Conquering fears..

Jim surprised me today by buying lots of Christmas lights and having big plans to make our house icicle heaven. (If you remember last year, my Christmas lights were less than desirable)I was so excited because I haven't even mentioned it to Jim yet! Of coarse hilarity ensued and I must share, even at Jim's expense and mine as well. Let me first back up, Jim is(with good reason) terrified of being on the roof. A few years back, he fell off the roof putting lights up. Now, the fall was only about 5 or 6 feet, but nevertheless a harrowing experience for him. Fast forward a bit to this summer. In an effort to rid our roof of evil pigeons, my dad and Jim bought a new heavy duty, super tall ladder to get up to the roof and get rid of the nest. Only my dad was brave enough to go up there. I was too chicken as well. I didn't like the idea of my dad all the way up there either, but he said he'd lived a good life and had plenty of life insurance. Ok then. So today I go outside and I see that Jim already has the ladder up ready to go. (We do have a super high roof). He is convinced that he's extended the ladder wrong and it will collapse under his immense weight. (His words). He made it about half way up and he was so scared and shaking so bad that the ladder was wobbling all over the place. I decide to show Jim that the ladder will be ok, and I scamper all the way up to the roof. Like all the descriptive words? Once I get up there, I realize that the ladder climb was in fact, the least scary part. I was pretty scared as Jim made me walk up and down the roof to make sure he could do it. I did not enjoy pretending to clip the lights to the edge of the roof so Jim could see the process. Then, it was time to get down, I really did see myself falling to my death.

Smug Inger



Terrified Inger



Of coarse, if Mallory has the camera, bad things happen... This is when I was calculating my life insurance policy. This picture is to prove to Jim that I am not out to humiliate only him. Mallory, I heard you laughing maniacally down there, now I know why! I will get even!!



So, then Jim was ready. He wrapped the lights around his neck and put the extras in a backpack. He began his ascent. He almost started crying about 2 feet from the top. But he pressed on and made it! So he makes it up, sits down and realizes that the lights around his neck are completely twisted and mangled. Here is where the neighborhood was treated to a very lovely word!




And finally hanging the lights, while having a panic attack!



All in all, we only have about 1/8th of the lights up that Jim had planned. But I am very happy with what he did, and I admit that I wouldn't want to hang lights 10,000 feet in the air! Not exaggerating either! Here is the lovely result.


I just love Jim, our lives are never boring!!