Sh*! Happens

So there I was, minding my own damn bidness, driving home on I-8 when the car in front of me gets cut off. They slam on their brakes and then I slam on mine, however I am not so lucky and I then slam into them. BUMMER!


It has been over 24 years since I had an accident. Not the way I wanted to start off my courtyard project. Tomorrow morning we will have the pavers and sand delivered and begin laying our 2,500 bricks. I don't really think we will use all 2,500.

So tomorrow the tow truck will come and I will need to get a rental car. I guess the good thing about it is that USAA is really good, they set up the tow/car rental/repair and all was done within 15 minutes. Since it has been a long time since I had a wreck I am not sure how it usually goes. But I do remember that the last time State Farm Insurance was really good too.

I can't really drive it because the bumper is pushed into the wheel. I was able to make it home but that was about it. In the end we exchange information and no one was injured.

The courtyard part 2 (being lazy)

Having a water feature was important to us and I really wanted to have more than just a small fountain. We decided to take a regular fountain and set it into a base pond. I had planned on building it myself and last Sunday we were mapping it out. I was going to pour a concrete pad reinforced with re-bar and then build the walls using cinder block.

As we were planning Matt, the concrete guy, stopped by to pick up the rest of his equipment and asked what we were planning. After we told him he suggested using a single poured in place concrete container. He said that we would have a hard time keeping the cinder block waterproofed. He gave me a general idea of how to do it. As I looked more I came to the realization that I probably could do it but there was a good chance I would screw it up.

So I took the easy way and asked him to do it. They arrived this morning and completed it by the time I got home. It was worth the money.The footing is 10" deep and the pool measures 50"x50" on the inside and the walls are 6" thick. It stands approx 20" from the dirt. There is definitely something to be said in having other people do the hard work ☺

We will then stucco the outside and use a sealer on the inside (white). On top we will cap it with a 8" paver that will complement the courtyard floor. After the bricks/sand and caps are completed we hope it will be around 16 or 17 inches high, perfect to sit on and put your feet in the fountain.

September 1st the pavers will be delivered and we are both taking of Thursday and Friday to complete it.

The courtyard part 1

This weekend we finally took a huge step towards the completion of the courtyard. The biggest obstacle was the cost of digging and prepping for the pavers that we wanted to install. After getting two quotes, I did a little research and found that Bobcat has a walk behind digger that can fit through an opening as narrow as 36".  The rental cost was $150 a day and I estimated that it would take me about two days to complete the digging. Then I would have the base material trucked in and pack it down with a vibration plate.

Last Thursday I received a call from Matt Agundez (Agundez concrete) asking if I had decided what I wanted to do. I explained that I was going to dig it out myself and he was leery of that idea. His quote was higher than last year when we asked him and I did not want to pay the higher amount. After a little back and forth he agreed to charge what he quoted last year and they started the next day.

I originally wanted to use him because he has done two other projects for me and he does good work. In the end I am glad I did not try this myself. It took three guys two full days to complete this, using a jackhammer and pick axes. I do not think the walk behind Bobcat would have had enough power and weight to get through the clay soil. I had no idea where to dump it either. It took three dump truck loads to empty the courtyard. Also there were many dead iron pipes that had to be removed and one live water copper pipe that had to be cut and capped.

Sunset

There are some things that you just have to share. Tonight was a beautiful sunset with a sliver of moon. We have been getting muggy weather with the monsoon pushing in and the last few days have been cloudy. but tonight was really nice.