Tuesday, June 24, 2008

My chicken coop hates me....

OK, all I really want to know is how I can go through building a whole house without sustaining an injury and have had THREE while building the chicken coop. Well, injury is a strong word but I am hurting like the dickens. They were all pretty much my own fault due to my inert capability to be clumsy, off balance and in the wrong place at the wrong time. A few weeks ago we were starting to shingle the roof and I somehow stepped on a nail that was protruding from a 2x4(which by the way, I have measured and they aren't 2" x4" and that bothers me, why not call it what it is???) The nail went through my industrial strength Croc, and about 3/8" into the sole of my foot. That wasn't so bad. I was due for a tetnus shot anyway. Got that taken care of.
Just last week, I wasn't even working on the coop, merely walking out the door and stepped in the tines of a metal work rake and the danged handle swung up and hit me in the head! DON'T LAUGH AT ME!! That smarted and for a minute the world was a bit fuzzy. It had hit me right above the temple- how does it get that much force from moving a foot? What really makes this story funny though, is that the same thing had happened to Hans back in Cedar. I think it was fall, we were trying to get the yard cleaned up and had to give up early on account of two "helping" little boys, so Hans was frustrated anyway. We walked by the crabapple tree in front where the devious rake was hiding among the low lying limbs, and I had turned my head to check where Hiett was behind me when there was a dull thud. At that precise moment I coughed(oblivious to the fact that my poor hubby had been sideswiped by a 50 mile an hour rake handle) and Hans thought I was laughing at his misfortune. He yelled- the only time he has EVER yelled at me our entire marriage- DON'T YOU LAUGH AT ME! I, surprised, said that I hadn't and asked what happened. And then, once he had told me- I did laugh. Poor thing. His rake had hit him right on the ear, and his ear swelled and bruised like a beggar. Now I know his pain, and I would have yelled at him too, if he would have dared laugh at me. Luckly nobody saw my clumsy error of stepping in the wrong spot.
Unfortunatley, there were witnesses to last night's accident. I was working on siding the wall of the coop that faces the road, Hans was up on the roof finishing the shingles and the ladder was innocently propped against the wall where it should have been. We didn't take into account out crazy gray mutt winding and twining her rope in and around the bottom of the ladder. Two teenage boys walked past and Tonks(who has recently begun a "Watchdog of the Year" campaign) starts growling and barking to alert us on the intruders. Suddenly she lunged to try to get to the boys and lovely... she took the bottom of the ladder with her. The other end of the ladder fell directly onto my head before I could move. Can I say ow. My head still hurts this morning. I'm glad for the politeness of the two boys that at least held in laughter until they had gotten out of earshot. So. Now you all have proof, as if you needed it, that I am one clumsy, unlucky person when it comes to chicken coops.

8 comments:

Bon said...

I swear I was only giggling slightly at your misfortunes! I am glad to know that someone else can be clumsy besides me too! That sounds like it hurt and look at the bright side...Beau didn't see it. He is notorious for teasing on others mis fortunate behaves!! (recalling Jake's motorcycle mishap!) HAHAHA! Hope your head is feeling better and Hans is waiting on you hand and foot!

Robinson Gang said...

That made my night reading that! I'm sorry it had to be because of your misfortune, but that was hillarious to read. I laughed out loud the whole time. Besides "coop injuries", how are you guys? I keep up to date with your blog. I hope all is well! What ever came of Hans and the power company in Delta? This is getting long. A phone call would be better. Are you going to be home this weekend? We are coming up for a reunion and camping up Bear Valley Friday night and going back to Cedar Saturday night. Could we get together?????? Let me know.

Amy

Mom and Dad said...

You crack me up, why did I only know about the nail situation and not the other mishaps!!! You for sure take after your mom, sorry! I hope you and Hans were able to finishe the chicken coop with no drunk neighbor interruptions! I hope my boys had fun with Julie, she is so nice, if I lived a little closer I would be able to snatch them for a weekend, at least on my Friday off weeks! Maybe some day :) Love you tons.

TattooAz said...

Okay, I didn't laugh, but I did smile, cuz I know the look on your face when all this happened!!! You poor thing! Your poor head! You might want to take it easy for a little while!!! Anyways, I'm probably going to be doing a new blog under my name so I will let you know when I get it up and going. Love you tons!!!

Jess said...

Sorry to hear about your maladies. :) They always seem much worse when they are stupid, accidental ones don't they? Like you shouldn't have a legit reason for feeling so poorly. You funny girl.

Jenny said...

Sorry, but I had to laugh, too! Here's wishing for better luck for you!

{Lindsey} said...

Dang sista, that is a lot of injury going on.
I would say at this point, if the coop is not complete, that it is out to get you and you should leave it up to Hans to finish.

Gardner Family said...

Your coop doesn't hate you - we only hurt the people we love the most! I swear us Downs girls do not have a graceful (or lucky) bone in our body! Can't wait to see the coop, the chickens and you all of course next weekend! Love ya.

WELCOME to our new home

We got moved in settled a few weeks ago, but it has taken me longer than I thought to get back into my groove. I hadn't realized that I HAD a groove, maybe it was more like a rut, but anyway, I am comfortably back into it and that is that. So, I am sure that you are all curious to see what exactly we moved into. You have to promise to not be jealous!!! Really.... everybody seems to think that I mind terribly our new home, but I don't mind it that much. I am with Hans, the boys have their dad and unlimited roaming space and so much more family close by, I would make the trade again anyday. Not to mention the projects that I am planning that will keep me busy for quite some time. Ready?
Well, the power plant pays for all of their employees to move within 40 miles of the plant so they packed us up and shipped us off. This is the truck arriving. It was huge! Our stuff only took up about 1/3 of the truck!


Hans and I are still in debate about what is happening with the exterior of the house. I want to get some paint and paint it, then get a good color match and do the shutters differently. The porch will be fixed- it sags in the middle and threatens to collapse whenever you step on it. I want to put a little roof over it, a simple little peak that stretches back to the trailer, that would hopefully break up the ugliness a little bit. we will probably be here for 21/2 to 3 years so I want to make it look like a home for us.

OK- let me explain that roof looking thing. Nevermind- can't explain it. But I am going to try to put little support strut things off from it to support a new piece of wood that will make it look like a beam instead of a chintzy shingled roof inside of a house. And that is faux brick paneling. he he he. I have never seen it before. I giggle when I see it. The next pic is the kitchen dining combo. The floor is newish lineolium, so that is good to stay. But the wallpaper is falling off and so I am going to practice my tiling and do a medium dark greyish tile and then strip the cupboards and paint them a white. The door knobs will be replaced too. Hopefully this will work with the mustard yellow stove- this trailer is 30 years old, so it is very 70's with the wood paneling EVERYWHERE!!


UNGH. The paneling is sooo dark! This hallway could use a coat of paint. Hans' grandma is skeptical of us painting the paneling, truthfully I am too, but this is so drab I have got to do something! The light fixture is going to be replaced so my dad doesn't hit his head everytime he comes over. Well, for that matter, most of the light fixtures will get to be replaced soon.


I saved the best for last!!! Our bathroom is horrid! Seriously- I don't mind it, it just makes me laugh it is that ugly. The floral nasty green print coordinates with the yellos tub, toilet and sink. The linoleum is the same shades and that crazy design you could sit and stare at for hours trying to figure out the pattern. A new sink is already in the works. A new shower curtain already bought, and so many plans floating in my head. Wall paper off, new linoleum, tiling another backspash, paint the walls, build a frame around the mirror to make it the focal point. So much to do. Will I get it done in my 3 year time limit?? Oh and the kicker, the washer and dryer are in the bathroom! Convienent!!!


We had such a fun Halloween! It got kicked off with an adult( that sounds naughty!) Halloween Party which was fun as it always is to get together with all of everybody. I love seeing all the costumes and wish I knew which file Hans put them uner so I could post them. Beau and Bonnie won my prize for best dressed- Beau looked hot in that eyeliner and black nail polish. Anyway, then on Halloween we had a bunch of the kids over for a little party and had a great time- I did anyway, I hope the kids did too. We went trick or treating in the "old ward" just to say hi to some folks we hadn't seen in a while. The boys had a great time. Tait slept through it all in his comfy bear outfit and Hiett only fell down two sets of stairs with his AWESOME hoomemade batman mask. I don't know how much longer I will get away with homemade costumes but until then- $6 always beats out $20-40 in my opinion, and I think the kids have more fun being "creative". HA ha. We had a great time and the candy is almost gone already- I swear I haven't helped too much!

My happy boy

My happy boy
How can you not smile when you see that!? Tait hung out on this blanket while we were fishing on Monday- he loves to be outside- and it's a good thing since that's where we are most of the time!

Our hike

Our hike
Yes, that is the road down there. We found this trail off the road up the Five MIle Canyon. We have loved the red rock scenery that is so prevelant in the Parowan area

Birthday Boy riding his new bike

Birthday Boy riding his new bike
He loves riding with Gabe on their"motorbikes"

The swinging of the pinata

The swinging of the pinata
Gabe is the only one who inflicted any damage at all

Argh MAtey!

Argh  MAtey!
Me and my pirate buddies- we had so much fun. Sometimes I really wich I were still a kid ro everyday was a birthday so I had a reason to be all creative and fun

Hiett

Hiett
The birthday crown for the king of the day