POOL TIME!!!!

In theory, it was a great idea. Get the little niece a small pool. She can't swim, and there are times a sprinkler just doesn't cut the "get wet in the heat" type activity. AND, playing squirt guns with the oldest nephew, results in tears, loud cries, and sounds of panic (I showed Emily a gazillion times on how to use the gun, but... well... she's not ready for any sort of military).

A couple days ago, my sister bought Emily a pool. Yesterday I set up such pool... of course, I did that while acting with accordance with the doctor... no physical activity beyond that of "mild" for at least a month. I don't think filling up a pool with water and attaching some sort of pump thing would qualify in any other category, but mild. These pool things take some time, and Emily, being that she has no patience, was on my case right from the moment I woke up about getting that pool up and going. No matter how many times I told her she must show some patience, that these things take time, and under my current state, even more time. This she failed to understand...after all, I don't look sick. I heard the word "pool" 5656575757 times within two minutes, and that was during my first cup of coffee. To indulge her, I started the pool process during my second cup. AND, that, my friends, is a big deal. During the summer, I do NOTHING...and let me stress...NOTHING until after my second cup of coffee, and had the chance to look at the news, then get disgusted at such news, make a crack on how stupid humanity can be, put down news wondering why I bother with the news. Out in the heat I went... being watched, and questioned, and followed, and questioned some more... and watched with scrutinizing eyes... and questioned... and watched... and questioned.... and followed... and questioned on every step, movement, and sound I made setting up this pool. "Joe, why (insert something I did in the pool setting up process)?" came the sound of my nieces voice... every minute of the pool process... Why...why...why... why.... I believe I said "Emily, find something to do. This will take some time!" as many times as she said my name followed by the word pool.

You'd think that setting up a sack full of water (which essentially is what this pool is), would be quite easy. In today's technological age, it is never "that easy"... It's always something that shouldn't be something, but it has to be something because that is the type of world we live in.... Plug this hole... attach that tube... open this thingy... beware stabbing that ring... don't taunt happy fun ball...etc., etc., etc. Add that to an overly excited devil child, and we have the first of many headaches for that day....

As an aside, my nieces and nephew have never used "Uncle Joe" ever... Everybody else is "Uncle" or "Aunt"... I'm just "Joe." .... sigh.

So, I did battle with a pool and a small girl... who watched endlessly.

By late afternoon, the pool process was finally finished (I had to take a filling break. I went to see an eye doctor... I am getting new glasses!... She laughed at the current state of my existing glasses. I would have laughed, too, but those old glasses and I... there is a history). Emily was finally allowed to jump in said pool. "Emily! Pool time!"

I get to play lifeguard. It's okay. I can't do much of anything anyway, except sit there, keep an eye on a devil child... and read a book. That's what I did for five minutes until Emily came running back over and said, "I'm done!"

Prost!