I Never Thought This Would Be On My Bucket List

Every afternoon when I drive through the construction zone, passing right next to the bulldozers, jackhammers and other big equipment, I have visions of jumping behind the controls to help tear up 27th street. I'm starting to see downtown as a big sandbox to play in.

After years of working in a radio studio pushing buttons, I long for real outdoor labor. I actually look forward to push-mowing my yard. Knowing how to run large equipment is something I wish I knew how to do. I feel like a kid playing with Tonka trucks in the dirt as I watch the symphony of digging, dumping and hauling happening in downtown. Skydiving is not on my bucket list, but engineering a BNSF train from Billings to Wyoming is. While deep sea fishing is not something I want to do before I kick the bucket, branding cattle on the Mushaben ranch would be.

So, I'm adding the following to my bucket list: operate a large jackhammer, lift large chunks of concrete into a dump truck, flatten down the asphalt with a 9-ton roller, and help Paul during calving season. Yes, I know. That last one will never happen, but maybe the MDT needs an intern.

Is there anything unusual on your bucket list?