My nerves are about shot this week
The stress associated with standing on the No. 9 tee box up one going into the final hole in a golf trip head-to-head Ryder Cup match is nothing compared to what I've been feeling this week as we got closer to having a new liner installed in our 42-year-old pool that has been through a few things during its lifetime.
The pool guy forewarned us that it was possible we had hit the end of the road. It's a wood-walled pool. Not steel. He was afraid of rot. He was afraid of a pool floor being wrecked by water after we suffered a fatal liner rip after 14 years.
That's right, we installed a liner in 2010 when we moved in. The pool guy was stunned the liner lasted 14 years.
Wednesday morning was judgment time. Were Screencaps Jr. and Screencaps the III about to face the reality of a summer without a pool at their disposal for the first time in their lives?
Would Jeremy the Pool Guy save the day.
"How bad is it?" I asked.
Give me the bad news. This pool is ancient. I know walls collapse. I've heard the horror stories. Go ahead, say it, Jeremy. It's either going to cost me a few more thousand for new wood walls or it's going to be plowed in.
"It's fine," JtPG replied.
He was shocked. I was shocked. Stunned. About fainted. The kids were shocked. Our Goldendoodle was shocked. The resident cardinals that live in our trees were shocked. Mrs. Screencaps was shocked and stressing over the pool guys stepping on her flowers.
It was like one of those HGTV shows where homeowners walk back through the front door and can't believe their eyes. It was a full pool makeover on Wednesday, minus the concrete work that needs done.
The horrible 42-year-old pool steps were painted, fixed, sealed.
I couldn't believe my eyes. My nerves were shot, and I'm still on edge, but I'm a little more relaxed this morning.
Summer around here might be saved. Now, we just have to paint the coping (yes, it's so old it still has clip-in-place coping) and fill this damn thing.
I'm feeling much better about purchasing the 12-month Mark Rober CrunchLabs subscription for my kids
Do you guys know how rare it is to mention something like CrunchLabs from YouTube star Mark Rober and not get a single email saying it's a complete waste of money?
I heard from numerous dads who told me they cherish being shot with mini frisbees and walking into trip wires. I have dads who say they wish Mark Rober's CrunchLabs were around when they were kids.
My big concern was that I had been hoodwinked by a YouTuber. I've watched multiple Mark Rober videos with my kids (they love the squirrel Olympics), but this is still the Internet and I wasn't fully convinced the boys would get value out of the money being spent on these build kits.
Then the emails started rolling in. (#notsponsored – I PAID Mark Rober.)
- Jeff in Georgia emailed:
Believer, Husband, Daddy to seven kids, seven kids – six boys – with the younger three being 12, 10 and 8, and moderate conservative. I believe in the sanctity of the life that God has created and the Golden Rule – everything else is temporary troubles.
We got hooked on Mark Rober during the season everyone outside of the SE calls the COVID years. If you haven’t checked out Mark’s brilliance in making stupid people look, well, stupid, check out his YouTube page.
I wish we would have had the build kits when I was a kid. We were left to roll down hills in tires, make rock launchers with "Y" shaped sticks and a rubber band, or play with rocks in a creek during hot summer days.
I attached a picture for Screencaps the III to enjoy and appreciate. This is a couple of years’ worth of build kits as highlighted by my 12-year-old son. He can’t seem to put his clothes away in his closet drawers, but he knows where every kit, ball, flying projectile delivered by Mark Rober is at all times.
I’ve been pelted with more rubber balls and plastic flying discs more times than I can count – and I have loved every second of it. It is brilliant! Don’t teach young boys about math and science in a freaking boring and stale classroom! Let them have fun AND learn at the same time.
Be prepared to be booby-trapped, shot at and more – but you’ll be smiling each and every time.
- NR in CA's kids love these builds:
Great story with getting your son signed up with Mark Rober’s Crunch Labs kits. I also signed up my 7 year old son and 9 year old son. Theya re ADDICTED to them! Both of my boys plays sports and do well in school, plus we have cattle to take care of…and with all they have going on in their lives, those Crunch Lab kits are the highlight of their day when they com in, and the whole next week or two that they get to use them!
Enjoy some the peace and quality time you are going to get with your son and this fun kit!
It also helps that Mark Rober is not one of these-entitled-idiot You Tubers that you know is using the money for blow and hookers. He appears to be a really thoughtful and decent man, and puts out kid family appropriate content.
- Adam R. writes:
Crunchlabsboxes are amazing. My son has done both years and it is money well spent. About three weeks out from the last one, he starts asking if the new one came yet. They come with a short, entertaining video that hits some high level physics stuff that I didn't even learn about in high schooland shows them how to build it.I don't expect him to have it memorized, but when he sees it in a class a few years from now, I think he'll say "Oh yeah I remember the coanda effect, that's how frisbees fly" or whatever the principal from that video is. It has gotten him interested in physics and engineering and I think it'll keep in ineterested over time. Sure beats spending money on skins in Fortnite or Roblox.The builds are all over my house and he still plays with some of them. Good investment all the way.
- Resident economics professor Jared P. says more of the same:
My wife and I used some money from Ohio's ACE program(sadly going away) for CrunchLabs subscriptions for our boys (7 and 9 years old). They LOVE them and are super excited when a package comes. They enjoy the instructional videos for each box, building the project, and playing with them (at least for a few days).
I still walk out of my bedroom some days getting hit with balls from the Trip Wire contraption they built a few months ago. My wife and I enjoy that the boys are learning some physics and engineering and these are projects they can build themselves so there is some self-sufficiency too.
I don't know if we will purchase another 12 month subscription with the ACE money because of the expense but we are satisfied with the first subscription. Blessings.
The dad-daughters NCAA regionals trip was a success
You might remember John as the dad who has a couple of college-aged daughters. He was planning a regional trip and wanted to know about baseball in SEC country. John pivoted and ended up at Clemson.
- John shares:
Hey Joe. Just wanted to update you on myNCAA baseball regional trip with my daughters. We ended up going to Clemson and it was incredible. Completely packed house plus around 2,000 standing room only fans. Saw great games and the southern college baseball experience definitley exceeded expectations. Here’s a pretty good pic from the Sunday night game. I highly recommend the regionals for any college baseball fan.
My 12U team catcher has the yips
- Guy G. says:
Don’t know why it took me so long to realize you have Rube Baker behind the plate.
Maybe toss his a magazine, and have him recite while tossing to the mound.
- Brent in Clemmons, NC says the same:
Love screencaps! On helping your catcher with the yips, have you tried the Jake Taylor method that he used for Rube Baker? Just a suggestion.
What a week for Billy the Backflipper
Old school restaurants that are still alive
- Jake in Tucson writes:
I wanted to chime in on the old school restaurant chains from our youth that have been disappearing.
About 15 years ago my family was camping in Sedona, AZ and planned a day trip to see the Grand Canyon. As we started east on Interstate 40 from Flaggstaff, I saw a food at next exit sign that had a Sizzler listed on it. I lost my sh*t telling my four kids who were between the ages of 6 and 12 about how I loved going there as a kid and we were definitely stopping there on the way back. We also had one nephew and a niece with us in the Suburban. I had been quoting the White Men Can't Jump movie line/song "We goin Sizzler" to everyone for about eight hours in the park and after the awesome day at the Grand Canyon, the eight of us rolled into the Sizzler parking lot. The kids got to have steaks served in the metal trays on wooden trivets. Then eat from the buffet until we could all barley walk to the car. To this day they still talk about that and it was just as memorable to them as seeing the Grand Canyon.
It's still there if anyone decides to hit it up if they are ever near Flaggstaff on I-40!
- Jon from the NTPA writes:
York Steakhouse was the Sunday afternoon staple 30-40 years ago in western PA. Trip to the Beaver Valley Mall, eat at York.
Cafeteria-style to order (choose your entree from the menu wall, pick your jello/pudding along the tray slide, pay at the register). Fine dining thereafter.
No tipping. There were signs!
Last one is up for sale in west Columbus.
https://columbusunderground.com/the-last-remaining-york-steak-house-is-for-sale-we1/
- Mike in New Jersey pumped out an email:
Can’t believe Sean from Indiana mentioned Farrells, I had my 5th birthday party there. Barely remember it but I do recall seeing pictures of me with that birthday Sunday he mentioned and I think they gave you a Keystone Cops style police hat. Awesome place for a kids party. Along this same theme the Ground Round was a great franchise. They would play black and white cartoons on a pull down movie screen and give out free pop corn while you waited for your food. Went to many birthday parties and Little League banquets there. Would love to find one of those still up and running somewhere.
Hitting on multiple topics
- Wyn in Colorado writes:
Welcome back. Will cut right to the chase.
Props to Mark W. in TN. We are looking at some land there and you kindly forwarded an email I drafted to Mark asking a bunch of questions about Nashville area. Mark responded promptly and even followed up a week later asking how our search was coming. Internet friends are just as good as real friends.
I'm the gamer in my relationship. My wife hates gaming but supports me playing. Every relationship needs a gaming parent to teach and play with the kids. Builds competition and creates bonding..
My wild Vegas story: In my late 20s I was in Vegas with a group of guys for our annual summer guys trip. This was in the day where we could still drink without repercussions from the body. One guy had just spent a bunch of money on clothes to go out in, including new shoes. We party at the Lobby Bar (MGM Grand) while we were staying at Cosmopolitan. The next morning, this guy, who doesn’t gamble, wakes up at Hooters hotel, in a room by himself. with a players card, wearing only a t-shirt and shorts. No clue what happened to the new clothes and shoes. Even lost a really nice watch he’d had for 5 years that was a graduation gift. On the way out he asked the front desk how he got there and the cops and paramedics forced him to get a room since he didn’t know where his was or go to detox.
Crunchlabs: Got it for my littles for Christmas. It’s been an awesome bonding experience watching Mark Rober’s videos on YouTube and building the kits together. Tinkering minds become great minds.
Teams that should've won at least one championship
- Chris A. says:
The Stockton/Malone Utah Jazz. Just happened to be great when the Bulls were historic. Probably still chafes at both those guys.
Screencaps golfers
- Darren R. emails:
Went to a very small college about 30 minutes from Pinehurst. My college golf team was privileged to glad #2 a number of times. Green's are turtle backed. Was a pretty good golfer but never broke 80 there. If they're fast and hard look for a + in the winningscore. Strange aside, the other top course I got to play was Jack's Muirfield Village and they're back to back courses this week. Btw, bragging here shot 73 at MV. Still have the scorecard after decades.
Keep up the good work.
If you're near Columbus, OH this summer
- Clay W. shares a good one:
New to the woods along Blacklick Golf Course (city of Columbus). Take a stairway or an elevator up into the canopy and hike along rope bridges, climbing areas etc. Pretty spectacular if you have some time in far east Columbus (Reynoldsburg). Heck they go play a round at the course. Metro Parks rock.
