Last weeks at the harvest...

You've seen the first two jobs I did this year at the harvest and now here is the third.  I worked in the factory.  This is where the muddy beets enter and come out as glistening sweet goodness.  The in between part however is not so nice.  The first several days, I went through an orientation that basically consisted of gory blood and guts videos with 1960s horror film acting which portrayed all the ways we could maim or kill ourselves (or our coworkers) if we did not maintain safety procedures.   I had no idea the amount of poisonous gases and liquids used in the sugar making process that could burn through me!  I was a little nervous but by no means deterred.  Finally we got the tour of the factory.  I was all smiles sporting my shiny new hard hat and safety glasses.  The training manager opened the door and as I stepped into the factory I nearly fell to my knees from the heat and the stench.  I almost threw up instantly.  I can't even begin to describe the putrid smell of the factory.  It's truly.....unique.  NOW I was mentally questioning if I could handle it.  In the summer some areas get up to 120 degrees!  It reminded me of the abandoned warehouses batman always ends up fighting in, lol!  During the tour, I panicked  a little every time water or syrup dripped on my neck from the grates above, imagining it was some horrible chemical from the video that was going to sear through my skin.  The first few days I was assigned to cleaning.  INDUSTRIAL CLEANING.  I had no idea the force behind a power hose.  I kept telling myself what a good workout it was (especially after 12 hours!) Working on the cement floors with only a few short breaks however, started to take it's toll.  Bu the time I would leave work, I was in so much pain I could barely walk home.  I must have been quite a sight hobbling down the road because people would continually stop and ask if I was ok lol.  I  refused to give up though!  One night, I had to clean this mucky, sticky muddy stuff all night.  It looks like mud but its actually the putrid smelling thick brown goop.   I was covered head to toe.  When I got home, the sister I was staying with just covered her face exclaiming, "YOU STINK!!! DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!!!"  I had to wash my clothes on heavy duty at least twice every night to cut the stench.  I was like the girl version of Pepe le Pew!  Finally, one night while I was walking the two miles to work in the snow (I think we were in single digits by then).  Isn't that something you tell your grandkids when they are being lazy??!  Anyway, I was feeling particularly defeated and sorry for myself that night.  I had a long talk with Jehovah.  I asked that he PLEASE give me an work assignment that was less strenuous because I really didn't know if I would make it through the night.  Once I got there, the manager told me he was going to train me in as a chemist!  Everyone was surprised but I knew it was Jehovah.  I actually really enjoyed it.  I liked being a mad scientist testing various contents in the beet juice.

 Brrrrr 10 degrees walking to work!

Start of the night-still semi clean.

Ah the muck

More muck!

By the time the night ended, I looked like I had been swimming in it!

Mickey made my blisters better!  My fun was cut short though because I got a call from my Dr. in Atlanta to come back for a procedure that could help me.  So just like that, I was on a bus for my 2 1/12 day journey back to Atlanta!