The new swimming pool

Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008
We bought a swimming pool today!
Not one of the little kiddy pools, but onethat is 18 feet across and 4 feet deep!
Linda and I went to Terre Haute today to buy Logan's birthday presents. We ate lunch at Red Lobster (she had the luncheon shrimp special and I had lunch soup and salad. Delicious! I highly recommend it.).
While we were waiting for our food, I told her I watched DIY network while she was at work and they had a show on building a rock garden. I would like to drastically reduce the amount of grass we have to mow (and buy gas to mow) and make our lawn more attractive. I really don't want to have to buy another riding lawn mower when this one quits – and it's on its sixth year.
We moved here shortly after 9-11 (2001). I went home to pack the afternoon after the planes hit the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. So, next month will mark our seven year in our home and we haven't had anyone interested in looking at the house since two weeks after it was listed ... and that was a couple months ago. So I think we will still be in the house next spring.
When we sold our house in Waveland, it took two years and three offers before we got it done. We had things packed in boxes behind the couch fr two years! We're not doing that again. We will continue living our lives and enjoying the house.
I think Linda's cancer surgeries have taught us to make more of each day. I've also learned what Carol, my old nursing home administrator boss in elkhart used to tell me.
“Don't sweat the small stuff ... and it's all small stuff.”
She was right.
When I mentioned the rock garden, I added, “And, if you want to get a swimming pool, we need to make room for that next to the big garage.”
“It's funny you should mention that,” Linda said. “I almost bought a swimming pool the other day.”
She got my attention. I thought she meant a pool that cost $300-$500.
“It was on sale for $150,” she said.
“Really? How big was it?”
“It was one of those that the wall rises as you fill it..”
Our neighbor across the back yard has one of those. They have put it up every summer we have been here, I think. Theirs is pretty big.
“How big is it?” I repeated.
“I don't know. Sue has one.”
Sue is Linda's office mate. I tried a different tact.
“Is it like the size of Terry and Becca's?”
“It's pretty big. They have them at Wal-Mart. We'll have to check them out when we're shopping for Logan's presents and I'll get my groceries at Wal-Mart.”
My mouth killed me after we ate at Mario Brothers Friday at noon. I have had three teeth pulled in recent days and managed to stab myself in the mouth with a chip. It hurt all day until I got home from work about 3 a.m. Saturday and brushed my teeth and rinsed with mouthwash. Dark blood came out with the mouthwash bt my mouth immediately felt better. So, I got the soup and salad for lunch Saturday. It was delicious and I had no desire to kill my mouth again.
I am glad we bought the swimming pool, though we robably won't set it up until next year.
We are dogsitting for the newlyweds. Ed and Amanda are at the wedding of some dear friends Amanda met when she first went to Purdue. She was so concerned about attending graduate school at a big university but Ted and Maria became two of her earliest friends and Amanda learned her fears over being swallowed by the University were unfounded.
This morning, after about 7 hours of interrupted sleep, I got up and let Happy Dog out of his dog crate. He wanted to play and I was grumpy.
This was not like me. I used to really enjoy playing with Billy, our Labrador Retriever, and with Butterball, Linda's Miniature Poodle (after he adopted me – he was her birthday present).
So, I felt I was really getting the middle aged grumps, even though I turned 56 this month and 50 is supposed to be the new 30.
So, I was glad to buy the swimming pool (it was n sale for $100 – the sign receipt said we saved $149). We will enjoy it. I have new motivation to eat healthy and become a little sleeker.
We didn't get to go to Florida this year, and we might not next year, Linda said. (My banker wife is keeper of the exchequer.)
It was a good day.