No One Wants to Do!

I woke up this morning (with the help of a Great Pyrenees named Maggie.) RELAX! I’m not going to tell a story about the dog waking me up again. I’m going to tell a story about after I woke up. If Maggie sneaks into the story, it is not my fault that she annoys me.

This story starts when Maggie is outside and I am doing the things I do on Sunday mornings. I make the morning coffee, walk around opening one eye at a time and eventually turn on the computer. (I miss the good, old days when a person could let the dog out and pick up a newspaper off the front porch. Oh well, I miss a lot of stuff.)

When I turned on the computer, the first thing I saw was an article that was titled “30 cities that are adding jobs no one wants!” You saw it too, didn’t you? Did you read it? Our city is on that list, plus another city a few miles down the road. For those of you who are not familiar with our area, the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains has become one big 200 mile long city. OK, that’s the backstory. (I’m most likely going to say something about Maggie in a minute.)

After taking the summer off from construction, (various reasons) I have returned to find the article I reference on the computer this morning is absolutely correct. But sadly, the article leaves out an important part. Even people that have jobs (including me) don’t want to do them.

Last week, my employers asked me to start a new construction project minutes from my original project.

Boss: Hey, we need you to start a new project close to your window project. Me: You mean we are starting another project no one wants to work on. Boss: Well yeah, but this project will go better, we have better contractors on this project. Me: Whatever. Boss: We can start the new project Thursday. Me: Whatever.

Believe it or not, the project started Thursday. We had surveyors on the site placing those little sticks and flags telling the workers where the building is going, where to dig, where to put parking lots and that kind of stuff. The excavating (digging) contractor who needs all those stakes brought a HUGE tractor to the site. He was ready to start Friday morning after the surveyors finished.

On hour and forty-five minutes into my two hour drive on Friday morning the excavating contractor called me on my “smart” phone.

Digger: Monner? How’s it going? Me: Great! What’s up? Digger: Did you put up those “No Parking” signs? Me: Yes, they’re up. I take it you are not on the project yet. Digger: Well, you’re right. I should be there by noon, but maybe Monday is a better day. Me: OK, but you realize it is predicted to snow this weekend. We may not be able to work in the snow and mud. Digger: Yeah, I know, I’m just not feeling it today.

Realizing I had just driven a couple hours to a project no one would be at I thought, “Well at least I have the original project ten minutes away!” And then,

Masonry Contractor: Monner, I’m going to be there tomorrow at 7:00. Me: Let me get this straight. You didn’t work Monday through Friday, but you want to work Saturday. Mason: Yep, I’m going to work Sunday too! Me: You realize it is snowing this weekend? Mason: I’ll build a structure and heat it. We will work inside the structure. Me: I’m not coming in tomorrow. Mason: Cool, enjoy your weekend!

I realized I had more projects than workers. Two projects, zero workers. I bought a sausage biscuit and drove home.

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It is getting to be the Christmas season. I know this because Ivy reminds me that I need to be dyeing self-striping Christmas themed yarns. (This is a job I don’t mind or drive two hours toget there.)

Ivy (and Elaine) have assigned me plenty of other jobs I DON”T want to do. I’m using what I’ve learned in construction to get out of the really bad ones. “I’m not feeling that today.”

That said, you guys need to be weaving, knitting and crocheting. I can’t do everything. I’ll get the yarn ready, you guys have got to do the rest.

Last year, Your Daily Fiber was involved in sending knitted helmet liners (stocking caps) to our military. We are doing it again. Please contact Ivy for the pattern and yarn requirements. These guys and gals get cold. Let's help them out!

I have successfully ignored Maggie scratching on the door. Elaine woke up and has assumed the job no one wants.

Our crazy lives!

Monner