May was a busy month with a lot of deadlines and a lot of desk time and by the time it was winding down I was feeling decidedly out-of-shape. I realize that perhaps a normal response would be to go to the gym, take a few more runs and generally try to return some desk-world balance to the equation.
I am forced to admit I am not normal.
The Portable Response was to decide to expand my driveway and pave a 20 x 12 area that until now was just packed gravel over dirt. So about a week ago I started digging out the top eight inches of rocks and dirt in that 20 x 12 space. Been spending a couple hours most evenings out there.
Now, there's no chapter in The Portable Dad about pouring concrete parking pads, and believe me, most landlords are going to take a pointedly negative view of you paving their property without permission. But I do have to say, taking on a big project like this is great exercise. It's cheaper than a gym membership, and nothing keeps you motivated like a big damn hole in the ground where you'd like to park a car!
I got very buff one summer when we busted up several yards of concrete - my job was to haul all the debris in a wheelbarrow from the back of our deep lot all the way to the dumpster at the curb, then up the ramp into the dumpster. It took me a couple hours a day for a couple weeks, and those muscles lasted for YEARS.
ReplyDeleteKnowing how deep that lot is, years sounds about right!
ReplyDeleteSome pro athletes are now working on farms and the like in the off season because no gym workout gives the kind of core strength that a damn wheelbarrow does.
Working a hula-hoop while pushing a wheelbarrow - now that would be something! Not that I intend to try it.
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