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stoney321If you're thinking that theme song has been on repeat in my house since the big CAT showed up, you'd be right. I really need a pool icon, because it's pretty dang hot and desolate outside, and cool blue water is close, but so far... Ha.
Massive self-indulgent picspam wherein I act like a toddler clapping my hands over noises and construction equipment. If you are in any way interested in how these things work, here we go!
LOL. I will not, I promise to you all, ever have one of those cheesy signs. Nor will I have "we don't swim in your toilet" because that is ridiculous. My BFF growing up had BOTH of those at her house, btw. That just makes me want to pee in the pool, quite honestly. Wait, where was I? OH RIGHT, BIG OL' CATERPILLAR AND DUMP TRUCKS! Tonka trucks on 'roids ahead!
10:30am these guys show up, just coming off another dig that they started at 7am. Oy. Seeing as it peaked at 107 yesterday, working early and leaving early(ish) is the call of the day.
Right before they came, I snapped two pics of the backyard, which we've let go "feral" because why landscape something that will be ripped up? (And I am SO EXCITED to not have a hell hole at the back of my house anymore, you have no idea. ...not so fast, Stoney.)
This is taken at the front corner of my backyard. I'm standing just off the side of a big concrete pad (our patio) that is appx. 13X16 feet. That red thing is our chiminea, currently chilling in the garage. The rusted thing on the left is our smoker, which gets loads of use, and will figure into the outdoor kitchen design somehow, the Mr. tells me. Hmm. We'll see. ;)
From mid-fence line. Just a whole lot of dreck. The back right corner used to have a beautiful Deodar Cedar, but it would grow over the diving board, so we cut it down. And our peach tree. Those were sad days. But! I'm planting two apples (Pink Lady apples!) to be espaliered on the new fence, so. I'm getting ahead of myself, sorry. Anyway, big ol' evergreen growing up that fence making it look that way. It's coming down, too, the fence, but that's next to last on the backyard makeover.
What's that driving up my side yard? BOOP! BOOP! [The fence will be down for the duration of the build. And then it will become firewood. I hate that ugly, busted down thing.]
He's carrying a pointy dinosaur-tooth/velociraptor claw thing with the bucket. This guy could pluck a hair off your head with that thing, btw. More on that in a bit.
First big scrape of the day and the kids and I gave a cheer. (We're watching from the breakfast nook's window.] Sally's ears went up, she cocked her head, then bolted to the bathroom to wait it out. Some watch dog.
Remember how I mentioned our concrete slab/patio? The front bucket on the truck has teeth. He dug them in under the edge of the patio (digging through the grass/dirt) and caught the under lip of the patio and drug it out 20 feet. The slab is 5 inches thick. That's a heavy thing.
You can see how the uneven underside left drag marks in the sub-surface.
As I took the above picture, the kids let out a yelp. There was this that I snapped, then looked up. The bucket was right at the back door and it was like a giant dinosaur head. It's shocking to see that in action so close to glass.
Look at that big bucket! (I tried, but it moves fast, which also led to the AHH!! factor)
Bye bye Bermuda! (I had them scrape the entire backyard. No more mowing for me back there, not ever! I'm putting in Turffalo, which doesn't require supplemental water or mowing. YAY NATURE.) They're marking out with spray paint and then a frame what the dimensions of the pool will be.
Mid day we went outside and took a picture from the sidewalk. I did mention that it got to 107, yes? And not a cloud in the sky. Hot is what I'm saying. These guys that work like this are hard as nails.
Scraping out the hot tub area! I'm telling you, the guy on the bucket was using the very edge tooth to get a perfectly straight line. (True fact: straight line pools cost more than free form/rounded shapes because of the precision required for right angles and the increased surface area. And of course those would have to be the style I like. But I'm no cheap skate, 90 DEGREES, BROHAN!)
You may notice that's not a bucket anymore, but the pointy tooth thing. That's what they used to get a straight angle in the corners. Remember on Sesame Street when they talked about brushing your teeth and that monster took a brush to his one tooth and made an "Ehn! Ehn!" noise with each stroke? I may or may not have done that the whole time they dug with the Velociraptor Claw.
Deep end first! (And do you notice someone cooling off in the shade? Also, how cool are those striations in the soil? More on that soil in a bit.) This is where I'm going to make a Poltergeist joke. As in, you moved the headstones BUT YOU LEFT THE BODIES!!
They called it a day by 5pm, and I was surprised they stayed as long as they did, honestly. Phew, it was hot. I snapped a pic from the same place I did before they arrived.
Far back wall shot so you can see the hot tub and the steps. THE BUCKET DID THAT. Dude. That guy is an artist. Okay, maybe not an artist, but the man has prodigious skill.
I turned to the right to get another shot of the deep end (9ft.) Can you see the indentation for the diving board?
Standing to the left of the future diving board.
And the last shot from the position of the first shot. :) This is where I'll take a picture every morning to chart the progress, so when they're all strung together it'll look like time-lapsed photography. Kinda. :)
Remember how I've talked about how crappy my soil is? That it's the basis for cement roads in Africa and South America? How much it sucks to dig in? At one point this morning the CAT was rolled over the lip of the dig, the treads out in the air a good two or three feet. The bucket got jammed in the soil and the whole kit and kaboodle started to tip forward. AHHHHH!! Please don't flip your rig into my pool, sir! Lots of shouting, a release button hit, and it rocked back onto the treads. YIKES.
8 dump trucks so far, and they've got the shallow end to finish. (The guy that runs the excavation crew also has a cement business. Guess where the soil is going? Fine by me!) And oh man, the TRASH that was revealed under the sod! More bricks, bags, pipes, bottles... Good riddance. Feh. Can you tell I'm a little excited? Also, the Mr. is on his typical business trip, so I'm being hyper-vigilant in recording things so he doesn't miss out. He's a boy that enjoys trucks and things, so he's all sad-face about missing the dig. LOL. Boys are cute. (My neighbor's 2 year old's head popped up over the fence line (held there by Papa) so she could see the big truck. I could hear her squeals of delight from INSIDE MY HOUSE, lol. <3
From this point on, all pool stuff will go under a cut to spare you boredom. You're welcome. ;)
[ETA!!] OMG HAHAHAHAHAHAH Juggalo Dating Site? Freaking Romance, how do they work? Magical miracles all up in this date site! [Yo, Juggalos need love too, bro.]
Massive self-indulgent picspam wherein I act like a toddler clapping my hands over noises and construction equipment. If you are in any way interested in how these things work, here we go!
LOL. I will not, I promise to you all, ever have one of those cheesy signs. Nor will I have "we don't swim in your toilet" because that is ridiculous. My BFF growing up had BOTH of those at her house, btw. That just makes me want to pee in the pool, quite honestly. Wait, where was I? OH RIGHT, BIG OL' CATERPILLAR AND DUMP TRUCKS! Tonka trucks on 'roids ahead!
10:30am these guys show up, just coming off another dig that they started at 7am. Oy. Seeing as it peaked at 107 yesterday, working early and leaving early(ish) is the call of the day.
Right before they came, I snapped two pics of the backyard, which we've let go "feral" because why landscape something that will be ripped up? (And I am SO EXCITED to not have a hell hole at the back of my house anymore, you have no idea. ...not so fast, Stoney.)
This is taken at the front corner of my backyard. I'm standing just off the side of a big concrete pad (our patio) that is appx. 13X16 feet. That red thing is our chiminea, currently chilling in the garage. The rusted thing on the left is our smoker, which gets loads of use, and will figure into the outdoor kitchen design somehow, the Mr. tells me. Hmm. We'll see. ;)
From mid-fence line. Just a whole lot of dreck. The back right corner used to have a beautiful Deodar Cedar, but it would grow over the diving board, so we cut it down. And our peach tree. Those were sad days. But! I'm planting two apples (Pink Lady apples!) to be espaliered on the new fence, so. I'm getting ahead of myself, sorry. Anyway, big ol' evergreen growing up that fence making it look that way. It's coming down, too, the fence, but that's next to last on the backyard makeover.
What's that driving up my side yard? BOOP! BOOP! [The fence will be down for the duration of the build. And then it will become firewood. I hate that ugly, busted down thing.]
He's carrying a pointy dinosaur-tooth/velociraptor claw thing with the bucket. This guy could pluck a hair off your head with that thing, btw. More on that in a bit.
First big scrape of the day and the kids and I gave a cheer. (We're watching from the breakfast nook's window.] Sally's ears went up, she cocked her head, then bolted to the bathroom to wait it out. Some watch dog.
Remember how I mentioned our concrete slab/patio? The front bucket on the truck has teeth. He dug them in under the edge of the patio (digging through the grass/dirt) and caught the under lip of the patio and drug it out 20 feet. The slab is 5 inches thick. That's a heavy thing.
You can see how the uneven underside left drag marks in the sub-surface.
As I took the above picture, the kids let out a yelp. There was this that I snapped, then looked up. The bucket was right at the back door and it was like a giant dinosaur head. It's shocking to see that in action so close to glass.
Look at that big bucket! (I tried, but it moves fast, which also led to the AHH!! factor)
Bye bye Bermuda! (I had them scrape the entire backyard. No more mowing for me back there, not ever! I'm putting in Turffalo, which doesn't require supplemental water or mowing. YAY NATURE.) They're marking out with spray paint and then a frame what the dimensions of the pool will be.
Mid day we went outside and took a picture from the sidewalk. I did mention that it got to 107, yes? And not a cloud in the sky. Hot is what I'm saying. These guys that work like this are hard as nails.
Scraping out the hot tub area! I'm telling you, the guy on the bucket was using the very edge tooth to get a perfectly straight line. (True fact: straight line pools cost more than free form/rounded shapes because of the precision required for right angles and the increased surface area. And of course those would have to be the style I like. But I'm no cheap skate, 90 DEGREES, BROHAN!)
You may notice that's not a bucket anymore, but the pointy tooth thing. That's what they used to get a straight angle in the corners. Remember on Sesame Street when they talked about brushing your teeth and that monster took a brush to his one tooth and made an "Ehn! Ehn!" noise with each stroke? I may or may not have done that the whole time they dug with the Velociraptor Claw.
Deep end first! (And do you notice someone cooling off in the shade? Also, how cool are those striations in the soil? More on that soil in a bit.) This is where I'm going to make a Poltergeist joke. As in, you moved the headstones BUT YOU LEFT THE BODIES!!
They called it a day by 5pm, and I was surprised they stayed as long as they did, honestly. Phew, it was hot. I snapped a pic from the same place I did before they arrived.
Far back wall shot so you can see the hot tub and the steps. THE BUCKET DID THAT. Dude. That guy is an artist. Okay, maybe not an artist, but the man has prodigious skill.
I turned to the right to get another shot of the deep end (9ft.) Can you see the indentation for the diving board?
Standing to the left of the future diving board.
And the last shot from the position of the first shot. :) This is where I'll take a picture every morning to chart the progress, so when they're all strung together it'll look like time-lapsed photography. Kinda. :)
Remember how I've talked about how crappy my soil is? That it's the basis for cement roads in Africa and South America? How much it sucks to dig in? At one point this morning the CAT was rolled over the lip of the dig, the treads out in the air a good two or three feet. The bucket got jammed in the soil and the whole kit and kaboodle started to tip forward. AHHHHH!! Please don't flip your rig into my pool, sir! Lots of shouting, a release button hit, and it rocked back onto the treads. YIKES.
8 dump trucks so far, and they've got the shallow end to finish. (The guy that runs the excavation crew also has a cement business. Guess where the soil is going? Fine by me!) And oh man, the TRASH that was revealed under the sod! More bricks, bags, pipes, bottles... Good riddance. Feh. Can you tell I'm a little excited? Also, the Mr. is on his typical business trip, so I'm being hyper-vigilant in recording things so he doesn't miss out. He's a boy that enjoys trucks and things, so he's all sad-face about missing the dig. LOL. Boys are cute. (My neighbor's 2 year old's head popped up over the fence line (held there by Papa) so she could see the big truck. I could hear her squeals of delight from INSIDE MY HOUSE, lol. <3
From this point on, all pool stuff will go under a cut to spare you boredom. You're welcome. ;)
[ETA!!] OMG HAHAHAHAHAHAH Juggalo Dating Site? Freaking Romance, how do they work? Magical miracles all up in this date site! [Yo, Juggalos need love too, bro.]
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no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 01:15 pm (UTC)Pix of my tiny tiny urban garden are going up today or tomorrow when I finally type up my veggie growing in small spaces post!
no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 01:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 01:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 01:22 pm (UTC)Oooooh, YAY!! I'll be all over that post!
no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 01:23 pm (UTC)It is remarkable how much can change in 6 hours, right? The Mr. called me EVERY HOUR wanting updates and pictures. Hahahahha. Oh, boys. <3
no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 01:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 01:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 01:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 01:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 01:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 02:06 pm (UTC)ZOMG, Stoney, that guy is and artiste!
And yeah, I have that kind of taste, too.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 02:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 02:09 pm (UTC)Hoardes of Swmbos are welcome to come into my pool, because I know they will drink wine and eat delicious treats with me!
no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 02:11 pm (UTC)It's amazing to watch this huge 4 ft. bucket shave off the teeeeensiest bit of soil to give a flat edge. WOW.
Champagne tastes on a beer budget. It is a craft beer budget, but still. :D
no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 02:35 pm (UTC)That's so cool! I'm so excited for you, it's going to look so good when it's done, you're never going to want to leave the pool.
This is where I'm going to make a Poltergeist joke.
Ahahaha. I was thinking the same thing when I first saw that photo.
What's Turffalo?
no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 02:35 pm (UTC)"Ehn! Ehn!" noise with each stroke? I may or may not have done that the whole time they dug with the Velociraptor Claw
OMG I love you the most.
This is where I'm going to make a Poltergeist joke. As in, you moved the headstones BUT YOU LEFT THE BODIES!!
I take that back. NOW I love you the most.
Have floaties; will travel.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 02:53 pm (UTC)Okay, not that last one.
HEEE. Poltergeist FTW!
Turrfalo is a hybridized form of buffalo grass, a native prairie grass that only grows to about 4 inches and doesn't need mowing or watering. I'll have a strip of grass near the deep end for the dog and for ground cover, but my mowing days back there are over, huzzah!
no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 02:54 pm (UTC)COME ON. When you come here for your speaking engagement (see what I did there with the positive energy?) you shall come dip in my pool.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 02:58 pm (UTC)Icon used with irony and amusement
Date: 2010-08-04 03:04 pm (UTC)Re: Icon used with irony and amusement
Date: 2010-08-04 03:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 03:31 pm (UTC)But now I can watch it happen for you! (And I can dream that it might happen in my own backyard one day!)
(On a more technical level, I realize now that it would have been pretty much impossible to get big machinery truck diggy things into our tiny backyard without actually demolishing at least one of my neighbour's houses. But I suppose that was a sacrifice I was prepared to make! Or I used my kid imagination to envision big diggy things with wings.)
no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 03:35 pm (UTC)When you don't have easy access like I do, they have to bring out big cranes or small bobcats and triple the hours. Yikes. We were definitely at an advantage for this, for sure.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 03:36 pm (UTC)The big equipment stuff is mostly over so I make sad faces.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-04 03:47 pm (UTC)First over 100 degree days and we're already wilting. Thank goodness we're taking off for the Sierras tomorrow - 70 degree high, 50's overnight. Yes, please.