"I think your pants are in a tree."

Life is busy as always but I really want to write about some of the ridiculous things that have been happening...like: my pants blew away! That's right, they were hanging outside to dry (or so I thought) when friends who live in the apartment below me called: "Are you missing a pair of pants?" I didn't really think I was, but as my friend went on to describe them as dark jeans, with white stitching on the pockets, I realized that yes, they just might be mine. "I washed those and hung them up to dry this weekend," I said, all the time wondering why she knew I was 'missing' them before I did. I soon found out: "Look outside in the tree," she told me, "and let me know if those are your pants." I clapped down the phone and shuffled to the window, stretched outside to peek - but all I saw were beautiful cherry blossoms. No pants. So, supper in hand, I walked downstairs and rang her doorbell, "Where are my pants?" I demanded. She laughed and then directed me to her window, where you could see, sure enough, my pants dangling among the pink-petaled flowers that are Japan's national treasure. "OH NO!!!" I cried. "How are you going to get those down?" she asked. "I have no idea," I replied, and then burst out laughing.
And I truly didn't have any idea...until that night when I was standing at my window again, gazing at the tree and wondering what to do. "Lord, please show me how to get those pants down," I prayed. "Send a strong wind or something!" He didn't send a strong wind, but He did send Emily, a friend with determination and creativity greater than mine. First, she tried climbing the tree but the branches on level with the third-story window of our apartment, where the pants hung, were too weak. "You need a long pole!" she insisted. "I know, but where am I going to find that?" I searched my apartment and found a cardboard tube meant for poster paper, which was about 5 feet long. Knowing it wouldn't be long enough but unable to find anything else, Emily and I returned outside and launched our "javelin" in a futile effort to release my pants iron grip from the cherry-blossom tree. After several near misses, we gave up. "We need a longer pole!" Emily said again. "I know, but where am I going to find that?" Then, suddenly, it dawned on me: the pants HAD been hanging on a laundry pole on my balcony, and that pole was MILES long! It would definitely reach the pants...if only we could get it downstairs.

I almost broke a window bringing it in the apartment, but the greater challenge was getting in down four flights of stairs: it was too long and wouldn't bend and so we just got stuck. Until - the genius of it - Emily went down one flight of steps, stuck out her hands and I passed her the pole. Then I raced passed Emily to the next flight, and received the pole as she passed it down, giggling the whole time and trying to escape my roommate's camera! We eventually got the pole all the way downstairs, outside, and snagged my pants from their nest in the tree. Cherry blossoms rained down as the pant-flag was lowered on the pole. A moment occassion...as I stood cheering (quietly) with Emily, waving at our third-floor neighbours who had been enjoying the show, and keeping my pants tucked snugly under my arm, safe from wayward breezes and gale-force winds. These pants were coming home - to stay.