Road Construction

You know when you drive through a construction site or a detour, and there's that guy standing there holding a sign that says "SLOW"?  And he never does anything except hold that sign?  

Well, Mike and I have this dumb joke about that guy.  We say that he's so crucial to the operation that he could be REPLACED BY A BUCKET OF SAND.  (It's really funny in person.  I can tell it's going to lose a little something here in written form.) 

Anyway, well, guess what!  We were driving down the road off camp last spring, and we saw THIS!  This guy WAS replaced by a bucket of sand! 

 

Er, well, he was replaced by some rocks, and old tire, and a barricade, but replaced nonetheless.  They even stole his clothes, caution flag (that's that stick he's holding) and hard hat!  Ha ha!


In other news, the road that Mr. Replaceable works on has a fabulous new informational sign!  We don't get a lot of helpful information like this from public works, but now we know this road will be closed SOON.  Thanks.  Very helpful.  When will then be now?  SOON.   Thanks, Dark Helmet.

Especially since "soon" over here could mean today or years from now.  Recent examples include
"the commissary will be renovated soon" = it's already started,
"your house will have new siding put on soon" = sometime between October and Christmas,
(also of note: "the siding replacement will take no more than 6 weeks" = 12 weeks and still going),
the entire camp will get sweet water soon"  = maybe by the end of 2014?
"the company will be building 600 new homes soon" = sometime by 2015,
and perhaps most importantly to the Company,
"the oil will run out soon." = in 30 years. 

What this sign REALLY mean is "This road will be closed, inshallah."  Which means, "at our leisure and if we fee like it." 

So it turns out that, even at their best, informational signs are not all that informational after all.  Which is why nobody usually bothers to put up informational signs!  Ha!