Sunday, March 06, 2016

Saturday Was Good

Having a pool... it sounds luxurious, glamorous, "lucky." But it can also be a costly headache, confusing, frustrating, gross, laborious, and most of the year too darn cold to use anyway. The truth is, I have never fully come to terms with embracing our pool, with feeling unabashedly in love with all of its perks and benefits. After all of our years of renting, moving, and waiting... finding this home was such a thrill and relief, the pool part felt merely incidental. We couldn't even use it for a long while, not until Geoff could figure out the wonky electrical bits, the faulty wiring etc. Just about the time we were getting the hang of maintaining it we learned that the water was kapoot, and had to be drained, which is a colossal headache when you don't have sewage hook-up, but are on septic. The pool got a bit green, then super disgusting, then quite hideous. We had to figure out a plan. My vote was for ducks, turtles, lilies, koi. Other suggestions included: demolition, Hobbit home, anti-zombie fort, fill and build a workshop (another favorite of mine,) and least practical... empty it by a bucket brigade. Pools cannot be emptied with out the risk of them popping up out of the ground... particularly risky in the event of heavy rain, the kind you get during El Niño conditions. So, when we finally did get ours drained, and scrubbed, we were racing against the storm that was arriving Saturday night, to begin refilling it, returning the mass that holds it down, in the ground. You guys, I realize this is not the most compelling story, but you can thank me for sparing you a lot of the details, the months of angst, the labor it took to turn things around. We are beginning to imagine our happy ending. It looks like our patched, stained, lumpy, cold pool with horribly dangerous decking, will be open for swimming, again! We look at each other, and ask, "Does this mean we are going to be 'pool people' and do 'pool people' things?" Indeed, we are. Soon we will be having luxurious, glamorous, lucky pool people events. Dust off your floaties, scrounge up some wet suits, polish your flippers, and reserve your cabana spot... this summer is going to be fancy.

We turned the hose on, then went on an explore...

We are at that stage when getting all of us together... same place, same time, is a wonder and a feat. I know some of my friends will understand what I am talking about. Work and schools (three different ones) and friends, and obligations, homework, projects, fallen fences, dead pools... there are so many things that make it a challenge for us to all be out together these days. Anyway, I feel happy that I thought to ask the waiter to please take our picture. Some of us are not going to be happy about the squinting into the sun expressions, and it's only a cell phone snapshot... but I am glad to have this. Naturally, it makes me think, cheese-wiz, we should hire a photographer and get a nice family portrait taken, then I try to remember the last time we did that. {1999. Max was six months old. Huh... guess, we are due.}

My first born is twenty-five years old, and my baby is discussing the particulars of the game she wants to program. The minutes can last a long time, but the years slip by at an uncanny pace.

Can you tell I don't plan these posts? Suddenly, I am on this sentimental journey, feeling all the feels about the swift passage of time.

Sorry. Where was I?

I think I meant to share some nice moments from our outing. William wanted us to see sights, hang out together, a little birthday celebration extension. It was a good idea, and a lovely day. We walked and had breakfast in Pacific Beach, we stopped by an antique shop, visited Old Town, then came home to check on the pool. Maria splashed in the slightly above freezing water, then we made a fabulous dinner, and watched the last two episodes of Cooked.












Saturday was very good.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to see your pool parties - I'm sure your family will have all sorts of brilliant pool-side and in-the-pool fun. It's huge! I know - those years just keep whipping past. My baby girl was 30 last December and my real baby is 25 - NO!!! He's 26! The middle one has just left and is living in Thailand and he's 27 - ouch - that surely means I must be middle-aged. Maria looks so grown-up with her smart hair cut. It's great to have a family photo - I really treasure one that we had taken when we were out for our 30th wedding anniversary - though I can't actually bear to look at it again just yet. Thank heavens for the children and animals - relish every moment! I love your blog.

Natalie, the Chickenblogger said...

Thailand? Isn't it a treat to see where they go, how they are very much like they were as small children? It's like getting to read the chapters of a marvelous book, and naturally, we do not want to miss a bit. Thank heavens for children, pets, and the friends we make along the way. I very much appreciate your visits, and kindness, Adaliza. Thank you.