Diners, Dives and......

...I'm hungry, although I just ate.

There's a show on The Food Channel that has the host (I can never remember his name; Guy something...I think) traveling all over the United States trying out different restaurants (diners, dives and drive-ins) and showcasing the specialties on the menu. After watching this show quite a few times, I realize that no matter what other shows they have, or how elaborate the item may be, this show is what makes me hungry.

It's not fast food, high end dining, or presumptious. It's mostly comfort food and fresh. In a perfect world, I'd have the resources to try these different restaurants. Since it's not a perfect world, I'll just drool and dream.

I Love New Toys

Not really a toy, but new. Less than 120 hours, which means it's only been in service for a few months.

The computer is new, so I had to spend a few minutes verifying the commands. It's more user friendly and has more information on the screen.

The cab, and rest of the instrumentation, is almost identical to those I've run before, but one noticeable thing is the instant fuel consumption. Average was around 2 gallons every hour. (Yeah, I know that doesn't sound like much, but that's over sixty bucks added to the rental cost for the day.)

We'll only have it for a few days, so the fun won't last.

The air conditioning sure feels good.

* - I need to add what type of machine this is. It's a Todano rough terrain crane, with a maximum lift capacity of 50 tons. While that sounds like a lot of weight, the crane can only lift that much weight within a few feet of the machine.

My extreme lift today was around 3000 pounds at 90 feet. The computer constantly beeped at me the enitire lift warning me that I was pushing the envelope and would shut down the crane if I tried to reach any further.

I've finished another chapter

Just when I'm completely out of ideas, new ideas form before I become completely frustrated.

The End of the Line

“Finally; I’m here.”

“It looks like you’ve been here awhile. How long have you been standing in line.”

“Five hundred twenty five years and seventy two days.”

“That long? Anyway, what can I do for you?”

“I was told to wait in line to get into Hell. So, here I am”

“So, what’s your name?”

“William”

“William who?”

“William of London?”

“Hold on; I need to look you up.”

“Hmm - Tax collector?”

“That’s me.”

“What a coincidence. That’s what I was; at least I was until 20 years ago. You look thirsty; how about some water?”

“Oh, thank you. I haven’t had any water since I arrived.”

“It’s good, isn’t it?”

“I’m still thirsty.”

“Yeah, but that’s all we have around here. It will make you pee, but it burns when you do.”

“You were a tax collector?”

“Yeah I was; one of the best that worked for the I.R.S.”

“Who’s Iris?”

“Not Iris; the I.R.S. – Internal Revenue Service.”

“I never heard of that.”

“I guess not. My specialty was trust funds and inheritance. I could root out suspicious activity and make generations pay their taxes. I even received awards, until that woman showed up with a pistol. I still remember what she said: “Go to Hell, you bastard.” And here I am. Twenty years later. “

“You’ve only been here twenty years? I’ve been waiting in line for over five hundred years. “

“I don’t make the rules, but looking at your file, I can see why you had to wait so long. It says here you took food from starving people for the King, which caused them to suffer until they died. According to the statistics, your efforts led to the death of over two thousand people.”

“I was doing my job.”

“Yeah, that’s what they all say.”

“If I hadn’t, I would have been tortured to death.”

“So, you traded that for over five hundred years of suffering in a line to get in Hell?”

“I never thought of it that way.”

“Oh well; you can’t live in the past.”

“I need to see some I.D. before I let you in.”

“I.D.? I’ve never heard of that.”

“Identification. You know? An official plastic card with your photograph and identification number?”

“Where can I get one.”

“That’ not my department, so I can’t let you in. You’ll have to go to the back of the line.”

“Wait……”

“Security, please escort this man to the back of the line.”

“Next?”

I wonder...

...if bureaucrats have to stand in line to get in Hell? It would only be fair and I'd watch the process on Youtube.