Three-Ring Circus

Today is the big day...Spa Delivery Day...and it's been a three-ring circus! This morning, I was breathing a sigh of relief because everything seemed to be in place. We'd selected our hot tub, our plan was approved at the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) Meeting, our slab was laid, and delivery was set. What could possibly go wrong?

Everything!

Well, not everything, but quite a bit. Coincidentally, I had contacted Davy, our landscaping firm, about some dead grass in the front, weeds, and bush trimming. They came out this week to check things out and discovered that our back sprinklers were no longer working. I had noticed the bushes looking kind of wilted over the past week or so, but we've gotten a lot of rain so the damage wasn't as apparent as it would have been during a dry spell. Normally Davy maintains our irrigation, but since it was damaged during installation of our pad, I have to go back to the contractor. With a big ol' slab covering most of the yard, I'm hoping the repairs won't be a nightmare.

Also, I discovered that I'd misunderstood a major point. I thought work could proceed right after the meeting where I got approval. Turns out I was supposed to wait for a letter and permit. Being very anal retentive, I had timed everything so work would begin immediately after the meeting. I thought I had dotted all my i's and crossed my t's, and now I was in violation! Fortunately, contrary to all the rumors of a Gestapo in Celebration, they are very reasonable and did not haul me off to the dungeon.

There were a couple of other minor issues, but we were able to work those out too. Still, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed that I had made such a major faux pas. I am a supreme planner, so it destroys my sense of order in the Universe when I think I've plotted something out carefully and. Ah well, as they say: "The best laid plans of mice and men..."

And of course that still leaves the irrigation problem. I have contacted the contractor, so we'll see how that goes. Davy had two ideas on what the problem might be; hopefully it can be rectified without destroying the pad (and moving the spa!).

Meanwhile, the spa is now in place in our backyard. It's all filled up and ready to be used. Hurricane Katrina will probably bring rainshowers later, but hopefully we'll be able to take an inagurual dip first. After this three-ring circus, I can use the relaxation!

Learn more about Celebration on my website: www.celebrationinfo.com