Of course, some things never change. \u00a0We still have no budget, a time line that is being driven by everybody but us, three little kids on holidays from pre-school and school and a great big hole in our yard.<\/p>\n The thing about holes is that they generally have to be filled back in. \u00a0Our hole has supposedly been dug to snuggly fit our factory-second fibreglass pool shell. You know… the one where hubby can see the waiting snakes before he dips his toes in!<\/p>\n On the “to do NOW list” is ‘put a nice bed of sand on the bottom of the hole so that when the shell arrives in the morning we are all ready to go’. \u00a0So hubby works into the night, shovelling sand into a hole and with a bit more work at sunrise we are ready to go (or so we think).<\/p>\n The pool guy arrives in his old ambulance towing our pool. \u00a0He’s already got his cranky pants on. \u00a0Something to do with the Police and trailer issues. \u00a0We are excited and the kids are amazed at this “huge pool”.<\/p>\n Mr Cranky Pants takes one look at the hole and goes ballistic. \u00a0The hole is wrong – horrifically wrong. \u00a0It’s too big!, The slope of the land hasn’t been taken into account! \u00a0The depth isn’t right! The shape isn’t right! \u00a0In fact, I don’t think anything is right.<\/p>\n I feel sick. \u00a0The crane is arriving in just a few small hours. \u00a0I need to know what can be done – I’m solution focused at this minute but there is a volcanic eruption beginning just below the surface. \u00a0The excavator guy – the ‘mate’ without the ‘mates rates’ – who supposedly followed the engineering specs, clearly hasn’t.<\/p>\n Mr Cranky Pants asks for a bucket of water and gets a clear bit of hose and starts taking levels. \u00a0Discussion ensues. \u00a0How far out of the ground can the pool be; what sort of retaining wall can we build; what is the minimum depth we can make the bed of sand; how quickly can we get more sand.<\/p>\n We find a way to make the hole work in a whimsical sort of way, but we are really pressed for time. \u00a0The sand bed in the bottom has to be totally redone and then screeded before the crane arrives. \u00a0Why waste words when I can show you what that looks like. \u00a0Ready ….<\/p>\n Every last grain of sand is used. \u00a0We shovel it. We rake it. \u00a0We do everything but vacuum it out of the lawn! \u00a0We get it done before the crane arrives.<\/p>\n The excitement builds again and the kids (both big and small) are delighted to see this massive big red truck with an even bigger white jib arrive.<\/p>\n Crane guy is awesome. \u00a0Mr Cranky Pants parked his ambulance in the middle of the available space and now can’t\u00a0manoeuvre\u00a0well enough to give the crane a fair go. \u00a0Crane guy takes it in his stride and before long has himself in position. \u00a0And of course the upside to having an oversized hole (and an oversized crane) is that it only takes one shot to get the shell in place.<\/p>\n We wave goodbye to the crane guy, Mr Cranky Pants and more money out of our non-existent budget, but I have a lot to be grateful for.<\/p>\n I am grateful that our time line is no longer under pressure. \u00a0I am grateful that we have a factory-second fibreglass pool in a hole in our yard. \u00a0I am grateful that for the first time in her life my youngest sleeps all the way through the night in her own bed. \u00a0But most of all I am grateful for our family and friends who have helped us get this far.<\/p>\n Do you think we’re on a down hill run to the finish line?\u00a0And how do you think I’m going to fare in my battle with our “friend”, the excavator operator and his horrible hole?<\/p>\n Don’t touch that dial! \u00a0The next episode is about to stream from these very fingertips! \u00a0In the meantime, PLEASE tell me what you would have done. \u00a0Or just tell me I’m crazy – you won’t be the first (or I suspect the last)!.<\/p>\n A rankled but relieved Rebecca \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n![\"There's](\"http:\/\/project.theownerbuildernetwork.co\/files\/2013\/05\/blog.jpg\")
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