The first person to call me and tell me what movie that quote came from will receive an adult beverage from me (without cheating by Googling). That phrase alone is what would describe my time with family and fellow workers during the heat wave.
While picking beside Chad Eagle I shared one of my secrets of endurance. Never, ever look to the end of the field rows (especially when they are one-half mile in length). Just keep looking down and focus only on the melons at your feet. I always enjoy Chad when he’s sweating ‘cuz I get the opportunity to tell him how “hot” he looks. (He-He.)
Another requirement is the ability to maintain your sense of humor while dressed like a geek and salty sweat runs into your eyes and in every other crevice. The most important part is to realize that being out in an open field is a wonderful time to utilize your brain and think of past, present and future.
Here is a small rundown of what runs through my mind to avoid my current misery:
… I really love the Fourth of July. The parade has always been an integral part of the holiday. Jody Bennett was aghast at the thought of a parade-less Fourth of July. She commented, “I spend $600 on a plane ticket every year – I want entertainment.” My son, Cole, had a different angle, “We out-of-towners help the town economy even if we don’t help with the festivities.”

Janet Eining promises a personal hug for every cell phone sold.

Cousin Janet came home for four days this year to attend the reunions. Claude wouldn’t go so I attended his reunion for him. (I had so much fun I asked them to grandfather clause me in for next time.) We spent the third on Georgia’s deck and retired uptown to the bar. Within two minutes a man got down on his knee and proposed to me. I didn’t say yes or no but told him, “I don’t know if it’s proper to bring home a fiancé when you have a live-in boyfriend.” By the way, all Janet got was three pats on the head. That wasn’t going over very well so Janet said, “You are making me laugh but if you touch my hair again I am gonna take you out!”
… I was looking intently at the wine choices in County Fair when I heard a voice – startled I thought, “Good grief I gotta cut back.” (It was Lincoln Feistner right behind me laughing.)
… The first time  I met Mitch, the bartender at Skeeters, I told him I had bartended July Fourth before him for 20 years and he had big shoes to fill. He looked at me skeptically and I said, “No, literally, I have size 11 feet.” (He-He.) I discovered in October I had been calling him by the wrong name, Matt.
… Karen Hoffman, have you kept up with lawn mowing? – I haven’t.
… The turmoil in Syria has me on the fence. One part of me is disgusted that we think we have to police the world. The other part is horrified at the use of chemicals and I remind myself the world sat by too long and let Hitler commit his atrocities.
… More fun on the Fourth. Once again I took to the cornfield with cousin Janet to reproduce a version of my infamous watermelon photo. Even with Jody Bennett as our professional photographer we decided there was no way to tastefully be topless behind a cornstalk.  (My naughty streak is still not dormant.)
… When you see a spider crawl into your purse on a Monday morn, you know immediately what  type of day it will be.
… While sleeping at Esther’s last weekend I received a text at 5:30 in the morning. Expecting bad news that early, I was puzzled by its context. It read, “I can come after 2!!! My first thought was, good for you, whoever you are. (I’ll leave that to your own personal assumption, but I know what I thought.)
… In the field I often wonder about people in big cities who only see apartment buildings, pavement and cars and I realize what a wonderful life we have in South Dakota.
… Every year during my annual physical I am so temped to tell Dr. Reynen that he doesn’t have to do the breast exam ‘cuz Claude checks them on a regular basis. So far, I haven’t, but there’s always next year.
… Georgia showed up for her exam one year with a huge melon and told Dr. Reynen she could only pay him with chickens and melons. (She’s a born comedian.)
… Last but not least it always helps to be a bit of a dreamer (field-wise and life-wise) when the going got tough with each step I took I said “Disney World, Disney World”. That was incentive  enough. We leave Oct 12-19 for Georgia’s 60th b-day with her girls, Jody and Tracy. (Melon work may be in my blood, but it’s also a means to an end.)
Let the fun begin,
Dee Baby