Is this what's meant by the term "Hot Mess?"

Because if so, I'm all for it.  I think "Hot Mess" should be part of our daily lives.  I think this is both HOT and A MESS which when put together is a good combination.

You might be asking why this is today's topic, other than the excuse to put up a picture of this handsome fella.

I'll tell you why.  It's because I've spent most of this week sweating.  It's not particularly hot here in my neck of the woods, but I've been sweating like a horse.  Trust me, that's a large amount of sweat.

The ongoing Clean-up Project here at the farm is at full-on, hardcore, ON A MISSION FROM GOD intensity.  I'm out there flinging bits of metal into the trailer, throwing bags of garbage into the truck, sweeping up ancient mouldy straw, and moving things I probably shouldn't be moving.  I'm wearing either coveralls or overalls, depending on the temperature.  I'm wearing a hat to cover my hair and keep it out of my eyes while I work.  I'm wearing a dust mask over my face; pretty much the majority of my child-sized face is covered.

The sweat drips soaks into the brim of my hat and then drips down my nose, inside that stupid mask, and trickles into my lips.  More drips go slithering down my neck.  I can feel my shirt getting wet under my coveralls.  

My ol' man swaggers along to give the go-ahead for stuff to get pitched out.  He does most of the heavy lifting.  He goes off to do a landscaping job between my trips to the dump.  And get this- he doesn't break a sweat.  I may look like him but I didn't inherit his coolness.

The mess in the barn slowly works itself out... engine blocks in the corner, bumpers and hoods up against the wall... Yeah, what else would be in the barn?  Geez, what kinda farm did you grow up on?

...and as the barn shapes up, I become the mess!  Dust of all kinds sticks to any bit of exposed skin.  I end up sticky and filthy.  

As I'm working away, those two words HOT MESS keep popping into my head.  I disgust myself though, so I'd rather think of THIS.

That's better.

Maybe I got it all wrong though. Should I be swinging a Telecaster instead of a shovel or broom?  Or backed up by a Marshall stack instead of an industrial lawn tractor?  I have gotten the plaid shirt thing right a couple times.  

I'll say this for sure: it looks a hell of a lot better out there in the barn. Neater, tidier, and dare I say, cleaner?  I'm even getting a little silly and doing a few things that make me happy, like setting a few pieces of chrome from an old car on a wall beam just because I like shiny things.  

I need to cheer myself up when I'm tired and dirty and damp under my work clothes.