Happy 246, Y'All!

 Well, Campers, it's the 246th anniversary of a moment when the people in this country got fed up with their rulers and told them to piss off!  Then made it happen!

Were I in a governmental position these days, I think I'd give that event some serious thought as I went about my job.

I'd also think about something I (and an awful lot of others) once said "I, juvat, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."

Just sayin'. Those two words right before the first semicolon have meaning.

'Nough politics, turns my stomach it does.

 Happy Independence Day, America! 

So...juvat, how was your week?  Last week's post mentioned some desirable goals to accomplish this week.  How'd it go?

Well, Sarge...It started out well, then I was presented with an opportunity to practice something I'd learned 44 years ago in pilot training.*

So, there I was...** All set up on the cabin's front porch with Chop Saw, Pocket Hole Jig, two fully charged drill batteries, bits and other things to screw with . (Beans! Mind outta the gutter right now!).  I've just made the first piece and taken it into the cabin to check the fit.

Perfect Fit! You know the gods are gonna punish me for the hubris, right?

Take it back outside, drill the pocket holes in it, then cut the two cross supports that will go at 90 degrees to this piece.  In addition I cut the two risers that will go on the opposite end of this piece and provide the support for the top piece that covers the rest of the water softener hardware.  I'm doing this on the front porch to minimize the sawdust inside the cabin.  

Now the cabin's front porch is about 3' off the ground.  Which almost makes it a decent workbench.  I have to bend over a bit to make it work, but it's not too bad.  I cut the two risers and the two cross pieces. Step up onto the porch, pick them up and start looking at them as I'm begin walking to the door.

The entirety of my brainpower is invested in making sure that the two riser pieces are exactly the same length.  Little did I realize that my right foot was actively tracking the cinder block I had used to support the 2 x 4 I had just cut.  The impact was startling and my center of gravity significantly altered.  (Beans, that's flying talk for falling.)

As my body was being pulled by gravity towards the Earth's core, I realized that if I fell off the porch, that extra 3' might just be enough to cause my head to be the first thing to hit the ground.

I was reasonably certain I wouldn't like that result.  I bent at the waist and rolled my torso towards the cabin so it wouldn't go off the side.  That worked! I stayed on the porch. But, I'd forgotten I usually have something in that pocket.

My leg, hip and then shoulder hit the porch pretty hard.

My pocket knife didn't absorb much of the shock. In fact, I think it had an additive power.  I have a nice, knife shaped bruise on my hip.  No, I'm not going to post a picture, You may thank me at your leisure.

I might have uttered a bad word or two at that point.  Didn't move for a moment or two.  Then started the check list.  Head?  No pain, moves fine.  Neck? Same.  Arms, Back, Toes, Feet, Knees?  All same.  Hip?  Seems OK.  Alrighty then... let's try and get up.  Hmm  Right leg doesn't seem to be taking any pushing orders.  So I pull myself into one of the patio chairs and sit there for a while.

Feeling was starting to come back to my leg, but not the good kind.  Sat there a bit longer and could now move the leg and but not put weight on it.  A while later, I could move it and even put weight on it.  It just hurt quite a bit when I did.   Went home and had Mrs. J have a look.  She did and said it was unlikely anything was broken (except for my pride) and prescribed Ice and taking weight off it.  

No argument there.

So, while it is better now, it still aches, and the only time it hurts is when I try and stand up.  Which means my upper body strength is improving since I must use that to lift myself into position.  

But, I dodged a pretty big bullet. In answer to your question, Sarge? No further progress has been made on the cabin project.  The cut boards are in our garage and we're now awaiting our next multi-day vacancy to complete.

On a happier note, we've just received travel arrangements for LJW/DIL and Youngest Granddaughter to be.  They'll be arriving in a little over 2 weeks.  Due date is still the last week in October.  We're very excited.

Off Subject, but has this been a terrific week or two vis a vis the Supreme Court or WHAT?

Powerline's regular "This week in Picture's" is my normal Saturday "Must Read".  This week was no exception, and the following was voted "Best Internet Meme in Forever!" by me!

Took me a minute, but....SPOT On!

* What I executed was called a parachute landing fall, the transfer of the energy of hitting the earth to a larger portion of your body where it dissipates minimizing your risk of injury.  I didn't realize I'd done that until afterward and was awed that the training was that deep in my brain.  Thanks Sergeant whoever you are, well done!

**  A Fairy Tale begins with "Once upon a time" and a War Story begins with "So, there I was" 

 

***Per STxAR request.  '51 Red Pickup.  Pretty sure it isn't Cletus's as I started having phone problems shortly after this one came through.