[Elecraft] Yet another one for the "stupid" thread

[David F. Reed]

I have a few dating back to the early and mid 1950s that launched my 
start in Ham Radio...

(1) I inserted a flat bladed screw driver into a wall outlet; I was 
stunned to learn that I could fly, but was scared enough to avoid a 
repeat of that.  What the heck was I thinking anyway?

admittedly, I was pre-school, but still...

(2) Having constructed my first 40 meter receiver, I was stringing up an 
end fed inverted L for it in my grandparent's pecan tree; I shimmied out 
on a branch a bit to far, and fell down into a fig tree that was filled 
with wasps - I received over 20 stings and subsequently became quite 
allergic to insect stings.

The good news?  I did not bring the antenna down with me, and it served 
me well for a few years, suitably initiating my Ham and SWL life.

(3) a few decades later, I bridged an open ground on a pipeline (I was 
working on some actuators for the valves) and found that the aurora can 
induce quite a healthy charge - wrench glowing red, closed end opened, 
burnt hand in spite of leather gloves and so on.

I have of course continued in my stupidity as I age...

(4) More recent events that I might confess?  Last year I was working on 
my tower, unclipped the safety lanyard to change levels; I slipped, and 
my fall was arrested by my left foot catching in the zig-zag of the next 
rung down; I was hanging inverted, my cell phone slipped out of my 
pocket, and I had no way to call for help.  Note to self: use 2 safety 
lanyards or one and a fall arrestor.

The good news?  I am still here, and I learned to call and get real help 
when climbing towers, it is no longer in my area of competence (if it 
ever was).

Cheers!

73 de Dave, W5SV