The Saga of the Above Ground Pool: A Summer Adventure

While Britney Spears’ journey captures headlines this summer, my own story is unfolding in a different realm—one filled with children, summertime, and an above ground pool. As we navigate this post-pandemic summer, my kids are back at day camp, and that inflatable pool I bought last year to brighten our quarantine days is making a comeback.

To recap: last year, I purchased a 10-foot Summer Waves pool, touted for its easy setup. What followed was a humbling experience involving a three-day assembly, numerous trips for soil to level the ground, a blown pump motor, and an endless cycle of customer service calls. I’m still convinced Amazon is promising delivery of filters somewhere between now and Labor Day 2024.

Thanks to the supportive comments from my readers, I learned that a simple pool net and a splash of bleach can keep the pool clean. By summer’s end, I had become a competent pool caretaker. My twins, however, preferred the public pool—mask on for limited hours—over the backyard pool, but they appreciated my efforts nonetheless. We all agreed that this summer would be smoother now that I had tackled those initial hiccups.

And for a while, it was. I set the pool up skillfully a few weeks ago, using old towels as shims to level one side. The kids were having a great time splashing around. I did notice that the inner tube started to deflate after a couple of days, but a quick refill solved that. I felt like a superstar after hosting my twins’ outdoor birthday party, where the pool was a massive hit, leaving all the kids eager for more fun.

Then came the storms. After a heavy downpour the night of the party, I woke up to find the inner tube deflated and gallons of water spilled into the yard. My initial pride took a hit, but I convinced myself it was just the weather causing the mishap. A quick blow-up of the tube and refilling of the pool followed, but an hour later, the same thing occurred. Instead of searching for leaks, I found myself questioning the universe—why do bad things happen to good people?

I searched for leaks but found nothing. I tried the soapy water trick to detect any pinholes, but with no luck. In an ideal world, a bubble would have appeared, signaling a hole to fix. Instead, I opted for a waterproof sealer, covering the seams of the inner tube, which left me with sticky residue on the sink and my phone case. Thankfully, I had some leftover pandemic hand sanitizer to clean up.

In my quest for a solution, YouTube became my go-to, replacing my usual late-night browsing. The frustration of searching for answers felt all too familiar. Eventually, I stumbled upon videos of others facing similar challenges with their above ground pools. Many suggested using pool noodles instead of relying solely on the inner tube for support. One creative soul even used half-gallon jugs, but that seemed too labor-intensive for me.

After spending $86 on 15 pool noodles, waterproof Gorilla tape, and a lawn toy I reluctantly agreed to buy to entertain my kids, I was ready to tackle the problem. Following the advice from the videos, I opted to cut a few slits in the inner tube and stuffed the pool noodles inside. I had to make two slits to avoid the hassle of pushing noodles all the way around the pool. I ended up using two and a half wide noodles taped together to create a buoyant ring.

As I was working, I realized I hadn’t rinsed off the soapy water from my earlier leak detection attempt. When the tube got wet, I slipped, nearly falling into the pool while trying to balance. It reminded me of that classic scene from “Friends” where Ross struggles with his leather pants. Thankfully, I caught myself just in time.

After an hour of effort, the pool was upright once more. I patched the holes and filled it up again, feeling a wave of accomplishment. However, another issue arose—a section of the inner tube had pulled away from the seam, causing part of the pool to sag dangerously. Despite this, my commitment to the pool was unwavering. Armed with garden stakes, more noodles, tape, and rope, I set about reinforcing the structure.

So far, the makeshift solution seems to be holding up. I’d like to think that acknowledging any potential jinx would only solidify my fate, but let’s be honest; I was destined for challenges the moment I bought this pool. For now, my goal is to keep it functional until summer’s end. If it survives to see a third season, I might just buy a lottery ticket—because it feels like luck is the only thing holding this pool together, alongside the $25 in tape I’ve invested.

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Summary:

This summer, while navigating the ups and downs of parenting and summer fun, I’ve chronicled my ongoing battle with an above ground pool. From initial setup struggles to creative solutions with pool noodles, my commitment to keeping the pool functional remains strong. Despite setbacks and unexpected challenges, I continue to strive for a fun summer filled with laughter and splashes.

Keyphrase: Above ground pool adventure

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