Some of you may recall my tale of woe about the storm here six weeks or so ago, and how my already-wrinkled-from-a-previous-storm shed got crushed, and me commenting from time to time that there are 3-4 times a year when I could really use a pickup truck. Today was such a day.
Got home from work Friday, and got a robot phone call saying that my replacement shed (for the one the tree squished) had arrived. A couple guys at work with actual pickup trucks had offered to help, but I hate owing people favors. And I didn't want to interrupt their weekends anyway, or wait till Monday. So, just to see if I could, and so I could say I got accomplished this week, I decided to go fetch it myself. Took seats out of the minivan, and laid down some shiny planks salvaged from dumpstered water bed frames. At Lowes, 4 guys loaded shed crate with a forklift, and I had to explain to them how to line it all up and just SLIDE it off, and not wreck their backs. Too bad my van is short wheelbase- it did stick out the back a little. It was only
300-some pounds, not the 600 they told me on phone.It was a lotta fun getting it out (without bending it) at home- took about an hour, Egyptian style, with more planks and levers. Wish I had a big eyebolt in garage wall that I could have tied it off to, and pulled van from around it. With the planks below it so it didn't get a tailgate kink, that 18" drop would not have hurt it. Even managed to get it sort of tucked under the bumpout in the back of garage, so I can still park both cars inside. I do have to step over the corner of it walking in and out of the house, though.
Always good to have half a dozen assorted planks in the corner of the garage. Never know when they may come in handy.
Now I just have to wait for weather cool enough to tear down the remains of old shed, which is still holding yard stuff, and assemble the new one. Since my arms aren't 12 feet long, I really could use help with parts of that process. Heat index will be in mid 90s or higher here for next 5-7 days, so it won't be anytime soon. Thinking I should wait till tree guys do their thing, whenever that is, in case they have an oopsie with their heavy equipment. Several thousand trees got blown down in storm, so back-of-backyard trees like mine are at the bottom of list. Still a lot of blue tarp roofs around town, and a lot of debris piles along the side of the roads. Many neighborhoods near me are WAY too sunny now, and will be for many years.
aem sends...