Just a Swinging...Part 2

Just a Swinging….

I bought the swing set from Sam's Club more than ten (10) years ago. The notation, "Some Assembly Required" did NOT appear on the boxes and bags and cardboard packaging for this monstrosity, oh no, there was more than "some" assembly required. There had to be a thousand (1000) pieces from large (the green plastic slide), to small carefully engineered fasteners to allow bolts to tie the whole shebang together without exposing the little ones to tears and tears (tear: rip - pronounced "tare" tear: water from eyes - -Pronounced "tear").

I laid it all on the garage floor with the labels T-1 through T-17 and L-1 to L-5. It took me the better part of a week to get it all together with a significant amount of cussing. But it was installed with shredded rubber tire protection, ground cloth, and railroad ties to keep it all together.

Over the years the redwood structure has been painted a few times over the years. Since Sade and company has not even gone near the swings, and the prospect of any other grandchildren showing up is "zero", I'll admit to having neglected it. When I noticed lichen growing on the support for the swings, and two opposums, a raccoon and a black bear hibernating in the housing portion (kidding) I decided it was time to act.

I got the power washer out (again) and blasted off all the dust and dirt and leaves and lichen (was not kidding about that). Took about 30-45 minutes, but the wood was ready to stain. I already had the extra gallon of stain on hand matched to the 3/4 gallon already on hand from the deck project earlier in the year. The ladies match clothes, men match outbuilding colors.

I started at 8:00 AM in the cool of the morning, and finished at 12:00 with the sun just dipping over the tree line blinding me as I painted the upper reaches. It was the last run, so it was okay, the finish line was in sight. I finished up, put all the kneeling pads, ladders (3), stools, paint brush, and extra paint in their respective homes, brush cleaned of course.

The only glitch? About 80% into the job, I had to pull some of the refuse; pine needles, pine cones, pollen, etc. from around the base to get the stain down to the very bottom. I had cleared it from three sides, this was the last side. I reached down for one clump of pine straws when OUCH! I got a SHARP pain in my right hand ring finger. On the Pain Scale with "1" being everyday aches and pains and "10" being "OMG KILL ME NOW!" this was an "11". I looked to see if there was something sticking in my finger. Nothing.

Considering the fact that it was still hurting- down to a manageable "7", I quickly decided it had to have been a bee, wasp most likely. I scanned the ground, no bee. Nothing would have given me greater pleasure than to have found that little SOB and mash him good.

I finished the job, cleaned up all the tools, and myself. By this time my ring finger had started to swell, so I grabbed some Benadryl pills, took two and to be on the safe side rubbed some Benadryl ointment on it as well. Was not able to get my ring (my Dad's ruby and gold ring) on the digit so I left it on the bathroom counter. This morning, even more swollen, hard and puffy. Wasp sting for sure. Who says it? I DO! Even wrote a book with it as a title: NO GOOD DEED... (GOES UNPUNISHED). But the swing set is complete. Cheers.