Cleaning the Tanker Truck

Asphalt Tanker Truck courtesy google search

Back in the mid 1980’s our roofing business was doing well, and our credit was good with our supplier. 

 

They offered to lease/sell us an Asphalt tanker truck that would save on labor and make our jobs friendlier for the environment.  No longer did the tar kettle need to be fed and tended; only a lever would bring hot tar to the top of the roof. 

One draw back was on occasion the large tanker truck needed to be cleaned inside.

Robert was not one to ask his crew to do something that he was not also willing to do. 

While this did not happen often, it was time for the big tanker truck to be cleaned inside.  There was a lid on the top and a ladder leading to the belly of the truck.  Cooled asphalt had caked on the walls and the workers decided that a power driven hammer would work faster than hand tools.

Inside the tank, Robert began to feel strange, and was not aware that the carbon dioxide was affecting him.  Finally he realized he needed to leave and started to climb the ladder.  At the top of the ladder, he lost consciousness and literally fell to the ground.

His workers helped him into the office where he could lay on the couch.  Exhibiting his macho masculinity, he refused to go to the hospital a few blocks away and said he would be okay after a rest.

Sad to say, after that ordeal, Robert was never okay again.  His immune system had been effected due to the lack of oxygen and his black out.  Right away he had no energy, and suffered daily weakness.  His hope was that this would be a temporary condition, but it instead it lasted. 

Finally he realized that we must sell our large and beautiful home, close our business and move to the Oak Woods where we had sometime back purchased a couple of acres and placed on it a mobile home.

Some of the silent diseases such as Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome seem to have no answers as to why or how to cure them.   Most days it is learning to cope and make some adjustments in diet and life style.

We can only point to the tanker accident and conclude that this was the trigger that brought Chronic Fatigue to Robert.  Many days, he could hardly walk across the floor. 

After a time, a very long time, he seemed better.  Mornings he could get around and even do a bit of work around the yard.  Afternoons, his Lazy-boy chair was his companion and TV his entertainment.   

 

He did become our cook, when I went to work to help keep us solvent.

Then he discovered that he could write stories on his computer and I was happy to edit them and post them on a blog for him.  “Musings by Robert, and he will smile at the shortest comment on his posts.

As of today, Robert has several Free E-books available at SmashWords.com/.  Take a look and if you do not have a Kindle, there is a free viewer for your computer available at Amazon.com