Home Projects--the Blood Factor

In a continuation of the pool lighting project, I discovered some truths about home projects.

1. They never are as easy as they seem

2. Flexibility in the plan will result in a successful completion of the project

3. Don't skimp on quality--even though its yours, well, its yours.

4. Blood must be spilled for the project to be successful.

It all seemed so easy to just continue the lighting project along the fence line. Until, of course, I actually tried it. The strands needed to go over top of an entrance gate and of course that doesn't work.

Ugh!

The easy approach would not work. A creative approach was needed.

The clock was ticking--a project that should have taken no more than an hour was now becoming an all day event.

At least the sun was warm.

Aha--run the lights along the main lower beam of the deck so they almost completely encircle the pool area!

And now more lights were needed so off to Lowe's. At least I got to drive Cat with the top down. That really made it all better.

The project now requires a ladder, a drill, and screwdrivers to put the clips which hold the lights into the wood. On the fenceline I was using cable ties, which although small actually were fairly easy to use one the tricks of installing them were discovered.

And blood--the requisite factor to ensure a successful project which occurred on the first clip and the screwdriver bit slipped off the cheap screw head and into my finger. This caused me to reassess the ability to just screw into the wood and now added another layer of complexity by needing pilot holes.

By now night is falling. I get my flood lights because I want to get this done to surprise Chris.

And then--the big stopper--somehow at Lowe's I had purchased a 24 foot long strand of blue and not clear lights.

I'm not going back to Lowe's tonight. I'll put up the other lights and exchange the blue for clear in the morning.

And that is exactly what happened. The lights were exchanged and the project finished in the daylight of the new day. Did I mention that the timer I was going to use didn't work?

No? Well that is a story for another day--but it is all up and running now and even got the Chris approves seal of satisfaction!

I love home projects. Really, really I do.