Exploring the Heights
Saturday November 12, 2005
Tom was working on the antenna again today and needed me to help him. Sigh… I am not very good on the roof or with heights. It was difficult for me to get from the ladder to the roof but Tom sat on the edge and helped me. He put what he said was a safety cable around my waist and showed me that it wouldn’t let me fall off the roof. Actually though it kept slipping off my waist and getting in the way until he found a way to run it through a loop of my pants. It didn’t really feel all that secure but I guess it would slow a fall down enough so that I could save myself, if something happened.
Tom had me holding up the antenna while he attached the guy cables. Of course then one of the cables was attached at the wrong point so had to be redone while I continued to sit down holding the antenna up. This took longer than he had said it would but I had expected that was likely. Getting back down was also difficult. Tom went ahead of me and had to lift my leg up and over the overhang so I could reach the ladder. I couldn’t bend my knee enough to lift my leg high enough to clear the edge of the eaves due to the combination of arthritis or whatever my knee issues are and lack of flexibility and strength.
Jack came over in the evening and we went to a WIPoly meeting, which was a lot of fun. Many of the people who were in the group 6-8 years ago showed up and it was great to see them again. It felt familiar but different due to the intervening time. The hosts ordered out a Chinese meal and there were crab rangoons, general tso’s chicken, kung pao chicken, Mongolian beef, shrimp and vegetables, vegetable fried rice, and much more. There were fortune cookies and the most wonderful desert made by Pete. He made pear and walnut stuffed wontons served with ginger ice cream. I wish I had eaten another several of them but I was trying to be good and share them.
There was a discussion of why we had come to the Anniversary meeting and what we liked about WIPoly. Some spoke of the changes through the years, some of the political hassles, some of members who had left both with well wishes and good riddances. And there was some discussion of what the future might hold for the group.
I had a lovely time, drank a bit too much wine, cuddled with Larry (it was
wonderful to see him and Kris) and with Barney. Finally about 10 pm Jack and
I said our goodbyes and headed home. We parked for a bit before he left, enjoying
each other’s company something we don’t get nearly enough time
to do, what with my travel schedule.
Copyright © 2005 Kyril Oakwind