Saturday, May 19, 2007

Don't Tread on Me

So we had quite a mishap at the house yesterday. Gamble really likes walking on the treadmill, and he was on it yesterday. Nicole was watching him carefully, standing right next to him, and he had a great time.

When it was time to get off, he pulled the kill switch and was getting ready to get off. Nicole got a couple steps away, toward the desk area of the basement.

It was like it was in slow motion. She heard the beep of the kill switch being put on, and the beep of him pressing a button. As she turned toward him, he had broken from a fast walk into a run and started screaming as the speed on the treadmill edged up.

Now our basement is pretty tight quarters, and there were two chairs in the way, as well as the vanity I plan to install soon downstairs. In going over it to help him, Nicole sustained a great number of bangs and cuts on her left arm.

And she was too late. She watched as the speeding treadmill got the best of him and sent him slamming backward into the wall behind the treadmill.

In the "Guide to Setting up Your New Treadmill", which sits right next to the treadmill itself, it says clearly that it needs six to ten feet of clearance behind it. We don't have that kind of room. There's about two feet behind it. Folks, if you have kids, they mean it.

She called me to tell me what happened, and watched him like a mother hen all day. He seemed right as rain. Right before he fell asleep, I checked his pupils. Houston, we have dilation.

He's going to have to get back on the treadmill soon, though. I don't want him afraid of it.

By the way, when I asked him about it, he said he put the switch on and pressed "7". Oh my. I never let him on above 2. No wonder he flew.

So he's okay, and I couldn't be more grateful. He's the coolest little guy.

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