On August 11th, my baby girl turned 21! A celebration was in order so we planned our first girls trip to Vegas for August 10-13. We originally planned to drive, but something told me to check the web and lo and behold, we could fly for just a little over $100 each, cheaper than the price of gas. Bally's had a special and we got a room for three nights with a $25 pool bar credit for under $200. We overpacked our bags and headed for the airport to grab some lunch before our flight.
It didn't start out well. The line for the skycap took 20 minutes. It was midday and the parking lot was packed. Add another 30 minutes to look for a spot, wait for the shuttle and take the long ride to the terminal. The line at security was longer than usual, but it normally moves pretty fast. I've never spent more than 15 minutes in the line there. I'm not sure what the problem was, but the line was slow and several times we weren't moving at all for several minutes. This went on for 30 minutes as we made our way through half the line amid restless passengers. Finally the line started moving at a normal pace again and we got through the final half in only 10 additional minutes. Add another 5 to get through the TSA checkpoint and a 5 minute dash to the gate and we boarded just as they were about to give our seats away to those on the waiting list. It obviously wasn't just us as more boarded well after we were seated and they looked as hungry as I was. I grabbed some candy from my purse and wondered if I should even bother to try my luck at the slots this trip.
But things got better. OK, so the line for the taxi was unbearably hot. Then they got better. We got an upgrade to a bigger room that overlooked the pool. We unpacked and set out to find some food and fun. We did some shopping at the Miracle Mile before heading over to the new Aria hotel and shops. We found a Wolfgang Pucks for dinner (another first for me) and shared a meat platter appetizer before our pizza's. It was expensive and delicious. We went back to the hotel, grabbing some desserts in Paris, and made plans to head to the casino at midnight where Ariel could put a dollar in the giant slot machine as she turned 21. Then we made the mistake of sitting down on the beds. Ariel decided her approaching advanced age meant she could justify the early night and opted to stay in. I didn't even get to wish her a happy birthday at midnight as she was fast asleep by then.
I let her sleep in on her birthday and once she was finally up we headed out. She hit the giant slot with no success so we headed to the Forum Shops where we found the most delicious cupcakes for a late breakfast. For lunch we headed through the Venetian to the Palazzo and Cafe Luxe for lunch (two more firsts). We hit more shops over at the Fashion Show before dragging ourselves back to the hotel with tired feet and lots of packages. A quick rest and we decided to head back to Wolfgang Pucks for a meat platter redux and share some pasta. The meat platter had prosciutto, mortadella, salamis and various sopresattas with cheese, grilled squash and marinated olives. It was to die for. Feeling stuffed, we did a bit of gambling on the way back and finally ended up in the room with some dessert.
It was all good, until a group of four young gals moved in next door and decided to smoke in a non-smoking room which drifted into our room under the connecting door. More irritating than the smoke was the noise they made as they loudly chatted and giggled. Sometime after midnight I fell asleep, but was awakened several times by coming and going, their chatter and the smell of more smoke.
Friday brought more shopping, gambling and food. Oh, and a complaint to the front desk about our smoking neighbors who assured me they would take care of it. Ariel won a $30 jackpot on the penny slots and cashed out. We had lunch in Paris. For dinner we headed back to Wolfgang's and got the meat platter to go and picnicked back at the room with that and a leftover cheese platter from lunch. Yes, it was our third night in a row with the beloved meat platter. Plus we'd grabbed several flavors of cupcakes from a shop in the Monte Carlo. It was a good thing there was no scale in our room so I could live blissfully in denial. The gals were smoking again so before we headed out for a bit more gambling we complained to the front desk again. When we came back the room, all was quiet next door and there was no smell so it was a peaceful night.
Saturday morning had not quite dawned when the fire alarm went off at 6:30 am. I ignored it. Granted, Bally's is in the former MGM Grand location that caught fire in the 80's, killing 85, so I probably shouldn't have taken things so lightly. But this isn't my first hotel fire alarm. The first few you evacuate, walking down the 20 plus flights of stairs in your jammies. I still remember the time the fire escape exited the hotel on the backside of the block and we had to walk around the whole block to get back into the hotel (at 3 a.m. in our jammies). After that you get a bit more jaded. If there's no smoke, I stay put until the hotel figures out the exact situation. It took another five minutes, but they shut off the alarm and we got a bit more shut eye. As there wasn't a peep from the gals next door, I assumed they had been moved the previous evening while we were out. Or maybe they were kicked out and they are the ones who pulled the fire alarm.
We had some time before our late afternoon flight so we headed out to do a bit more penny gambling and then used our pool bar credit on some very expensive frozen drinks before stowing our luggage with the bellman. We headed back to Cafe Luxe for lunch and then to the mall to return a shirt that Ariel felt busted her budget (she gets that from her Grandma, not me...LOL). Things took a bit longer than planned so we rushed back to the hotel to grab our bags and take a cab to the airport. Ariel hit a $15 jackpot at the airport and again cashed out.
All in all, it was a terrific girls trip to Vegas filled with lots of little firsts. I won a little and lost a little, but scored big at the Macy's clearance rack. I got to see my daughter try out quite a few firsts of her own. The girls had a great time in Vegas, even if much didn't happen there...
Monday, August 29, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
#18 - Brushing Up...
I'm one of the millions of Americans who hates going to the dentist. It's not just the pain endured, it is the amount of money you have to pay the guy who inflicts it. That just seems so wrong. But even before I had to pay my own bills, a visit to the dentist caused me great anxiety. Growing up, the dentist was a friend of the family. If he would come to see my Dad, I would run screaming into the house. At his office my Mom said I would cry so loud that she would just sit in the waiting room pretending I was someone else's child and not hers. I can still remember every detail of that office I visited so often as a result of my poor teeth.
Besides the pain, I have one other gripe with my old dentist. Somewhere around the age of 10-12, I was no longer allowed to go to the toy drawer and pick a prize. I deserved a prize after putting up with that kind of trauma. I personally think today my current dentist should be offering me a free manicure or pedicure after every visit. Lord knows I have paid for several of his vacations so it seems like I should get a little reward. The physical pain is easier to manage now than when I was young, but the anxiety level has increased ten fold. I gladly pay the $25 extra for the laughing gas. So why not charge me an extra $25 bucks on that $900 crown and let me pick from a treasure chest of adult themed goodies like jewelry and spa services. However, the real key seems to be trying to avoid going at all. I need to do whatever is possible to not need to visit the dentist.
As a result of my extreme couponing challenge, I managed to snag a Sonicare Electronic Toothbrush for next to nothing. My dentist has recommended them for years, but as he also sold them I was unimpressed with the endorsement. Prices have come down considerably and they now have an economy model. Target had it on sale for half off awhile back and with an additional manufacturers coupon I got it cheap. It was time to enter the world of hi tech teeth brushing. Then it sat in the box on the counter for well over a month until a tooth started hurting me. I made an appointment with the dentist and broke open the package.
The toothbrush is nothing like the electric toothbrushes of my youth. Those just did the brushing for those who were truly lazy or wanted a novelty. This uses ultrasonic vibrations of some kind to clean your teeth. Think of an electric toothbrush as a robin flapping it's wings. The Ultrasonic is like having a hummingbird in your mouth. Because of it's intensity I thought it might give my gums trouble, but it is gentle as it cleans around the gum line. In fact, it is gentler than my soft bristle manual toothbrush. In the couple of weeks since I have been using it, I had a root canal and a temporary crown, then had the root canal finished up a week later and permanent crown put on. Through it all this tooth brush performed like a champ. It leaves my teeth feeling cleaner than a regular toothbrush. I like it a lot.
I'm hoping this new appliance can cut down on a few trips to the dentist over it's lifetime, unless of course they start offering that treat chest filled with goodies I can choose from...
Besides the pain, I have one other gripe with my old dentist. Somewhere around the age of 10-12, I was no longer allowed to go to the toy drawer and pick a prize. I deserved a prize after putting up with that kind of trauma. I personally think today my current dentist should be offering me a free manicure or pedicure after every visit. Lord knows I have paid for several of his vacations so it seems like I should get a little reward. The physical pain is easier to manage now than when I was young, but the anxiety level has increased ten fold. I gladly pay the $25 extra for the laughing gas. So why not charge me an extra $25 bucks on that $900 crown and let me pick from a treasure chest of adult themed goodies like jewelry and spa services. However, the real key seems to be trying to avoid going at all. I need to do whatever is possible to not need to visit the dentist.
As a result of my extreme couponing challenge, I managed to snag a Sonicare Electronic Toothbrush for next to nothing. My dentist has recommended them for years, but as he also sold them I was unimpressed with the endorsement. Prices have come down considerably and they now have an economy model. Target had it on sale for half off awhile back and with an additional manufacturers coupon I got it cheap. It was time to enter the world of hi tech teeth brushing. Then it sat in the box on the counter for well over a month until a tooth started hurting me. I made an appointment with the dentist and broke open the package.
The toothbrush is nothing like the electric toothbrushes of my youth. Those just did the brushing for those who were truly lazy or wanted a novelty. This uses ultrasonic vibrations of some kind to clean your teeth. Think of an electric toothbrush as a robin flapping it's wings. The Ultrasonic is like having a hummingbird in your mouth. Because of it's intensity I thought it might give my gums trouble, but it is gentle as it cleans around the gum line. In fact, it is gentler than my soft bristle manual toothbrush. In the couple of weeks since I have been using it, I had a root canal and a temporary crown, then had the root canal finished up a week later and permanent crown put on. Through it all this tooth brush performed like a champ. It leaves my teeth feeling cleaner than a regular toothbrush. I like it a lot.
I'm hoping this new appliance can cut down on a few trips to the dentist over it's lifetime, unless of course they start offering that treat chest filled with goodies I can choose from...
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
#17 The Bluebird...
When we moved to Utah 16 years ago, I was amazed at the amount of people willing to sit out in the summer weather and listen to a plethora of outdoor concerts. Don't get me wrong, the evening weather is cooler and I sit on my patio often at that time of night. However, the weather is also fickle here. Far less predictable than the temperate California climate I was raised in. An evening thunderstorm can pop up at any moment and send me scurrying indoors. Native Utahns aren't afraid of lightning like this California girl is. They didn't even used to call the kids in from recess during a storm until a student was struck by lightning a few years ago (and thankfully was fine). Their non-chalance results in several people being struck by lightning each summer, which does nothing to allay my fears.
There are at least 10 amphitheaters in the Salt Lake Valley and the surrounding ski resorts. All have a summer concert series. Some have had terrific bands I have wanted to see, but never enough to pay actual cash to risk braving the unpredictable elements. But that all changed last weekend due to my more adventurous spouse.
Tim was in town for the weekend and one of his favorite artists, Lori McKenna, was doing a concert at the Sundance Resort amphitheater. It is part of their Bluebird Cafe concert series. The Bluebird Cafe is a famous venue in Nashville, where songwriters perform their works of art. Sundance is a ski resort best known as owned by Robert Redford and the home of the Sundance Institute which hosts the Sundance Film Festival every year. They have deep roots in the entertainment industry. They have partnered with the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville to bring their artists to Utah to perform. In addition to McKenna, Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin shared the stage with her.
The concert itself was delightful. The narratives between songs were informative and funny. Songwriters are storytellers and they did a good job entertaining the crowd of 700+. Many of their songs were well known as they had been performed by famous artists and a few were songs that are just near and dear to them, but never made it high on the charts. They are country artists, which is NOT my thing, but these were mellow songs. More like gentle folk music. Nothing like Take Your Cat and Leave My Sweater. I don't think a pick-up truck was ever mentioned. So it was very enjoyable.
The views were stunning. The river was still raging from the snowmelt seeming more like May than July. The weather remained cloudless and clear. However, we were in the mountains. When we arrived, it was 85 degrees and taking the sweatshirt and blanket from the car seemed silly, but once the sun went down I was so glad we had them. The sandals were a mistake, both for the cold night air and the hike to the amphitheater and back to the parking lot. But it was a great evening. I certainly enjoyed myself enough to give it another try. I've learned the rewards outweigh the risks when it comes to the summer weather for these outdoor concerts. I guess an old dog can learn new tricks...
There are at least 10 amphitheaters in the Salt Lake Valley and the surrounding ski resorts. All have a summer concert series. Some have had terrific bands I have wanted to see, but never enough to pay actual cash to risk braving the unpredictable elements. But that all changed last weekend due to my more adventurous spouse.
Tim was in town for the weekend and one of his favorite artists, Lori McKenna, was doing a concert at the Sundance Resort amphitheater. It is part of their Bluebird Cafe concert series. The Bluebird Cafe is a famous venue in Nashville, where songwriters perform their works of art. Sundance is a ski resort best known as owned by Robert Redford and the home of the Sundance Institute which hosts the Sundance Film Festival every year. They have deep roots in the entertainment industry. They have partnered with the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville to bring their artists to Utah to perform. In addition to McKenna, Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin shared the stage with her.
The concert itself was delightful. The narratives between songs were informative and funny. Songwriters are storytellers and they did a good job entertaining the crowd of 700+. Many of their songs were well known as they had been performed by famous artists and a few were songs that are just near and dear to them, but never made it high on the charts. They are country artists, which is NOT my thing, but these were mellow songs. More like gentle folk music. Nothing like Take Your Cat and Leave My Sweater. I don't think a pick-up truck was ever mentioned. So it was very enjoyable.
The views were stunning. The river was still raging from the snowmelt seeming more like May than July. The weather remained cloudless and clear. However, we were in the mountains. When we arrived, it was 85 degrees and taking the sweatshirt and blanket from the car seemed silly, but once the sun went down I was so glad we had them. The sandals were a mistake, both for the cold night air and the hike to the amphitheater and back to the parking lot. But it was a great evening. I certainly enjoyed myself enough to give it another try. I've learned the rewards outweigh the risks when it comes to the summer weather for these outdoor concerts. I guess an old dog can learn new tricks...
Monday, July 25, 2011
#16...A tradition continued?
Traditions are important to us as they help us feel connected to the past and provide memories for the future. When Tim and I first married we made an effort to combine our families traditions as well as start some new ones. One of those traditions was partaking of Baskin Robbins custom ice cream sandwiches over the Christmas holiday, which came from the Lyon family. As the years progressed, finding a store who would make the custom sandwiches got harder and harder and we adapted to just having our favorite BR ice cream flavors instead.
A few years back I found an ice cream sandwich kit and purchased it. Thoughts of rekindling the ice cream sandwich tradition danced in my head. But the holidays got busy and I never got around to making them. In fact I totally forgot about them until I found the kit this past week. While I prefer the traditional chocolate cookie, I used store bought chocolate chip cookie dough as suggested in the brochure. I let it soften and spread it in the pan as directed. I cooked it for the suggested time. It was one giant raw cookie. Don't get me wrong...I LOVE my cookies soft and undercooked. So when I say raw, it is not even close to undercooked. Back into the oven it went and was cooked for almost double the suggested time. It still wasn't perfect, but as an impatient person I was willing to accept imperfection.
The kit includes three different shaped sandwich makers; a star, heart and fancy square. They come in three parts. You pop off the bottom and use the main body to cut your cookies shapes. Pop the bottom back on and layer a cookie in the main body, then a scoop of ice cream, then top with a cookie and use the cookie press that goes on top to squish it all together. Pop off the bottom again and use the press to push the newly formed ice cream sandwich out.
With practice you could possibly make an ice cream sandwich to rival the photo on the box. Mine looked NOTHING like that. My corners weren't crisp and the ice cream was melting over the bottom. I probably should have cooked the cookies a bit longer, but you want a soft cookie in your sandwich so it is a fine line there. I also should have used rock hard ice cream although not sure how easy that would be to press. It looked a mess, but tasted pretty good.
Will I make these again? I doubt it. But I did learn a valuable lesson. If I want to carry on the tradition I will just go to BR and buy their damn cookies and make my own custom sandwiches.
A few years back I found an ice cream sandwich kit and purchased it. Thoughts of rekindling the ice cream sandwich tradition danced in my head. But the holidays got busy and I never got around to making them. In fact I totally forgot about them until I found the kit this past week. While I prefer the traditional chocolate cookie, I used store bought chocolate chip cookie dough as suggested in the brochure. I let it soften and spread it in the pan as directed. I cooked it for the suggested time. It was one giant raw cookie. Don't get me wrong...I LOVE my cookies soft and undercooked. So when I say raw, it is not even close to undercooked. Back into the oven it went and was cooked for almost double the suggested time. It still wasn't perfect, but as an impatient person I was willing to accept imperfection.
The kit includes three different shaped sandwich makers; a star, heart and fancy square. They come in three parts. You pop off the bottom and use the main body to cut your cookies shapes. Pop the bottom back on and layer a cookie in the main body, then a scoop of ice cream, then top with a cookie and use the cookie press that goes on top to squish it all together. Pop off the bottom again and use the press to push the newly formed ice cream sandwich out.
With practice you could possibly make an ice cream sandwich to rival the photo on the box. Mine looked NOTHING like that. My corners weren't crisp and the ice cream was melting over the bottom. I probably should have cooked the cookies a bit longer, but you want a soft cookie in your sandwich so it is a fine line there. I also should have used rock hard ice cream although not sure how easy that would be to press. It looked a mess, but tasted pretty good.
Will I make these again? I doubt it. But I did learn a valuable lesson. If I want to carry on the tradition I will just go to BR and buy their damn cookies and make my own custom sandwiches.
Monday, July 11, 2011
#15 - The Baskin Robbins Challenge
I hit Baskin Robbins a few weeks back for a mint & chip shake and the flavor of the month, Super Soldier Swirl, caught my eye. I asked for a sample and was pleasantly surprised that the vanilla ice cream with blue chips and a cherry swirl was delicious. Even more appealing was the signage showing two new limited time sundaes available as part of the upcoming Captain America movie promotion. While it looked good, I was craving that mint & chip shake and that was what I ordered.
Perhaps it was fate that later that week the BR facebook page had a link for a Captain America game. While I was not an instant winner, the losers get a coupon. That days coupon was a BOGO for 99 cents on the promotional sundaes. Now my plan was forming. Tim was in town and I suggested a trip to BR for dessert. I was going to use a tactic he often employs when we eat out. He asks what I am having and then orders something else so he can eat two dinners. This would work rather well for him, except I am one of the most indecisive people on this planet when faced with food choices and usually do not make a choice until forced to do so by the wait staff.
I knew that Tim would go for the chocolate Hydra Force Sundae, leaving me the freedom to choose the Super-Soldier Sundae and have a sample of them both. Wrong. He asked if you could use it on another sundae. You could and he ordered something else. I opted for the Hydra Force, but asked for chocolate syrup instead of hot fudge. It had chocolate mousse ice cream, brownie bits and chocolate chips in addition to the syrup. It was 1010 calories of pure heaven and so rich I couldn't even finish it. But the challenge would not be complete without tasting the Super Soldier Sundae for comparison. Even though it was only 560 calories, I still needed a weeks time between to justify adding it to my diet, which I did on Saturday. The Super Soldier Sundae was made from Super Soldier Swirl ice cream, with cake bits and strawberry topping.
In between the consumption of each sundae, I did some research. I'm not a Marvel Comics fan and while I vaguely remember Captain America as a cartoon character, I was totally unfamiliar with him. It was obvious he was a superhero, but I had no idea to what the Hydra Force referred to. Hydra, I learned, is the evil organization bent on world domination. I gather from the comics that it does not do too well as good always triumphs over evil. I think they have been using the wrong tactics. They could easily obtain world domination just through the Hydra Force Sundae. And while the Super Soldier Sundae was good, for this challenge I would say that evil triumphs over good big-time in a sinfully chocolate treat as the Hydra Force Sundae totally dominated my world. But in the interest of patriotism, I may need to sample one more before they are no longer available just to be sure...
Saturday, July 9, 2011
#14 - Formerly Illegal Fireworks...
Utah is a state that loves fireworks almost as much as guns. It must have something to do with the similar sound. Like most states we had the usual array of safe and sane fireworks, fountains and sparklers mostly. But just a short drive into Wyoming was a wonderful world of illegal fireworks that shot into the air and burst into a variety of colors. Just like the lottery in Idaho, Wyoming's tax coffers are filled with the purchases from Utah residents. The Utah Highway Patrol would sit on the state line with their high powered binoculars looking for those cars parked at the fireworks store and making their way back to Utah with their contraband and hit them with a fine (and amass a kick ass collection of fireworks I always suspected they used at their own home displays).
Sometimes the economic crisis works to an advantage. Our narrow minded state legislators usually waste their time making the most ridiculous laws (like having to put a barrier, nicknamed the Zion Curtain, in a restaurant bar so young children would not be corrupted by the pretty bottles and colors of people pouring and mixing alcohol). This year they decided to allow some formerly illegal fireworks to be sold in the state and keep our tax dollars at home. With a few tweaks to our law, you can purchase cake aerials that look like a fountain, but shoot up into the air before exploding and are almost as good as a professional display. From June 26th to July 26th (July 24th is a state holiday here) you can purchase and set these off according to your local municipalities rules.
Now I am not always a good citizen, but I was not one of those who would drive to buy the illegal fireworks. I was content with our safe and sane display each year while admiring those shot off in the neighborhood from the neighbors who had the guts to go and get the illegal ones. But now that these were legal I was very excited to try them for myself. I couldn't wait to give the formerly illegal fireworks a shot (no pun intended).
The bad side to the economic crisis was that I no longer had a fireworks budget. So I decided I would not buy groceries the rest of July and have a little fun with the family. I would have loved the $129 finale that had 42 shots, but I was frugal. We found a couple of decent ones for $10 and spent $20 on a "finale". The finale was really no better than the $10 cakes. And the $10 red, white and blue aerials were pretty awesome. When these things are popping off right over your head you can't help but be wowed.
All in all there were less fires and firework accidents in the state this year. I imagine by allowing some fireworks to be sold here, it kept enough people at home and not buying the bottle rockets and m-80's from Wyoming that seem to cause most of the problems. The 4th was the loudest I ever heard it here and the pollution levels were way up, but it was an awesome display all across this valley. God Bless America, I am hooked on these! If I hit the lottery (in Idaho) you're all invited to the mother of all home fireworks displays next year!
Sometimes the economic crisis works to an advantage. Our narrow minded state legislators usually waste their time making the most ridiculous laws (like having to put a barrier, nicknamed the Zion Curtain, in a restaurant bar so young children would not be corrupted by the pretty bottles and colors of people pouring and mixing alcohol). This year they decided to allow some formerly illegal fireworks to be sold in the state and keep our tax dollars at home. With a few tweaks to our law, you can purchase cake aerials that look like a fountain, but shoot up into the air before exploding and are almost as good as a professional display. From June 26th to July 26th (July 24th is a state holiday here) you can purchase and set these off according to your local municipalities rules.
Now I am not always a good citizen, but I was not one of those who would drive to buy the illegal fireworks. I was content with our safe and sane display each year while admiring those shot off in the neighborhood from the neighbors who had the guts to go and get the illegal ones. But now that these were legal I was very excited to try them for myself. I couldn't wait to give the formerly illegal fireworks a shot (no pun intended).
The bad side to the economic crisis was that I no longer had a fireworks budget. So I decided I would not buy groceries the rest of July and have a little fun with the family. I would have loved the $129 finale that had 42 shots, but I was frugal. We found a couple of decent ones for $10 and spent $20 on a "finale". The finale was really no better than the $10 cakes. And the $10 red, white and blue aerials were pretty awesome. When these things are popping off right over your head you can't help but be wowed.
All in all there were less fires and firework accidents in the state this year. I imagine by allowing some fireworks to be sold here, it kept enough people at home and not buying the bottle rockets and m-80's from Wyoming that seem to cause most of the problems. The 4th was the loudest I ever heard it here and the pollution levels were way up, but it was an awesome display all across this valley. God Bless America, I am hooked on these! If I hit the lottery (in Idaho) you're all invited to the mother of all home fireworks displays next year!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
#13 - My Pond
Years ago we purchased a pre-made pond kit at Costco. It was a hard shell and we set it up next to our patio. We didn't even dig much of a hole for it, but rather a shallow hole to rest in and then propped it up with parts from an old concrete birdbath. It wasn't pretty, but it still gave off the sound of water with a fountain. When we built our deck six years back we extended it farther than our concrete patio and took up the spot where the pond was. So we cut a hole in the deck and laid the pond liner in it and continued our enjoyment of water. We liked the pond so much we put in a real pond in our lawn. When I say "we", I mean the people we hired from the Home Show. They specialized in putting greens, but were getting into the pond business and gave us a great deal to be their guinea pig. For another few years we had the big pond and the little pond, neither of which I could ever claim to be a creator of or do any significant work on other than writing a check.
A few summers ago the hard pond liner cracked. She served us well, but it was time to throw the old gal away. So for almost two years I have had a huge hole in my deck. The pets have loved it, using it as an entrance to the netherworld of under deck exploration. We did get a quote to cover the hole, but at $1800 for labor and materials we said, "um, no". Yes, it was an eyesore, but with two kids in college you can turn a blind eye when asked to lay out that much cash, especially when it is NOT for a Chanel handbag. I just looked past the hole to the nice pond out in the lawn.
I did search for another pre-made hard liner, but never found one the same shape. So as a new challenge I decided to tackle the hole and turn it into a pond from scratch with my own two hands. Luckily there was no hole to dig, only a hole that needed some sand to soften the dirt. The deck had been boxed in with the framing around the hole for support so I bought a flexible pond liner and got out the old staple gun and started attaching the liner to the frame. It went pretty well for awhile, but as I tend to cut corners and take shortcuts I decided to just fold up the excess liner rather than cut it to size. As it filled with water it became apparent this was not one of my better ideas. The water pressure pushed the excess liner out under the deck frame like a balloon and there was a slight leak from one of the creases. This would need to be fixed. But I needed a new focus before tackling that problem.
I decided to work on the pump and filter to make sure the waterfall would work properly. The pond guy had sold me everything I would need. Well, everything I would need if the dang pipe didn't need to go at a 90 degree angle. Plus the fittings were so tight I could barely get them together even when using a blow dryer on the pipe to expand it. I hit Lowe's to see if they had the more flexible tubing, which they did. Hooray! However, they have no fittings for the tubing...boo hiss. I managed to use the fittings the pond guy provided by using my dremel tool to sand the ridges off two of them. This made plastic dust get all over my clothes and resulted in experience #12 (read previous post) and delayed any further work on the pond for the day.
On day 2, I emptied the pond and fixed the liner so it was the correct size for the hole without any excess. I then put the waterfall together. The fittings were still tight and required a blowdryer, but I somehow managed to get them on the pipe. The waterfall for this pond is just a single fall from a black plastic reservoir. It is unsightly, but the pond guy had sold me rocks to stack around it. Lots of rocks. Rocks that were supposed to be put together like a puzzle to both hide and support the reservoir with a flat rock placed on top. This did not go as planned. My first attempt was a bit wobbly so I decided to try and put in one more rock to stabilize it better. Plop, plop, plop, plop...one by one the rocks all tumbled into the pond. Attempt number two went much better, except after standing back to admire my handiwork I saw the pond liner was scrunched up under the reservoir and was leaking onto the deck rather than back into the pond. This time I took all the rocks off by hand and only one or two fell in to be retrieved. The third time was the charm and actually turned out looking the best.
Once the waterfall was set, I added some stones over the edge of the deck to give it a more finished look. At some point one or more of the dogs will step on one and end up in the pond, but I'm hoping they won't do it a second or third time. Last step was the plants. Pond plants are nothing new to me so that was the easy part.
I shun hard work and manual labor whenever possible, but on those rare occasions when I push myself I do end up with some nice results. This is way better than a big hole in my deck and a nice addition to the big pond. Tomorrow I shall BBQ ribs and steak as I sit out on the deck and enjoy my handiwork...
A few summers ago the hard pond liner cracked. She served us well, but it was time to throw the old gal away. So for almost two years I have had a huge hole in my deck. The pets have loved it, using it as an entrance to the netherworld of under deck exploration. We did get a quote to cover the hole, but at $1800 for labor and materials we said, "um, no". Yes, it was an eyesore, but with two kids in college you can turn a blind eye when asked to lay out that much cash, especially when it is NOT for a Chanel handbag. I just looked past the hole to the nice pond out in the lawn.
I did search for another pre-made hard liner, but never found one the same shape. So as a new challenge I decided to tackle the hole and turn it into a pond from scratch with my own two hands. Luckily there was no hole to dig, only a hole that needed some sand to soften the dirt. The deck had been boxed in with the framing around the hole for support so I bought a flexible pond liner and got out the old staple gun and started attaching the liner to the frame. It went pretty well for awhile, but as I tend to cut corners and take shortcuts I decided to just fold up the excess liner rather than cut it to size. As it filled with water it became apparent this was not one of my better ideas. The water pressure pushed the excess liner out under the deck frame like a balloon and there was a slight leak from one of the creases. This would need to be fixed. But I needed a new focus before tackling that problem.
I decided to work on the pump and filter to make sure the waterfall would work properly. The pond guy had sold me everything I would need. Well, everything I would need if the dang pipe didn't need to go at a 90 degree angle. Plus the fittings were so tight I could barely get them together even when using a blow dryer on the pipe to expand it. I hit Lowe's to see if they had the more flexible tubing, which they did. Hooray! However, they have no fittings for the tubing...boo hiss. I managed to use the fittings the pond guy provided by using my dremel tool to sand the ridges off two of them. This made plastic dust get all over my clothes and resulted in experience #12 (read previous post) and delayed any further work on the pond for the day.
On day 2, I emptied the pond and fixed the liner so it was the correct size for the hole without any excess. I then put the waterfall together. The fittings were still tight and required a blowdryer, but I somehow managed to get them on the pipe. The waterfall for this pond is just a single fall from a black plastic reservoir. It is unsightly, but the pond guy had sold me rocks to stack around it. Lots of rocks. Rocks that were supposed to be put together like a puzzle to both hide and support the reservoir with a flat rock placed on top. This did not go as planned. My first attempt was a bit wobbly so I decided to try and put in one more rock to stabilize it better. Plop, plop, plop, plop...one by one the rocks all tumbled into the pond. Attempt number two went much better, except after standing back to admire my handiwork I saw the pond liner was scrunched up under the reservoir and was leaking onto the deck rather than back into the pond. This time I took all the rocks off by hand and only one or two fell in to be retrieved. The third time was the charm and actually turned out looking the best.
Once the waterfall was set, I added some stones over the edge of the deck to give it a more finished look. At some point one or more of the dogs will step on one and end up in the pond, but I'm hoping they won't do it a second or third time. Last step was the plants. Pond plants are nothing new to me so that was the easy part.
I shun hard work and manual labor whenever possible, but on those rare occasions when I push myself I do end up with some nice results. This is way better than a big hole in my deck and a nice addition to the big pond. Tomorrow I shall BBQ ribs and steak as I sit out on the deck and enjoy my handiwork...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)