Getting old isn't for sissies!!!

Four days ago I crawled up on my roof to clear part of it ... the part over the dining area ... the ceiling was sagging and I hit Panic Mode!  Now in order for me to get up on the roof, I have a regular 6' ladder, I had to crawl up to the 4th tread, brush the snow off the wood shed ... crawl up there and make my way through 2 feet of snow to the edge of the carport.  The carport has about 14-16" of corrugated metal overhand until the first support beam - it bends when you crawl up - I got up there fine.

Now I have to work my way through another 2 feet of snow to the edge of the house.  There is about 10-12 inches of overhang that I could stand on before hitting the saggy part - scary part! - I started to remove snow, and remove snow and remove more snow ... being afraid of stepping on that "sag" I'm stretching out in front of me with my shovel getting maybe 4-5 inches of snow at a time until I hit the roof surface.  I have a plastic shovel and a rubber roof, so even if the corners of the shovel are a little bit rounded ... like a dime rounded ... I have to be careful to not dig and put a hole in the rubber ... Well, I worked my way around the roof edge to get to the part where I knew there was a wall under me and continued to shovel layers of snow and ice at the edge over the edge ... a friend came to help, but I was 85% done, but he really did help with that last center part of snow over the "sag" - he could reach farther than I could and we finished sooner.  I had to crawl on all fours across the roof by the edge as rubber boots and rubber roof makes for a treacherous crossing on only 2 feet, but I made it!  Then a hop over to the carport roof and a slide down the wood shed roof.  I had to turn and go off the edge to the ladder backwards ... my girlfriend guided my feet to the top rung and I made my way down the latter - I don't think I've ever been so grateful for terra firma as I was then.  I will NEVER get back up on the roof.

A couple of days after my "adventure" I started hurting in my leg ... I had thoroughly aggravated my sciatic nerve!  I'm still not doing well, but I will get through this again.

The last time I did a job on the sciatic was the week after Thanksgiving ... I was pissed of about something I can't even remember and grabbed a 50 lb bag of chicken feed and tossed it around getting it into the house, stepped wrong and that evening couldn't move without pain ... I think I may just have learned that I'm not 30 anymore, or even 40 or 50 ... I'm just so use to having to do things for and by myself that I don't stop and think.  

I'm using ice to get the sciatic nerve to stop twitching and twisting ... It does work and Icy Hot helps too.  I'm too stubborn to be kept down, but if I'm not careful it just might happen ... some day ... soon ...

Learn a lesson from me ... don't be that stubborn old lady or old man ...
Hugs

Weather Service ...

The weather Service said we'd get 8 - 12" overnight ... Hmmm, I think I have 18" new snow on top of 6-8" from the previous storm a few days ago ... makes about 2 feet and some 3 foot drifts.  I've been shoveling since about 8:30 this morning and came in at noon ... Phew!!  Thank goodness I have my wood stove and the wood box (on enclosed porch) is full ... the vent for the exhaust of the furnace is covered with snow ... I need to get up there to clear vents ... no ladder tall enough ...

My cat, Joey, is use to going out right after breakfast ... I opened the door and he was ready to run down the steps except they had disappeared ... LOL   He was a bit put out, turned around, went to the window to look out at this "stuff" that was preventing him from his normal routine ... After the front stoop and a trail to the carport was cleared, he was happy to go out for about 10 minutes.

Not sure I'll be able to do any more shoveling ... my back is giving me a few fits now and again.

Just thought I'd keep you posted ... not sure how to load a picture from my cell phone ... Happy New Year to everyone!!!  (((HUGS)))