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Me Versus the Trees (and one reason why I appreciate my wife)

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I am a green person. I’m not a bleeding heart liberal, but I enjoy the outdoors. I like trees and looking at waterfalls. Going to a national park and hiking is my idea of a perfect vacation.

Lately though, nature isn’t returning the love. Quite the contrary, two trees and a shrub have been attacking my home viciously. The attacks are unprovoked and evil. I’m not sure what I did to incite their wrath. Did I not give them enough water? Did I not fertilize them to their liking. I don’t know.

Toilet Troubles

This tree may look innocent, but it is rotten to the roots.
This tree may look innocent, but it is rotten to the roots.

A month or so back, the toilet started acting funny. It would barely flush. Did one of the kids clog it up by using half the roll in one sitting (not uncommon)?

Other very bad things started happening. Stuff started coming up through the bathtub drain that should never, ever, ever come up through a bathtub drain. Nasty. Really nasty.

I soon discovered that the main sewer line exiting the house was clogged. We rented a sewer line camera and a rooter. We discovered that the roots of a tree and a shrub had infiltrated the sewer line and clogged it.

Post-chainsaw
Post-chainsaw

First, we cleaned the roots from the line with the rooter. This was such a nasty and disgusting job, I won’t go into the details. Trust me, you don’t want me to. Unclogging a sewer line is something you never, ever want to do in your life. Every time I see a Roto-Rooter truck around town, my face momentarily turns green as I have a brief flashback.

I wanted to ensure that the roots could never terrorize my sewer line again, so I rented a chainsaw and Mr. Tree and Mr. Shrub now reside in the town’s compost heap. Sorry guys, but I can’t have you messing around with my toilet. You both brought this upon yourself.

The Root Wars Continue

We’re doing some work on the home and noticed that a cement wall in the back of our home was cracked and leaning over a bit. I pointed this out to someone more knowledgeable than me:

Me: Any idea what could be causing this wall to be leaning like this? Since the house is built on it, I need to stop this.

Chris: See that tree right there? I’ll bet it’s roots are pressing up against the wall.

Me (cue the ominous music): Really, a tree can shove over a cement wall?

Chris: Yep.

Don't look at me all innocent like that Mr. Tree, You know what you did.
Don’t look at me all innocent like that Mr. Tree, You know what you did.

I grabbed the shovel and started digging. It wasn’t long before I uncovered a massive root pressed up against the wall. SH$#!!! I went in and talked to the wife about it:

Me: Remember how Chris told us how that stupid tree may be shoving the wall over? I did some digging and this is the case.

Mrs. 1500: SH$#!!!

Me: Agreed. Tomorrow, I’ll see if I can find a service to come remove it.

Mrs. 1500: Why do we have to pay a service? That will cost hundreds. The chainsaw rental was only $35.

This got me thinking…

Opposite Wife

When I suggested we get a tree service over, I was thinking like most people seem to do. Why do anything ourselves when we can just pay someone to do it? I’m glad that the wife corrected me.

This got me thinking about how important it is to have a partner who shares your goals and is of a similar mindset. You may strive for financial independence, but if your wife collects $1,000 purses or your husband is into Porsches, you’re going to bump heads. Two people with a similar mindset is a very powerful thing.

Examples or other stuff Mrs. 1500 will strongly discourage me from buying
Examples* of other stuff Mrs. 1500 will strongly discourage me from buying

I’ve noticed that we both have moments of weakness. I had one with the tree. Sometimes, the wife will suggest going out to eat and I’ll talk her into just having the leftovers. Occasionally, our moments of weakness overlap and we end up doing something we shouldn’t (looking at you Dairy Queen), but for the most part, we make each other stronger.

 

*Mrs. 1500 note: Mr. 1500 has had a passion for motorcycles since he was a boy. He bought his first when he was 18, and had one ever since I have known him. (He subscribes to Cycle World, in addition to EVERY SINGLE CAR MAGAZINE PRINTED!!!)

Once, when we lived in Chicago, his motorcycle was stolen and I convinced him to buy a replacement (used, of course). He drove the new one for a while, then the police called to tell him his original one was in the impound. Obscene impound fee later, we then had two. I got my license and was just getting comfortable enough on it to ride it to work, when I peed on the stick and found out the oldest little 1500 had taken up residence.

We sold my bike to someone who was absolutely delighted to find it, and a few years later we sold Mr. 1500’s to yet another person excited to own it. I have been trying to convince him to buy another one** for about a year and a half. Way less frivolous to own in Colorado, where the weather is awesome 9 months of the year, than in Wisconsin, where winter lasts 7-8 months. (Today, December 17, the weather is so nice the oldest little 1500 is riding her bike home from school. Too chilly in the morning to ride there, but hey, it IS December…)

**Mr. 1500 note: Crap, now I have to convince Mrs. 1500 to convince me not to buy a motorcycle. This is getting complicated.

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  2. “This got me thinking about how important it is to have a partner who shares your goals and is of a similar mindset. You may strive for financial independence, but if your wife collects $1,000 purses or your husband is into Porsches, you’re going to bump heads. Two people with a similar mindset is a very powerful thing.”

    That paragraph should go in the personal finance Hall of Fame! I’m not sure there’s anything more important for a healthy marriage or a healthy financial life than what you just summed up in those three sentences…
    Brad @ RichmondSavers.com recently posted…Travel Rewards: Two Free Boston to Dublin Round-Trip Flights with One Credit Card SignupMy Profile

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  3. Ha! That dialogue with the motorcycles is pretty funny. I am constantly trying to convince my wife that getting another scooter somehow makes financial sense. She is good at convincing me that two is already too many.

    But the heart wants what the heart wants.

    I love the concept of each spouse making the other stronger and I feel the same way with Mrs. Done by Forty. We make each other better. Iron sharpens iron.
    Done by Forty recently posted…A Case for OutsourcingMy Profile

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    • Trees are too big to move. Our yard is also too small for any more. I’ll send some money to the Arbor Day foundation in the names or Mr. Toilet Trasher and Mr. Wall Crasher.

      Reply

    • Oh man, the rest of the trees are going to be angry that I struck down their brethren. Can’t wait to see what they have in store for me.

      Reply

  6. Ughhh Trees! I love the shade they provide but they can cause a lot of damage. Our property has no trees but we have trees that are right on our property line from other neighbors. One tree is doing some damage to our driveway. Then there is another tree that’s leaning right on our fence from another neighbor.
    Practical Cents recently posted…Pride of Home OwnershipMy Profile

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  7. I’ve always wanted a motorcycle. My father pointed out to me that I more things to worry about with our baby bird and papusa.

    Sucks about the wall.
    Elroy recently posted…Saving OutMy Profile

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    • Motorcycles are fun! Take a safety class so that you know what you’re doing and wear a helmet/body armor. Always remember that the texters are your worse enemy, to be avoided at all costs.

      Reply

  8. We had the same lovely situation a few years ago – twice! Sewage backing up from the main line because of a tree. It didn’t get into the pipe, but wrapped itself around the pipe and pulled and ended up breaking the pipe. The tree remains (it’s the only shade between us and much more expensive A/C bills), but the root system was cut back, and a good portion of the sewage pipe was replaced with something that the tree couldn’t lift/break along with a new access pipe 🙁 We didn’t do any of the work. I was 8 months pregnant at the time and there was no way I could have worked on any of it.
    Mom @ Three is Plenty recently posted…Holiday Spending 2013 at the Three is Plenty HouseholdMy Profile

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  9. It is extremely important that you are on the same page as your partner in terms of finances. Mr Y and I have been very similar in terms of spending and saving money, which makes us very compatible. I have never really understood the obsession of collecting designer bags or shoes many other women have. I agree we all have weak spots for things. Ours seem to be electronics and home automation. We recently just purchased a Sonos 5, which is fairly expensive (used some credit card reward points) and we saved for a long time. We also have light switches can be turned on remotely. For many people, those are totally not necessary. Haha.

    Reply

    • Oooh, I share your love of electronics. I love gizmos.

      In my ideal world, the only thing I have to carry around is a smart phone. No driver’s license, no credit cards, no insurance cards, no gym membership card, no garage door opener, no house keys, no car keys. The phone will do it all.

      Reply

  10. When it comes to trees, this is one area that we hire out. Originally we were going to take a row of mature trees that were too close to our house out ourselves, but when we picked renting the equipment, etc- it was going to cost just as much as it would to hire a crew to come do it in a day. Same goes for managing our 50 ft oak tree – we’ll have it professionally pruned every 4 years or so, and hopefully keep its growth healthy and controlled as its also pretty close to the house.
    Mrs PoP @ Planting Our Pennies recently posted…Pimp The PoP’s Garage – Part 4 – Get Rich By Enduring ChaosMy Profile

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    • For us, it’s about size. The ginormous silver maple in the backyard of our other home took a crew of people an entire day to take out. These evil trees are puny though and no match for me and the chainsaw!

      Reply

  11. Love the title and the motorcycle banter – I agree that a complementary partner with a shared mindset, as well as one that balances you out during times of weakness, is pretty amazing!
    anna recently posted…2014 Goals/PlansMy Profile

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    • As crazy as it sounds, I never thought about any of this much before we got married. Perhaps I knew in the back of my head that Mrs. 1500 wasn’t a crazy-ass consumer?

      Reply

  13. I have to get a tree in my yard removed. It is a shame since that tree has been there 40+ years, but that damn emerald ash borer has done the poor tree in. The tree expert says we could try to save it, but in his opinion I would just spend hundreds of dollars to try and it would probably fail anyways. Makes me sad, but at least he was pretty honest about it and didn’t try to convince me to save the tree knowing he would be back in year to cut it down.

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  14. Trees, toilets and testosterone aside, I love the relationship between the two of you and the little window you give us into your lives. I enjoy the heck out of reading your posts as you continue your adventure in home renovation!

    There isn’t another blog out there that has your vibe! It’s a brand all it’s own 🙂
    Ree Klein recently posted…Consciously Edit Your Life In 3 Easy StepsMy Profile

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  15. When I was seven, I dropped the toilet roll holder in the toilet. I thought I could flush it and then pick it out. Nope, it went a good ways through the toilet, so my Dad had to to pull the toilet apart and snake it in the yard. I wasn’t too popular that week.

    PS, you two are adorable.
    Alicia @ Financial Diffraction recently posted…Christmas on a Budget.My Profile

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  16. Thanks Alicia!

    Occasionally, one or both of us gets cranky and then we get into a nasty fight. Then, we’re not so adorable.

    Reply

  18. It’s great that you both are clearly and fully on the same page! And I’m right there with the love of nature, but when we first bought our house, we had some of the same tree-related issues. I’m not above removing a tree when it is actively trying to destroy my home and cost me money.

    Reply

    • Yes, if the tree is just plain evil and screwing with your home, it is time for the tree to go.

      Really though, I feel bad about it, but I’ll just send Arbor Day some money to offset the ones I take out…

      Reply

  19. Trees are powerful which is why when we’re all long gone from this planet, they’ll still be kicking it. Hope you can solve the tree conundrum yourself, keep us posted.

    And I agree with you whole-heartedly on being with a spouse who shares your goals. My husband is behind the pay off my high-interest debt loan plan 100% even though it’s my debt because he understands that the end-goal serves us both.
    Tara @ Streets Ahead Living recently posted…Paying off debt blowsMy Profile

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  20. 1500,
    Impressed you went with a chainsaw rental on your own. We have a ton of trees in our neighborhood and there is always someone out knocking on our door to offer services. I think my sewer drain is free of root risk, but I used to help my Dad snake out our sewer and that was hard work without a lot of reward.

    I’ve had some foundation cracks that I addressed by installing new gutters. Hopefully that will do the trick.
    -RBD

    Reply

    • Ha, don’t be impressed. The rental this fall was the first time for us and it was a bit fun. It was around Halloween, so I even contemplated picking up a hockey mask to terrify the neighbors. Since I’m new to the ‘hood, I nixed that idea.

      I found out that the tree probably went for the drain because of the drought we had this summer. If I had watered the trees, it may never have happened.

      And yeah, gutter and water drainage is sooooooooooooo important. People don’t realize the damage water can do around the home.

      Reply

  21. We have had the exact same fights with some trees that surround our property. It also brought back some entertaining memories. I sill can’t believe the sprawl of tree roots from seemly small trees. We had a nice fight trying to get a stump out with a saw, lots of digging, and pickup truck. My favorite part was my buddies infamous words, “I’m sure this will work, I watched a video on youtube.. ” We did up winning and getting the trees removed but it was a lot of work.
    Stephen recently posted…The Great Detox Challenge for 2014My Profile

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    • Ha, sounds like you may have had a good video for YouTube yourself!

      Yeah, the root sprawl is nuts and also the power of them! Trees can destroy a home if planted too close to a foundation. It seems that in every home we’ve bought lately, someone has planted a tree 3 feet away from the foundation. Bad, bad idea.

      Reply

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