Patio Crew

It was decided by my better half that laying a flagstone patio was something we could do, we should do and we'd like to do.

What is this 'we' business?

I was far more skeptical and ready to dial a contractor at a moment's notice.

But regardless of how the finished product turns out (and at this juncture with the last two stones being leveled, it is looking pretty fantastic), our patio project has forged stronger ties with our friends.

Who have pitched in to lift/carry heavy stones, chisel heavy stones, use the grinder on heavy stones, and level the heavy stones.

Did I mention that the stones are really heavy?

There was a lot of camaraderie and laughs and sweat.

And dirt and dust.

On some evenings, when there were too many engineers involved, there were also a lot of questions --- about our choice of layout, our choice of spacing and our overall technique!!!

Yep, it has been a bonding experience with an eclectic group…..a 28-year old Hawaiian buddy, German and Danish colleagues/friends, a Finnish family member (not blood relative but close enough) and a super energetic/fit female senior citizen (yes, age did not stop us from eliciting assistance).

We made sure our helpers left with a smile on their face (this was mainly due to the beer, wine or caipirinhas we served at the end of every shift).

Which was more exciting than the safety belts, knee pads and goggles we handed out as soon as they walked through our side gate.

So a big thanks to our entire patio crew, we love ya!

Laying the first stone (just Jason and I) before we got smart
and invested in body protection gear for back, knees, eyes.

It takes 2 or 3 people and 'hellooooo dolly' (see below) to get the big stones to the backyard.

Jason used wood, wheels, rope and carpet
remnants to make our transport dolly.

A Finn and a chisel makes for a very clean line!

"I know it's dark but you are not leaving until we get this stone set!"

Engineers at work --- many opinions but always great fun.

Using the tamper to pack the decomposed granite.

Gotta hurry, the World Cup Soccer game is starting soon.

Looking good but not quite done… (the patio not the outfit).

Stay tuned, will post pictures when stones are sealed, decomposed granite is stabilized and we are ready to entertain….

Beach Buddies

Most young kids will play with others at the seashore, jump in the waves, share their plastic shovels and think nothing of spontaneously making a new friend.

That mindset often wanes with age.

Sure we will chat casually and smile at strangers but that is usually the limit.

This summer I had a beach buddy.

Okay, we did not meet in the sand and share shovels but we evolved into beach buddies all the same.

In the Spring, a couple from Germany moved here to San Diego for 6 months. Our husbands worked together which was the catalyst for our friendship. And I certainly remembered living in a foreign country years ago and not knowing a soul.

So she and I got together on a regular basis.

We walked the local beaches, Del Mar, Solana Beach and La Jolla Shores (her favorite). Barefoot, swapping stories for hours. No pretense. No awkward silences. Not afraid to share.

We discussed aspirations, how to make meatballs and what craziness had ensued during the week.

Sometimes we practiced words (she had a bit of difficulty with those starting with the letter ‘v’).

Many times I would interpret the slang that she heard but didn’t quite understand.

“Why do Americans always say they have issues?”

One day she surprised me by saying, “People are laughing at me. It happened more than once and they won’t tell me why.”

Turns out she had been ordering Veggie burgers as she is a very healthy gal and likes to eat nutritional meals.

Which is fine.

Except she was asking for a “wedgie burger”.

I mimicked how kids could give each other a wedgie, by pulling up my pants as high as they would go, and she got the joke.

We both burst out laughing.

I found her range of interests fascinating, from the accent reduction seminar to surfing classes and later the Brain Gym.

Last week it was time to say good-bye. They flew back to Germany.

I will miss our conversations along the coast.

But am inspired to be more spontaneous.

Knowing that grown-ups can have beach buddies too.