Back On Track

a year ago, about this time, our pool, which is about 30 years ago, sprung a major leak as the liner ripped. we knew it was going to happen sooner or later, we were just hoping for later. we met with a few pool renovation companies, but never made a decision on what we were going to do, as it would cost, at a minimum, $17,000 to repair. i know what you are thinking--do these people have money trees in their backyard? the answer to that is a resounding, "no!" because if we did, we would already have the pool repaired.

anyway, the pool, or rather the pit, with it's caved in wall, sat dormant all summer as i worked a gazillion hours of overtime and we never got around to doing anything about getting prequalified to refinance the house or get a home equity loan. something changed with the adorable one today because he called two pool contractors, one of which came over this evening. it was a guy recommended by a coworker that built her pool and from the sound of it, this is probably the guy we're going to hire, if we're able to fund the project.

so, we'll be off to visit with banks in the next week or two to discuss our options and see how much we can qualify for, as i think this project is going to run us, oh lord, i hate to type this, like $24,000. now, we may never get our money out of the pool and that's okay with us, it really is. the adorable one has at least three years of schooling left to finish his undergraduate as he goes part-time. if it ends up working out, the adorable one may even go to graduate school here. which would be more years with the pool.

i don't really think i can explain what the pool means to me. i have always wanted to live in a house with a pool and for two years, it was really incredible and wonderful. in many ways, it saved me the summer after i got fired. there's something so therapeutic and relaxing about water. i feel at home and at peace in water. that's why i am so drawn to the ocean.

i find it calming and reassuring and soothing. and the pool, the pool was a respite from the awful job at the toxic waste dump. it was my private sanctuary from the rest of the world. and i never really thought we would get it fixed--i thought the adorable one would end up saying that we would have to fill it in and then grow grass. ugh.

i know it sounds selfish and shallow and vapid and superficial, but i've missed the pool something awful. i've craved being back in the pool, enjoying the backyard, floating and looking up at the blue sky. and for the first time in over a year, i feel good, really good about the direction we're going.

and hey, i'm walking with a gal pal after work, which is my first baby steps towards getting in shape and getting myself back to the way i was. i used to be fierce. i could run for 45 minutes on the treadmill. i could do squats. and i'm going to be that girl again.