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I've been scarce around here lately. Here is what happened.

Hear a saying "It's better to be born without a d*#k than born without luck". Don't know about that but there's some truth to it.
 
Kern Dog said:
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I feel blessed with the luck that I have had in my life. I've encountered some setbacks over the years but have also seen numerous instances where luck and fortune have seemed to intervene. We have all known people that seem to fall face first into crap at every turn no matter what they do. Somehow, I am almost the opposite of that. Most times, I avert injury or major problems as if a guiding force were protecting me. I know you may dismiss the thought and may think I'm heavily medicated but I've thought this for years. Luck often shines on me. Troubles that plague some people just have not happened to me despite no outstanding efforts on my part to ensure it.
You'd have to have spent time around me to know the numerous examples of great luck that I have encountered over the years.
This is another one of them.
I don't know any of the specifics to my fall from the roof. I remember none of it. My injuries suggest that I landed on my feet and bounced backwards onto my back but there were no witnesses. Unless the NSA has targeted me for political comments, there is no video of the fall.
Knowing that, somehow I fell and avoided a head first landing which absolutely could have killed me.
It has been barely a week and aside from the shoulder, I'm doing well. I am thankful for a lot.
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Your analysis of "luck" intrigues me, because it parallels what I observed in four decades in the trucking industry. There were some guys who seemed to have black clouds hanging over them, and others who had the ability to drive their way out of scrapes for an entire career. The measurable elements were excellent reflexes, and the ability to process information and spot situations at a far higher rate than average. I was actually able to measure this during a session on a skid pad at the Eaton Corporation proving grounds three decades ago.

I took a crew of my top drivers to the site, and each of them executed emergency maneuvers on simulated ice. With each pass, they increased speed, until finally losing it, and activating the safety chains that stopped a complete jack knife. They all had top 5% scores. I'd driven the course myself previously, and had been the only participant to evade a simulated obstruction at the highest speed the course allowed for. The instructors told me fewer than one in a hundred had accomplished that feat, and they weren't surprised I had driven nearly a million accident free miles before I went in the office.

Construction seems like a similar environment, where the ability to spot hazards, and react to them appropriately saves your bacon. But I agree pure luck does enter into much of life, and I think both of us have had a fair share of it. You have ended up in a good place after a long tour in a tough racket, as I did, and there is no doubt some things you don't have control over have to fall the right way for that to happen.

It's great to see you are coming out the other side of this okay.
 
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I was hanging Christmas lights on my one-story house back in 1988. I was up on the peak when my foot slipped. I went down and slid about 20 feet or so to the edge, then tumbled down right in front of my rose bush. Missed that by three inches! I landed on my side and left leg. By some miracle, I just bruised my shoulder and knee. I left that final string of lights where the ended up, and that made for a cool display. It looked like I had fallen of the roof! No more roof-mounted displays for me!

These days, I have absolutely zero balance, and I will not get on a ladder or stepstool for any reason these days. Standing and walking is all the challenge I care to handle now. Gravity is not my friend.

I'm glad to hear you are recovering after such a scare.
 
68BabyBlue said:
Your analysis of "luck" intrigues me, because it parallels what I observed in four decades in the trucking industry. There were some guys who seemed to have black clouds hanging over them, and others who had the ability to drive their way out of scrapes for an entire career. The measurable elements were excellent reflexes, and the ability to process information and spot situations at a far higher rate than average. I was actually able to measure this during a session on a skid pad at the Eaton Corporation proving grounds three decades ago.

I took a crew of my top drivers to the site, and each of them executed recovery maneuvers on simulated ice. With each pass, they increased speed, until finally losing it, and activating the safety chains that stopped a complete jack knife. The all had top 5% scores. I'd driven the course myself previously, and had been the only participant to evade a simulated obstruction at the highest speed the course allowed for. The instructors told me fewer than one in a hundred had accomplished that feat, and they weren't surprised I had driven nearly a million accident free miles before I went in the office.

Construction seems to a similar environment, where the ability to spot hazards, and react to them appropriately saves your bacon. But I agree pure luck does enter into much of life, and it think both of us have had a fair share of it. You have ended up in a good place after a long tour in a tough racket, as I did, and there is no doubt some things you don't have control over have to fall the right way for that to happen.

It's great to see you are coming out the other side of this okay.
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When you're in an unexpectedly emergency situation does everything go into slow motion? I've had that happen several times, once my mother left something on cellar stairs. I did a 180 turn in the air went backward between edge of stairs and a lally column. Slow motion kicked in and I grabbed the column and thought am I really falling then my hands stopped me. Would've hit the floor head first.
 
The Good Lord is watching out for you Greg. We all get obstacles in out lives. The test is to see how we deal with them. Cowboy up and move on or throw a pity party. You have spurs on your boots.
 
Luck can be Luck the first time or so and after repeatly doing it, it becomes a talent. As far as a dick, that I need on a daily basis for several reasons. I've learned how to make my own luck, but not a dick.. LOL. I will say winning the lottery is not a talent, yes, sometimes your turn comes up and you get, lucky.
 
68BabyBlue said:
Your analysis of "luck" intrigues me, because it parallels what I observed in four decades in the trucking industry. There were some guys who seemed to have black clouds hanging over them, and others who had the ability to drive their way out of scrapes for an entire career. The measurable elements were excellent reflexes, and the ability to process information and spot situations at a far higher rate than average. I was actually able to measure this during a session on a skid pad at the Eaton Corporation proving grounds three decades ago.

I took a crew of my top drivers to the site, and each of them executed recovery maneuvers on simulated ice. With each pass, they increased speed, until finally losing it, and activating the safety chains that stopped a complete jack knife. The all had top 5% scores. I'd driven the course myself previously, and had been the only participant to evade a simulated obstruction at the highest speed the course allowed for. The instructors told me fewer than one in a hundred had accomplished that feat, and they weren't surprised I had driven nearly a million accident free miles before I went in the office.

Construction seems like a similar environment, where the ability to spot hazards, and react to them appropriately saves your bacon. But I agree pure luck does enter into much of life, and it think both of us have had a fair share of it. You have ended up in a good place after a long tour in a tough racket, as I did, and there is no doubt some things you don't have control over have to fall the right way for that to happen.

It's great to see you are coming out the other side of this okay.
Click to expand...
I too have done an informal survey while in the military for 30 years. There have always been soldiers who, for whatever mysterious reasons, cannot seem to catch a break. Every dumb thing and every unlucky thing seems to happen to them, or around them. Then there are others who simply are coated with Teflon. Skate through every issue and land on the right side. No bullets touch them while people around them get killed and shot up. Luck, destiny, fate...call it whatever but it's definitely out there and impacting people's lives in weird ways.
I was right next to another soldier in a firefight, shoulders touching, when a round entered under his armor at the right shoulder and burned a trail down his back and across the top of the buttock and out. Pure luck. The fella next to him died with a round through the top of his head. I didn't get a scratch. Go figure. What are the chances that the three of us could have been in a different order laying there? I've crashed, and crashed in, several choppers and not a scratch while others have been maimed and killed. I'm certainly NOT special. So, what is the force that has been keeping me from harm?

While in AIT I was standing next to a motorpool building eating a sandwich and watching two fellas work on a track mounted, folding bridge. They had it extended half way up and the end hanging out about 8 feet from the ground. The operator got out and they both stood around talking and scratching their heads about whatever was wrong with it. The operator turned and began to walk away just as the span hanging in midair began to fold inwards towards the next span. Never made a sound. The second guy had his back to me and the falling span. I took two steps towards him and shouted :" Look out!". He turned his head to look at me and the span crushed him between the beams the trucks drive over when crossing the bridge. Very ugly death. What force was at work that had the one guy stepping out of harms way and the other not?
 
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SteveSS said:
Your big decision is whether to use Oxycodone or Hydrocodone.
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Would be interested to know what's difference and why? I take Hydrocodone for my right ankle, otherwise I could walk 100' without serious pain. Don't want to fuse ankle and switch cars to left foot gas pedal.
 
Fran Blacker said:
Would be interested to know what's difference and why? I take Hydrocodone for my right ankle, otherwise I could walk 100' without serious pain. Don't want to fuse ankle and switch cars to left foot gas pedal.
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I'm in the process of putting hand controls in my GTX, it's not a bad investment. Set up I'm using, you can drive with the pedals, or the lever, your choice. Guy who sold me my Hemi GTX, was a full time wheelchair user, had it set up with the same equipment. So I already know it works. I'm a part timer - drove to a show last week, had to drive home with my left foot on the gas. Wife got on my case. My Ford buddy is doing the install next week.
 
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Fran Blacker said:
Would be interested to know what's difference and why? I take Hydrocodone for my right ankle, otherwise I could walk 100' without serious pain. Don't want to fuse ankle and switch cars to left foot gas pedal.
Click to expand...
Oxycodone is stronger.
 
68BabyBlue said:
I'm in the process of putting hand controls in my GTX, it's not a bad investment. Set up I'm using, you can drive with the pedals, or the lever, your choice. Guy who sold me my Hemi GTX, was a full time wheelchair user, had it set up with the same equipment. So I already know it works. I'm a part timer - drove to a show last week, had to drive home with my left foot on the gas. Wife got on my case. My Ford buddy is doing the install next week.
Click to expand...
please send me some pics.
 
I had x rays done at my primary care facility today.
See the depiction below.

01 scapppp.jpg


This isn't actually me.

01 scapp.jpg

The orange arrow points to a black mark representing the break. It did not go through completely so it will heal faster than if it were a complete fracture.
They still said 6-8 weeks but I'll have return visits to maintain progress.
The Doc confirmed my "common sense" ideas.
Pain should be the limit in terms of how much movement I do with the arm.
Wear a sling if I'll be around others who may bump into me.
Calcium supplements with Vitamin D to maintain absorption. Magnesium too.
I feel pretty good overall. I'm still feeling blessed for what could have been far worse.
 
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