Sometimes odd things happen

I had a route today that finishes at the Alamodome. It was grueling. A mere 322 meters took 5 1/2 hours. Sheesh. But the last meter was in a big vault, and it was too deep for me to reach in and clean it by hand. Yes, it was too dirty to read. Rubbing at the dirt with the meter hook didn't work, and although the vault cover wasn't hot enough to fry eggs on, it was way too hot to touch. It was starting burn me through my jeans, even. So I thought to myself, man, I really need a tissue or cloth or something. I was just about to walk back to my truck to get a Kleenex when I suddenly noticed...something.

A used-up fabric softener sheet was sticking out of my pants leg. What the...? Apparently it had gotten stuck in there when the pants were last washed, and didn't come out when I put the pants on this morning. It had slowly been working its way down the pants leg all day. So I stuck it on the meter hook like a cleaning jag and cleaned off the meter so I could read it. That was pretty weird.

And if you're thinking I still got off light because I was done in 5 1/2 hours, no. I still had another 200 to do on another route right next to that one. This was the hardest day I've had in a long time. So now, counting my last job, I have read gas, electric and waters meters all in that same area. I hate that place. No matter what you do there, it sucks.