Sacrifices

I few weeks ago, there was a terrible windstorm in Saint Paul. Luckily for us, it broke one of our trees. We have been waiting for years for that to happen, so that we could get a new garage. We figured that if a tree fell on it - and hopefully at least one of the cars - the insurance settlement would afford us with the perfect opportunity to tear down our structure, which is at least 70 years old, and get a new car ... or maybe two.

Unfortunately, the giant, eight inch tree limb was spared by another tree in it's path. So, instead of crashing through the garage, it just hung there, propped up by another tree that we didn't like, causing no damage at all. So, we took them both down.

Now, we're left with an enormous void in our garden and almost no shade. I guess it's time to get going on that garage.

This morning, Scott was on the computer, sadly sifting through amortization schedules. He was trying to figure out how we will pay for a new garage-mahal, to steal a term coined by our good friends John and Adele. He looked miserable. I thought that I ought to help. So, I offered up a solution.

"If it makes you feel better, I'm going to try not to get cancer, next year."

I suppose that it didn't really solve the problem, but it made him smile. Also, it made me smile because little does he know, trying not to get cancer is kind of an easy job. You just don't take up smoking and do your best not to grow any new ovaries and you're done.

I could have offered to give up eating out or my weekly trip to Caribou, but I didn't want to go overboard.