Years back I ran a spreader as well. I worked with a crew that cleaned chicken houses in Northwest Arkansas. It was hard dirty work and there was always something to complain about. After 3-4 hours of 104 degrees F shoveling 8-10 inch cake off the floor into the spreader each of the team was about fried. After we were done for the day we headed to the creek for a swim and to cool down.

Now thinking back on those days, I have to admit that there are things about that work that I miss. The laughter, fellowship, the sense of accomplishment when you could see what you had done, and the appreciation of the farmer for a job well done are all so different from the stress, deadlines, isolation, and never seeing the end of the work of IT work we face in the industry today. Not that I would trade what I do now for what I did then, but when I am done with this who knows.