I apologize for not following up on my plans to wear a body-cam so I could share some of these things with you all...I'm still planning on it.?ÿ But until then I'll just have to share with you "old school" style.
Two things that happened recently that fall into the category:
I had spied a large nail and washer in an intersection as I slowed drove by.?ÿ I would need to locate it and decided to blow a bit paint around it so I could find it when I returned from down the road.?ÿ It was a fairly rural area so I just popped the GMC in park and hopped out real quick (kids, don't try this at home) to spot the nail.
Well my truck is just as clean as my desk...and there just happened to be more than one can-o-paint rolling around in the floorboard under my feet.?ÿ As I grabbed one and hopped out I noticed some on-coming traffic and stopped quickly to slam my truck door.?ÿ In the heat of the moment another can of paint was trying to escape and I nailed it with the truck door and jamb by the hinge.?ÿ Good thing the nozzle made it out first and was pointed down....it made a mess on the pavement.?ÿ I hate wasting a good can-o-paint...
Yesterday I was out in a cow-pasture.?ÿ I needed to set a control point for the base?ÿand roaming inquisitive?ÿcattle are always a concern.?ÿ I set a point in a fence row close to a pull post.?ÿ I came back with the base and started to set it up over the point.?ÿ The tripod I was using had a plastic clip-and-Velcro affair for storage that can get aggravating because it roams up and down legs sometimes.?ÿ I noticed it about halfway down one leg and thought about some cow attempting to nibble on it...so I clipped it together.
I was done an hour or so later and returned for my base.?ÿ I turned off the unit and grabbed the tripod legs to lift it up and over the old fence it had been straddling.?ÿ In my hurry earlier to clip the strap I had inadvertently clasped it to a strand of the fence.?ÿ It made it about 2' up in the air and I made it about 90 degrees around with my motion to get it all up over the fence.?ÿ It stopped me like an anchor and I fell backwards on my ass.?ÿ Luckily the base remained upright.
I saw what I had done and quickly rectified the situation..I'm just glad nobody saw me.. 😉
You really need to stop going out by yourself.It's the little things that go unplanned that turn into OMG, help me. I know I'm there.
Monday I happened upon?ÿa braced corner post?ÿnearly broken/rotted off and leaning severely. The calc'd position for my pin was right through the middle of this post in poor condition.?ÿMy trusty help commenced with?ÿPUSHING the post over to finish the job nature started.
I am not the kind of boss to stand around and watch potentially dangerous activity. So, I join in and start PULLING.?ÿ Needless to say the post snapped with my hardest tug and down I went ass over apple cart. The two twenty penny nails through the iron brace?ÿpulled away from the post and scratched the help pretty good.?ÿ
Yes, we're a little?ÿyounger than Mr. Cash, but aspiring to reach his level of self destruction some day.?ÿ I think we have a good start.
Steve
PS: the paint can story would have been way cooler if you punctured it in the cab.?ÿ Can you imagine?
PS: the paint can story would have been way cooler if you punctured it in the cab.?ÿ Can you imagine?
Those of us?ÿthat have driven 'burbs and vans for survey chariots?ÿ(with the tools and stuff in the same area as the warm bodies)?ÿ are all well familiar with hitting a hard bump and then hearing (and smelling) that dreaded hiss of a wildcat paint can coming from somewhere in the deep dark bowels of the "back"....
all well familiar with hitting a hard bump and then hearing (and smelling) that dreaded hiss of a wildcat paint can coming from somewhere
A preventative for marking paint cans is to cut a Pringles can to half length, slit it, put it over the paint can, and put a rubber band around it.?ÿ Then the nozzle can't get bumped.
You really need to stop going out by yourself.It's the little things that go unplanned that turn into OMG, help me. I know I'm there.
You've been talking to my wife haven't you? 😉
I will agree everyday things most of us take in stride can turn wrong when you least expect it.?ÿ About a year ago I wound up hanging upside down on a 5' stockgate like a dead coyote.?ÿ My legs were wrapped up in the stays of the gate...and I thought I was dead meat.?ÿ Getting out of that required me to perform ONE painful full ab-crunching sit-up to right myself....and I'm old and fat.?ÿ I remember hoping I could pull it off before I passed out.?ÿ My ribs hurt for a month.
In the last two or three years I have really taken stock of my maneuvers prior to execution when I'm by myself in the field.?ÿ I avoid steep creeks, water of any kind and any other possible danger.?ÿ I lost a cell phone once and for years left mine in the truck when I was "out" on the ground.?ÿ That's changed.
However my biggest fear is getting nailed in traffic due to my failing ears.?ÿ It takes a lot for me stand in the road...and highways are completely off the list.?ÿ I usually park my truck right smack dab in the middle of the road when I need to get something done near centerline.?ÿ I'd rather piss someone off than get planted on their bumper.
But foolish or no, I keep on.?ÿ Perishing with my "sword in?ÿmy hand" would be fitting I suppose.?ÿ I'd rather clock-out doing something in the field than slipping and breaking my neck in the shower.?ÿ
Remember, none of us are going to make it out of here alive.
PS: the paint can story would have been way cooler if you punctured it in the cab.?ÿ Can you imagine?
Those of us?ÿthat have driven 'burbs and vans for survey chariots?ÿ(with the tools and stuff in the same area as the warm bodies)?ÿ are all well familiar with hitting a hard bump and then hearing (and smelling) that dreaded hiss of a wildcat paint can coming from somewhere in the deep dark bowels of the "back"....
Mine are always inside of the bag I'm carrying.?ÿ ?ÿSo everything in the bag is covered with paint.?ÿ ?ÿI have plenty of gloves for that situation and all my bags last longer with the multiple coats of paint on the inside.
I remember getting my first 12' gammon reel. Tried that trick where you stick the bob in a tree then pluck it back, only aimed it at a paint can about 12 feet away. Surely I would never hit it...
I was flo pink head to toe for the rest of the day. The Iman was scared to laugh until I started.
Not exactlty on point but the story seemed to fit..
...my biggest fear is getting nailed in traffic due to my failing ears.?ÿ
Ditto, not to mention most cars are quieter. Steve
<blockquote><p>"Those of us that have driven 'burbs and vans for survey chariots (with the tools and stuff in the same area as the warm bodies) are all well familiar with hitting a hard bump and then hearing (and smelling) that dreaded hiss of a wildcat paint can coming from somewhere in the deep dark bowels of the "back"...."</p></blockquote>
?ÿ
...or the crap-heap wood box in back when combined with a prism pole that has a brand-spanking-new sharp tip on the end of it...
...or the crap-heap wood box in back when combined with a prism pole that has a brand-spanking-new sharp tip on the end of it...
Some of you guys might remember a short-lived item...refillable markers.?ÿ I'm talking the late '60s or early '70s when most of us were still scribbling on rough lath with lumber crayons.?ÿ These markers worked fairly well but the nibs were almost too large with which to mark cuts and fills.?ÿ I guess this was due to the fact the "ink" was alcohol (or something that evaporated) based.?ÿ I'm thinking it probably looked good on paper to whomever it was that was buying all the markers for the crews.
Refilling a marker was a nasty affair.?ÿ The large 1 qt. refill bottle was plastic and one could squeeze the ink into the marker.?ÿ But it always overflowed and the end of the refill bottle stayed a sticky and indelible black mess.?ÿ
One day the boss was out in the field with my crew.?ÿ His marker was dried up and he attempted to refill it standing at the rear doors of the truck.?ÿ The refill bottle was apparently plugged up from dried goop and he squeezed a little too hard and I guess the top popped off.?ÿ There was black sh*t all over the box, equipment, the bumper...and the front of the boss.?ÿ He wasn't happy.
And of course nobody had any damned sympathy for him since the junk was his silly idea in the first place.?ÿ We all rolled in the dirt laughing at him.
When we got back to the shop he asked, "how do I get this crap off me?".?ÿ I showed him the gallon of turpentine and some shop rags.?ÿ His fingernail beds were black that year until Christmas.
Best of all he started buying 'real' markers.
Unc, you really need one of these:
<blockquote><p>"Some of you guys might remember a short-lived item...refillable markers.....black sh*t all over the box, equipment, the bumper...and the front of the boss. He wasn't happy."</p></blockquote>
?ÿ
No, but I can remember once, back in the early eighties, mistaking a mongo-sized grease zerk for a backing nut and after a loud "pop" looking back to see everyone standing behind me, watching me work, with their soft serve ice cream cones, covered in red grease.?ÿ Basically just a mess.
?ÿ
A lot of these things are some zen/karma kind of mix. Some things you just know aren't going to work, like opening both vehicle doors at the same time on a windy day.
Other things really turn out to be humorous, like watching chief try to drive a work point hub on the side of the highway. Slammed it with the hammer and the damn thing jumped back out of the ground (look on chief's face was great). Hit it once again with determination only to watch it jump higher (surprise look again). Moved it over a couple tenths and same thing happens.
Finally figured out he was driving it into a buried eighteen-wheeler recap.?ÿ?ÿ 🙂
Best paint can story was when a CAD tech was out with me to help cut line. He was a pretty in-shape dude and said he felt like a ninja swinging the machete. And I was a-ok with that. Just before lunch, he was tossing out the empty paint cans and asked if he could try to cut one in half.
I knew he would get covered in paint, I just didn't realize how much. "Yeah, if you want." I stepped backed and watched him cleave the can in two. Well, what actually happened; there was a big pink cloud and two pieces of metal can flying away from it. Hilarious!
One of my stupid human tricks was holding an electric fence down with a hammer to get over it and having it slip after I threw one leg over. No it wasn't good for me.
