'twas a MacGyver Moment

Day 4 on the new job...

The only order of business today was to pull off the roof of Greenhouse #2, and replace it with a new one. Sounds intimidating doesn't it?

You have no idea.

Fortunately we have F**d, our very own MacGyver. (Though he looks eerily like a toothless Ed Begley Jr.) The man can operate every irritable, jury-rigged vehicle on the property (including the untamable "Ditch-Witch", the "my-Gods-dont-put-it-in-reverse" Cushman, and the man-eating tree spade), knows every nook and cranny of the school, every personality at every work station, and keeps enough soda and cookies in his tool shed to host an impromptu party on any day of the week.

Anyhoo, F**d welded up a little "device" to simplfy this procedure. The photo doesn't do it justice, but it looks like a spindle for a huge roll of toilet paper attached to the forklift on the Bobcat. Only in this case replace TP with 100 yds. of 10 mil clear poly (times two rolls 'cause we put on a double layer. Winter's coming, you know). The spindle was so heavy, and changed the center of gravity so radically on the Bobcat, F**d had to stack seven cinder blocks on the opposite side to keep the machine from tipping over. One of our illustrious colleagues came down to watch the proceedings and uttered the words that give this post it's title, "Ahh, another MacGyver moment," and then in a stage whisper, "Not approved by OSHA."

In other words Ladies and Gentlemen, "Don't try this at work."

The whole operation went very well until we got to the second layer, at which point the wind started to pick up and the poly twisted on itself in the middle of the roof. Then you've got seven people poking at the tangle from the inside of the greenhouse to dislodge it while simultaneously trying NOT to poke a hole in any of the layers. There was the whole issue of wiggle wire (don't even ask me to describe that!), and the wasp's nest we found (too late) in the 12 foot step ladder. It's been a long day. But I'll say this, it wasn't for one moment dull.