BadAttitude
New member
Catchy title eh?...now that I have yur undivided attention
I was inspired by Mith ...one back at ya lil brotha ... for this topic idea.
After reading several of his uh...escapades, I thought it might be interesting to share some of mine. The reference to tools is that it applies to any tool, equipment, etc. As for the rest...you figure it out
Several yrs ago, I decided to replace the siding and windows on my home. Since I was stripping down to the bare sheathing, I wanted a clear unobstructed access to the entire wall of each side. One gable wall had a peak of about 28' and was 30' wide. I used 4 pumpjack poles, but the 2 center poles would require me to use upper brkts in the field. This would interfere with my work, so I came up with the idea of using scaffold to support the 2 center poles and not use upper brkts. I'll attach a pic to show what I meant, but the pic is from the setup I used on the back wall for one pole, not the gable wall with 2 poles. It worked like a charm too.
So...fast forward to finishing up the last few siding pieces at the gable peak. Here it was the first week of July, and I had the time off from work. Life couldn't be better...beautiful weather, tunes blasting and not a soul around to bother me. The planks on the pole jacks were at max height (25' or so) and my ext ladder wouldn't quite reach. So I had been using the ladder bars on the scaffold to climb up. I had gotten so used to climbing them, it became second nature.
Away I go, a bundle of siding under one arm, and the other arm I used to pull myself up. Meaning...step up one step at a time, release my grip and then grab the next bar again with the free hand. There was actually a second or two that my hand was not gripping anything. You might think I was nuts...considering hindsight is 20/20...I was!! When I got to the top of the scaffold to climb on the polejack planks...guess what?...yep! I didn't get a good grip on the plank. Since my feet followed in rhythm to my hand, when I stepped up there was nothing holding me and I got a quick lesson in skydiving. ...25' up and down I went!!
It happened wickedly quick, but I remember it clearly. Believe me when I say it...it didn't even come close to the feeling I had on the free ride with the extendahoe. I went down feet first, but somehow I musta tried to grab a bar on the way down or something. I hit the ground face down on my chest. The siding is what probably saved my life. It was still in my other hand and ended up between my chest and the ground, on its edge. All I can say to describe the impact is...THUD!! I was still conscience, but couldn't breath. NOT ONE BREATH!! I do remember for about 2 or 3 seconds if that, that I forcefully tried to inhale and couldn't. and then...lites out!!
I roughly calculated that I was out for at least 1/2 hr. As I regained conscienceness, I heard a whinning sound and it was my G shepard in the house by a window above me. Did she know something happened?? I don't really know, but that was what I first heard. Man I hurt like a mother, but still able to get up. My chest and face hurt like a bitch, but then I noticed my left arm wasn't normal and it hurt like a REAL MOTHER F####R!!! Shit...It was dislocated! I wished I was dead, the pain was so unbearable. and remember...no one was around...not a soul. My wife and daughter were about 45 mins away at her sisters house.
I dragged my azz into the house and sat in the kitchen. Still remember my shepard acting all wierd and stuff. What now I said to myself. Being a thickheaded SOB, I wasn't callin 911. But I'll admit, I was scared shitless...I noticed I wizzed my shorts and wondered if there were any internal injuries. I called my wife and probably gave her a heart attack too. She freaked out and my daughter had to calm her and then find out what happened from me. About 2 hrs after I fell, I finally made it to the ER. The place was packed but I guess my appearence was enough to go straight to the front of the line. The doc didn't even need to xray at that time. He told me after that I was sweating bullets so bad, he knew I was in pain. They loaded me with morphine and he popped my shoulder back in place. Wow what a relief!! I knew it went back in because I could actually feel the color come back in my face after. It was like a warm rush go through my whole body. Xrayed, meds and home I went. The doc told me that my size...6'2" 230#... is what probably made the diff between life and death. Never forgot him telling me that too. I re-lived that THUD for the next few months. That feeling is nothing that can be described unless you been through it. I can't say I saw the 'white light in the tunnel' deal, but it was dam close!! I could be drivin along or doing whatever, and wham....I felt the impact again. Even woke up in the midle of the nite re-living it. It did finally wear off, but took forever.
WOW, what a RUSH!! thinking about that again. I did recover and my arm is about 90% of what it was. Bruised ribs took about 6 months to heal too. I did continue to finish the wall, but not right away. My wife was terrified when she saw me climb back up the first time. I shouldn't laugh, but I did. I've put her through a few hairy ordeals, and this one was the worst.
Here it is 4 am again, and I'm just finishing this. Gawd...it's gonna suck to have to get up in a few hrs for work. I do have a couple more 'escapades' to reveal...one with a dozer and one with a TLB. but nothing even close to this or the extendahoe. Another day, another time. Maybe one of you folks have one to share?? Post it here if you do..............
Nitey nite
ps...here's the scaffold pic
I was inspired by Mith ...one back at ya lil brotha ... for this topic idea.
After reading several of his uh...escapades, I thought it might be interesting to share some of mine. The reference to tools is that it applies to any tool, equipment, etc. As for the rest...you figure it out
Several yrs ago, I decided to replace the siding and windows on my home. Since I was stripping down to the bare sheathing, I wanted a clear unobstructed access to the entire wall of each side. One gable wall had a peak of about 28' and was 30' wide. I used 4 pumpjack poles, but the 2 center poles would require me to use upper brkts in the field. This would interfere with my work, so I came up with the idea of using scaffold to support the 2 center poles and not use upper brkts. I'll attach a pic to show what I meant, but the pic is from the setup I used on the back wall for one pole, not the gable wall with 2 poles. It worked like a charm too.
So...fast forward to finishing up the last few siding pieces at the gable peak. Here it was the first week of July, and I had the time off from work. Life couldn't be better...beautiful weather, tunes blasting and not a soul around to bother me. The planks on the pole jacks were at max height (25' or so) and my ext ladder wouldn't quite reach. So I had been using the ladder bars on the scaffold to climb up. I had gotten so used to climbing them, it became second nature.
Away I go, a bundle of siding under one arm, and the other arm I used to pull myself up. Meaning...step up one step at a time, release my grip and then grab the next bar again with the free hand. There was actually a second or two that my hand was not gripping anything. You might think I was nuts...considering hindsight is 20/20...I was!! When I got to the top of the scaffold to climb on the polejack planks...guess what?...yep! I didn't get a good grip on the plank. Since my feet followed in rhythm to my hand, when I stepped up there was nothing holding me and I got a quick lesson in skydiving. ...25' up and down I went!!
It happened wickedly quick, but I remember it clearly. Believe me when I say it...it didn't even come close to the feeling I had on the free ride with the extendahoe. I went down feet first, but somehow I musta tried to grab a bar on the way down or something. I hit the ground face down on my chest. The siding is what probably saved my life. It was still in my other hand and ended up between my chest and the ground, on its edge. All I can say to describe the impact is...THUD!! I was still conscience, but couldn't breath. NOT ONE BREATH!! I do remember for about 2 or 3 seconds if that, that I forcefully tried to inhale and couldn't. and then...lites out!!
I roughly calculated that I was out for at least 1/2 hr. As I regained conscienceness, I heard a whinning sound and it was my G shepard in the house by a window above me. Did she know something happened?? I don't really know, but that was what I first heard. Man I hurt like a mother, but still able to get up. My chest and face hurt like a bitch, but then I noticed my left arm wasn't normal and it hurt like a REAL MOTHER F####R!!! Shit...It was dislocated! I wished I was dead, the pain was so unbearable. and remember...no one was around...not a soul. My wife and daughter were about 45 mins away at her sisters house.
I dragged my azz into the house and sat in the kitchen. Still remember my shepard acting all wierd and stuff. What now I said to myself. Being a thickheaded SOB, I wasn't callin 911. But I'll admit, I was scared shitless...I noticed I wizzed my shorts and wondered if there were any internal injuries. I called my wife and probably gave her a heart attack too. She freaked out and my daughter had to calm her and then find out what happened from me. About 2 hrs after I fell, I finally made it to the ER. The place was packed but I guess my appearence was enough to go straight to the front of the line. The doc didn't even need to xray at that time. He told me after that I was sweating bullets so bad, he knew I was in pain. They loaded me with morphine and he popped my shoulder back in place. Wow what a relief!! I knew it went back in because I could actually feel the color come back in my face after. It was like a warm rush go through my whole body. Xrayed, meds and home I went. The doc told me that my size...6'2" 230#... is what probably made the diff between life and death. Never forgot him telling me that too. I re-lived that THUD for the next few months. That feeling is nothing that can be described unless you been through it. I can't say I saw the 'white light in the tunnel' deal, but it was dam close!! I could be drivin along or doing whatever, and wham....I felt the impact again. Even woke up in the midle of the nite re-living it. It did finally wear off, but took forever.
WOW, what a RUSH!! thinking about that again. I did recover and my arm is about 90% of what it was. Bruised ribs took about 6 months to heal too. I did continue to finish the wall, but not right away. My wife was terrified when she saw me climb back up the first time. I shouldn't laugh, but I did. I've put her through a few hairy ordeals, and this one was the worst.
Here it is 4 am again, and I'm just finishing this. Gawd...it's gonna suck to have to get up in a few hrs for work. I do have a couple more 'escapades' to reveal...one with a dozer and one with a TLB. but nothing even close to this or the extendahoe. Another day, another time. Maybe one of you folks have one to share?? Post it here if you do..............
Nitey nite
ps...here's the scaffold pic