Moving dirt

Okay, prepare yourself. This is kinda a long story. But it will be worth it.

A couple of weeks ago, JT went on his annual golf trip with Dayna to St. George for a few days. I decided I better keep myself super busy from missing him too much and started some projects. I did some painting in the house, but the main project was Tree Rings. What are tree rings? They are those super-heavy concrete rings that go around a tree, 2 for each tree.

So, I needed 8 sets, for 8 trees. Aspen trees in the back. I bought 4 sets at the nursery and somehow manages to load them into the back of my Forerunner. I came home and primed them. The next day I bought the other 4 sets. Holy cow are these things awkward to move. Just setting them on the garage floor from the car was a work-out. And I literally stubbed my two index fingers every single time I set one down.

Okay, so I primed all of them and painted them chocolate brown--easy enough, right? All I have to do is dig up a little bit of dirt around each tree and then put the rings in place, no sweat. Okay, yes sweat!! Again, just moving them from the garage to the backyard sucked. But, thanks to Beth, I had some help!!! (I still owe you for this.) I got a shovel and our trash can and started shoveling extra dirt into the trash can and setting the tree rings into place--it took hours, and it was hot!! I finally finished and then realized, ohmygosh!! The trash can is completely full of dirt! And let me tell you, that trash can was not budging. So...my little brain decided to get the other trash can we have and fill some of the dirt into it, which worked okay. But I only filled it 1/3 full. I moved it into the garage, barely, it was still so heavy, and I had to go uphill to get to the driveway. Which leaves this huge trashcan about 2/3 full of dirt in the backyard. I decided JT could contribute to this project when he got home so I left it in the backyard for him.

I was so happy to see JT when he got home! He was only gone for 3 nights, but it felt like forever! He loved the tree rings. But, we still had two trash cans with dirt... And we were afraid that they were too heavy for the trash truck. So....

JT came up with the brilliant (?) idea of hooking the trash can up to our bike rack and then attaching the bike rack to the back of the Forerunner and then driving just west of our house and dumping the dirt. When he told me what he was going to do, I told him "I don't want to have anything to do with that" and so he did this all on his own. So, somehow, he got the trash can to stay attached and was on his way. In the meantime I decided to mow the lawn but since there was nowhere to put the grass clippings, I decided to go to the store to buy some large trash bags. I decided to check on JT--I had this picture in my head that the trash can would fall over and that there would be piles of dirt on our street, and that we were shoveling it back into the trash can. But actually, that didn't happen. I found JT in front of the church with a puzled look on his face. The wheel had fallen off the trash can! Yikes. The dirt stayed inside, though. So, we left that trash can, went home, attached the lesser-filled trash can to the car and somehow managed to get it all the way where we could dump it. JT had to go to the dentist's office and I finished mowing the lawn. Then JT went back and the poor guy, he had to haul the now-empty trash can near the full trash can with a broken wheel and shovel the dirt from one can to the other and then hauled it away. Then he had to bring both cans back home. He was a trooper.

The funniest part of this story is that:
1. When JT initially drove to the dumping area, he missed a turn and had to drive all the way around our little part of our neighborhood going about 2 mph with the trash can behind the car! I like to think that he was proud to do this, so proud of his little invention.
2. When GD at work was hearing this story, he freaked out and called JT a genius!!! "You mean, you're telling me, that you found a way to haul your trash can behind your car?! You're a genious!!" So, of course, JT's head swelled and he has been telling everyone this story ever since!!
3. I think the whole having-trash-hauled-behind-your-car-going-2-mph-look is a little trashy. Okay, a lot trashy. So, I give JT a hard time about it. But, the truth is, the dirt is gone, he fixed the broken wheel, and the tree rings look awesome.

And don't worry, I am going to have JT re-create the whole look and take a picture of it for your viewing pleasure. You know, to get the whole effect. You will love it! :)