Diggers

I don't know if any of you have caught the show Diggers on the National Geographic Channel, but it's probably one of my new favorite shows.  Last night, Hubs and I were watching a new episode, though, and the thought occurred to me...

"This show would be totally boring if not for the rabid enthusiasm of its hosts."

I mean, two guys with metal detectors going over historic sites looking for treasure*, but mostly finding buckles and buttons and bullets and old coins and what they refer to as UFO (unidentified ferrous objects) but what are mostly just rusty lumps of iron.  But almost every object they unearth is TOTALLY AWESOME to them.  And their enthusiasm is infectious. 

These two guys are like big kids out there.  They shout and jump around and just generally enjoy their work.  I've never seen anyone above the age of 10 get that excited about anything.  Last night, they were searching for the lost gold payroll General Custer supposedly buried before Little Big Horn.  Every single hit they got on the metal detectors was THE GOLD... Well, at least before they dug the hole and found it wasn't.  And every item that wasn't the gold wasn't disappointing to them.  It was AWESOME!  (Okay, there was a glimmer of disappointment there at the end when they found a cast-iron stove door instead of the payroll box, but they handled it well.)

I need some of that enthusiasm today.  I need to expect to find gold in every hole I dig and not get so damn grumpy-butt when all I find is a lump of iron. 

The guys also have their own language out there - like UFO.  And it kills me.  We've even taken to using some of their phrases around the house. 

Roundness - any round object they find (rings, coins, buttons)
Roundness in the hole - an exclamation of delight at finding the above round object
Nectar - any good find, and since they're all good, nectar pretty much refers to finding something
Nectar Sector - an area where they're finding lots of stuff

So, if I bring a bowl of cookies into the living room to share, I tell the Hubs I brought 'roundness in the bowl' and we both laugh. 

See?  The enthusiasm these two guys show for their work brings joy to our household.  And life is good.

Of course, now, I want to buy a metal detector and see what I can find on our property.  Hubs already dug up an old horseshoe when he was waterproofing the foundation.  It could be civ!  (Civ - dating to the Civil War) Especially since the Civil War ranged all over Missouri.  I think it's a mule shoe probably from rebel troops trying to find a way north across the river**. 

What gets you enthusiastic? 

* They get permission before they dig and they give all their finds back to the historic societies in charge of the sites.

**Hey, it could be.  Part of the fun of the show is them making up background stories for the items they find, so it encourages me to think maybe my horseshoe was on a mule carrying supplies for the troops while they made their way north - and got stopped here because they couldn't cross the river.