coffee so shut up.
