Well. Just insert your favorite expletive [Here].

Nah.. it hasn't been bad.
Not really.
Just...
well, you know.  The stuff you have to wade through sometimes.
Doesn't take your Everything... it just seems like it at the time.

Things like....
Final pool decisions and research.
And deciding if you're willing to chance going without food for two weeks in order to have all the supplies you'll need for the pool.
(No, not really.  Sort of.)
Not only that, but it turns out, if you're gonna do a pool like this, you're committed.  For quite possibly Ever.
Gotta level.  Properly.
With sand.
So's no one breaks their legs.
' Seems the weight of all that water turns your bit of earth into compacted cement, and there is no turning it over, ever again.  Or back.  Unless you want to rip out your wood fence, hire a backhoe to come in and turn your earth, digdigdig, replace your fence... yeah.  Whatever.
Also seems that pools above ground could do with being supported if you have children that would like to jump or play or swim in them - ie in general cause waves.  Better dig in some sturdy 2x4's if you plan on playin'.
[Takes piece of straw out of her mouth, and mutters], "Aaaa'right.  We c'n do that."
oof.

Lovenote in Inbox!!!
"We're giving you $100 gift card from our Promo department.... use it how you like...."
Wow!  How totally cool! 
And here I was just now thinking that we're due...
Uh.... "Wait... can we do some for me, and some for Them?"  (The Them being you.)  Because otherwise I have to decide if I love Me and The Babes better, or Friends....
"Yes!  We can do that."
Woohoo!  Let's spend another two hours looking online at toys and science kits then, shall we???

The babes come out and play and I'm totally in love with my son (see previous post) and later they are all three jumping on the tramp (Dh too, I mean) and then Eric kicks everyone off and says the tramp is done.
D-O-N-E.
The frame is breaking.  Dangerous.
Uh.... Wait.  (the Mama's brain is scrambling and flying at the doom...) "Er... Exactly How 'dangerous' is it???"
Because, you know.  We're getting a pool.  Tomorrow.
We can't have a pool, and not a tramp!!
I mean... psh.  Come on.  Live without the tramp???
"It's broken.  It will fall.  They'll die."
Clearly my skeptic look and response to his The Decision Was Mine And I Made It attitude was offensive to him.
So insert another expletive.  sigh.

So I look online for replacement frame parts.
No.
They don't exist.
Call tramp stores in the phone book.
No.
Call steel making shops.
Can't make one.
"Uh....." thinking no pool, 'cause we have to replace the trampoline.
Eventually the idea occurs to me, and I blurt out (very bossy am I), "You look on Craig's List while I continue here!"
My approach wasn't very good.  Bossy, I tell you.
Eventually we look in the local classifieds.
It's totally worth it to us to buy another "used" tramp for the parts.
But there are none that are exactly like ours.
Eric leaves (irritated and cussing me out under his breath, no doubt) for work and I say, "Hey!! I'm gonna ask Scott!" Our neighbor.  He's a welder.
Scott comes over and looks at it, and says that if I rent a xx machine, he can weld it for us.
So he spouts off all this "Whatcha need is a 110-115 volt Flux-core Wire Feeder.  Then I can weld it together for you.  Find a place that rents those."
I look at him and blink a few times. "Er... and they'll know what I mean?  I don't need to say 'welding... thingy'?"
He's ever so sweet, and doesn't smack me upside the head.  He just nods and spouts off a few shops that I can only hope to remember, as I run back home.
So I spent the next hour or so between my house on the phone and Scott's house - giving him updates and feeds that I'm quite certain (now) that he didn't give a damn about.
End Tale (for this phase, anyway): I'm renting a machine -for a very reasonable price- early Saturday morning and Scott is doing the welding on our trampoline for us.  He likes beer, and as hubby is Chef at a deluxe microbrew restaurant, we're so set.
Uh.. [waves hand]... thanks again, God!!

And then finally I get up on OLM (Too.) and take care of business...
which brings us to the Here.
Hey!  There's a $50 gift certificate that is good for just about anything that we're giving away at OLM (Too.) if you'd like to come over and put your name in the hat.

Alright, friends.
We haven't lost sight of The Good Stuff.  We're still so appreciative and we're acknowledging that life is sweet, sweet, Sweet!
It's just that some days you just gotta deal with some poo.  :)
Whatever.  I've been online today waaaaay too long to be delicate and need to go get cleaned and shined up to go to dinner.  Hungry.
lol

Whatever.  Again.
Tomorrow is pool construction, tarp-layin', earth movin', sand rakin', salt-filter addin', and fill 'er up Day.
:)

I'm off to dinner with my babies to check in with them to see how their lives are.
We'll see you tomorrow.