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My goal this week for the bison build was to complete the assembly of the bison silhouette, get that silhouette up on the bison cart, and then attach structural legs to that silhouette. Never again would my beloved bison be mistaken for a whale!
But alas, Becky Sue, my advanced age, and my poorly functioning brain failed to cooperate.
Eight square feet of 16-gauge sheet metal puts a manageable amount of stress on a fairly fit 58-year-old body. Forty square feet of 16-gauge sheet metal, however, is a different story. Sheet metal gets super heavy in a hurry. And the same goes for re-bar. Carrying a six-foot length of 5/8ths re-bar is the cat’s meow. Carrying five six-foot lengths of 5/8ths re-bar is the Bataan Death March.
I was acutely aware that my assembled bison silhouette wasn’t going to be an easy lift. And I was acutely aware that old Mr. Groovy wasn’t nearly as strong as young Mr. Groovy. “But, hey,” I reasoned with myself, “I can still do 20 pull-ups, and I only have to move Becky Sue a mere ten feet. I got this!”
Wrong. Just before I reached the end of my ten-foot-long trek, a sharp pain ripped through my lower back. I immediately returned Becky Sue to earth and dropped to one knee. My lower back was severely wrenched and it took all of the intestinal fortitude I had left just to stand up.
Becky Sue’s mock of my lower back occurred this past Tuesday. As soon as it happened, I knew my bison build would remain idle until next week. That hurt, of course, but it hurt even more once I realized it was totally unnecessary. Why the hell did I lift the very heavy Becky Sue and carry it across the garage so it could be next to the bison cart? It would have been a hell of a lot easier to roll the bison cart across the garage so it could be next to Becky Sue!
I may be a financial independence rockstar, but when it comes to building a scrap-metal bison, I’m little more than an MFM—a metal fabrication moron.
Final Thoughts
Okay, groovy freedomist, that’s all I got. This week’s bison build was a partial success at best. The good news is that my lower back is feeling much better, my stick-welding skills keep advancing, and Becky Sue looks less like a whale and more like a bison. Have a great weekend. Peace.
Mr. Groovy….I Just scared when I also notice the image.
Anyway all the best for your recovery.
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Thank you, JJ. Lucked out this time. It was much less severe than I originally suspected. I was pretty much back to normal a mere three days after the wrenching. Somebody up there likes me!
Me thinks you need a Becky-Sue-o-meter now to keep track of the score.
Mrs.Wow recently posted…You’re Average, So Am I
Haha! Great idea.
Mr. Groovy recently posted…A Bison-Build Update
OOOOOOWWWWWwwww! Damit! Don’t want to hear about any “ripping” sounds ANYWHERE on the human body.
Damit man, you shudda checked with possible help from the “RyAllah” man!!! Maybe he cudda helped with SOME of the heavy lifting, and or INSTALL a heavy duty wench system ( Tackle & Box ) in that studio of yours??? Well, good luck.
S
“Damit man, you shudda checked with possible help from the ‘RyAllah’ man!!!”
LOL! I didn’t think of that either. Don’t worry, though. When I’m moving Becky Sue off the court onto my front yard, RyAllah will be there to help. You’re the best, my friend. See you in April.
Mr. Groovy recently posted…A Bison-Build Update
Sorry to hear about your issue when metal beats man…
I spend my life shifting & thumping bits of metal, but fortunately not mega bison size.
All the best for your recovery
Thank you, Erith. Metal won this round but I wasn’t off my feet for long.
Mr. Groovy recently posted…A Bison-Build Update
Glad to hear you are feeling better and it wasn’t a serious injury! Isn’t it funny how we forge ahead doing things the “hard way” when in hindsight it’s obvious there was an easier way to do it.
Can’t wait to see Becky Sue once she gets her footing.
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“Isn’t it funny how we forge ahead doing things the “hard way” when in hindsight it’s obvious there was an easier way to do it.”
Indeed. Love the way your mind works, my friend.
Mr. Groovy recently posted…A Bison-Build Update
Yeah. Tell me about injuries. I ran three 5k races in Florida in the first two weeks of the year with a lot of dead butt sitting in the car in between hopscotching the state. Somewhere along the racing, sitting, and training for the next race I pull my left glute. Note to self: do not skip stretching. Note to geezers: DO NOT SKIP STRETCHING.
I hope this event motivates you to work on strengthening your core.
Yikes, Mr. G! That sounds painful, and I’m glad you’re on the mend.
20 pullups? In one set??
Partially due to your example, I’ve been lifting over the past many months and it’s been valuable. I can’t do 20 pullups in 1 set though. I do 10-8-7 with a 25lb assist band, and can do about 6 or 7 unassisted.
Imagine how your back could have been injured if you weren’t in shape!
Hey, Mr. G. Thank you for your kind words. When I was younger I was bad at pullups, mainly because I didn’t do them very often. But now I do them a lot. My goal is to do 30 in a row by the time I turn 60. I got 17 months to go. I also should add that I’m not doing super strict pullups. I go full range of motion, but I don’t pause at the bottom. If I had to pause a second or two at the bottom, there’s no way I’d be able to do 20 in a row right now. Hope all is well on your end. Give my regards to Mrs. G. Cheers.
Mr. Groovy recently posted…A Bison-Build Update
Ouch. I pulled glute isn’t fun. Nor is a pulled hamstring. Leg injuries are the worst. I think the two best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard were “wear sunscreen and stretch.”
Mr. Groovy recently posted…A Bison-Build Update
Mr. Groovy….you scared me with the image at the beginning of the post! Honestly glad it was a wrenched back and not something significantly worse that would have required an ambulance. Not that a twisted back is good. Wishing you a speedy heal. Feel better!
Mr. P2F recently posted…Cross Country Walk for Health
Sorry for the late reply, Mr. P2F. I’ve been a lazy shit lately. Anyway, I lucked out on the back injury. It turned out to be much more benign than I originally expected. Three days of rest and I was pretty much back to normal. Hope all is well on your end. Peace.
Mr. Groovy recently posted…A Bison-Build Update