The day the pool won.
When we lived in Indiana we had a pool in our backyard. My job was to take the skimmer and clean the surface of the pool water. I was also responsible for pulling the vacuum off the bottom of the pool and cleaning the bag full of stuff. We had a pool cover (bright blue that you could see from space I am sure) Starting in 2000 and going all the way until the July we moved to Maryland I l cleaned the pool.
It so happened in July 2006 I had been on the road all week. We were having a neighborhood July 4th party. So, on that Saturday early in the morning, I had to go clean the pool. First I skimmed the vacuum and emptied the stuff into our small compost area. Then I went and got the skimmer. What it was, honestly was a long pole with a net on the end of it. The next was made of fiberglass mesh so that it could move easily through the water. We had a pool cover, so that wasn’t much. I decided to clean the steps first (there were steps in the shallow end of the pool for the twins. They were little when we added the pool to the house). What happened next is one of the most embarrassing things I’ve ever done.
I moved around the middle of the pool and continued skimming. My phone rang. I reached into my belt case to grab the phone, and the latch of the phone holster was stuck. I tugged the case, and the phone flew out of the holster and right into the pool. Right in the middle of the pool on the bottom was my phone. I wonder what the person on the other side heard, perhaps a plaintive help me I’m melting.
Well to go from bad to worse, I intelligent decided that the best course of action was to reach down with the skimmer and get my phone. I spent a good five minutes maneuvering the phone so that it was on the skimmer.
My pager went off.
I reached down to see what was on the pager.
My arms were outstretched.
My pager was vibrating.
Needless to say, my balance was off.
Pager, person, phone, and skimmer all went into the pool.
As I came up for air after going under the water, I realized my wife had just come onto the deck. I realized because she was bent over laughing and pointing.
I lost the phone. I lost the pager and lost my dignity.
My wife told that story to anyone that would listen.
It is with great sadness that I announce the scorecard for that morning final score of this endeavor pool 1, Doc 0.
Oh my what a face! It’s clear someone is not pleased.
still has that face 19 years later