Back in the Saddle

It turns out that we are all swimming in asbestos. It's everywhere: in the air, the water, the ground. I had an enlightening and entertaining talk with my local EPA guy about the depressing topic. Most houses built before 1970 have asbestos and it regularly gets released into the environment.

He pointed me to a lab that would analyze a sample of my wallboard. Yes, he said, my description of it sounded very much like asbestos, but one step at a time, and then I could shop around for an asbestos abatement company, an unnecessarily fancy word to let me know, up front, that none of this would be cheap.

Meanwhile, in yoga class, a friend of mine let me borrow his space-age particulate mask, suggesting that I should remove the stuff myself rather than being swindled by expensive guys in haz-mat suits. Oddly enough, the EPA guy said essentially the same thing--that it could be done with a little research and training and with the right equipment. Otherwise, I could be out several thousand dollars...

Do it myself? Why take a chance with my health? My lungs are not great--I've had pneumonia twice, and even now I have a cough that I can't shake. Just pay somebody and be done with it, you cheap Scottish idiot.


A few minutes ago, the lab analysis came in an email. NO asbestos!! I'm back in the saddle, baby.