I have always dreamed about operating an excavator and learning to do so well. I am not sure if it was a midlife crisis or what but I ended up buying a Chinese 2 ton excavator. I live in the suburbs but when I just want to clear my head I go in the backyard and play around with it. My skills have improved a little but nothing like putting 140 hours on a project good. The one I got was about the same as a U17 but less than half the price.

> “dirt dirt dirt..rock..dirt” and that was wonderful

reminds me of discovering minecraft for the first time a long time ago

Motorcycling gets like that for me, flying down a wide-open highway out in the countryside on a clear day... The bike ceases to be a machine I am operating and becomes an extension of my self, my mind immersed in the experience, full of the shape of the land and the curves of the road and the wind and the light.

See I can totally understand the excavator story. Would love that too.

Picking currants? I dread that every year. Same with the raspberries and the cherries and ... It's a chore, I really don't like it at all. Especially having to make sure there's no little green stem left on the currants. That work drives me nuts. Only thing worse is puzzles.

> completely disconnected for a week on an island in Belize

I used to enjoy 18 hour flights to Asia pre-WiFi for true disconnection, plus time zone difference to US East Coast made the time spent on the ground there feel at least half disconnected

I believe ability to shape our immediate surrounding is deeply placed in our brains.

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