On Friday, I went to a geotechnical drilling seminar in the Capay Valley. Lured by M’s promise that I’d not only get to wear an orange mesh safety vest but a hardhat as well, I was willing to be up and on the road before six.
By the time 10:30 a.m. arrived, I really needed a nap and regretted not taking one on the hour-long trip out to Taber Ranch, the picturesque location for the day’s events. But I hadn’t installed my helmet yet.
After lunch, I headed down to the rigs to listen to M’s lecture about different ways to collect and sample dirt. It took me a minute to figure out that the hat has a dial that I had to turn to make it big enough for my cranium. Putting it on, I felt stronger as if I could toss around large pipes and soil, as if I could put in a hard day’s work, relying on my hands.
But, at the end of the day, I had to turn that hat back in…
