Falling!

:laugh: Some have asked about how many times I've fallen. I got started at an early age, and continue tot his day. My shoulder have to be rebuilt from my latest fall, but I'm putting it off until Nov-Dec, if i can hold out.

I found this old pic of my first notable fall. I was 1 year old when it happened. No injuries either.

I recently told a news reporter I had more 'air-time' than he did! :laugh:

It was frosty one morning. I told the guys to hose down the side they are workin on, minimally, so they can walk on it to get started. I went up to count material, I stepped on a side that no one was on and woosh I was on my ass and sliding down the valley. I tried to push down on the sides to stop, nope. Then a roll was coming up, I grabbed it and it started sliding with me, I passed it and grabbed at the gutter, held it for a sec to slo down and dropped to the ground. My hands were burning for an hour from the cold. The guys hosed down the entire roof!!! Live and PAY ATTENTION, I guess :lol:

My grandparents farm had a large Aspen tree in the yard that had initials carved all over it. There was a contest among cousins to carve your initials the highest. At 5, I made it to the highest because I was the lightest to ever try. Unfortunately, I learned that in climbing trees (like on steep roofs), it's easier to go up than go back down. I fell from about 12' on my descent and broke an ankle.

Many years later I read my Dad's writing of his life history and learned that was about the low point of his life. We were staying at my grandparents because we were homeless and my Dad was searching for a new job, but I always remembered the month we were there as the funnest time of my childhood. If you don't tell your kids they are poor, they enjoy life despite it.

Frank, I consider myself to be in good company. I fell out of a tree and landed on my head when I was 12.

I do not seem to have had any side effects from it. LOL

Good one Frank. Bouncing baby boy I guess. I had to.

My first fall story: I got married about 2 years ago on a Saturday. That Monday morning I jumped off a roof to keep from falling off. I could see it hitting the paper "Newly wed man jumps off roof 18 hours in to married life"

I was climbing the ladder back up before my Dad could get around the house to see what happened.

I fell of a 2-story roof in San Antonio in about 1982. I managed to reach out on the way down and grasp for the mastic hose and granule hose, which seemed only to spin me sideways. I landed on my back on the pavement, the guys laughed at me, we walked across the parking lot to eat lunch. I was young and made of rubber.

Yesterday I met with a roof consultant and 2 other contractors on a 2-stoiry roof in Austin. I am always surprised at how unskilled some of these guys are on a ladder, when they do this for a living. I have 1 leg and I made it up the ladder faster and more easily than the other 3 guys. That said, I am ever conscious of the fact that falling nowadays, even from only 6-8' high, and landing partially on a prosthetic leg would cause serious injuries, most likely at least a dislocated hip.

The one and only time I fell off a roof I got lucky, I had my truck parked close to the house and the windshield caught me like a baseball glove.

You say you landed on your head?

Now I understand.....

;)