If only I had spare time to get into my workshop! And my last visit nearly ended badly.
Doing a quick bench tidy, a screwdriver fell into an awkward space between the wall and a tool-cabinet. Without thinking I crooked down slantwise and stretched to reach the screwdriver, wedging myself into the gap. Success except I painfully pulled a muscle in my arm and then found my legs weren’t strong enough to lift me out from a cramped squat, and my arms had no leverage. Stuck fast with daughter’s next visit a fortnight away!
Got out by wriggling my shoulders until I eventually overbalanced and fell out backwards, fortunately not landing on anything spiky.
Lesson learned: my brain still thinks I’m a slim, fit young man who will survive any and all dangers. Brain is wrong: I’m an overweight unfit pensioner who gets hurt and should avoid taking careless risks!
Whilst looking after mum I sometimes sneak some Cutting Edge youtube video viewing. He repairs big earthmoving equipment and everything is heavy. The way he manages hefty parts safely and installs massive new machines is an education and – so far I’ve not spotted him taking any unwise short-cuts. Helps if the workshop is in a converted hanger with an overhead crane, with a fork-lift, and two mobile cranes, but everything he does is well thought out.
I enjoy everything about being retired apart from my physical and mental decline. Chucks are becoming uncomfortably heavy, an hour in the garden is exhausting, electronics are full of SMD components too small to see, I no longer enjoy learning new computer languages, and I wish young people would stop mumbling and changing everything…
🙂
Dave