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I lent a buddy my box trailer, which he overloaded and bent the axle. So the tires need to be replaced because of uneven wear as well as the axle. Right front caliper wasn't releasing fully, new front brakes for the truck...

I'm dealing with the hurdles as they come. I hit the driveway tonight, look at the last vestiges of the sun setting over my roof and groan.

A couple of hours of mosquito-rich saw work in the dark and about 1000-1250 lbs of tree are now off the roof and on the ground.

One part of the edge of the roof is a little mashed and a few shingles will need some TLC, but no major reconstruction required. It must have snapped, tangled and then rolled relatively gently onto the roof with minimal damage.

I am really happy no one was hurt and I don't have a huge gaping hole in the roof.

Just be glad the tree thing didn't happen while you were gone.

I think that I'm turning into George Castanza.

Ummm...huh?

;-)

Nothing is so bad that it couldn't have been worse..... =D

It's kind of like repeatedly stubbing your toe. After enough cycles, it becomes somewhat comical.

I'm certain that there are plenty of guys trying to tie up things at work and prepare for their hunts that are getting unwanted surprises. I'm hoping that those surprises are like mine, aggravating, but happily surmountable, nothing truly serious.

And if everything is moving along perfectly smoothly for you, shake your head have a chuckle at my oxymoronic aggravated happiness. Think of that scene from Young Frankenstein... "Could be worse. Could be raining!"

Climbing up with the saw and surveying the minimal damage in comparison is why I'm happy.

I'm hoping that your construction is moving along with minimal problems and that your new game room turns out beautifully.

I realize that all of these problems are small in the grand scheme. My house could've been crushed like yours. Someone could've been hurt or killed if that happened. My buddy could've bent the trailer axle on a shorter trip the weekend before my trip. I might not have noticed the uneven tire wear and reverse camber. I could've blown out a tire at 2:00 in the morning on the highway in South Dakota and had an accident because of it.

I thought it humorous that in preparation for this trip, I am repeatedly coming into situations where I start off swearing and quickly am thanking my lucky stars. I feel a little stupid for the rapid swing of attitude. One of my buddies was laughing at the incongruity of the fact that I had called him to let him know "how lucky I was that a tree fell on my house." I can't believe that I have such minor damage from the size of the tree top that came down.

Admittedly, I am jealous of guys who never seem to suffer from any adversity, things flowing smoothly into place for them with no struggle in their better looking, independently wealthy life. But I wouldn't wish I'll or hardship on anyone and I certainly didn't intend to whine.

When I post, I tend to be multitasking and distracted. Sometimes I may not be as articulate as I hope to be. My intention was to offer the slapstick of my life as humor for guys coming across their own small hurdles. Kind of a Red Green "Keep your stick on the ice. We're all pulling for ya." kind of thing.

Just rolled in after another 13 1/2 hours at work to find that another storm swept through and a limb from a different tree is on my roof.

A large area, including my neighborhood, is without power. So much for working on packing tonight. I'm moving backwards, draping my sleeping bags over the chest freezer, unpacking lanterns, doling out headlamps, staging water jugs by sinks...

My laugh may be starting to sound a little more "unhinged".

Problem is that if it falls on my house, they say that I can't sue the city. Well then, get your butts out here I told them.

Power came back on just before six this morning. I took the opportunity to crawl into bed before ten and grab some needed sleep.

I informed the wife that I am abdicating all other storm clean-up responsibility and decreed that if the kids would like to be fed, they can gather up all other downed branches today.

After work tonight, before and after work for the next few days will be a big crunch of food prep and packing. All things that can be accomplished with some time, effort and "brute force and ignorance".

Just had another reminder of the fact that I've got nothing to complain about. A customer just told me that his fifteen year old son was hit by a car yesterday. He should be released from the hospital today or tomorrow, but he's got a concussion, a few broken teeth and some nasty bruises and contusions.

Nonetheless, when I do finally head out of town, I'll be leaving some "Back to the Future" flaming tire tracks behind me and maniacal laughter will be pealing from my truck window along with the elk call CD in the stereo.

I will not be deterred or delayed. In the immortal words of Ralph Covert and the Bad Examples, "You better get a bigger gun, 'cause I'm not dead yet!"