Well, it was Monday...I was to start my new job on Tuesday and was panicking because I did not have a fenced in yard for the dogs. I could not imagine leaving all three of them locked up in their kennels in the house day in, day out, all week long.
So, in my panic mode, I went to Menard's and purchased ten 12 ft. long chain link panels for quick and easy assembly (wink wink). When I got home, I quickly realized that in order to get the panels up where I needed them, I would have to trim back some of the Evergreen trees out front. Repeating over and over to myself, "Work smarter, not harder", I headed to the garage to find a hand saw to trim the branches back. Things were going well and I was progressing proudly when I came across a pretty thick branch on the bottom of one of the trees. This is when I got to learn a very important lesson about leverage.
Still repeating to myself, "Work smarter, not harder", I stepped on the end of the branch and pushed it to the ground and once again, proudly started sawing the branch half way up the middle. To put that extra oomph on it, I leaned over and picked up the speed. Things were going impressively well, when all of the sudden it felt like someone stepped in and punched me directly in the nose! When I was able to make sense of what had just happened, I realized that I had been sawing on the wrong side of where I had placed my foot for leverage. When I cut through the branch, it had popped up approximately three feet and poked me in my nose! At first I thought it was broken as it went numb and I could feel it running. Fortunately, no blood, just immediate bruising and swelling. This should look great for my first day on the new job!
After collecting myself and repeating again, "Work smarter, not harder", my next step was to support the fence with T-posts. I have put in hundreds of these things using a post driver (see picture for reference).
My post driver weighs approximately 25 lbs. and has been a life saver out here at the farm. Well, I was holding onto the post driver pounding away driving the T-post into the ground when I suddenly realized that the post driver was no longer in my hands. Before I could even put together what happened, it came down and beaned me right in the noggin! Knocked me silly, I tell you. I was leaning on the trash bin stomping my foot trying to make the stars and pain go away. I couldn't help but laugh as it is yet another confirmation of "Miss Bungle".
Looking to the sky with my arms held up, I exclaimed , "Okay God, what is it I'm not getting?" The thought crossed my mind that I definitely should not operate any power tools! (But quickly left as I needed to trim more bushes and resorted to the reciprocating saw.)
All in all, it was a day of reckoning (I reckon I'm a little too self-willed and prideful to ask for help-mmm-hmm). The fence is up. The dogs are happy. And I have yet more opportunities to laugh at myself. :-)
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