On August 5, 2010, while eating their lunch in a 500 square foot refuge inside the San Jose gold mine in Chile, 33 miners became trapped when the mine collapsed around them. It wasn't even until August 22, that anyone even knew the miners were still alive. Sixty-nine days later, one by one those men are being rescued. I am glued to the television coverage. The 29th miner has just been rescued and my reaction is always the same. But for the record and to keep up my facade, if anyone asks I've been chopping onions. The President of Chile spoke and said the people of Chile will release an "explosion of happiness and joy." Probably not the best choice of words but you get the idea. This story is amazing.
The diameter of the rescue borehole where a capsule is being lowered to retrieve the trapped miners is 66 cm (26 inches). The steel rescue capsule is 54 cm in diameter (21 inches). This means that each of the miners has to have a waistline of no more than 90 cm (35 inches) to be rescued; a very tight squeeze. (As I reach for my tape measure) Needless to say the miners have been on a strict exercise regimen to ensure they each fit inside the capsule. This has to be the ultimate motivation for losing weight ever in the history of losing weight. Having a limited food supply will help too. On average, the men lost between 17 and 25 pounds. Would it be wrong of me to be jealous of their weight loss? I'm just saying.
I sit here wondering what will become of these guys once this all sinks in. (again, poor choice of words). There will no doubt be guest appearances on all of the talk shows; movies; book deals; t-shirts. Can you imagine the possibilities. "Middle Earth is for Hobbits." "Tolkien was Wrong." “Chile: It’s not just for lunch anymore.” Somebody stop me!
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