or…CJ installs the uv lights.
These are two delicate, spendy glass wands with a VERY delicate fixture at the top, heavy cord, and two very heavy ballasts. They fit into the skimmer to kill algae spores.
I go out there with 2 boxes (the lights) —and a Y connector for the electric. I climb the slight berm to the skimmer and lay stuff out. I take out one—and turned to straighten out the stiff cord, which has tangled. I mis-stepped on a larger than average rock, stepped back and put my foot down on the budget-killing OTHER bulb in its box—recoiled, lost my balance, dropped the bulb I was holding, and at this point knew I was going down. In skating, you learn to turn a bit as you fall—arms in front and stiff-elbowed, shoulders tensed, protecting arms, hip-bone, neck—keep your head up: chin, skull, etc, I dinged one knee somewhat sideways—never land on the kneecap, either—kept turning as I was going down, landed on the poor little hinoki cypress and kept going with the momentum, this time landing correctly on the side of my butt, thus saving the hip and the tailbone—except I landed on a pointed skull-sized rock, before rolling to a stop at the bottom. I got up, went back up, and found the first light apparently intact in its box, and the second, landing in the hinoki, was unbroken. I rejoiced, put it all together, shoved the ballasts into the Chinese garden seat, righted it, plugged it all in (not being a fool, I did not plug it in first and then go work with water and lightbulbs) and both bulbs lit. Hurrah!
I took three Advil, an equal number of glasses of Chardonnay, and am very happy to report that I am not even that sore this morning, except a little soreness in the butt when stepping sideways.
Mack Sennett should’ve filmed that one. Or I should try to sell the routine to Cirque du Soleil.
The bannik must be very good with cushions…. Glad no harm was done.
What a marvelous transfer of skills from the skating rink to the fish pond!
Ouch! I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve fallen in the last couple of weeks trying to carry stuff out of the house or into the house. The worst case was with a credenza that decided to tip over off the dolly we were using. I tried to grab the corner, and missed and went down on my right forearm, scraping the underside about 3 inches below the elbow. I didn’t notice it until later, but it was definitely sore by then. My brother was on the other end of the credenza and saved it from a serious tumble to the concrete patio.
Glad that you were relatively unhurt, and that you didn’t also take a beating in the checkbook for those UV lights.
Very glad you’re OK!
I vote for Cirque du Soleil. It’s international and quite elegant. Especially those form-fitting, colorful tights. The only problem I see is, you have to be under 30 and in flawless shape to wear the tights unless you’re one of the harlequins/clowns. As I am neither under 30 nor in perfect form to fit, ah well, it is not to be, is it?
Perhaps you need to bring out a boombox and play some appropriate Classical / Ballet / Opera music while doing pond work?
Hah, you should’ve seen me digging the shallow little garden plot I put in last week. It was a thing of inelegance and unlikely noises, let me assure you. Desk work is not conducive to manual labor. (And why do they call it “manual labor” (“hand-ish work”) when there is so much more than hands involved? :p )
P.S. — What happened to the smilies / emoji?
Glad injuries are mild and the equipment was undamaged.
Warning don’t mix Advil and wine, ibuprofen and alcohol do not go well together. A co-worker found out the hard way, luckily her partner is an MD or the results could have been fatal.
I recommend moderate activity to prevent stiffness and, if your not writing, some anime.
A friend who cleans houses for a living recommends that after a day of exertional activity, take a couple of Tylenol and you won’t be nearly as sore the next morning. Yrs trly doesn’t get sore the next day. I get sore the second day after. Go figure. I take Tylenol both nights. Glad the skeleton remains intact. Bruises heal a lot more quickly than broken bones. Pretty smart giving falling lessons along with the skating lessons. Bet they give the falling lessons first. . . . Hope there was not too much koi snickering going on.
They do give falling lessons to the kids—but to us adults, not so much. They tell us—and if you’re smart, you internalize it and think it through, and try to have the right reaction when you do. We were there when one adult broke an arm by putting a hand back (contrary to instructions.) Nasty business. SHape yourself like a kidney bean and roll sideways if you’re going backward, and fly like Superman and roll sideways if you’re doing down forward…
My own recipe is a hot shower and Ibuprofen after a fall… This round I fell so nicely I haven’t even bruised, yet, but I am a little stiff a few days after.
Koi snickering, likely. 😉