-
Thoughts from a Drug-Addled Brain
Since I’m still sick as a dog, I’ve been spending a great deal of time sleeping, and having some really strange Nyquil-induced dreams. One included waterspouts on the Grand Canal in Venice. In another, I was having to open my drawbridge for a herd of giraffes that were walking on top of the river. (Actually,…
-
Bob Cratchit is my Hero
When I walked in the door today, two of my coworkers were engaged in a bit of a shouting match. It was about the temperature. One felt it was too hot, the other felt it was just right, and what ensued was a battle royal, despite the fact that one of them would be leaving…
-
I’m Freezing My Patooties Off, People!
Here I am, working graveyard shift on the drawbridge on the coldest night of the year so far. The tenderhouse is suspended 25 feet above the roadway and right in the center of the river for maximum wind chill. The floor is a steel plate with questionable insulation, so the cold radiates through my feet,…
-
Patience, dammit!
It’s 7:20 a.m. on a Monday morning and I’m opening the drawbridge for a sailboat. Traffic is backed up for a half mile in either direction. Joggers are jogging in place at the gates, and a few are giving me dirty looks. Horns are honking. Then the sailboat radios in to ask why the bridge…