Dangerous Thing #19: Stand on the Roof

Because it is there.

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Location: Austin, Tx.
Date: April 9, 2010
Objects: House, Ladder

This ain’t no big “thang” at our home. Sam has been getting up on the roof for years now. Making this a cake walk … for me. I’m no fan of walking on the roof and it has taken a few times of Sam and David being up there for me not to feel queasy. Cool temperatures this weekend made the task of cleaning leaves off the roof less dreaded, and what a great opportunity for Sam to strut his stuff!

As you see, he is very comfortable one-story up, even being a ham. And although Sam looks blasé about the dangers of this experience, he is very aware of his edge (both literally and internally). Isn’t that what this book is all about?

Comment’s included: “This was the most fun 50 Dangerous Thing (besides sword fighting and climbing a tree)”, “It’s nice to be invited up while dad is sweeping” and “This was the 15th time I’ve been on the roof. Nothing different from before”.

Next time Sam says he wants “to climb off the roof withOUT a ladder”. Good times.

Dangerous Thing #1: Lick a 9-Volt Battery

Taste Electricity

Location: Austin, Tx.
Date: May 3 & 9, 2010
Objects: 9-volt battery and aluminum foil

This photo speaks a mouthful. Sam was NOT a fan of this dangerous thing. We tried this together, me first. Nervous, not knowing what to expect, I was stunned by the shock it produced. Sam was game to give it a go despite my reaction, however he was none too pleased afterwords. He reported that the quick touch of terminal to tongue resulted in a jolt that “hurt”. And not a momentary experience of pain, but one that lasted “too long” … “for hours!”

We followed up a week later with the alternate, aluminum foil version. We both don’t think we felt electricity, but it did leave a less than good taste in our mouths. The action of eating foil was fun, bizarre! Personally, I love doing these experiments with Sam, we are connecting and being silly and recording our experiences helps to integrate and synthesize “what just happened?!”

Dangerous Thing #42: Break the Recipe Rule Book

Create and eat your own confection

This was so incredibly fun. Jack said this afternoon, “I wonder what peanut butter and milk together would taste like” and I was so glad I had the book to bolster me up because I realized, “Oh, it’s one of the dangerous things, let’s do it!”
He was so into it, very intent. It was harder than I would have thought, sitting on my hands and not interfering! First, he added milk ( a LOT of milk, and it was hard being chill about the use of all that expensive organic milk, but what’s a few bucks to further the tinkering cause…) and then peanut butter and lemon juice. He tasted it and, “Oh. I forgot to add sugar.” Added sugar, still wasn’t quite right. Maybe some jam? “Now it will be like a smoothie, this is like the fruit for a smoothie!” But after a taste… still needs something else. Absolutely seriously and not facetiously at all, he decided to add a pickle. Then tries to correct the pickle flavor with some honey. And then again quite seriously decided to add a chunk of cheese. It’s beyond repair now and we chuck it, but then he decided to go back and reunite some of the flavors that worked for him… lemon juice, milk, and sugar. Delicious! Isn’t that amazing?