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[GMCnet] Second Battle of the Roof Pod [message #217914] Sun, 11 August 2013 22:53 Go to previous message
Robin Hood is currently offline  Robin Hood   United States
Messages: 1078
Registered: April 2011
Karma:
Senior Member
I got out to the storage place early. The plan was to put the plastic
sheeting over the frame I constructed around the Barn Queen and fumigate
the wasps.

The thin plastic sheeting was absolutely unmanageable in even the slightest
breeze. Furthermore, even a tiny piece of duct date located at various
places on the frame would likely snag the plastic and cause trouble.

It was 93 degrees with a heat index of 100 degrees, and I was all by myself.

I fought the plastic, and gave up, and went to Harbor Fright for a big
tarp. 20x40 foot or close to it. It was on sale.

I struggled getting the tarp up onto the roof. My plan was to take the tarp
up there, And roll up half the tarp into one roll and the other half into
another roll. That way I could unroll the tarp and only have to go half
the distance, instead of having to drag the entire tarp over the entire
length of the couch.

It was far too hot. I wasn't wearing my wasp suit. I decided to try and
face my fear and just get the job done.

I don't remember very much after that.

Everything went to pieces.

A lot of what follows is reconstructed from the video.

I know that I was up on the roof fighting with the tarp that was rolled up
into a long noodle, and trying to get a handle on it while balancing on the
roof and trying to get to a place where I could get the tarp partially
unrolled so that I could pull it the rest of the way forward on the frame
perhaps from the ground.

I suppose it was just too much activity, what with the tarp flapping and
rubbing around on everything up there.

I told myself not to panic. A couple of times I told myself not to panic,
according to the video. It didn't do any good.

Wasps began to fly around me. I saw at least three. I was as far forward as
I could be, with no way down... with the entire roof structure and all of
its of them and other places that the wasps could've been between me and
the ladder.

I remember giving a strangled cry of fear. Hyperventilating. Ducking under
the tarp to get away from the wasps around me.

It was at that time that I ceased to be in any conscious control of this
particular fiasco. I screamed like a little girl and ran, screaming the
whole way to the ladder and down and over to my car.

I only had one shoe. I'd run right out of the left one, which was still on
the roof, possibly under the tarp.

I was ashamed. I'd lost all control... The only way it could have been
worse is if I had pissed or beshat myself, but I was spared at least that
indignity.

My wife is still out of town, so I called my older sister. It turns out she
was on the road to visit our uncle who just lost his brother. I asked her
if she would stop by on her way home from there and that I was going to be
at our mothers house. Mom is also out of town, but her house is located
close to the storage unit.

"I haven't lost my brother, so I'm coming to check on you. Go to mom's
house. I'm just a few minutes away."

I drove to moms and raided her fridge. Diet be damned, I was going to drink
a Coca-Cola. I sat there and tried to calm my protoplasm. Older sister
arrived shortly.

She threw some ice packs under my armpits, took my temp (99.7), pulse 95,
and bp was 164/97. She's a burn center ICU nurse.

I showed her the video. To her credit, she tried not to laugh.

"Your parasympathetic system is going crazy right now. You're overheated,
nearly tachycardic, and your lizard brain thinks you just fought off a
tiger."

After a while, the ice melted and the numbers all went back to where they
should be. I could SMELL myself. Apparently that whole "stink of fear"
thing actually exists. Hmm. And googling "stink of fear" pulls up "morbid
fear of stings: Cnidophobia." That's interesting. Learn something new every
day.

I rode with her to visit our uncle. I don't know how many times I'll see
him before he dies. We had a good visit. Lied about the reason for why
older sister was late getting there (told him I got bad overheated which
might even be true.)

After our visit, my older sister and I had some strip mall sushi. It was
adequate.

I'm done messing with this. I've done literally all I can do, and attempted
to exceed my capabilities. I really did try. But I'm calling an
exterminator who can tent the RV and fog it.

While we were waiting to see if I would stroke the hell out, I called
Terminex, who does my termite and pest control. "We don't work on things
with wheels," was their reply.

"Well, this is your lucky day! As it happens, my wheels are removed!"

He laughed. "Um... tell you what, let me talk to my supervisor." He
returned a minute or so later. They're going to forward my message to the
local branch and call me tomorrow. Maybe they can do it, or maybe they can
recommend somebody.

But I can tell you this much. I'm not going anywhere near that thing until
it's been gassed to high heaven.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07QXKvKd7J8



--
Robin Hood
Jackson, MS
2013 Subaru Outback "Top Flight"
1968 Pontiac Catalina "The Cheshire Cat"
1978 GMC Royale motorhome "Pinto Bean"
1977 GMC Palm Beach motorhome "Barn Queen"
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