Yesterday was pretty warm here and I had been promising Gracen that we would go to Wal-Mart and look at the plastic wading pools to see if there was one big enough for she and possibly Biscuit, our water hating Golden Retriever (aren't they supposed to like water?!).
We got to WM and saw the pools out front, picked one out and went inside to pay. My first clue that something was amiss (that I didn't catch) was the fact that we walked straight to a cashier with no line--and she was friendly!! (Those things don't usually happen in succession at WM.)
We mosey out to get the pool and load it in the back of the car. Now, in all fairness, I really thought that the pool would fit with the seats put down. Forty-something poinsettias fit back at Christmas. Don't you know, it didn't fit--and I, the queen of "turn it another way and it will fit" knew that it was hopeless. To add insult to injury, my 10 year old girl thought it wise to add at this juncture that we should have brought a tape measure.
So, I began to think of what to do next...I'll make this as brief as possible. I knew that Jeff, in all probability, couldn't get away from work to come to the rescue in his truck but I tried, calling with a borrowed cell phone from a very nice lady who thought I'd lost my mind had pity on us (another embarrassing part of the saga--I left my cell phone at home).
With all options exhausted, we take the pool back to the front, go inside to see about an inflatable pool (that comes in a box, thankyouverymuch). Success. The inflatable pool is paid for (and it was on sale--cheaper than the too large plastic one).
At this point, it is about 10:30, thirty minutes into what, in my idealized mind, was a chore that would take about 30 minutes total. I knew that we had air pump so I'm still thinking that Gracen can be getting cool and wet in another 30 minutes.
WRONG!!!
The air pump, after it was finally dug out from its spot in the garage, wouldn't work when plugged into the electrical outlet. I dig the car charger from the depths and haul the inflatable pool to the garage with only a momentary question of how I would get the inflated pool back into the back yard.
Our air pump, as it turns out, is not designed to do a large job at once. Nope, it has to have a 10 minute cool down period every so often so that the thing doesn't blow up. I'm sitting in my car in the garage in the heat cursing my bright idea and almost everything else that comes to mind--I don't think the air pump will be the first to blow!
It is now 11:30 and the pool is showing only the faintest sign of having any air in it at all. I've tried the air pump, the foot pump for the yoga ball, and a few puffs of my increasingly hot air.
Desperation lead me to my next endeavor. We hauled the *&%$**%$# partially inflated pool into the house, down the hall to the bathroom where I pulled out the hair dryer, opened up the larger air hole in the pool and blew air into the pool. My goal was to get some air into the pool, take it outside and finish filling it with the foot pump.
The hair dryer worked well--and fast. The pool exploded in the hall, pinning Gracen against the wall.
We finally, at 12:00--a full 2 hours after this had all began--got the pool outside with the water hose filling it. And, bless her heart, she played in the pool the rest of the afternoon. I don't know whether she really wanted to or if she was scared not to--I didn't ask and she didn't tell.
I will spare you the details of the explosion that my poor husband got when he came home for not having the garage cleaned out where I could find things, not taking care of the air pump so it would work when I needed it, etc. I will tell you that he was most gracious and forgiving for a rant that he didn't deserve.
And he, I hope after reading this, will have a good laugh at my expense!
*My apologies to Judith Viorst for the title. Her book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is one of my favorite children's books.
5 comments:
Thank you for the morning pick-me-up! I'm sorry it had to be at your expense yesterday. This reminds me of the time that some friends and I convinced my mom to buy a wading pool at Wal-Mart. She was the owner of a Honda Accord at the time, and the pool would not fit in the trunk. So we decided to roll the windows down and we three girls would hold it on the roof of the car while my mom drove--all the way home--ten miles of which were on the highway. It's not an easy thing to do, to hold an inverted wading pool on the roof of a car at 50mph with the pool catching the air and trying to flip off. I THINK my mom can laugh about it now . . .
Yeah, one of Gracen's other pithy little comments was that "we could go inside, buy some rope and tie it to the top of the car." Even to me, given the circumstances, that idea had more potential for danger that I could stand--and, honestly, my first thought was that would be something I would never live done...little did I know!
I meant live down--oops!
Oh oh oh. I was wincing as I read that Dana. I hate when things like that just keep going from bad to worse. Poor thing. But just soak in all the moments your daughter and canines enjoy the water, take lots of pictures, and give yourself an easy simple day today OK? Hugs!!!!
Sorry. (can't help but smile, though, you are a good writer)
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