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My Twilight Adventure

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kyreb1862

kyreb1862

Jedi Knight
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It all started about a quarter after 5:00 when I decided to look for an exhaust leak on my B. I started the car, lay on the driveway, and looked under it for the leak. I determined that one or both of my exhaust donuts had gone bad. Now comes the fun part, I started to get up. It was then that my left knee decided not to work in the same manner as the right one. I lay on the cold driveway unable to get up and it suddenly occured to me that the old adage " If I had known I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself." was true. My wife wasn't home, my cat could only look through the front door and give moral support and I had no cell phone signal. I realized that I couldn't remain on the driveway because it getting cold and dark very quickly. I finally managed to get hold of the car door and pull myself up enough to get into the drivers seat. At this point beads of sweat are really starting to roll from my forhead, its amazing how pain can make this happen. I sat in the drivers seat and cursed the day I had ever gotten on a motorcycle, since this was what caused the knee injury that makes all this pain possible.

After I rested a few minutes I decided I would try to get inside where I could at least stay warm. I held to the windshield frame and got myself in a standing position. Then holding onto the fender I managed a painful hop to my front steps. At this point I gave thought to sitting down and scooting up the steps on my butt. I realized after a little thought that I would only have to stand again when I got up the steps so I took a deep breath and slowly and painfully struggled up the six steps to the front porch. I had made it inside after only 45 minutes, a journey of about 20 feet. I finally sat in a chair in my kitchen and tried a technique I remembered from long ago to put my knee back in. I grasped my left pant leg, gritted my teeth and crossed my left leg over my right. As soon as I managed to this the pain ceased. The knee still has some swelling this morning but no pain.

So how was your day!
 
Not much better - but I'm glad you're okay.
 
It's beginning to look like I'm the one that needs a suspension rebuild. You would think OEM components would last more than 53 years. :smile:
 
I think there should be an "getting up from the pavement" Olympic Event for us older guys, make that more mature, that's not the right word either, but you know what I mean. Probably be a more interesting event to watch if we had to get up off a creeper!
 
How about getting up from a creeper after you've spent an hour or so under the car!
 
kyreb1864, sorry to hear about your knee problem, i understand, i was told 3 years ago i was going to need a right knee replacement due to a skiing accident, i had it worked on in 1991/1992 and in the last 2-3 years had pieces/shards/chips removed injections etc. but the docs are done with all that, i have a friend that ive been helping along as he heals from his right knee replacement, hes doing well but before he went in to the hospital we made the mistake of watching the entire operation on the computer, my knee is so bad now my wife wakes me up at night while im crying in my sleep and im having the cold feaver you mentioned i dont know whats worse the pain im constantly having or thinking about what i watched on that dang computer, what ever you decide to do i wish you much luck, and for you to be pain free. :yesnod:
 
kyreb1862 said:
So how was your day!
Click to expand...

I'm on meds for blood pressure... aren't we all,
my ears ring all the time.... must be all those concerts in the 60's,
my feet throb during the night...... get a desk job in my next life,
my eyes are going fast....... the service wasn't kind,

But i didn't end up on the cold concrete driveway...... <span style="font-weight: bold">Glad you made it in the house and that you are okay</span> !! :thumbsup:

oh yeah......... stay inside when it snows... LOL!!
 
Rats.

Sorry to hear that, John. Had a similar deal a couple weeks ago, pulled a calf muscle pushin' a dead Jag into the lift bay. Somebody shoved a needle in my left heel all the way to my butt-cheek. Went down like a sack-o-stuff... My luck was that I had a pal there to help me off the concrete and hobble to a seat then go for a bag of ice... Now the third week and I can sorta-kinda walk. The swelling has subsided, too.

Me mum was right... "Don't get OLD!"

I never listen'd to her. :devilgrin:
 
Gettin old aint for sissies.
 
Really glad you're OK.

These days, I carry a cell phone when I'm out working.....just in case.

I've only had a small, cramped garage for the last 20+ years. Since the race car lives in it, all my other car work is done outside in the driveway. So like you, I end up laying on cold ground pretty often.
I am a healthy 58, but it gets harder and harder to do some of this stuff (I have neuroma, a foot nerve problem as well as sciatica).
I'm putting a rear and springs in the Austin this week (outside). With snow predicted, that should be fun.
grin.gif
 
JamesWilson said:
The cold helps you stay more alert and active, not like those poor benighted souls, all indolent and lazy in the Floridian & Californian heat... or so I tell myself.... :devilgrin: :jester:
Click to expand...

So,James, you'll be active and alert most of the year,huh? :devilgrin: :jester: What are the chances of you knocking off another year on the Healey project by Spring? :jester: :devilgrin:

Stuart. :cheers:
 
JamesWilson said:
The cold helps you stay more alert and active, not like those poor benighted souls, all indolent and lazy in the Floridian & Californian heat... or so I tell myself.... :devilgrin: :jester:
Click to expand...


John- Glad you're OK.
Now you've a good reason to move somwhere decent
and kinder on us old folks.

Twenty years now I've been free of snow, ice and cold.
If I fall down, at least I'm warm and can holler for one
of the neighbor kids.

I wouldn't trade life in the tropics for anything.
It's much kinder on us old folks.

dale(tinster)
 
JamesWilson said:
The cold helps you stay more alert and active, not like those poor benighted souls, all indolent and lazy in the Floridian & Californian heat... or so I tell myself.... :devilgrin: :jester:
Click to expand...

Don't kid yourself - it's tough trying to work on the car with sweat running into your eyes or the sun shinning brightly at just the wrong angle and blinding you. Getting oils drops off your sunglasses is no walk in the park either..... :devilgrin:
 
ALL of the above. And concrete at noon is HOT!!
 
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