So I'm back. In Columbus, I mean. I moved into my new apartment yesterday. Well, actually it's my friends' apartment; since I'm only going to be here a few more months (yay graduation!), I'm living with a few of my friends in their new apartment. I didn't have to sign a lease, so I can just move out when I'm done and not have to worry about the kind of problems I had last year (quicknotes version for those who aren't up-to-date on my problems: 12 month lease, found someone to sublet, housemates decided last minute they did not "approve" of the person for no particular reason, me left with rent to pay).

So far this living arrangement tops last year by a mile--the gals I'm living with haven't yelled at me for my "untasteful" clothes once, no one's preached anything to me yet, I'm allowed to leave and come back whenever I want to, and they actually know how to change the toilet paper rolls (I swear my housemates last year just didn't know how to).

Though I'm in Columbus, Cincinnati hasn't let go of me quite yet--I'm still working for the Nursery, albeit a hundred miles away, already have plans to go back Thursday to celebrate my Mom's birhday and help my brother through his first-ever surgery, am already booked to drive the kids to school several mornings next week when I'm in town, etc., etc., etc.

Our Fall Sale at work is completely over, and I'm still waiting to hear the final figures. We were hoping for a record year. I already know it was record in other ways: several people were injured (compliments the hurricane) and after walking across acres putting plant after plant back after people changed their mind and dumped the merchandise wherever they pleased, my colleague imparted some special wisdom that touched us all: "There's a special place in Hell for people who don't put stuff back where they got it."

If I ever own my own business I'm going to make that into a sign. And in the meantime, remember to put my second-thought items back from whence they came.

Posted by blonde_gardner at 6:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's been a while since I've written---sorry. My laptop has decided it doesn't want to connect to the internet. But you didn't miss much...mostly I've just been in the routine of working all day. A pretty calm and uneventful routine. Today, however, was a slightly different and rather scary interruption.

At the our nursery we're in full swing getting ready for our Fall Sale which starts next week--an event we've been prepping for since last September. It's quite an amazing sight to behold, the solid acres of blooming plants staged before the sale, the thousands and thousands of customers that come piling in, and then the empty acres after just a few days.

Today most of the farm was working to move the final crops and put up signage. As my mom (who is the perennial grower and manager) and I were driving along the main greenhouse in our kubota, I caught sight of a tailgate of a company truck fly off the edge of the hill (it's more like a cliff...) leading to our huge irrigation lake. We jumped out and ran, joining the workers who had been working closeby. As we reached the lake, all I could see was the very top of the cab and the bed of the truck disappearing beneath the surface and one worker we call Smiley trying to fight his way out of the passenger-side window.

Smiley got free as the truck sank completely in the middle of the lake, but started flailing; he can't swim. My mom then jumped into the lake and swam out to him. As soon as she reached him, however, he panicked and grabbed her arms, pulling her down with him.

By this point I had reached them, and was able to grab his arm and get him to calm down enough to let my mom grab his other arm and let us start to tow him to shore.

Now I'm not the best swimmer--I don't think I've really been actually swimming since I was like 15. Our steel-toed boots didn't help, either. But we managed to slowly drag him to shore, though. Smiley sat staring in shock for a while, and I'm pretty sure he hit his head as he went over the cliff, but he's otherwise unharmed.

I realized after the fact how bad everything could have turned out. What if the window hadn't been open? What if he had been knocked out in the crash? There were five other men standing watching, none of which know how to swim. What could they have done if my mom and I hadn't driven by? What if he had taken us under with him? I'm just thankful that the window was open, Smiley was able to get out, my mom and I were able to help him, and we were all able to go home safely.

Posted by blonde_gardner at 7:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)