A meandering blog with no clear topic. You will find me talking about knitting, building, kids, social and economic issues, Alaska, and lots of other stuff.

Monday, August 20, 2007

not quite what I expected...

So, I thought I would be posting pics of our roof with OSB all nailed on after I got home from work tonight. Instead, I am sitting here, dreading having to get ready for work, because I know getting all dressed will hurt, but I have to go in, as I am testifying in a trial today to terminate a parent's rights. A parent who smoked crack the day before she gave birth, and throughout her pregnancy as well, causing her child to suffer from cerebral palsy. A child that she has visited twice in the year and a half since she was born.

But, you ask, why would it hurt for you to get dressed? Because everything hurts today. James and I were working on the abovementioned roof, nailing the OSB into place. We were hoping to finish last night so we could do shingles Labor Day weekend. Well, we got about 2/3 of the OSB nailed on, before events conspired to put a rather abrupt halt to our work for the day.

James was on top of the roof, with a safety strap, as the roof is rather steep. I was on a ladder, which was leaning against the edge of the roof, with my feet probably about 15 feet from the ground. My job was to hold the OSB in place for the minute or so it would take James to put a few nails in it, so it would not slide off the roof onto the ground. So, there I am, doing just fine (I thought), holding the OSB, when the ladder disappears from under me. I remember screaming briefly, a falling sensation that thankfully didn't last very long, a bonk on the head, and landing on top of the ladder, upside down, with my head by the ground, and my feet in the air. Ouch.

Turns out the ladder had shifted and fallen, landing still partially propped up on the side of the house. James had all he could do, I think, to shift the OSB, that he was only holding the upper edge of, so that when it fell, it didn't fall on top of me.

I have a large bump on the back of my head, and numerous fairly painful scrapes and bruises, the worst being on my right shin, and the back of my right arm. But even right after the fall, I didn't have any of the typical symptoms of a head injury, except for some nauseousness that passed quickly. Guess it is actually a good thing that I am fairly hard-headed, LOL.

James made me lay down, which I actually didn't object to, while the kids and him packed up so we could come back to Anchorage. I did feel a little guilty that I wasn't able to help. Today, I am sore all over. My neck muscles feel sort of strained. I have a hypothesis. I think when something happens to a person causing sudden movement, your neck works hard automatically to keep your head as stable as possible, in an attempt to prevent injury. Don't know if I am right, but it explains why my neck muscles are sore. I was in a car accident about 12 years ago, and I remember my neck feeling the same way. I think that is what it is. Anyway, in a few days, I will be fine. And by Labor Day weekend, I should be feeling up to climbing back up that ladder so we can get that damn OSB nailed up.

1 comment:

Ginger said...

Hi,

Just read all of your blog today. Got the address from a group we're both on - maybe Riot for Austerity? I think so. You knit wonderfully and I'm envious. I'm a beginning knitter and have been for, oh, a year now. I'm not very adventurous.

Hope the weather holds up so work continues on the house. Yep, your husband was correct on the time line but so what? : )