It's been an expensive week.
Wednesday night I came home from roller derby practice and forgot to close the garage door. Our garage is not attached to our house, but I'm forever nagging Josh to close the door because bike thefts are rampant in Oak Park. This time it was I who forgot to double-check, and by Thursday morning our GPS and Josh's electric guitar, which he'd uncharacteristically left in the back seat, were gone. (Our bikes were still there.) Loss: approximately $1400.
Friday morning I tried to make a piece of toast for breakfast and discovered our 13 year old toaster oven wouldn't toast. Friday evening Josh heated it up to make chicken nuggets for the kids and the damn thing caught fire. Loss: approximately $25, although we're spending more than that to get the smaller version of the fancy toaster oven that Whitney and Cook's Illustrated recommended.
Then Sunday morning we were gathering in the kitchen for breakfast. As Josh made coffee and I opened a package of bacon, A was dancing in a circle with a Cinderella board book in her hand. She spun, let go of the book and sent it crashing through one of our kitchen windows, shattering it. Loss: we're getting an estimate tomorrow, but I'm guessing not cheap.
While I can't help but whine a bit about this week's almost comic series of misfortunes (there are advantages to having a personal blog), my complaints are being kept in check by the disaster in Japan. A broken window, a broken toaster oven--even a missing GPS unit--these are minor inconveniences compared to the mounting tragedies facing the Japanese people. I thank G-d for the comforts and conveniences I'm enjoying while their nation faces the triple threat of earthquakes, tsunamis and nuclear radiation. Scary, scary stuff that's so much harder to watch now that I'm a parent.
It's off topic, but while you're writing your check to the earthquake relief agency of your choice, would you also consider sponsoring me in the American Cancer Society Walk and Roll? I'm committed to roller skating 10 miles with Derby Lite and I'm raising money in honor of my late grandfathers, Robert Silverman and Hollis Limprecht. If 15 people donate, I promise to post a photo of myself in full derby regalia.
