Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Ladders and Me


Remember a while back I told you about my carpenter bees?  Well, the "bee control people", while they were up on the roof, informed me that my gutters were really gunky and should probably be cleaned out.   So being the independent person I am, I thought I'd have a look. I also thought I could take a hose and swish out all that gunk myself.

So I take a ladder and plant it firmly in the flower bed. (yeah yeah, shaddup).  That's where the spout was that I needed to blast the water down!   I climb the ladder with the hose over my shoulder.  I take a look in the gutter and see that yes indeed, they certainly were gunky!  I shoot the hose down the spout thinking that everything will now just flow out.  Easy, right?  Wrong!
But what do I know?  I've never done this in my life.  And of course, I don't ask advice or even look it up on the internet as to how to go about this.   Ok, so now I think I better call the professionals in.  I conceded that I can't handle this one and start to descend the ladder (the one I had firmly planted in the flower bed).  The ladder starts to tilt to the right.  Uh oh.  I throw the hose down and think quickly!  slowly tilting.....Shit!    I get down to the third rung from the bottom and jump!  It was a wide jump too because I didn't want to land in the flower bed and ruin the flowers so I tried to jump over them.  I tripped over the edge of the flower bed and did a slow roll into the bushes.   I banged up my knee a little, but I don't think there's any major damage.   

How do I feel about all this?  I feel like a dope and now know that I should probably call the professionals first!

And how was your day?

Peace

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hang in there kid !! :-)

Constance said...

Don't feel like a dope, Odat - I think it was admirable that you wanted to go try and do it yourself in the first place. Glad you got the pros to finish the job you srated for them, and that you weren't banged up worse !

buffalodick said...

I've done the chore and it's pretty much trowel it out, move the ladder, trowel it out, move the ladder, etc. When they're clean, you could have plastic "gutter helmets" installed, that go over them and keep stuff out. Or just sell the house....

Patti said...

Don't feel like a dope! It's good to at least try ;-)
I've never cleaned the gutters, so I admire your spunk.

Those "gutter helmets" do seem like a good idea.

RW said...

Just be careful Odat! :D

LAC said...

Nope, I would definitely not say you were a dope. I say, KUDOS for trying it first yourself.

Yep, definitely, KUDOS!

Dianne said...

Ouch!

My son doesn't even try the gutter cleaning, we got pros to do it

Glad you're OK.

Sarge Charlie said...

Miss Odat, may I suggest you donate your ladder to good will and call someone, you got some stuff out there you want to see and in will be difficult to do that from a hospital bed.

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

oh no honey! i always call someone cause you know clutzy me and sarge is worse than i am. y'all know how many times he falls down... be careful!

smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxoox

Barb said...

Ladder Rule #1 - someone has to be at the bottom of it to steady it and hand stuff up to the poor schlep at the top.

Ladder Rule #2 - never be the schlep at the top.

Hey... I want cake, too!

Sandee said...

I think we have all done silly things like this. Yep, I know I have. Just be careful honey. We don't want you getting hurt badly. Ladders are something I avoid at all costs. Just saying. Hope your knee heals up soon. Big hug and lotsa lovies. :)

Traveling Bells said...

That school of hard knocks is alive and well! So glad your injuries are not serious, but spend your $$ on the pros, not the hospital!!!...big hugs

Anonymous said...

Be careful, Odat... Takea few aspsirins, those bangs and bumps have a habit of showing up a few days later...

Akelamalu said...

Ladders - no,No, NO!

Anonymous said...

You write these things and I think, she's so like me - too independent to say, "help". I think you're wonderful. $60 clean a gutter here. I bet it's less there.

((hug))

He was so worth all this loss and grief.

maryt/theteach said...

Odat, what a story! You could really have hurt yourself! The heck with the flowerbeds! Call professionals for all that kind of work! I'm glad you're not hurt. :)

Julie said...

Well props to you for trying! I've climbed ladders but I'm not crazy about it. I couldn't do it with a hose draped over my shoulder for sure!

Julie said...

i like the "slow roll". Very picturesque sounding!

Ralph said...

Odat, I thought this retirement 'thing' was for relaxing! Happily, there were no dents, dings or other collateral collision damage to your flowers...

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

Glad you are okay. Ladders are dangerous things. Still this could be an interesting Olympic sport - a sort of a high vault and long jump - steeple chase combination with a water element......maybe even marks for artistic endeavor in the high dive?

j said...

I think the worst part would be finding out that you are not invincible. I hate rude awakenings like that.

Be blessed Odat.

Jen

Mimi Lenox said...

Feels like my plumber story. When will just learn to call the man?

Glad you weren't hurt any more than you were! How's your knee?

Anonymous said...

I've done things just like that. I'm sure we all have.

Maria said...

Odat I think you and I are kindred spirts! That so sounds like something I would do! I hope you boo boo is healed by now! (((HUGS))) M

PS... Congratulations on the Retirement... I am so jealous! lol

M

Traveler said...

I remember a similiar situation when my parents were on vacation and my sister called to ask for some help in fixing it. My roof tar was......where else, on my roof. So anyways, its raining and my sister and I need to do something so that my parent's house doesn't get flooded so I go up the ladder onto my tin roof in the rain and my sister, I don't know why, follows me up the ladder and stands at the top watching me go get the tar.
It's a tin roof and it's raining so it only took a short time before I was sliding uncontrollably down the roof towards the ladder with my sister on it. I knew that if I didn't stop, not only would I fall off the roof but I would take my sister with me. There is very little grip on a tin roof in the rain but somehow, just before I took my sister right off the ladder, I stopped, we were almost nose to nose. My sister, bless her, being my older sister, had her hand out towards me to catch me. We laughed forever......after I went back up and got the tar.