Words cannot describe…

The deck on our home had not been cleaned or sealed since my Uncle Mike constructed it almost ten years ago. I never knew there was such a thing as power washing a deck. I had never uttered the words power washer.

My bride of 21 years knew about them. She knows all about tools. She is the “tool keeper” of our house and I’m the “stool keeper”. Betsy has the patience to sit down, read the directions and find that tool that screws in the bolt under the flap that turns only to the left and… well, I’ve been known to throw a hammer at the garage.

It’s not uncommon at Christmas for her to receive a Craftsman 2 hp soft start fixed base router with electronic feedback control. I’m happy with a non-stick skillet.

On a whim, I took the plunge. I borrowed my friends’ power washer and proceeded to spray off the grunge and grime that had built up on the wood over the years. Since I had googled ‘how to power wash a deck’, I felt as though I could do it for a living.

Five straight agonizing days were spent spraying, sanding and staining. Words I’ve come to hate. But I knew that once our friends would walk onto our back deck, they would fall into my arms weeping with joy over how nice it looked.

Did I mention there are different levels of water that shoot out of a power washer? The lowest level creates a wider stream of water, almost a mist. At that rate, I would be dead before the grime would come off. The highest level shoots water out like a laser, a stream as thin as a needle but powerful enough that if you shot at the ground, it would penetrate Shanghai. And damage your deck. Take a WILD guess which level Contractor David used?

Our deck has places on it that look like Wolverine sharpened his claws. I not only had to stain it…I had to caulk it. St Betsy just smiled and said it was beautiful. While she walked off the deck, she fell into a crevice.

Friends were kind, too. Since I had bragged to everyone I knew that I was working with power tools on my deck, they all were anxious to see my masterpiece. The reaction I got from them was very similar to when you look at a newborn baby that is rather homely. It’s best to keep silent and smile.

There is a good chance I’ll sit with my new baby this afternoon. I’ll caress the rails and whisper, I think you’re beautiful.