Playground Shrine

 "Hey Rog, my kids don't use our swing set anymore do you want it?"  I had no idea how much work was heading my way.  It was a great offer and very kind.  We headed out and took down the swing set, fort, slide and all the accessories packed them into a van and headed home.  I wanted to get the set up quickly before I forgot how to put it back together again.  It actually went back up faster than I thought so we decided to add a few things to it. 

$300.00  REALLY????

We decided to add another fort to match the first one so I took measurement and headed out to Menards to buy the lumber.  I got up early the next morning and started to assemble the floor of the fort it was after I got all the bracing ready that I realized my measurements were off and I would have to start all over again.  Jynx's sister came over to help and we took it apart re cut the boards and started over again.  I attached to fort to the old one and it looked good.  More ideas popped up one being adding a plastic rockwall but after pricing them out at 300 dollars I decided to build a wood climbing wall. 



My climbing wall

 I felt that the project was always just a few hours away from being done but I was mistaken.  I took advantage of the Indian summer we are having and would wake up with the sun head out to continue always hoping I would be done at the end of the day.  At night I would take Advil and rub Ben Gay all over my aching arms.
I was constantly adding things and making up for my mistakes.  I wanted to add an entrance on the second floor for a rope ladder.  I knocked out the panels and cut the 2x4 for the entrance.  I was cutting the last of the four 2x4 when I realized that I had cut the support for the swings.  D'OH!  one more run to Menards to get 4x4's for support.  I also decided to replace the floor on what I know call tower one since it was showing signs of age, yep one more trip to Menards.  Jynx suggested that since we did have nice weather that we should try painting.  Menard here I come again.  I asked at Menards how much paint I needed and it looks like we were one gallon short.  I was so close to finishing the project but the sun would not stay up long enough to get the last gallon of paint on it.

I'm upset that I could not finish but my body and my mind needed a break from the play set.  I spent every waking moment with the play set and I even told Jynx she could bury me in it one day.  I'm very proud of my monument and I think Little Man will have to play in it until he is 40 for me to feel good about the time I have spent building the playground shrine.