Gotta Get Broom Off Roof

an event that could only happen here!

One time when we were little; ok, not so little; ok it was Yesterday!
Wendy and I decided Nathan couldn't come all the way to Wisconsin and not play roof volleyball. However, it was the middle of a long period of lake effect snow which had accumulated quite a bit, including on the roof. The cold temperatures also contributed to our problems by making the balls a bit flat, but we decided to try anyway.

First serve that makes it on the roof, goes right over the side - great, we can play!
Second serve on roof, oops! ball stuck. So we get out the broom with the nice telescoping handle and manage to get it on the roof so that the broom is behind the ball and the handle is hanging off the end of the roof. Luckily, Nathan has a nice vertical jump and is able to grab the handle, bringing broom and ball off roof.

Third serve on roof, (yes, there was a third, but not a fourth) ball got stuck higher up. So we tried our first method. Well, the broom got on the roof again, but this time so did the handle!
Problem, it's winter, it's snowing, there's too much snow on the ground to put a ladder there, not to mention the ladder's put away. Time for drastic measures (that's Daddy's brand new telescoping handle on the roof!) gotta get broom off roof.

Now, once upon a time we used to crawl out my bathroom window to go on the roof. So I went up to the bathroom to discover, since then, the window's been replaced, it's now about 6" narrower and quite a bit smaller than before - it was already a tight squeeze back then. So I went window hunting. Wendy had a new window too, bigger though so promising. The screen doesn't come off... next stop, Katrina's room. One look at the windows, uh nope. Back to square one. Okay, If I wiggle enough, I might fit through, gotta get broom off roof.

I took down the curtain rod, took off the screen and opened the window only to discover that when the pane is cranked open, it moves towards the middle, making the window even smaller, great :\ gotta get broom off roof.

I cranked the window back a bit so it wasn't open all the way but then wasn't in the middle of the space either. Somehow, in my big poofy jacket, I stepped from the counter top, through the window, onto the roof. Then it was time to grab hold of the house as tight as possible, one broken leg = no Africa. I quickly gave up on walking and sat down, slowly pushing myself towards the front. (My bathroom window is towards the back of the house on the side, the broom was on the front of the other side.) gotta get broom off roof.

I got to the front and crawled, on my hands and knees as close to the house as I could, until I got to the spot above the broom and ball. Then I went back to sitting and scooted to the objects, scooped them up and launched them off the roof down to Nathan and Wendy. Then I had to begin the trip back. Crawled back to the window and then, the most dangerous part, jumping from the roof into the bathroom, onto the smooth floor, shoes covered in snow. Just as I feared, sliiiip sliiide into toilet, ow! But I am ok! And the broom is off the roof! And I had an adventure!

(Original Post)

Accomplished