Steve has been complaining about our sprinkler system for thirteen years. I think our sprinklers are fine but he saw an opportunity with the backyard being under construction and felt like this was the time to get it done the way he wanted. I oh-so-reluctantly agreed to let him since he assured me I would not be responsible in any way and would not have to do anything with it. Now I have never seen a sprinkler system planned, prepped, or installed so I should have asked waaaaaaay more questions because to hear him tell it this was going to take two days tops. Here is the thing...I am a realist and Steve downplays most things which I should have remembered after sixteen years of marriage to this man, but I didn't.
Steve's brother designed our sprinkler system and came down to help him with the trencher while I went to work. (Thank you for your expertise, help, and guidance!) I expected to come home to a nearly finished sprinkler system, but I did not. I was so shocked and upset I did not take a picture at the time so I will try to describe it. There were deep, angry trenches with very little rhyme or reason crisscrossing everywhere. Dirt was heaped haphazardly in and out of trenches. I stared in horror. It seemed like an army of rabid, zombie gophers had attacked our yard with a personal vendetta against me. I had hoped to finish the yard soon, but from what I saw my timetable was obliterated. I sat in the porch swing by myself for an hour that night just shaking my head and vacillating between fury at Steve for not explaining the process, fury at my ignorance, and total depression over the mountain of work this created for me if I wanted the project done this year. In hindsight my emotions appear extreme, but we had just finished the patios which were supposed to take a few days, but took several all-consuming weeks.
Once I was able to speak civilly again I asked Steve to show me what needed to happen and I received a belated, yet thorough, sprinkler installation explanation. So I dug during the day when temperatures hovered in the high 90s-low 100s. Why did I dig during the day with temperatures that rivaled purgatory? Because I had other things to do at night and we had to get the job done. Steve dug at night and several weeks later we were finally done. Now that I have an intimate understanding of the sprinkler installation process I want it on record that I HATE DIGGING TRENCHES!!!!!!
There were a few days I had the kids out with me so I could teach them how to work and stuff. Do not be fooled by the smiles. M, J, and D hated it as much as I did. C thought it was a grand adventure.
I was fine with the kids inside as long as they were kind to each other and spent time together. This was the day they thought C could pull off the runway model look.
Steve's brother designed our sprinkler system and came down to help him with the trencher while I went to work. (Thank you for your expertise, help, and guidance!) I expected to come home to a nearly finished sprinkler system, but I did not. I was so shocked and upset I did not take a picture at the time so I will try to describe it. There were deep, angry trenches with very little rhyme or reason crisscrossing everywhere. Dirt was heaped haphazardly in and out of trenches. I stared in horror. It seemed like an army of rabid, zombie gophers had attacked our yard with a personal vendetta against me. I had hoped to finish the yard soon, but from what I saw my timetable was obliterated. I sat in the porch swing by myself for an hour that night just shaking my head and vacillating between fury at Steve for not explaining the process, fury at my ignorance, and total depression over the mountain of work this created for me if I wanted the project done this year. In hindsight my emotions appear extreme, but we had just finished the patios which were supposed to take a few days, but took several all-consuming weeks.
Once I was able to speak civilly again I asked Steve to show me what needed to happen and I received a belated, yet thorough, sprinkler installation explanation. So I dug during the day when temperatures hovered in the high 90s-low 100s. Why did I dig during the day with temperatures that rivaled purgatory? Because I had other things to do at night and we had to get the job done. Steve dug at night and several weeks later we were finally done. Now that I have an intimate understanding of the sprinkler installation process I want it on record that I HATE DIGGING TRENCHES!!!!!!
Smiling because it is my last day of digging.
I was finally calm enough to take a picture a few weeks later when the sprinkler pipes had been laid and we were back filling the trenches.
There were a few days I had the kids out with me so I could teach them how to work and stuff. Do not be fooled by the smiles. M, J, and D hated it as much as I did. C thought it was a grand adventure.
I was fine with the kids inside as long as they were kind to each other and spent time together. This was the day they thought C could pull off the runway model look.
Comments
Post a Comment