It started out with the need to dig out a substantial portion of ground, leveling it and and putting pavers in for the base. Wife and I have use our 35+ years of marriage to take miscommunication to an art form. So some how I didn't get the message that the leveling in her mind needed to be spot on.
Having put in my own brick patio and learned the hard way how hard it is to get things level, I was dismayed because the ground we want to put this in is totally filled with rocks meaning digging them out, sifting the soil, putting it back, leveling it, and laying the pavers.
I was having a hell of a time with this as this picture of my pathetic work shows.
In the meantime, Gaius Derf (go to guy on all things mechanical at Chez de-I) was sending out an SOS. As he was reading the instructions, he came to this sentence (and this is an exact quotation).
"This will require a number of people and many hours! (Exclamation point mine)
Nonetheless, GD and Wife pushed on.
After 5 hours of my digging and sifting and raking and trying to make progress with the site prep, Wife and GD came by and told me that I was no where near the level of accuracy required :( but that they had made substantial progress on the building, were ready to go, (see picture below) and why the hell was I holding things up.
Well, I may be all thumbs but I know a completed building when I see one.As the site prep is going to take substantially longer than thought, we decided to tie everything down securely and come back to it next weekend.
9 comments:
In all fairness, it seems as if the most difficult aspect of the project was left to you. Don't let them razz you too much!
Actually Terri the reason that I ended up with that job is because wielding a shovel is about the only part of the project I was competent to do :(
But they did let me make lunch :)
Wow, it really has to be THAT level?? Hmmmm, seems like overkill to me. I'm sure there's a reason though. My shed building experience clocks in at zero.
Have lots of fun.
when it is done it will all be worth it.
I'm sorry DH and I are not there to help. After all we did help our son build his patio (which took 2-3 Summers of work) So hang in there.
Has Aunt de-I promised you a reward when this trial is over?
He's wearing long sleeves. Good God. Is he crazy??? I looked at the NM weather forecast just to be sure, and have confirmed that it was very hot this weekend. There's no way...
Let's be clear on something. If I read, "This will require a number of people and many hours..." -- I'm done. Finis.
I grew up on the north side of Chicago where we always had a guy. I've lived most of my adult life in NYC where I always had a guy. Now, married with two daughters, I no longer have a guy.
I'm The Guy.
I do whatever I can to be The Guy. When my older daughter looks me in the eyes with her huge ocean-blue eyes and says "Daddy....will you be able to fix it..." I stay up until sunrise fixing it.
BUT...if I buy something and read instructions that imply I'll need a team of pros from HGTV and more hours than it took to plan D-Day....I'm calling a guy.
Post a Comment