MARILYN HAGERTY: Up on a roof without a ladder

• Marilyn Hagerty

Marilyn Hagerty

Talk about it

Dear Shirley,

The telephone rang the other morning and a man said, “Marilyn?” I said, “Yes, this is Marilyn.” He said, “Marilyn,” again. I said, “Yes this is Marilyn, and who are you?”

He said, “I am Ritchie, and I am up on your roof. My ladder slipped and I can’t get down.”

So, I went out and put the ladder up so Richie Aos, who I hired to rake snow off my roof, could crawl down. It wasn’t really funny, Shirley, but we both had a chuckle. Ritchie said he has had to jump off roofs before.

It’s just a good thing he carries a cell phone. If he hadn’t called me, I probably would have forgotten about the man on the roof.

This winter is testing the mettle of men, women and even some children, Shirley. Everywhere I go, I hear people talking about the cold and the wind and asking one another if they know really why we live here.

On days like this, I envy your warm digs on the desert. And I see the Grand Forks Breakfast Committee is planning the annual breakfast in Mesa on March 9. The host committee of Bob and Pat Wood and Carol Anderson is seeking reservations. Last year, they had 180 in attendance.

It seems as though people who go away for the winter are long gone. There are those who get so fed up with the cold in January that they call travel agents and say, “Get me out of here.”

I was talking with Julie Conely, owner of Monarch Travel and Tours, and she said, “This winter has been crazy.” She said people want to get away. They like Hawaii. And she said Mexico can be had for bargain rates. She likes Riviera Maya south of Cancun because, “The water is turquoise and the sand on the beach is like powder.” She talked of a Mexico package for $2,600 that is all inclusive for two — the flight, the accommodations for a week at Rio Palace Pacifico along with food and drink.

I nearly swooned when I heard that, Shirley. Then I came around and realized I am only one person and I don’t have an extra $1,300 anyway.

Some people are leery of traveling in Mexico. Julie says the only problem is in border cities where there are drugs. And she loves Mexico. She says the prices are about the same as an airfare, hotel and car rental in Naples or Ft. Myers, Fla.

Julie has been in the travel business since 1978 when she started out with the former Champeau Travel agency here. “Travel,” she says, “is a fun job.”

Well, I guess I will settle for thinking about the turquoise ocean and the blue skies. I will make sure I don’t have any snow shovelers marooned on my roof.

Love from your sister, Marilyn, wondering if braving this cold weather puts steel in my soul.

P.S.: I haven’t forgotten that Tuesday, Jan. 25, is the anniversary once again of your 39th birthday. I hope you have a big slice of cake and blow out all of the 82 candles.

P.P.S.: It didn’t used to register on me when I heard about Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Now it is very real with Carol going down that road. I was heartened to see the Eagles in East Grand Forks are holding a benefit Saturday night for ALS, also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Reach Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.net or (701) 772-1055.

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