Lessons from a Jack Hammer

April 6^th

We (Lee La Duke and I) were able to finish jack hammering out 60% of the problem rocks that the backhoe could not move on Friday. The jack hammer rental was not due back until Monday. So on Sunday afternoon I went back to the lot by myself (first mistake) to finish up before I had to go back to teaching on Monday. It was going well and I was almost done with the work when the jack hammer broke through the rock and fell sideways. It had done this many times before but this time my left pinky finger was crushed between the remaining rock and the steel handle of the 90 lb hammer. It turns out I not only split open the skin from the bed of the nail up and around the tip, but I also broke the tip of the bone into 4 pieces. At the moment I first looked at my pinky outside the glove it became very clear that what I was doing was really dumb! I was working by myself with heavy equipment, in an area where the cell coverage is spotty, the closest neighbors are a half mile away, and the van I drove had all the car seats that K would need to use to come get me. L

So lesson learned. before I decide to operate heavy equipment by myself to save money,I will ask the professionals what they would charge. Most likely it will be cheaper to have the pros do it. But it wont be as good a story though! ;)