Yes, that was me! Today I confessed to my pool friends that I felt like such a Grumpy Gus yesterday, a day which should have been the most delightful one, being back at the pool with my friends. Upon reflection, though, last night, it occurred to me just how I felt and must have sounded. Did you ever have such a day when nothing was right? Well, welcome to our pool!
Here is what was bothering me: while I was in WI, I was contacted by my friend, Jacquie, on Memorial Day weekend, the official opening of the pool. She was dismayed because the cabana renovations were yet incomplete. Neither she nor I could believe it. How could this happen on what normally proves to be one of the biggest of the summer season?? Was winter too short for getting this project completed? EVERYTHING the management and their staff did to update this cabana took far too long, or was begun too late to accommodate the schedule. Timing is absolutely everything on projects like this and cutting corners by using in-house workers rather than hiring professionals has shown once again how foolhardy an effort this is.
I do understand that some of the work was done by pros and yes, there are inspections which need to take place and must be passed. I get that, very well do I get that. But once the members quit using the pool around October, that would have been the right time to tackle these projects. The new kool decking looks marvelous and the blue painting inside the big pool makes it looks nice 'n fresh. This painting was done by the gardener, more or less free-hand so the lines are a bit wiggly. I know I am particular about things like this. At the member's meeting earlier this year we were told that the broken tiles would be replaced but that did not happen. I wondered why the pool was being painted prior to the tile work being done. Now I know!
The steps leading down in the water are slick and several people have slipped and fallen when getting into the water, including Nancy W. early in April when we were out there. That is not good! I was told that last weekend a paper sign was posted on the handrail warning folks that the steps were slippery. This sign was posted by the management which means it now becomes even more of a liability for them should someone fall and get hurt. The solution for this is being discussed with some thought being the pool will need to be closed for a period of time to allow for this correction to take place. Others don't really think so, that it shouldn't take the whole pool being emptied to access the steps nor should it take a week to take care of.
Believe me, I am not the only one frustrated by all these delays. Those who were making use of the pool in my absences have gotten it out of their systems a bit by now, but it was fresh for me yet. The new lifeguard, a seemingly unpleasant young lady, didn't spend much time at the kids' pool while I was out there, but was seated in the cabana much of the time. There were at least a dozen kids on the other end and she was no where near where they were. I was puzzled by that, thinking she was on a really long break. In the past the teens would sit on the elevated seat on that end of the pools with the flotation device on their laps or in arm's reach. Must be a training issue.
Food could be ordered, still be served from the kitchen inside the main building which was fine with us. Pizzas were added by the chef thinking that the kids would love them. They do, as do some of the grown ups! When the cabana is ready and they can cook for us again, the pizzas will disappear as they have no way to make them in there. People will be disappointed about that, I fear. My meal was good, I like the pasta salad with the hot dog served with sour cream 'n onion chips. Not a bad price either. We expected higher prices due to the renovations. I'm okay if they don't jack them up.
When the kool decking was done, all the steps and flat areas, and round areas, were painted in the same color. Now as people approach the steps down to the pool from the parking lot, they can't see the steps as clearly since they match right in. I watched a couple people carrying pool paraphenalia nearly take a header by not seeing the steps in front of them. Not good! By the baby pool there are mounded areas, not sure what they are for, that people are catching their feet on. Those are now beautifully marked with silver duct tape, which didn't quite do the trick. My suggestion is a brighter color paint for the humps, a reflective paint for the stairs and along the edge of the raised area so no one falls over the edge. That's where attention to detail to comes in. I used to be pretty good at that back in the day!
My neighbor sent me this photo he took of the lovely new ducting for the cabana which covers the metal scroll work of the doors. This cabana was part of the original property and it's a dirty shame that 'they' had to install this expensive system just to make our hamburgers and hot dogs. I think something else could have been done, but was not consulted on this. Sad looking, is it not?
Anyway, once I was inside and cleaned up after being out at the pool, grumbling, I felt badly about it. Normally I am the cheerleader in the group but Saturday I didn't do too much of that. I just had some catching up to do as the others got it out of their systems (well, some of them did, anyway) the previous weeks. Today, I tried to be more positive and encouraging, hopeful that all things would be made right, perhaps even before the Independence Day celebrations!
