We Almost Lost Him...

Reading this account by our friend Paul Mackay almost took my breath away. Would I like his job? No tanks!

Paul writes...

A Tight Squeeze

Thursday morning, I was inspecting just outside of Port Hope ..... While inspecting a house, I went to the basement to inspect the oil tank.... It was in the cold room under the verandah ...... those little rooms are pretty tiny.... and ummm... I'm not!!

So in I went... took a photo...

then leaned over to look at the top of the tank to find the ULC label... to get the year it was manufactured....

no label...... but the tank was new, the lady said...

the label must be on the other end over there...

and she pointed..... good grief......

the entire room is 38 inches wide.....the tank is 24"... that leaves a gap on the right side of....of hmmm maybe 12 inches to squeeze in...

Paul Mackay doesn't squeeze THROUGH a 12 inch space.....

oh mannnnnnn..... where is Steve Storey when I need him.........

so as I'm standing there, staring.... with my mouth open in fear....the homeowner left for a couple of minutes to tend to her little child....

As soon as she left, I started peeling off my equipment... my clip board, my laser, my camera... my jacket.....

Stood there for a moment of silence..... and then literally threw myself into the space.....

I got halfway down to the end of the tank and got no further... MAN!!

after a couple of seconds of THAT , I lurched back and forth .... and worked myself down towards the end of the tank, almost unable to breathe!!!

Man if only I had some vaseline... this "TRIP" down oil tank lane, might have been easier!!!

The whole time I'm thinking..... they will need JAWS OF LIFE to get me out of here if I get stuck.....

After those couple of lurches, I got to the far end..... with my flashlight in my mouth.... , gasping for air.... and leaned around the corner and found the label...

SUCCESS!!!

While I'm here, I thought to myself, I need to take a picture of the FILTER....

I reached to my neck area, to get my camera so I could take the picture....ugh... no camera.... I looked back.... it was sitting over on the floor....

I am NOT going back to get it... and I was squeezed in so tight, I was afraid to holler to the customer to come back in and hand me my camera....I didn't want ANYONE to see me like this... wedged in so tight, my face was turning blue...

so .... we'll just SKIP the picture of the filter, I thought.....

and I start lurching backwards, to get OUT....

what I had not realized was... that there was a railing stuck along the wall.... on the right side.....

i got myself back THAT far..... and got stuck on it...and there I stood... wedged, my heart racing... my breathing fast....

my life flashed before my eyes...

at some point in those fleeting moments.... this thought struck me :

there are two ways I do not want to be found when I die... no, there are three ...

When I die, I don't want to be found :

[1] Under water ( cause I dont' want to drown )

[2] I don't want to be found using ANY bathroom fixture... shower, bath tub.. or ANY item that people sit on... I'm just sayin....

and most recently added is the third:

[3] I dont' want to be found wedged in between an oil tank and a block wall!!!

with a HUGE gust of energy, mixed with 2 parts fear and one part panic...I threw myself against the railing, shoving it flying.... nearly tearing my pants..... and STUMBLED into the wide open 38" section of the room...

gasping....

THANKING GOD for wide open spaces....

sigh......

when I bent down to get my camera... a thought struck me.....

I pointed and clicked... and GOT my picture of the filter....

... success again!!

I think it's time I cut back on the Oreos ...... sigh!