The Souvenir Dilemma

I wanted a souvenir from New England, because, you know, DUH. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted, but I knew I'd know when I saw it. The key is to keep looking. I shopped here and there, that day and this, and it didn't jump out at me. I was thinking something very New England-y. Something kind of nautical. Something that I'd use as fabulous decor in the house.

Here's the thing: we are cheap. The fact is that I had to talk Sam into actually checking a bag at the airport so that we didn't have to bring 9 days' worth of stuff in carry-ons. I needed that big suitcase to bring stuff back in, you know? Still, there's limited suitcase space to work with, so my big, awesome, kind of nautical, New England-y souvenir had to fit into the wee bit of space I had extra in my suitcase.

We were in New Hampshire, Maine, back through New Hampshire, and then in Massachusetts before I found what I was looking for. It was at the first (and only) antique shop we stopped at, right there on the front porch. And it was in my budget range, which is "hahaha! Oh, wait, you were serious?" I fell in love with the buoy and its price, and it needed to be mine.

Problem #1 was the fact that it was too big to fit in my suitcase.

Problem #2 was the husband.

Problem #2 saw Problem #1 and decided that my buoy and I could not live together forever. But Problem #1 underestimated my tenacity and problem solving skills. After 20 years of marriage you'd think he'd know better than to tell me something wouldn't work.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Problem #2 glared at me as I proposed a solution. I think there was a space of ten minutes where he refused to speak to me. The store owner asked me why I didn't just ship it home, and I honestly replied that I was too cheap.  So the men had no choice but to pull the nail out of the oak dowel so that I could pull it out of the float. I held the nail and two rubber stops in my hand while the dowel was cut on an angle right in the center to allow me to glue and clamp it when I got home. And nobody would see the damage because it would be inside the float. It's not like it's ever going to see water again anyway. We live inland, for crying out loud. Pennsylvania is not especially known for its seafood.

I'm really hoping that Problem #1 doesn't rear its ugly head again when I try to squeeze my souvenir into my suitcase to bring home. I can leave some of Problem #2's clothes behind, right?