No Prep by Bryan ‘Dub’ Axelson: Laying Concrete
This is No Prep. For the past 22 years, I’ve done one thing, and one thing only – radio. This is the only job I’ve ever had, and No Prep is all about me venturing outside of my comfort zone –in some cases, way outside of my comfort zone –and doing things I’ve never done before.
Recently, I was offered the opportunity to lay concrete. For the record, I have soft, radio button pressing hands, not rough concrete laying hands. That became quickly evident. I also had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know if I be decent at it. I didn’t know if I would be terrible at it. As far as I was concerned there was only one way to find out, and that was to do it. So, I did. No prep.
I was lured to a construction site where I was told I’d be pouring concrete, raking it out and then making it nice and smooth. I’m not going to lie, there was some pressure because this is someone’s actual home. I’m helping lay the foundation for someone’s house. The crew made it all look so easy.
It. Was. Not.
The first thing I did was pour concrete. Watching a professional do it, it looked easy, maybe like icing a cake – not that I have ever iced a cake. When it was my turn to pour, I realized it was nothing like icing a cake. The concrete shot out with quite a bit of force, and that was when I found out what concrete tastes like. It doesn’t taste like cake.
They quickly – perhaps for the sake of the foundation – moved me on to my next task, raking out the concrete. We had to make it more even before smoothing it out. This was a workout unlike anything I’ve ever gotten at the gym. They should add it. Arms-and-shoulders day would never be the same.
My final task was smoothing out the concrete. I think this was the thing that I was best at, mostly because it was low impact, and all I had to do was slowly slide a big squeegee across the concrete and then bring it back. Vindication. A task I didn’t completely suck at. It should be noted, however, that I did not ask for a grade on my performance.
It was definitely an eye-opening experience, and I’m glad I got to do it – once. I had respect for people that do things like this every day in the elements before, but now I have so much more. When I left, I was covered in concrete. In fact, I was still digging concrete out of my places days after the fact. But I felt proud. I felt as if I’d done something significant, if only for a brief time on a hot Thursday afternoon. Part of me wants to drive past that house in a few months, when it’s done, and show my family.
“Ya see that,” I’ll say, pointing at the then perhaps-inhabited house. “That small corner of the kitchen? Daddy poured, raked and smoothed out that concrete.”
I’m sure they’ll be impressed.
Thanks again to Ken Richards, Nathan Patrick and all the fine folks at Pierwood Construction for allowing me this opportunity, because I had No Prep.
Watch Bryan ‘Dub’ Axelson’s No Prep experience laying concrete here:
