Boston: this is work? (Part 1)

It's weeks like this that I love my job. Last week, I went to Boston for a very special, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. My third Patriots Day in Boston looked nothing like this:

or this:

Actually, Boston was more like this:

My new work bud, Laura, trying to back up a tractor trailer. WAY harder than it looks.

 I drove one of these:

And this too:

And like this as well!

This is my job.

I learned what it was like to drive a tractor & trailer. Then, I learned how to back. Let's just say that if you see me behind the wheel of a truck this big, HIDE YOUR CHILDREN!!

Being a safety consultant, I needed to know what it was like to completely lose control of a truck... to jack knife and to skid, and the horrific panic that comes with it. (By the way, don't think that a tractor without a trailer is safer - it's not.)

This was better than Six Flags!!

This was one of the tamer skids... most people went the full 360º. Wanna see what it looks like from the inside?  (sidenote: my driver co-worker, Brian, is like a trail runner version of my friend Shane with a heavy Boston accent)

Because this was all done under controlled conditions, the trailer was tied down with steel cables. Take a close look at this video and you'll see how easy it is to jack knife. You can see the trailer start to pull away and come around the trailer as the wheels and brakes lock up. Completely scary in a real situation.

Besides that, I spent the rest of the week running in the morning and enjoying the town - Hopkinton, Milford, and Boston - in the evenings. I wished Ben was there so he could do all the cool stuff too!

But, it gave me a chance to stuff myself silly with all the things we don't normally eat on a regular basis - like super fresh seafood and Chipotle (Ben's one of the few people who would not give up his left arm for a Chipotle burrito. I don't get it.). 

There's more trip to talk about!

Boston -- Part 1: I Drove A Truck  | Part 2: Fun and Food in Beantown | Part 3: the Runs