Best Intentions

It was in the 50's today and I decided that it would be a good idea to take down the Christmas lights while we still had a chance before bad weather strikes again. We're expecting pretty bad storms and then a drop back into the 30's tomorrow. This plan would have gone over better if our whole family wasn't sick.

The little ones are finally getting over the flu. MJ is down and out and I can feel the faintest tickle in the back of my throat, so I know my turn is coming. But weather like this is very rare in the middle of winter, so I told MJ I could take the lights down by myself. He objected. I pointed to the couch and out the door I went.

All was going well. I figured I would leave the icicle lights for MJ, but I could get all of the bushes and trees done. I was working on the last tree and I quickly figured I was going to need something to help me untangle the lights from the upper branches. I went back to the garage to look around. I knew when MJ put them up, he had used a special hook on the end of a pole, but if we still had it, it wasn't in here. Something caught my eye and I turned and decided that this would work instead- a paint roller attached to a long pole- perfect!

I gently raised the end with the paint roller through the branches and looped it around the light strand. I gave a gentle tug and...nothing. The branch had a tight hold on them and they were wedged in a comfy little fork. I looped through the lights again and tried lifting them up. The branches moved, the lights didn't. I decided to try going for the end of the lights strand at the top of the tree. I couldn't unwrap my roller from the lights. I twisted and turned and pulled.

Crap.

I let go of the pole and took a step back. The roller and the lights were hanging from the tree. Just as I was about to go back and try again, a hoarse voice from behind said,

"You're kidding me, right?"

I began laughing and asked MJ, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," he said. He came over and within two minutes had the paint roller and lights out of the tree. I knew he wouldn't be able to let me take down the lights alone- it's a Man's Job, after all.

"My hero," I said, and dramatically batted my eyes with hands clasped under my chin. "Would you like me to help you with the ones on the roof?"

MJ looked from the tree to me and then to the two-story roof of our house. "That's okay, I think I can manage."