Summer Project Disaster 1

As I have previously mentioned Jason is doing some work in our disaster area of a backyard.  We had some flagstone that he made into a patio a summer or two ago.  Well, this summer he got the itch to expand it.  I do not love summer projects.  I do not love any kind of project for that matter.  They always turn out to be more expensive, more work, and more trouble than it's really worth.  Jason, however, loves loves loves projects.  I'm much more like my dad, who would prefer to hire and pay someone to do it so he doesn't have to deal with the agony of it all.  Unfortunately, we don't have the funds to hire someone, so Jason watches as much stuff as he can on HGTV and DIY Network.  Then he jumps online and gets busy on his research.  Then he calls around to a bunch of places and inquires about prices and how-to's.  This just becomes too much for me, so I try to stay as far away from all that as possible.

Today he (and Elise and I) went to the rock place to pick-up sand and then another trip up there to get more flagstone.  Everything was going relatively smoothly with the exception of Elise, who was on the fussy side.  So, I went and sat in the truck with her and held her up to the air conditioner... problem solved.  Then the fellow that works at the rock place drove his little fork lift over and placed 2,500 lbs. of rock into the bed of my pick-up.  As I was sitting in it, I felt it sink lower, and lower, and lower.  I got out of the truck and said

"how much does that weigh????"

"Twenty five hundred pounds"

"well, that's about 500 too much"

I know this because I used to work at a place that sold sod by the pallet.  One pallet weighs one ton, which is 2,000 lbs.  A 4x4 pick-up like mine can safely haul 1 pallet of grass.  So, I wasn't just pulling 500 lbs out of my rear end.

So Jason asked me if I wanted to leave some there and come back for it later.  The worker dude suggested putting some extra air in the tires so it wouldn't ride so low.  I am pretty particular when it comes to my vehicle (as you would know from the moron that rammed his door into it) and like to take care of the nice things I have... especially expensive ones.  So, I wasn't thrilled about hauling all that rock to the house, but luckily we didn't have too far to go.  I agreed to putting some air in the tires before we left.  The worker walked off to talk to someone and I jumped in the passenger seat and told Jason he could drive.

He put the truck in reverse and was watching carefully out his side mirror... we were backing, backing, then

"THUUUNNNK"

Yep, I knew it.  He backed into something.  We both got out and looked.  Oh yeah! the fork lift was still behind the pick-up.  Here comes the worker dude...

"you just got the tail gate"

JUST the tail gate?!

I pressed my lips together and kept repeating to myself "don't freak out, don't freak out, don't freak out"

The tail gate was still down and the plastic part was bent.  Worker dude and Jason were like "it's ok, it's just the plastic" Jason said "I can fix that"  (oh goody, another project).

I was biting my lower lip and trying to refrain from lashing out with obscenities and accusations of "NOT PAYING ATTENTION!"  I stayed calm and said "it's fine, let's go."

So, Jason goes to shut the tail gate and the freaking plastic cover that goes around the handle FELL OFF!

"don't freak out, don't freak out, don't freak out"

I know by this point Jason is scared out of his mind that I'm going to blow a head gasket right there in the middle of the road.  He even said "you're about to blow a gasket aren't you???"  Another "it's fine" was all I managed to say.  We got in the truck and started on our way home.

"Please don't hate me, I love you."

"it's fine"

"I can fix it, I think those brackets broke, but it's an easy fix"

"it's fine"

"You're about to cry aren't you?"

Indeed I was, but I had my sunglasses on and said "no" and managed to fight back the tears

"I didn't see that forklift back there because the rock was blocking the rear view mirror.... why are you tapping your foot???"

"I'm not mad, it's ok"

Most people that know me well, would say this is quite an accomplishment for me.  I have a tendency to over react (it runs in the family) and have total freak outs on the spot (more DNA) and I'm sure Jason was expecting that exact scenario.  He's pretty calm and level headed all the time, so I tried to put myself in his shoes and not flip my shit like I really really really wanted to.  Guess I'm starting to be a grown-up. 

We made it home with the rock safely without blowing out any tires.  Good thing.  Could you imagine the total freak out I would have if something like that happened?  God help the poor fools in my path of fury then.


As a side note, we sold Jason's truck today.  So, that leaves us with my truck and his work truck.  Promptly after selling his truck, he goes crashes our only other personal vehicle into a parked forklift.  He will never live it down.  Poor guy.