An Experience I Am Not Anxious to Repeat

I live in a duplex. Our neighbor isn’t home much, but he does smoke, and in the winter the smoke comes through our heating ducts, which makes us sick. Eventually (fast forward through the long, boring explanation) we figured out that the problem may be that the attic is not divided, so I resolved to put up a sheet of plastic up there to keep the smoke out. So I did that last weekend, and it was not an experience I am anxious to repeat. I had to lie lengthwise on 2-inch beams, holding the plastic with one hand and the staple gun in the other. The ceiling is less than 5 feet at the peak, and at the edges it’s a 20-degree angle (I had to review some high-school trigonometry to figure out that angle—I hope you appreciate it), so even lying down I couldn’t reach all the way to the edge. But the worst part was the dust. Oh, and the fiberglass bits in my eye. I had a long scarf wrapped multiple times around my head, and I was still blowing dust out of my nose for the next 24 hours.

Comments

Todd said…
Joel, you are my hero.
October 13, 2008 at 5:28 PM
)en said…
ahhh, nothing says comfort like fiberglass bits in the eye.
October 13, 2008 at 9:45 PM
Joel said…
Wait, you mean I wasn't already?
October 14, 2008 at 7:51 AM
Brooke said…
Yowza. Hope it works and you get to breathe cleaner air all winter as a result.
October 14, 2008 at 8:04 AM
Joel said…
The preliminary results are that it helps somewhat, but I can still detect the smoke. I'll keep you posted.
October 14, 2008 at 8:06 AM
)en said…
That is totally foul and 100% unacceptable, in my book. Is there someone you can report this to? Or, do something gross in return, like be constantly boiling cabbage buy a trombone or something.
October 14, 2008 at 9:08 AM
Joel said…
Well, my wife would like to practice her French horn more often...
October 14, 2008 at 9:57 AM
)en said…
i just re-read my comment and it makes me laugh. Do something gross, like buy a trombone. clearly i threw that in as an afterthought.

French horn.. that could work, except it might be too pretty. I heard a french horn in the distance as i was walking home late last night and it was nice. and a bit weird.
October 14, 2008 at 10:52 AM
Jer said…
Pansy. Try doing it in the summer. Now that's fun! (and about 400 degrees)
October 16, 2008 at 4:02 PM
Joel said…
That's a good point. I forgot to mention that as the only good thing about it.
October 16, 2008 at 4:02 PM
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