I drove to Albert Lea to help my dad and brother on Wednesday. Although I wasn't sure what I was getting into, I knew it was outdoor labor. My dad, my brother and I were engaging in the task of building stairs. The work required getting dirt from a pile (so many wheelbarrows full, that I started thinking of ee cummings poem, especially when the turkeys... not white chickens came out to see what was happening).
We had to make frames out of 2 x 4s. The process had to be precise and was backbreaking at time and tedious at other. Dirt, paver cement, sand, then pavers. Each step required heaving lifting, tamping each 1/2 inch down and repeat. I also learned new terms such as crumb (crumb it out) and screed (make sure level and enough of the layering). There were more, but I really don't know. I merely kept asking what I needed to do and followed it through. We were to make 16 of these steps. Everything needed to be exact and took constant measuring and leveling. After day one we weren't even half way through, so I went down for a second day.
I was impressed with our teamwork. We sang, told jokes, swore, laughed, and really had a great time working together. Although I know I'll be sore tomorrow, I feel grateful for this time with my family. Plus, I think the stairs look pretty damn awesome.
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