Just My Opinion - by Mary Kilen
One Down, Two To Go
By the time you read this, Carter will be back home with his mom and dad after visiting us for a few days. We picked him up on Thursday night and started planning our days. We, of course, started out with a trip to Barnes and Noble to pick out some new books and stopped to shop for some favorite treats.
We knew we were going to take him to the fair, but the weather forecast had us rethinking our schedule. To try to beat some of the heat, we opted for Friday afternoon and early evening at the fair. It included rides, food, checking out the commercial buildings and a couple of the free stages.
Saturday, we planned to take it easy at home. That plan lasted until 8:30 when the phone rang, and our contractor wanted to come take care of leveling where we wanted to put the pool.
That has been a struggle for us this year. We thought we had it mostly leveled and set up the inflatable pool we had the year before. It wasn’t quite as level as we wanted, so we drained it and tried again. It seemed better, so we filled it again. It wasn’t perfect, but it would work….we thought. I went into the backyard the next morning to find that it had failed, and the water had run everywhere.
We opted to get a new pool at Tractor Supply. It was bigger and we were pretty excited. Dale decided how he was going to make sure it was level and started his construction. Unfortunately, it was still not quiet level and the liner had a leak. The company sent us a new liner, no questions asked.
Meanwhile, we decided it was time to hire a professional to make sure the space was level before we tried again. The first contractor we tried to hire was going on vacation and then didn’t make it over to the house.
We contacted Scott Cudmore and he came and looked at the project. He called on Saturday to say he was ready to come do the dirt work. It is amazing how much easier it is when a professional takes on the task. Within a few hours, we were ready to set up the pool. By afternoon we were filling the new pool with two hoses. Now we just need it to warm up a little more. With 90 plus degree days, it shouldn’t take very long. Unfortunately, we didn’t have it ready when Carter came, but he didn’t seem to mind.
The rest of Saturday was spent doing things that made Carter happy. He spent time learning a new game on the PlayStation. We enjoyed some movie time. Mostly, we just enjoyed being in the cool house.
On Sunday, we went to Minot for a movie, time in the arcade and supper at one of our favorite places. We got back home and settled in to watch movies again.
Monday was a workday, where Carter spent part of the day helping Jada and Christina catch up on his life and his favorite books and movies. He also got a second trip to Dakota Drug for a Whirla-Whip. It’s not a Monday at the office for the grandkids if Dale doesn’t take them for a Whirla-Whip.
On Tuesday, Carter heads home. We are planning a second trip to the fair, but we’ll also be looking for ways to beat the heat. Zach’s dad, Scott, will be at the Game and Fish area on Tuesday, so Carter will head back home with him.
On Saturday, we will return to the fair to meet up with Zach, Amanda and the kids. We’ll spend the day at the fair and then Jozie will come back home with us. She’ll stay through Thursday. I’m sure there will be plenty of activities just for her, including likely a Minot trip for mani-pedis and a movie. She’s also going to get to check out Crazy Days/SummerFest this year. Carter has been with us the last two years for that event, so she’s looking forward to getting to check that out this year. She also loves spending time in the pool, so I’m betting we will be spending some time in the backyard.
Abel will get his trip after Jozie. I’m not exactly sure yet what day he will come, but he will bring his own energy to the house. We’ve got something pretty special planned for him while he is here too.
Meanwhile, summer seems to be winding down. The fair will be over at the end of the week, and it seems like school is just around the corner. Football coach Dave Leith was in the office on Monday to put in the preseason football meeting for parents and athletes. It is hard to believe we are already looking at the start of fall sports and school. I’m pretty sure summer just started! Time sure does seem to fly by.
Words to Ponder
I saw this one on Facebook awhile ago and saved the picture, but it doesn’t tell me who the original author is. I’ll share it for you to think about as you consider what you may want in life. It reads:
“A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.”
It may seem simple, but we all need to start somewhere to accomplish what we want. Maybe we should all consider giving it a try.