Fun day at work - demolition.

Today commence the first job that I started at the beginning. We are gutting a bathroom, replacing everything except the tub. Due to some unusual quirk in the building of this house 50 years ago, there was an extra layer of concrete in this basement bathroom that had to be taken up - with a jackhammer!

As jack hammers go, this was a smaller one, but it was still quite a formidable tool called an electric hammer drill. It required a lot of protection: ears, eyes, respiration, gloves. Concrete debris and powder was everywhere. Definitely the messiest job I've been on yet. The concrete dust really stiffens up your hair too. I had to break out my hairband.

I was delighted to be given the opportunity to operate that thing.

I had been watching Stan tearing up the floor. Not much communication can go on with all the noise and various face coverings. Through sign language I was handed the jack hammer. Usually I ask a couple of questions before trying a new tool for the first time, but all I could get this time was pointing. So I grabbed both handles and dug in.

That thing was heavy and the slippery tile surface required my attention to keep the hammer away from the tub and everyone's feet in this small room. I had to lean all my weight onto it to bore through the concrete and to control the vibrations. Between the sweat from the physical effort, the dust, the sunglasses I was using for eye protection, and the steamy breath from my face mask, I was having a hard time seeing my work. I cleared out a few passes and handed it back over. It was hard work. Even though it was totally cool to be jack hammering and I could have done more if I had to, it was weird being watched so closely with no feedback. I find that I am still more self-conscious on this job than I mean to be.

I suppose I am more comfortable doing some work with some tools in private.