Happy Fall, Yall

Bama football is doing good.  So far we are undefeated and have a bye week today.  Last weekend we played Ole Miss and they challenged us more than any other team.  Unfortunately, we had some injuries and two are season ending. 

We went to my high school's homecoming game last night.  Ugh.  When we left at the beginning of the fourth quarter it was 51-0.  So sad.  Maybe basketball will be better.

We had the pool cover put on last weekend and it looks so sad.  We really want to enjoy the pool more next summer.  We really had a few weeks this summer by the time the concrete yahoos finished.  We are now in the process of bringing in all the pool furniture and cleaning it.  We also need to find room in the basement for the supplies, furniture, and accessories.  We really hope to paint and complete the bathroom part of the basement this winter.  Within two years we want to have it completed with cabinets and such.

A few weeks ago we attended a required adoption "seminar" for domestic adoption.  Really glad that is done and we don't ever have to sit through that again.

The Niece has started kindergarten and absolutely loves it.  I am still amazed how much she loves it.  I am so glad.  She is learning to read and that thrills her.  She is making friends and enjoying the social aspect, too.

Gas prices have dropped to about $3.49.  Still scary.

We had the first presidential debate the other night.  Turns out the good guy won!!  Now he just needs to win the big contest in November.

 Well, time to get ready for a whole of of SEC football.  We are smoking two tenderloins on the Big Green Egg today.  Each marinated in totally different seasonings.  Can't wait to try them.

Happy Fall.
Tide Gal

Let's Play Football!!

We were able to go to Cowboys Stadium for the Alabama vs Michigan game.  It started off great, but Bama just blew them away and the second half was a bit boring.  The stadium is nice, but we were in the end zone and had no restrooms on our floor.  Yep.  Really.  A billion dollar complex and we had to go down stairs for restrooms.  And the only food for sale on our floor was corn dogs.  Honestly, I was floored.    And, they sold out of Alabama t-shirts.  Right now we are undefeated.  Also, our biggest competitive teams are falling apart.  Arkansas's quarterback is hurt.  LSU may lose four players due to grades.  And Auburn has lost their first two games and may be in the mist of a NCAA investigation in regards to grades being changed.  Are we on the road to a National Championship?  #15??

Our embassy in Libya was invaded and our ambassador was dragged into the streets and murdered.  Awful.  Lots of political aspects that I just won't address here.  Sadness.

The pool season is just about over.  We have had several cool nights and the water temperature is just too cold to enjoy. We have ordered a cover, but the leaves are falling already.

Last night we went to see Elton John.  A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.  He sang for 2 1/2 hours.  No drum solo, no guitar solo, and no useless talk.  Just singing the classics.  I would say everyone had a wonderful time.

Tide Gal

Roll Tide

We are off today for Alabama's first football game of the season.  We play Michigan at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas.  We will fly and now will have to possibly fly around Hurricane Isaac.  Lovely.  It should be a great game.

This could be another great season for us.  Some "experts" have predicted we could win another National Championship.  We will see in a few months.

The Olympics ended and the US did great.  We ended up with more medals and more gold medals than any other country.

Gas prices are going up.  I think it is about $3.59 or more a gallon.  Ugh.  Nuff said.

This is not a lot of information or much detail, but I have a plane to catch. 

Roll Tide,
Tide Gal

More Updates

We got our fingerprints done on Tuesday, May 28.  This is our last fingerprints in this program.  Not sure where we are headed now.  Hm....

The 2012 Summer Olympics in London are in full force now.  We are having a blast watching them, but having a problem staying awake late to watch the best events.

We are starting to get ready for football season.  We should have a decent team and our first game is against Michigan in Arlington, TX at the big house.  Should be fun.

More later....
Tide Gal

Pool Update

Well, I looked at my blog and realized some of the posts as far as the pool timeline are gone.  Yep.  Not sure what happened.  All of June seems to be gone.  It may be a good thing because our concrete guys were a bunch of yahoos and jar heads.  Not days I really want to remember.  The first company was here for six (6!!!!) weeks.  They should have needed 2, maybe 3, weeks.  Disgusting.  Then as they tried to repair major mistakes, they would destroy something else.  It was a never ending process.  So, we fired them.  Period.  Do not come back.

Fast forward three weeks and we have a new company on site to do repairs.  Things started going in the same directions.  Like, it started good, then they got sloppy.  The day they should have finished I left for thirty minutes.  I had told them certain things that needed repaired, fixed, or cleaned before they left.  They were gone when I got back. Thirty minutes?  Really?  They had finished what they were working on, pressured washed, packed up, and were GONE!! Thirty minutes.  Yep.   I couldn't believe it.  And, I had completely wasted my breath because they did nothing I had told them to do.  Needless to say I was hot and not happy.  Tide Guy called the owner, gave him some really bad news and told him they better return or they wouldn't get paid one cent.  The owner was not happy to say the least.  But he did show up the next day with the same crew.  He called Tide Guy and told him he now understood why we were upset.  He would now be at our house and make sure everything got done correctly.  It took them another week.  So, we had concrete guys at our house for 4 months.  This job should have taken three weeks at the longest.

We are enjoying the pool.  We still need to put up a fence and lay sod around the area.  We also need to complete the patio with a ceiling, lights, and fans. 

Tide Gal

Prep Work

The concrete guys are here right now.  Two guys are working on the coping and the other two are preparing the ground for concrete.  It looks like they are doing a good job.  I'm not sure when the head guy is returning, but so far I'm happy with their work so far.  I hope they are done by the end of the week.

The Niece got the game ball at her game last night.  She played third base and did very good.  She got out four runners by catching a grounder and tagging her base.  They lost again, but the coach told them if they had fun then they won.  So, they all think they won the game.  So far, they have lost every game, and actually only got close in one. 

We have not received a notice for a new fingerprint date yet.  I mailed in the form last week, so maybe we will hear something in a few days.
Gas prices are dropping a little at a time.  Yea!  But we will take it.

Tide Gal

Just Too Cold

Yesterday, The Niece came over to swim.  Boy, was the water cold.  She finally got in and stayed about an hour.  She had fun, but it was just too cold. 

Thursday night her preschool graduation was fun to watch.   She did well and got her diploma.

We are supposed to get rain for the next few days, so I'm not sure about the concrete time line.

Tide Gal

No Concrete, No Fingerprints

The concrete guys came on Monday.  However, the lead guy will be out of town for about a week due to his grandmother's illness.  He turned over the job to another guy and told me he would make sure the new guy knew and understood everything before they left for the day.  I relayed the information to Tide Guy.  Later, Tide Guy spoke with the owner and told him we would like to wait for the lead guy to return before completing the job.  The lead guy is amazing, understands what needs to be done, and runs a tight ship.  This is a one time deal for us.  Once things are done, they can't be redone.  So, we will wait for him.  They did return Tuesday to do some forming and used a bobcat to level some areas.  Unfortunately, Tide Guy realized last night that in the process of leveling, they pushed excess dirt and rock over a sump pump line. Not only did they bury the line, they pushed over the stake marking the pipe.  If we had gotten a lot of rain this pipe could have backed up into the basement and flooded it.  So, last night, Tide Guy had find the buried pipe and dig it out.  Tide Guy was not happy. We hope the lead guy will be back on Monday or early next week to get this job done.  We are ready to have concrete around the pool rather than gravel, dirt and mud.

Our fingerprint appointment was this morning.  Yesterday, Tide Guy mentioned how he wasn't sure how he would be able to break away from work for a few hours for the appointment.  After a few hours of research I was able to contact someone and was told I could mail in the form and get a new appointment at a later time.  It will probably be in a few weeks. 

The Niece graduates from preschool this evening.  She is so excited.  Mostly that she won't have to go there and do "rest time" anymore.  Rest time is putting heads on the table for 15 minutes during the day.  The only problem she ever had at preschool was this rest time.  Last year she got in trouble for not keeping her head down for the whole time or making noises during this time.  I finally got her to admit she was afraid during this time because the lights were off.  With that said, I don't know how she will handle "rest time" at kindergarten which is longer and on a mat on the floor.  She thinks she has it all figured out.  She will tell us she does not have to close her eyes and she can hold her head up.  I have a feeling this may end up with some funny and interesting stories.

Tide Gal

Let's Swim

Saturday afternoon I added all the salt to the pool and a few hours later the pool guy arrived to all the chemicals.  We were ready to swim the next day.  We did not swim as we were preparing for the concrete guys to come today and worked until after 7 pm.  We had to pull wires through conduit for the lights in the steps, clean under the deck, and various other tasks.  The concrete guys are to begin preparing the area underneath the deck.  Unfortunately we are supposed to get a lot of rain tomorrow and possibly today, so the work will stop for a day or so.

We go Thursday to have our fingerprints done for the last update until we travel to China.  We are doing our last free update just in case China changes and allows us to follow the same path we are now on.  If not, in 18 months we will be forced to change to the I-800.  Also on Thursday is The Niece's preschool graduation.

Gas prices are dropping a bit and at our local gas pump, the price is $3.55.

Tide Gal

The Pool is Full

Yes!! The pool is full. Water ran about 4 1/2 days. Of course, we haven't had rain in a few weeks, but woke this morning to rain. I wish the rain had come earlier when we were filling the pool.

The electrician is coming this afternoon to look at what he needs to do. Friday he will hook up the pump, lights, and do a few other things. On Saturday the pool guy returns to start the pump, add the salt, and get things going.

The concrete guy came and everything will be brought up to our standards. His crew will return on Monday (weather permitting) to begin forming for the decking and area underneath the deck.

Tide Gal

Cosmetic Surgery

After looking at the newly poured edge we realize it isn't exactly what we want.  We paid a lot of extra money for this look.  We will have to have some cosmetic surgery done on it to get it to our standards.  The concrete guy is coming tomorrow to look at what is done and plan the changes.

The pool now has about 4 inches of water in the shallow end.  We have turned off the water and now the pool guy will return to make sure the liner has no wrinkles and is lined up correctly.

Tide Gal

H two O

Well, the coping concrete got poured.  Then the forms were removed.  After some issues with the bands used for the forms, the pool-crete was put on the bottom.  The concrete guys returned Saturday morning to remove the bands.  The pool guy now has the liner in and water is going in!!  Sounds good, right?  Except when the bands were removed, the underneath of the edge of the concrete coping which overhangs the pool are now very pitty, uneven, crumbling, and has big holes in it.  The concrete guys says he can repair it by filling it.  Of course, the fill won't be exactly the same color.  So, I am not sure how that is going to look. 

So, yes.  We now have water.  The pool guys told us we have low water pressure.  The water has been running just over 12 hours and the hole isn't even half full.  Tide Guy just put a second hose in the pool to see if that would help. 

Yesterday, I went to a funeral of our tailgate friend, Terry.  He was 87 and the first one of our group I meet.  What a great man.  He was a high school football coach and some members of his teams were there.  They loved him so. 

Tide Gal

Straightened Out

The pool guy came yesterday afternoon and dug down into several spots in the gravel.  He turned some things which straightened the walls.  The gravel was pushed back into place.  Now, the coping forms can be placed on the walls and they will be straight when the concrete is poured into them.  The guys are coming to install the forms this morning and should pour the concrete tomorrow.

Freak out over.

Tide Gal

Uh Oh!!

So, the concrete guys show to install the coping of the pool.  Turns out the edge of the pools shifted with the installation of the gravel.  After a fairly major freak out, they left and now I am waiting on the pool guy to show.  He can do some adjustments to straighten the walls and we will be ready for the concrete guys again.

Agh!!
Tide Gal

I-600 Paperwork Mailed for the Last Time

Well, I mailed our China adoption paperwork for our last renewal.  Well, the I-600 renewal.  Once approved, it will be valid for 18 months and we will get an appointment for fingerprinting.  After the 18 months, if we are not matched things will change.  At the current rate of approvals, 18 months will be a few years short!!  So, we will then have to begin approvals in a different way called the I-800.  This process is much more invasive.  We will have to provide more referrals and information on every single place we have lived since birth.  Tide Guy was in the military for 20 years and I was a military spouse for 10 years.  We have no idea how difficult it will be to complete the paperwork with all the moves.  We will have to have contacts for all these places.  Really?  Come on.  In many cases, any contacts have moved on long ago.  I think we also have to confirm through the local sheriff's office that we do not have a criminal record there.  So, I don't know how that will work out.  Luckily, once the 18 months are over, we do not have to renew our paperwork immediately.  This new process only has to be completed just before our referral.  We also will not have to renew fingerprints until that time, too.

So, there we are.

More Things Done....

The gravel was delivered yesterday. The truck's back wheels kept spinning in the mud trying to get out of the lot. Ugh. There are mud tire tracks all the way to the end of our road. I know the neighbors love driving through our red mud tracks. Today the pool guy is coming with his bobcat to spread this last load of gravel. He will prepare part of the surface for the concrete. I think the concrete will be here on Monday. We are supposed to get a lot of rain tomorrow and Saturday, so we'll see how that turns out.

Well, I have to go buy some hay to put on the tracks in the lot and temporary drive which now is muddy.

Tide Gal

Rain

Well, the gravel was never delivered on Monday....or Tuesday. It is supposed to be delivered today before noon. Okay....we'll see. Oh, and we have had rain for two days. The delivery truck should really tear up our lot. Lovely. The electrician did come on Monday and ground the pool. The bobcat is supposed to be here tomorrow to spread the last load of gravel. Due to the gravel disaster we had to put off the concrete guy a few days. Hopefully he can come and get that done before the rain returns on Friday.

I have all the paperwork complete for our extension for the China adoption. I just need to get Tide Guy to sign the papers and mail them. This will be the first time we got them in the mail without having to do some kind of express mailing due to waiting until the last minute.

Tide Gal

5-6-7

Well, the backhoe guy came Saturday. Tide Guy estimated we needed 5 loads of gravel for back fill, so we ordered 6. Turns out we needed 7!! Ugh. Waiting today for another load. However, just before finishing on Saturday one of the bobcat's hoses broke. Now, we have to wait on spreading the gravel until that is repaired. Of course, it is now pouring rain and should rain into tomorrow. Our temporary drive and lot will be muddy and torn to pieces with the gravel delivery and heavy trucks entering.

The concrete guy is planning to come Wednesday and begin the concrete around the pool. We are still planning the layout and we are hoping the concrete guy can provide some help with ideas.

The retaining wall is done and so is the planter. The pipes are run for the pump and the electrician is supposed to come today to ground the wiring. Not sure how that will work with the rain.

Oh, and we will not be getting water in the pool tomorrow. I don't know where I got that, but we might get water next week. Maybe.

Tide Gal

Pool Update

Well, the retaining wall and new (huge) planter would be done if the bobcat didn't have a flat tire. TWICE! Yep. Had one early in the day. Got replaced. Then another goes down a few hours later. They tried to fill with air, but it didn't work. They should complete their job today and be gone. All the walls look good, but I'll be glad when I don't have to think about the huge retaining wall that costs an arm and a leg.

The plumbing has been installed on the pool and the lights were put in yesterday. The backhoe guy is coming Saturday to do some back fill and we may have water in 5 days.

Tide Gal

Egg Hunting Party

The pool guys showed up late Easter Sunday morning and put in the plumbing for the pool. I didn't know they were coming, but they came while we were gone to church and lunch at Mom's. They will be back today to do more work.

The hardscape guy is here today to begin the retaining wall and the planter/seating wall around the hot tub deck.

Yesterday after church, we had lunch and then colored eggs. What fun The Niece had. She colored the eggs her own chicken and guinea laid. After evening services, we had an egg hunt at her house. I think there were well over 25 kids and about 20 adults. After the hunt we had burgers and hotdogs. It was a lot of fun, but The Niece had had a long day and was just worn out. In fact, she was just too tired to go to bed after I dried her hair so I scooped her up and put her in bed.

On with Spring!!

Tide Gal

Frame In.......

We didn't get any rain so the pool guy delivered the pool kit on Friday morning. They got the frame up and leveled. The leveling process took a very long time. When it was finally done, they stabilized the frame with huge, black plastic pins, re bar, block and some brick from the house. Saturday morning the concrete truck arrived and poured the footing. The pool guy will be back Monday to do more work.

Also on Friday, the electrician came and got a lot of wiring run for lights and fans under the deck. We went to Lowe's yesterday to buy materials for him to finish on Tuesday. We also looked at some vinyl for the under decking. We found some with small holes in it for ventilation. We talked with a Lowe's employee and I think we may go that route rather than the lattice look. We will make the decision soon. Should we do the vinyl we are planning to let the vinyl guy install it. Holding up a huge sheet of flimsy vinyl over our heads while trying to nail it straight may be too hard for us.

Today is Easter, so I have to get hopping!!

Happy Spring.
Tide Gal

Dig....Dug

The pool guy called Tide Guy Monday evening and said the backhoe guy would not be able to bring the backhoe until Tuesday morning. He did show up Tuesday around 10 am and worked until 6 pm. He almost finished. He came back this morning and was able to finish digging. The pool guy said he would be back on Friday to bring the pool kit. Now we are supposed to have rain the next two days so I don't know if he will be able to work on Friday.


***********************
Gas prices at the local Race Trac is $3.79 a gallon. Yukko!!

Here We Go!!

Well, the pool guy is coming this afternoon with the backhoe guy to bring the backhoe. Digging is to begin tomorrow!! Oh....and it is supposed to rain the following three days. Yuk.

The vinyl guy came Saturday and put up the gutters. This makes that area look so much more finished. It is just the beginning.

We got everything cleared out under the deck. Now we are ready for the electrician, concrete guy, and vinyl guy (he has to wrap some areas). Unfortunately we have discovered a small problem that changes something. Saturday we were outside under the deck working in the rain and I fixed us a sandwich. As we sat under deck eating and we noticed water dripping. Tide Guy almost flipped out. It was only a few places, but we paid A LOT!!! of money to dry that in. It made me sick!! We should have done an nterlocking decking material instead. Anyway, even though it is only a few places we are worried about putting vinyl as the ceiling. It would look like the ceiling of a porch. Once it goes up water can collect there causing problems with the electrical and possibly fall in from the weight of the water. Plus mold and mildew. Even the vinyl guy advised us not to do it. Now we are going to put up white vinyl lattice. I hate lattice, but we can't do anything solid. But it will allow any water to come through.

Lots to do today!

Tide Gal

Rain!

Of course it is time to begin digging for the pool and we get rain. Not just rain, but rain from severe thunderstorm warnings rain. Maybe it will dry up a bit so the backhoe guy can continue to work.

We noticed some wetness and drips underneath the deck. Unfortunately we spent a lot of money and a lot of time drying-in the space under the deck. There are only a few places dripping, but that should not be happening. So, we have had to change our plan for vinyl as the ceiling in case water collects there and collapses. Now we are going to do vinyl lattice.

The electrician will run wiring for lighting and outlets this week. Afterwards we can put up the lattice and the vinyl guy can wrap some areas.

Tide Guy hauled off a truckload of boards and other burnables. Now it is easier to work underneath the deck. We have a much smaller task of moving things for the electrician, vinyl guys, and concrete guys.

So, things are moving and somethings are moving fast.

In gas price news, we are VERY close to $4.00/gallon. It's a good thing we are getting a pool because soon we won't be able to afford to drive anywhere.

Tide Gal

Disney & Delayed

I just returned from Disney World yesterday with The Niece and company. We had so much fun. It is amazing how much we got done in the time we were there. We would walk to a show and only wait a short time. Fast passes were amazing time savers. Buses mostly arrived when we got to the bus stop. Our timing on activities was incredible and The Niece got to meet all the characters she loved and a few extras. I still am amazed at everything we did.

The pool guy was supposed to start digging today, but the backhoe guy is delayed on another job due to recent rain. It may be 5-6 days before they can begin. Which may be delayed longer if there is more rain. And, we have small chances of rain for about three days between now and then.

Well, I need to start washing clothes and doing a few jobs to prepare for the weekend tasks.

Tide Gal

Small Update

The trees are all cut down and gone. The pool guy and hardscape guy came and we have basically decided everything and most things are lined up. The electrician came and fix the installation. The Disney trip is in four days and digging begins the day after I return. The vinyl siding guy came and looked at the work he is to do. He will install the gutters soon. The electrician will come and run wiring for lights and fans. Then, the vinyl siding guy will come back and put siding on the ceiling of the lower deck.

Alli came this morning and did our homestudy. So, that is our last international homestudy for a while. Probably a few years unless we move to the special needs line. We have to do another domestic homestudy in September. Ugh. It never ends and it is exactly the same thing every single time. Now, we have to submit a few forms and wait for the fingerprint appointment.

Tide Gal

Still Going

Well, it was a beautiful day yesterday and the tree guys were a no show.

An electrician came by yesterday. He is going to fix what the other electrician installed incorrectly and we may get him to do a few more small jobs in the next month.

We worked outside all day yesterday. We started putting the boards up to separate/hide the underdecking where we will store tools and such. We also cut down two small trees and added to the pile for the tree guys to dispose.

The pool guy and the hardscape guy are coming this afternoon to combine efforts for pool planing.

In the adoption world, we have an appointment Wednesday for the international update. It will probably be our last for a while as the process is changing. We are just doing this "just in case". Once the process changes, the paperwork becomes more detailed and extensive. The wait after referral also increases drastically. So, I wanted to do this free extension one more time in case China decides to allow those going the same path as us to continue. We only have to pay for mileage for the social worker, but the paperwork and fingerprinting is free. This process keeps us current for 18 months. After those 18 months are over, we will not have to renew our paperwork until referral is very close. However, at that time, the renewal process is just horrible. Plus, we may look into other options available through our agency. If that happens, we will still be current and the process will be much easier.

Gas prices are absolutely soaring. Friday at the local Race Trac gas was $3.69. That is just absurd.

If a Tree Falls?????

The tree guys came yesterday and within 2 1/2 hours had more done than we could do in 2 days. Unfortunately, a tire popped and they had to leave to have it repaired.

After that, we had a severe thunderstorm and got a lot of rain very fast.

The owner called last night to see how much rain we had. He said the guys would return and see if they could work. If not, they may not finish until Wednesday. Which is still okay, because it still leaves a few days until the Disney trip.

The guys showed up this morning, repaired the tire, drove the machine out of the mud, then left. I called the owner, left a message, and so far haven't heard back from him.

Um. There we are.

Tide Gal

Almost....

Yesterday Tide Guy got all the trim on the deck!! Yahoo! We need to put down one piece of T mold, then the handrails going down the steps. Then it is done!

The digging should begin in about three weeks.

Other Options Working Out

Well, other options for the drive came through very fast. Tide Guy took a day from work on Wednesday. We borrowed my brother's tractor. The dirt was delivered by 9:30 am and Tide Guy spread the fill dirt and put hay on top. Before noon we had access to the backyard for large trucks.

Also, on Wednesday, I stained the kick boards on the steps. Now, Tide Guy can complete the trim on the steps. Maybe he can finish that task this weekend. After that, we need to install the last two rails on the steps and we are done. Finally!!

Our deck is on the second floor so we can sit underneath it. While under construction, we had it dried in. All the water is moved to the ends and at this time it is just dumped onto the ground. Wednesday we prepared the area so the gutters can be installed under the deck and moved into pipes away from the house. So, the vinyl guy should arrive at some point and get that job done.

The tree guy called. Due to the tornadoes last week, he is tied up with people with damage. He is helping them, so having our 14 trees cut down has been delayed a few days. I told him that was fine, but I need them gone next week. As long as the weather holds out (i.e. no rain), we shouldn't have a problem. As long as the trees are down and gone before March 23 we will be good. I just want them gone sooner rather than putting off too long.

We are so ready to enjoy this pool!
Tide Gal

Tornadoes and Trees

On Friday, March 2, 2012, we had more tornadoes and high winds. About 16 homes were lost in our county but it appears no one was hurt or killed. The tornadoes were in several states from Mississippi, Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and others. A town in Kentucky is gone with the sheriff's office, library, and town hall all destroyed.

Yesterday, we finished clearing out all the trees and limbs Tide Guy has cut down. We are now waiting on someone to bring dirt to create a driveway in our other lot for the large trucks. We were supposed to get it delivered a few days ago, but are getting the run around. So, we are looking for other options. Once we get that we will be ready for the guy to cut down the other trees that are too large for us.

Tide Gal

More Work

Early Saturday morning, Tide Guy snapped the caps onto the rails. They are done!! We still need to put two short rails down some steps and install the gate. But, the rails for safety are done. Tide Guy then scrubbed and pressure washed part of the deck. Oh, it looks so good and just like new.

We went to see my old high school's basketball game that afternoon. If they won they would be in the Final Four for the state. We played horribly the first half. At halftime, it was realized the goal we had been shooting at was about 6-12 inches too low. Explained a lot. Anyway, they raised it, so the opposing team shot at regulation height both halves while we did not. There are a lot of disgruntled parents and players. Not sure what if anything will come of the complaints to the state.

Sunday afternoon we finished cleaning the deck surface and I cleaned out some of the leaves underneath. We returned the sawhorses we had used to paint the side boards. That opened up some room inside for the outdoor furniture. We don't have much left to move from that area to have it cleared for the new stamped concrete floor. It really looks so much nicer with less stuff underneath and the leaves gone.

Tide Gal

All Lined Up.

Tide Guy came home yesterday around 1:00. And......we got all the rails up on the deck. We got the last one done around 6:00 and it was very cold and dark. We had to finish with a flashlight, but they are all done. It was so dark, Tide Guy couldn't even get the caps snapped onto the top. That will take a minute today. I also cleaned out the flower pots and some debris underneath the deck. We have to clear this out so the concrete can be poured there. It looks a lot better but there are a lot of leaves that will have to be blown out.

Tide Guy now plans to clean the deck and railings. We also need to take some boards and junk to the burn pit here. I've sent a message to the landscape guy that we need to touch base for planning purposes.

The culvert for the temporary drive arrived Thursday. We need to get dirt so that can be installed for the large trucks to cross into our lot.

The tree service is scheduled to come in about two weeks if the weather holds out. They will cut down 15 trees of various sizes, cut into smaller pieces, and haul off.

The pool guy is scheduled to begin digging the end of March when I return from Disney.

The Niece is very excited about the pool and has offered to help us dig. She is a hoot.

Not Maybe

So, the last post mentioned a possible change in the pool shape. Turns out we can do a "L" shaped pool. So, that is what we are doing. In fact, we have it drawn out in the back yard.

Yesterday, Tide Guy was sick in the morning and stayed home to work. I sanded the caulk and painted the side boards in the morning. After a nap and lunch, Tide Guy felt somewhat better and got the trim on the upper deck. We plan to install the rest of the rails this weekend. Once that is done, we only need to install the gate and a few trim pieces along steps.

On national side of things, gas prices are soaring. Fast. It seems prices have gone up 25 cents in about a month. Right now prices are about $3.49-$3.59 here. And, we are predicted to hit close to or over $5.00 by summer. That prediction is the "average" nationwide and luckily we are usually a little below average national cost.

China just referred a week. Not bad, but they are so far behind.

Tide Gal

Cha-Cha-Changes....Maybe

Yesterday, Tide Guy came home two hours early. We were able to get all the side boards up on the deck. I also got the caulking done on all the nail holes. However, it got dark really fast and I wasn't able to caulk the seams. I am hoping to complete that process today and hopefully sand and paint. Rain is predicted today so it could be a bit tricky. Next up is trim then rails!! Yeehaw.

We basically had everything decided on the pool. Then, Tide Guy realized that the pool layout may not work. With the "L" shape, location, and slope of the lot, our design might not work. As it looks now, the width may push the back of the design so far back that our retaining way may be twice as high as we originally thought. We will have to get a better look, good measurements, and determine the real slope of the property. We may end up having to get another pool shape. If we do, everything in the layout will change.

Tide Gal

I Love New Estimates!!

So, we had other people come out for estimates for the pool on Saturday and Sunday. At first we wanted the first guy to do everything. We felt it would be easier having one person doing all the work rather than piecing it together with different people. This guy worked a lot with the pool guy so we thought the jobs would be seamless. Unfortunately, we would be paying for that ease. Paying a lot.

Saturday, a guy I went to high school with came and gave an estimate on some of the landscaping. He would do a retaining wall, add planters with a sitting wall around the hottub, and add a fire pit area with pavers and stone benches with columns at the end of the benches. He would also run electrical for lighting in those areas. His estimate was right on target.

While he was there, another tree guy came out. He price was lower, but we feel more comfortable with the first guy that came out last week. The first guy will compete with lower estimates, so I need to call him back and set up a time.

On Sunday, the concrete guy came out. This is the guy that did our stamped driveway. I love what he can do. I love it much more than what the first guy suggested two weeks ago. It is more of what I envisioned and is much more cost effective. And prettier!! In fact, he can do more than what we expected by running the concrete up to the edge of the pool and hiding the ugly white vinyl edging that is usually seen around a pool.

So, it looks like the decision on the contractors are done. Now, we have to get the minds working together, get the time lines in sync, and get going. I cannot wait. I feel much better about these decisions, especially the end result of what it will look like. I have more input on colors, designs, layout, lighting, etc. The first drawing was basically done. He showed me two colors of concrete possibilities and they both looked the same to me. I seriously could not tell a difference in the two. Basically white. I am so NOT a white person. I like to think of my design ideas as unique. We are using his plans, but have changed it a bit. We moved the fire pit and made it much smaller. The sidewalk coming down the side of the house is more curved and closer to the house. Instead of pavers in the joints, we are doing a different type of stamp in the concrete. The surface will be a slate stamp like our drive, but we will have two circle stamps in two different larger spaces. It is going to look amazing. I wish it was done now.

Luckily for us we are having a very warm winter. Unfortunately, it is raining a lot.

I also had the tile guy come Saturday to look at putting tile around the top edges of two guest baths and the top of the mud room shower. We have enough tile to finish the guest baths but need the edge or trim. The mud room is very unique. The paint is lime green, purple towel holder, a red coal scuttle for trashcan. Add in orange, yellow, red, and blue items. Very cool. I am looking for some kind of funky red or mixture of colored tiles for above the shower.

See, I told you. A busy weekend. And I didn't even mention we hosted a Super Bowl party.

Tide Gal

Another Estimate

After the first estimate on landscaping for the pool area we decided we needed more estimates. The guy that did our drive was supposed to come tomorrow. He called, has a conflict for tomorrow, and is now coming Sunday. Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday and we have people coming over a few hours after he is scheduled to be here. Fun. I have also called a few other people, but they only do blocks and we need concrete work.

I did get an estimate on the 14 or so trees we need taken down and hauled away. I was pleasantly surprised. That may be the easy part.

Gas prices actually went down into the low $2 or so for a while. That didn't last long and we are now hovering around $3.33 or so. Ugly.

On with the day,
Tide Gal

He came by..

Yep. The landscape guy came by Sunday afternoon. His drawing looks amazing.

The guy that did our stamped concrete drive is coming by Saturday to look at things. I love our driveway.

We will see.

Is it Spring??

I'm not sure if it is really spring but our buttercups are up and blooming. About two months early. We have had a very warm winter, but lots of rain.

The landscape guy is to come by today to drop off plans and estimates. Scary. But we are very ready to get this project going. A guy is also supposed to come by soon to give an estimate on cutting down some trees, but we haven't heard from him.

Tide Guy got the last rail up around the hot tub deck the other day. Now, we need to complete the rest most of which is 10 feet or so off the ground. Yesterday we got the rails off. Now, we will need to pull off the old side boards which will take about 5 minutes. The newly painted boards will go up, holes drilled for the posts, caulked, repainted,trim, and finally rails back up. If the warm weather continues, we could be done soon.

Happy "Spring".....
Tide Gal

Diving In....

Over two years ago, probably closer to three years ago, we had a representative from a local pool company come out to talk to us about building a pool. I'm not even sure we had brick on our house yet. This guy felt slimy and seemed seedy. I know he really was not because I know a lot of people have used him for their pools and the company is very successful. But, when he left, Tide Guy looked at me and shook his head. I did not get a warm and fuzzy from him either.

He kept trying to sell us a certain size pool and we kept telling him we wanted a larger one. He kept pushing a smaller size no matter how many times we told him we wanted the larger one. I guess he made a larger percentage profit on the smaller one. They wanted us to sign a contract before "the other guy" came out to show us where he would put the pool. I told Mr. Slimy I didn't want to sign anything until we knew where they would put a pool and to make sure they could dig a hole in our rocky back yard. His response was they had never had that problem and they would not hold it against us should they not be able to build. Okay.....so, let's now sign a contract. Right? Anyway, we never called him back.

Fast forward a few years........We had a pool guy come out Saturday to talk to us about building an in ground pool. He was the nicest guy and was able to provide lots of options. In fact, he had a thick book of options. It was a bit overwhelming. We narrowed it down and have picked the shape and size we want. On Sunday, a landscaping person came out and talked to us. He is coming today to measure and will then send us an estimate on what we want. We have already cut back a few things for the landscaping and may do a few things our selves. We are trying to get the things done that are out of our abilities. We can do some landscaping ourselves and add some lighting later on our own.

Tide Guy called about fence estimates yesterday. GULP!! The estimates were probably more than twice what we had estimated. We also have trees to take down, so we are trying to get estimates on that, too.

The pool guy and the landscaping guy do many jobs together so their time frames are about the same. If all goes as planned (weather included), they can begin our pool in March. If the weather is good, they should be done with everything in about 3-4 weeks. At that time, we can come back and add what we are going to do ourselves.

I am so ready for this pool!
Tide Gal

14 Baby!! 21-0!! Redemption

So, we went to New Orleans for the Bash in the Bayou for the National Championship game. The number one team, LSU, against the number two team, The University of Alabama. We were the underdogs. Few "experts" predicted we would win. And, the LSU fans were extremely arrogant. They had no problem getting in the face of Bama fans to let them know they thought LSU would beat Bama badly.

But, The University of Alabama easily beat LSU. Easily. LSU seemed to have lost the will to win and most of their eyes seemed vacant. Their coach said after the game "I didn't see that coming", referring to the game plan and win by Alabama.

It was an incredible game. LSU fans started to trickle out of the Superdome in the middle of the third quarter and it was a flood of them leaving in the middle of the fourth quarter.

Alabama beat LSU 21-0 and really could have scored more. It was so much fun to watch and enjoy in person.

So, that makes the third University of Alabama National Championship game I have attended. And, we won all three. Maybe I am the good luck charm?? I think so.

Roll Tide, Baby!!
Tide Gal

Happy New Year!

All of the Christmas decorations are gone and we are almost done watching bowl games. AND!! We leave tomorrow headed to New Orleans for the UA vs LSU National Championship game. So nervous. The media is very invested in this game, both locally and nationally. It will be crazy and the fans will be wild.

In March, I am going with The Niece to Disney World along with my brother, mom, and stepdad. Tide Guy may be able to make a last minute decision to go. We haven't told her about the trip, but it will start with a wild ride on an airplane. She will go nuts when she finds out about the plane ride and seeing Mickey and the gang. I cannot wait to see her face.

We have some sides up on the deck and are ready to put the rails back in those areas. But, we are waiting on some "spacers" from the rail company. When we receive those the rails will go up. I have painted all but one of the side boards. They take up a lot of space in The Shop so I can't paint them all at the same time. After they are up Tide Guy fills the nail holes and seams with a silicone grout and sands to even out the surface. Then I put on the last coat of paint to cover the grout. I will be so glad when this is done!!

Yesterday we had to put The Stepdad's dog to sleep. Chance was 10 years old and had cancer. It was so sad. He was absolutely the best dog ever. So mild mannered. The Niece could sit on him, try to ride him, pull his tail, give him lots and lots of love, and lay on him. Chance would just look at us like "please get this kid off of me". He would walk with people as they went around the block. All the kids and grandkids of the neighborhood loved him. Everyone fed him. One older man would let him on his enclosed porch and another let him in his house. Another neighbor would buy him bones to chew on as he sat on his front porch like he owned the house.

Okay. I need to finish up packing for the big trip. I hope the next post says we have another National Championship to add to our other 13!!

Roll Tide,
Tide Gal