Thursday, October 9, 2008

Speaking of a lack of glamour.....











So on Tuesday, I went with Ben to the bush to help him move some equipment from one camp to another. Occasionally, I figure its a good thing for me to get some sort of real concept of what his life is like in the bush. I decided it completely lacks in glamour and realized that when Ben comes home from the bush with his head spinning around on his shoulders like a top, that he has good reason.
It sucks. Its dirty, greasy, smelly and the guy lives in a tiny little trailer with a bed so short he has to dangle his legs off the side while he sleeps. The roads were so rough, I was afraid to pull the fuel trailer any faster than 20 km and was tempted to hit the four wheel drive button on more than one occasion. He has to do all his "business" in a plastic porta potty he hauls from camp to camp himself and often times, the other bush workers take it upon themselves to just use Ben's and pee all over the damn thing.
I watched him change a cylinder. After a fair amount of grunting and wrenching, he managed to get the job done. He is fast, and talented at his work. But even then, he had oil spraying on his face, down his arms and generally looked like he had rolled in it when it was all done. To think in the winter the poor guy has to do these very same things while freezing his hands on the cold metal and thick grease in the -30 temperatures so common for the area he works in.
Yuck.
So, as I report my findings of life in the bush, I find myself feeling thankful that my job requires changing shitty diapers in my warm large home with my big king size fluffy bed and my never ending supply of hot clean water. Oh, and with little to no chance of some dirty, nasty, stinky dude who hasn't showered or gone home in a month doing his business in my toilet.
My husband works hard at the most unglamourous job I think I have ever seen. Thanks hon. I will just stick to diaper duty. Go ahead and get that new Atco trailer your thinking of.....you deserve it.

4 comments:

manda said...

Perspective is a great thing, ain't it?

Sue xx said...

Wow so what exactly is his job? Oh and he can have it especially the the winter work, working in those conditions are way too hard for me.

Sue xx

Kaija said...

He is a logging contractor. He owns a feller buncher(the green machine in the pictures that cuts the trees down) and contracts out the skidders and delimbers that get the wood ready to be picked up and delivered to the mill.

Yah, ummm....hard work. It takes a certain kinda person to handle that.

I prefer indoor plumbing.

VĂ©ro L said...

Kaija I just wanted to say that though the job may lack glamour your photography gives it some... at least a bit.. I love the photos!