Passed 10,000 bricks laid on a single job last week and it hit me different

I've been doing this trade for 12 years, but last Thursday I hit 10,000 bricks on that big commercial wall near the I-35 overpass in Austin. It wasn't a record or anything, but counting them out made me realize how much wear and tear your hands and back take over a career. Has anyone else ever stopped mid-job to tally up what you've actually laid and felt surprised by the number?

3 comments

3 Comments

charlescraig1mo ago

@amy_anderson I bet your back felt that 8,000 number in the MORNING just like mine will tomorrow.

amy_anderson1mo ago

Nah, I bet that hit you right in the pride too. It's wild how you don't realize the scale of your work till you actually stop and do the math. I remember counting over 8,000 on a wall a few years back and my back started aching just looking at the number. 10,000 is serious.

lee8471mo ago

@amy_anderson yeah that 8,000 number is no joke, your back must have been screaming at you by the end. 10,000 is a whole different level of respect, props for pushing through that grind.