Once I got the ladder to the backyard, I measured out from the house with a tape measure to eight and a half feet. I never heard of the 4-1 rule for ladders. I figured the height of the second story to be about 17 feet. So, I needed about 4 and a half feet away from the wall. Why eight and a half feet? The second story extends 2 feet over the first floor and the second roof has an overhang of 2 feet. (Four feet plus four and a half equals eight and a half feet)
I stood the ladder up near the eight and a half mark facing the house. I extended it as far as I could from the ground. I placed it against the second story gutter. I got on the ladder and pushed up on the bottom rung of the fly section, so the ladder extended 3 feet above the gutter.
I moved the ladder a little to get even ground for both legs of the ladder. I had 2 wooden stakes and I pounded them in the ground next to the feet of the ladder. My logic was these stakes would prevent the ladder from sliding as I pushed myself off the ladder to get on the roof.
With the plastic bag with the items I needed in my left hand, I started my climb up the ladder. It was one rung at a time, left foot first, right foot next. I got to the roof line, and I was ready for the transfer to the roof. I placed the bag in the gutter. With each hand on the top of the legs of the ladder, I tried to get my leg on the roof. I felt I could not get my foot on the roof safely. The ladder was in my way. After a couple attempts, I decided I needed to lower the ladder.
Down the ladder I went, one rung at a time. I lowered the ladder two rungs and made my ascension up the ladder. This time I could swing my leg over onto the roof. I grabbed my bag and crawled to the vent pipe. As I got close to the vent pipe, I found most of the gasket missing and there was a quarter-inch gap between the pipe and flashing.
I tore away the old gasket material and put on several layers of roofing cement around the bottom of the pipe. I pulled down the replacement rubber gasket. (At first, I thought I had the wrong gasket size, but I eventually got the gasket on the pipe.) As I got the gasket to the bottom of the pipe, I pushed down around the top of the gasket. Roofing cement oozed out the bottom edges of the gasket. Satisfied with the fix, I wiped off any excess roofing cement on the pipe. (No photos, no way.) I put the caulking gun in the bag with the old gasket material and paper towels and crawled backwards to the ladder.
I extended my left leg over the ladder and found a rung to put my foot on. Followed by the right foot and a sigh of relief, I made my way down the ladder. Before I put the ladder away, I went into the house to describe my adventures on the roof with my wife, Efiwym. I showed her the remains of the old gasket material. She told me she was praying until I came down the ladder. If she only knew, I was too.
Not a Zen Moment, just a sense of relief.