The saga started about 2 months ago. I was up to my neck in nappies at the time and (my brain dulled by a lack of sleep) and not very reactive, when our swimming-pool suppliers decided to spice up my world and show me that you don't have to have a newborn baby to suffer from debilitating brain fog.
2 years after signing the contract for the pool we were pleased that the liner was finally going in. It had been delayed for a few months due to the usual weather/gardener/illness...
After the liner had been put in place I called the owner of the pool company who said with great gusto and in a 'I'm a hero' voice, 'fill it up!'
After borrowing the neighbours hose (ours was the length of a ruler too short to reach the pool) and 3 days and 3 nights spent filling the pool up) we were almost bouncing off the walls with excitment at the thought of getting in!
Until... the pool man scratched his chin and said 'ah the pool lights have not been put in'...'you are going to have to empty the pool. The tubes for the wires are empty and lead straight down into your 'salle techniqie' have you checked if your basement is flooded! Oh no not again!
The pool man took great delight in telling me that all the cubic meters of water in the pool were pressing down on one small quivering valve, so to jump in the pool would be 'the straw that broke the camels back' and our basement would probably be flooded (again). It was a good thing he warned me of this as it was the only thing that stopped me pushing him in and holding him under.
The next day the boss of the pool company, let's call him... Senior Pool Muppet, called me to say I didn't have to empty the pool after all. I didn't bother asking why but was only half surprised when the doorbell rang the following morning and a pool boy clad in a scubber diving outfit presented me with his back and said 'Zip me up Scotty'.
They fitted the lights in place (well 1 of the 2 - the second one didn't have a long enough lead) and left saying I could fill the pool up to the middle of the skimmers (admitedly with less gusto then the previous day)
I did
The next morning the pool had lost about 50cm of water. The garden surrounding the pool however was swimming with water. It was like 'Wet and Wild' for the cats. Sadly cat's hate water so no one benefited.
The PM scratched his chin (it was starting to get quite white compared to the rest of his brown face) and said he would come back next Wednesday (because they only seem to work on Wednesdays between 10-11 and 2-3) but for us to watch it between now and then and report on any changes...
So we did...
TBC
