getting tan, scrubbing bins, wet feet

Fucking Yellow Bins---yeah, you heard me...

the "FYB's" (technical industry term for Fucking Yellow Bins) came in last week and our task towards the end of today was to get all the caked dirt/dust and left over grape particles off of them. They are smallish, rectangular, 40lb capacity bins that high end wineries use to give to the vineyard team to put the berries in when they are ripe and ready to be processed.

So-with our high pressure hoses and white scrubby pads, Chris and I went to work. We developed a system where Chris sprays the bins off, lines them up by the sanitation tank which is a macro-bin (that I used the fork lift to move! yay!) that is filled with peracetic acid cleaning solution, where then i proceed to use brushes and scrubbies to get them clean! We finally give them one more rinse in a clean water bin and stack them up neatly onto palates--- A VERY complicated process (hear the sarcasm?), but an important one nonetheless.

It kinda felt like playing in a wading pool at age 5. I got SOAKED from splashing around the tanks and the yellow bins look like water play buckets. My feet acquired a level of shriveling that I have only seen after hours of bathing and my shoulders are bronzed more than a native Hawaiian's. To be honest, I LOVE being outside doing this kind of work. My body gets tired, my mind gets clear, and I get in the 'zone'. I get to blast John Mayer outside and look out onto Napa Valley and to me, I'm not sure there is anything better. It was also really fun once my delirium set in I started talking to Chris about high school cheerleading days and how i essentially ditched senior year in exchange for trips to Tahoe with my best friend. Gossiping while doing this kind of redundant work makes the time fly.

In 2 hours we got through 3/4 of a palate's worth of FYB's (keep in mind, we have about 5 palates of FYB's!!!) SO, tomorrow the same process will continue. Fruit is coming next week (fingers crossed), so I am going to do my best to enjoy the rest of this prep work and soak up the sunshine.

Here's to FYB's and F.G.D's (fucking good days).