Repaving the Coast...one Pothole at a Time

Our gallery lies between two streets that are being resurfaced today and tomorrow (Main Street and Purissima).  Since we don't have customers - too much hassle for them to make it into our parking lot while this is going on - we watched the paving project for half the day.  Mike took a look at the potholes on the edge of our lot, and asked one of the workers if they could fill in our potholes while they were at it.  The guy laughed, and said: "Sure! We'll just come in and tear up your lot, no sweat!" He was joking, of course. Our "lot-holes" were not in the plan.   

However, after one of the paving crew needed to use our restroom, and another wanted to know if we had anything sweet to snack on, and we obliged them (I gave them some dates, and Susan Carkeek of the Fly-on-the-Wall Art School contributed some candy). they decided to fill in our potholes, after all!  They did  a great job of it, too. I took some photos (& video) of it.  Like I said, no customers today. A little goof-off time.  I know, I know - some of you are thinking: "That's about as exciting as watching pavement dry." What can I say? I'm easily amused.

Watching the process of the workers, the types of machinery used, and the teamwork that it took to resurface our streets, gave us a true respect for their profession. They also seem to enjoy what they do - sometimes while joking around. One of the men told me not to take pictures of one of the other guys -  he told me that the guy was so ugly, my camera would break.  Another asked me to take his picture while he and his friend posed next to where our potholes used to be, mugging it up for the camera. 

After a day of various noises from the machinery and some slightly noxious odors from the pavement, the streets  look a lot better already. The crew took a great deal of pride in their work. Today was mostly patching and prepping for the new layer of asphalt.  Tomorrow, they will finish the job.  

So, the next time you drive on a smooth, freshly-paved road, remember that a lot goes on above the surface....and sometimes the potholes of life can be filled win with a little sweetness.  Here's my YouTube video (less than 2 min). of the work to fill our potholes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_3ILpnwxcM&feature=youtu.be