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Ohio

I would like to hear some stories about us pumpkin growers being made fun of for growing giant pumpkins.

I for one get rode pretty hard from other officers at work prett bad.LOL I found my self sitting at the desk at work drawing my patch area and putting the seed numbers in to diffrent areas to where I want each plant to be.OK,now for us pumpkin growers that is completly normal.Anyway, a friend of mine walks by,stops,and looks at me and says, "What are you doing? Are you drawing up something for your Pumpkins??""I say, Yea, whats wrong with that? He then laughs and says" Nothing wrong with that Brooks, but you need help man,you need to go see one of them LOONEY DOCTORS that work here"" he then again laughs and walks off.

Next day at work, first thing in the morning I get to my post and sit down and answer the phone, as Im on the phone I start drawing a pumpkin (Doodling so to speak)I then look up to see my friend from yesterday looking at me smiling, He then looks at the other officer he is with and says "" See!! I told you man! I told you Brooks would be drawing something that had to do with pumpkins!,Told you hes NUTZ!""
Well, what could I say?(Ya think my buddies might be talkin about me behind my back?)LOL

1/28/2005 11:29:51 PM

Puyallup, WA

Just another "LOSER", Brooks! You have a goal! Ask that fellow what he is doing with his life. There are great benefits in working the soil. It does something to the human spirit!

1/28/2005 11:37:21 PM

Ottawa, Ohio

Talk about wierdos from Ohio!

1/29/2005 12:04:40 AM

Ottawa, Ohio

Hey, all my friends at work just go home and watch TV. All I ever heard was "did you see this show" about ten times a day.

Its ether that or they spend 4 hours a day to have the perfect yard. I think that's pretty funny.

1/29/2005 12:11:19 AM

Ohio

Yea! Its funny, they all call me the pumpkin man at work, but yet they are always asking me a million questions about how you grow them big pumpkins like that, and when you going to bring me in some seeds??LOL

Last year when I Grew the giants there wasnt a day that went by that someone didnt ask me how much it weigh today,and how do you lift that thing up and weigh it like that,LOL

Its all in fun though,the guys at work know how far to take it with the pumpkins, cause they dont want to see anyone get hurt.................*cough*


LOL

1/29/2005 4:55:01 AM

Waquoit Mass

had that problem once lol

1/29/2005 9:08:25 AM

[email protected]

Never. Once they understand the commitment needed, most people respect the effort.

My professional colleagues are perhaps the most attuned to what we're going through & liken it to an extreme sport.

1/29/2005 9:15:01 AM

Deer Park, WI

I agree with Steve, most admire the level of commitment we have. However, every year around the 4th of July, Im labeled as the "pumpkin humper" by my family. Something about rubbing those stamens on the pistils makes em giggle.

1/29/2005 9:40:23 AM

Massillon, Ohio

my whole family thinks we are all nuts. they all hate pumpkins and think it is the biggest waste of time, land, and money ever. and they arent shy to tell me this. i'll admit they are is getting better but it will be a million years until they 'admire the level of commitment' this takes.

1/29/2005 11:24:47 AM

Halifax, Nova Scotia

For growing pumpkins? Not really. For racing a pumpkin? Again, not as much as you might expect. For naming my daughter Neela Pumpkin? Oh yeah.

1/29/2005 11:32:45 AM

Key West, FL

always, kids think its funny you can put so much commitment into "pumpkins"

1/29/2005 2:15:29 PM

Edmonton, Canada

Several people that did speeches at my wedding, said that my wife wanted to marry me because of my big gourd!

1/29/2005 2:47:02 PM

Ljubljana, Slovenia

I even grew pumpkins at my job! ..my only excuse is that I work in plant physiology department. I do not care much what my coworkers think of that and the problem is that they do not stop asking about those pumpkins…

1/29/2005 2:49:10 PM

Butler, Ohio

They all think I'm nuts. The village street department came by my house last summer and asked me to prune some of the vines cause they were spilling out into the alley behind my house, and into the neighbors driveway. And what is it about these kids who keep driving around the block spreading rumors around town that they are gonna smash that "big pumpkin", Buncha hooligans! My wife thinks I'm crazy cause I'm "obsessed with it". But her dad likes it and keeps me supplied with manure and fertilizer. He also has a big service truck with a crane on it...Hmmm..that could come in handy this fall going to weighoffs. LoL

1/29/2005 3:01:19 PM

Buffalo, MN ([email protected])

They ran an article in the local paper on my success this last year at growing the giant pumpkin. I took a lot of crap from many friends who have no idea the commitment it takes. The neighbors all understand because they see me in the patch every day. I have learned to ingore thier remarks, I assume that they are jealous and really have no goals to achieve. Yes, we become obsessed, every thought is pumpkin related. Only this morning my wife said If you spent half as much time thinking about me as you do those pumpkins etc???. Yes again I spoke without thinking.
Do you think buying her orange PJs would be to much?

1/29/2005 5:27:27 PM

Itzetown City

Conrad, I´m reading that right, you´ll drop manure with a crane on the kids who will smash your pumpkin? Awesome people there in Ohio. LOL

1/29/2005 5:34:32 PM

Midway City, California

When I made my first statement at work that I am going to grow a 1000 pound pumpkin My co workers Laughed at me. Every year my pumpkin get's bigger and the laughs get less.Pretty soon I will have the last Laugh

1/29/2005 5:51:41 PM

Ohio

Tremor, Of course you wouldnt be made fun of, you work at a place that helps plants,trees and what ever eles grow and stay healthy, If your guys made fun of you they are in the wrong bussiness,LOLOL

1/29/2005 6:18:26 PM

Commack, NY

i have something pumpkin related on my resume, in the "other" section. occaisonally my boss likes to bring that fact up. This happens mostly in crowds, places you can really get on someone to try and humiliate them. Well one day when i had enough, i challenged him to quote anything from someone elses resume, other than his own. He couldnt do it. (mind you he hasnt seen my resume in 3 years), to which i replied, "see, it did exactly what it was supposed to do. you remembered it, and it got your attention.......and im still here!" he was pretty quiet about it ever since.

1/29/2005 10:17:16 PM

Indiana

That $500 bucks you won for best looking didnt change their mind Christy?

Tom

1/29/2005 11:22:30 PM

Gilbertsville PA

They make fun of me every year at work, until I bring the pumpkin to work after the weigh-off, then the jokes all stop, but they still kid about hand polinating the pumpkins, they call it pumpkin spunkin.

1/30/2005 8:39:10 AM

Greencastle, PA

my sister denies that she is related to me. I think she's the one who was humiliated when everyone was talking about my 298 at school.... i on the other hand had a lot of seed requests from students and teachers.
Tom

1/30/2005 11:36:45 AM

Joliet, IL

here is a scene for ya..

Its the dead of winter, in a smokey Bobby's Tap here
in Joliet, and me and a fellow grower nicknamed Timmer,
(Tim Peters) are sitting on one side of the bar, and
everyone else is on the other. It's no where near growing
season and the bullsh--ting has been going on for 2 hours
already at least. Growing styles, insecticides, fungicides,
weed control and seed crosses are being slurred into
nonsensical fog of info as the beers continue to go down.

Some idiot friends of ours have tried to come down and
join some convo, but quickly make their way back to
the other side of the bar, mumbling the sarcastic phrase
PUMPKIN SHHMUMPKIN, that is now a regular saying in the bar.

Sometimes the entire bar is quiet and we are continuing
pumpkin talk loud, debating who is lazier and laughing
and carrying on like 2 year olds. and then somebody
will speak up and say, "Jeeez, give it a rest for
Christ sakes, its January." Then me a Timmer will
both give em sh-t and say, "You think this is bad,
wait till the season actually begins."

"PUMPKIN SHHMUMPKIN" are the words I hear at least twice
a week from the peanut gallery, and will continue to
hear because that is the way it is. But its that same
group of knuckleheads that will be there on lifting
day to help me out, or more like it, drink the free beer.

1/30/2005 2:40:53 PM

North Smithfield, RI USA

Tell those who ridicule---- GETTTT A Life !!!! We got ours !

1/30/2005 3:58:35 PM

Key West, FL

Scott, I put "growing competion pumpkins" in my personal section of my resume, what did you say about them?

1/30/2005 7:48:32 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

Most people are fascinated by giant pumpkins. It's such an odd, yet amazing hobby that it becomes the central point of discussion at parties.

1/30/2005 8:38:10 PM

Ohio

""Hey,,,,,Dont you feed them pumpkins Milk or something?""


Wish I had a Nickle every time i heard that question,,,,,,

1/30/2005 8:56:54 PM

Commack, NY

Ben, it says "Current Long Island giant pumpkin record holder", and when the day comes when that is no longer applicable, i'll alter it. But pumpkin growing in some shape or form will still be there. Its a real good conversation starter! LOL. I figure it will do one of two things, either the person reading it will be like "what the hell is this about"? and toss it, or "giant pumpkins? thats different, get him in here". either way, it accomplishes what i set out to do, get someones attention. These people look at ALOT of resumes. Everyone at that point had been to school, gotten degrees, whatever........just need something to cause that person to take an extra couple of seconds to hold on to the resume.

1/30/2005 10:12:55 PM

Puyallup, WA

....and BTW, the ribbing I take growing pumpkins is NOTHING compared what I received when I was an Amway distributor 25 years ago!

1/31/2005 5:06:22 PM

Ohio

LOL Stan, Is amway still in buisness.I almost tried that once.HA HA !

2/1/2005 8:02:43 AM

Puyallup, WA

Brooks...It is a good business. It does require alot of effort as anyone in business for themselves will know.

2/1/2005 10:49:18 AM

Pocatello ([email protected])

Exactly what JMattW said... in fact, this hobby is the key
to my social life. Everywhere I go, people want to start up
a conversation about it. Most people think I start seeds in
January. I tell them, "No, I just dream about it then. Seed
starting begins in late-April." And from there, the
conversation continues. I can meet someone "in passing" and
spend 20 minutes talking about giants! Sometimes I'm
introduced to a group as, "He had that giant squash at the
fair!"

I couldn't quit now if I wanted to. Too many people are
depending on me... ;-)

2/1/2005 11:18:31 AM

Chico, Ca

I am treated very well at work. People are facinated at my madness for pumpkins. They respect me for my dedication and the creativity I show in trying to grow them in 100+ f heat. I share with them my stories. They always ask to see pictures. Some folks ask for seed.I always find something for them to try. The best anyone has done at work other than myself is 330lb but they still want to try it again this year.

2/2/2005 2:44:37 AM