Pool’s Open

Got a new system for cleaning the dreaded cover.

Not sure why I didn’t think of this sooner. In years past I rigged up contraptions in the front yard. Maybe it was the fact I had to remove a light from the front of our garage we never used? Whatever the reasons of the past, the future is definitely strung between the garage and the tree. Some modifications could be a pulley or two and maybe some pvc pipe on the line to facilitate sliding the cover across or over the line as needed.

The tadpole massacre had its revenge on me. In grappling with the cover to get it over the line (though it seems the proper thing to do would have been run the line through the cover while it was on the ground then lift it all at once, the line wasn’t anywhere thick enough for me to grab and pull all of it ten ft. into the air – hence where the pulleys could play a part in the future.) the most difficult part was where the tadpoles had made their last stand. It was all smelly and slimy and hard to grab without getting myself covered in it. Once the cover was up, power washing it of course reflected all the gunk back onto me. So yeah it was easier to wash and dry the cover this way, but not without a price.

Gretchen and I took a swim today. It was quite brisk and not exactly clean, but refreshing anyway. Total time to fill the pool this year was something like fifteen hours. Usually only takes six.  We also discovered one of the local pool stores has the best price on the chemicals we use. We’d been buying it in bulk off the internet the last four years thinking it was cheaper, but hitting the sales just right at the local place is way cheaper. To show my appreciation for such a good deal, I bought out the rest of their stock. Hopefully my garage doesn’t catch fire with all those chemicals or it’s going to burn REALLY hot.

Let’s see in other Memorial Day news we finally got fed up and canceled our order for shades from Smith + Noble. They pretty much suck and have been yanking our chain over our order for a week now. First it was something about their factory for the one shade we ordered moving and causing a 3 -4 week delay. Then it was the new factory doesn’t make the shade in the material you want. How did we go from “moving” a factory to a completely new factory? Oh, and how do you charge my FN’ credit card before you even get your shit straightened out? I’d get the bill before they’d even start making the damn things. Order canceled. We found someone better.

By the way, did you see this sink hole after the storm that hit Guatemala this weekend?

Click on it to make it bigger. You can actually see waaaaaay down inside. Crazy isn’t it? Lately I’ve been thinking of something similar happening to my house. We’ve always known it sits on or very near to a spring/ high water table. The more we get around to decorating and finally making this house a home (it’s only been five years), the more I expect the ground to shift and swallow it up. Kind of like that very unfortunate Canadian family.

Eh. Can’t leave on such a negative note. Here, let’s try this. At least Abigail’s not smoking.

– b