From The Cincinnati Enquirer:
Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. So says Paul Paff, the 80-year-old Delhi Township man trapped about six hours Tuesday in a 15-foot-deep septic tank behind his home on Pontius Road. “It’s a miracle, I tell ya that. Nothing ever bothered me, even falling into a cistern,” he joked this morning from his room at University Hospital, where he’s recovering from the ordeal. “I’ll worry about it now. But I never worried about it before.”
That’s my grandfather making the internets. Fortunately he’s alright but he got bruised up pretty good (see the photo of him from the link).
He managed while mowing his grass to notice a hole around his septic tank, went to inspect, and it caved in and he fell about 8 feet down into the ground. Not into the “septic” thankfully. Luckily he’s ok, you can read the whole story from the link; the neighbor’s dog found him. He was in the hole for a number of hours in a couple feet of water and came close to getting hypothermia. But I can tell from the quotation that he’s back to his lovable salt of the earth tough as nails self.
I blame myself–I used to cut his grass before I moved out to Vancouver. Should have been me in that hole.
Update: Video here. My mom and dad and cousin make a cameo appearance.
“Should have been me in that hole.” No, that’s not the way to think about this. What you should be doing is figuring out how soon you can get home to see grandpa. As a grandpa, that’s what I’d want. I’d want to see the kid that used to cut the grass. Family, home, place….go back home!Report
What Bob said.Report
I am thrilled to know he’s well. Best wishes. I’d second Bob as well. There’s wisdom in his words. If you can possibly swing the time go home. Visit your grandparents. They’re a treasure that you’ll loose far too soon. Believe me, I know.Report
Well, dudes, you kids get it, librul or not!
I’m getting a little choked up here.
Chris was probably already thinking about going back home. But, really, I’m not talking about ‘going’ back home, rather moving back home. F*ck that career nonsense, it’s all about living like human beings, about family, and there’s one thing that’s true….time does not stand still, it flies!Report
(Back to disagreeing with Bob, for the record)Report
Were this another city I could see myself agreeing with Bob, but I’m going to stand up for the ex-Cincinnatians here. Don’t give in, Chris. It’s not worth it.Report
Actually I’m currently officially “advised” by da (maple leaf) guvment against leaving Canada until the paperwork clears on my permanent residency. Beyond that I haven’t been back to Cincy in over 2 years so I am due for a visit–especially since neither of my grandparents were able to come out here for my wife and I getting hitched.
I was hoping to go home for Thanksgiving (American observed) but I may be getting a placement as a priest starting mid-November. Maybe not set as of yet, so that would throw a wrench in that plan and then obviously I can’t leave at Christmas since Christmas is A game time for clergy. So maybe New Year’s?
Nice to see you Dara (if only in this anonymous format).Report
Less anonymous than disincarnate, but, since I will be in Cincy for Christmas (which might stretch into New Year’s, I don’t know yet), that may be redressed in future?Report
The generic icon (which if ED were here he would remind you can get a real one 🙂 does have a body (of sorts). So is it disincarnate? I might have to do a post in the future on the Anglican Chapel in Second Life (from which I hear you can get booted if you disturb the service). This is especially interesting to me since the root meaning of avatars is of course God-men (or women) descended from heaven in flesh.
Maybe it’s not anonymous nor disincarnate. But something else????
On more important matters. totally, if we’re in the ‘nati at the same time let’s hang.Report
I didn’t think I remembered meeting your grandparents. Sorry to hear about the news, glad to hear Grandpa’s alright, though.Report
No you didn’t meet them; they couldn’t make it out to V’couver. My g’pa and The Lady of the House get along really well.
Meanwhile (this can’t be made up) on the way to my grandpa’s house while he’s still in the hole and they’re digging him out, a deer ran out in front of my parents’ car. The deer is no longer with us (though I think the car is ok and my parents for sure are). Craziness.Report