Ewww.

I guess every job has its downsides.  I'll be the first to tell you how great my job is, how much I love what I do, and how I can't imagine doing anything else.  Sometimes, however, my job takes me to places that are far from exciting.  Sometimes, I hike through gray, ashy sand on the edges of one of the EPA's least favorite power plants in the country.  Sometimes, while hiking through nasty, ashy sand on the edges on a gross coal-powered plant in 100+ degrees temps, I am required to wear air-tight protective goggles and a hard hat.  Sometimes, on the way to the project area, I drive past workers in biohazard suits working near a pond of ash labeled with signs that read: "Caution: ACID".  Sometimes, I listen to the hum of high voltage power lines directly over my head all day.  Sometimes, I stare at blackened turbine silos that are totally obstructing and ruining an otherwise really fantastic southwestern landscape of rocks and peaks and sky.  Sometimes, I count down every minute until I finish a particular project and can get back home from the field.

Luckily, most of the times, my work is awesome.  And if every now and then I have to put up with a little grossness to even things out, I guess I can't complain too much about it.  Although the last week or two have certainly made me think even harder about alternative energy in this country.  Power plants are disgusting.