Honey Bucket

My job has been nothing less than a learning experience. I have never worked in this predominately male industry before and every day I learn something new working in construction. I have learned that middle aged men can fight like 5-year-olds over who gets to be team captain. I have learned that it is possible to squeeze more swear words into a sentence than actual words. I have observed many varieties of containers in which a person can spit chew into and that a lunch can consist of Wheat thins, Cheetos, and Peanut Butter M&M’s. However, as a woman, there is no amount of training that can prepare you for having to use a port-a-potty on a daily basis.

I knew it was coming and I had been mentally preparing for months but nothing can prepare you for the rainy days, the freezing temperatures, and having to put on safety equipment just to walk to the potty.  

At first we had to share with the boys. Ew. The male species never ceases to amaze me with their lack of personal hygiene.  It only took a couple days before the ladies were upgraded to their very own fully equipped Honey Bucket, with a padlock so the boys couldn’t get in. A highlight, yes, but it still doesn’t make up for the fact that I have to place my bare hinny on a 32 degree seat.

Now, I am learning, surprisingly, that I can adjust to the humbling fact that I will be using a port-a-potty 5 days a week, eight hours a day for the next year and a half to two years of my life but what I can’t seem to adjust to is settling with antibacterial hand gel in place of actual hand washing. To all of you that think antibacterial hand gel is more effective than hand washing should come to my place of employment at the end of the day and let me make you a meal with my bare antibacterial smothered hands. Then we will see how confident you are with this idea. By the end of the day, I want to dip my hands in acid. Even on days that I bring my lunch to work I find myself running to the nearest store on my lunch break just to wash the haunting smell of antibacterial hand gel off my hands. 

Needless to say, I have a new found respect for running water and plumbing. After all, what’s more humbling than freezing to death while breathing through your mouth to avoid stench and single ply toilet paper?