Thursday, August 7, 2008

Summer is over...

What a bummer! My summer is officially over...Yesterday afternoon, although not TOO hot, I loaded up the kids and the snacks and we all headed to the city pool (where we have spent at least a couple of hours most every other afternoon for the entire summer, and where my children have learned to pretty much swim and love to jump off the diving boards). So driving out there, as we are driving up the small rise on which the swimming pool sits, I don't see any cars at the pool - absolutely NONE and my first thought was, "Uh-Oh!" Sure enough, when we got to the pool, there was a big piece of orange poster board that said Pool closed except for 4H party 8-8-08 (weather permitting)...Signed Mayor Henry Michael. My heart absolutely sank...I knew it was coming, with only 3 of the original 5 lifeguards remaining (2 having lost there jobs due to getting alcohol-related tickets this summer) and with 2 of those 3 having volleyball two-a-days, they had just decided to they were too tired to work in the afternoons and they quit!! Now...I'm really not too upset with them for their reluctance to work during the two weeks prior to school starting, but I do wish they would have taken the responsibility to fulfill the contracts they signed at the beginning of the summer and to have at least worked on the next few weekends. Anyway, it's closed and with all the trouble the city experienced at the beginning of the summer acquiring a pool manager and having a minimum number of dedicated lifeguards, not to mention the cost requirement to complete the needed resurfacing and repainting of the pool in the coming years, I doubt the it will even open next year. Our pool was actually built during the 1930's as a part of Roosevelt's WPA works program and measures about 90' X 30'...it's absolutely beautiful and such a great place to beat the "dog days of August". So after a few hours of "the dumps"...I am trying to have a hopeful attitude and not think too negatively. It helps that we are planning to go visit my brother-in-law and sister-in-law in Amarillo this weekend and GO SWIMMING at one of the pools in Amarillo that have slides and kids areas, etc. But as for my beloved swimming pool (for those of you who don't know I lifeguarded and spent many, many of my growing up years at this pool) is gone for now and maybe for good. What a shame...and what a bummer!

3 comments:

Fun Family Fitness said...

I totally understand the bummer of the end of summer and the whole swimming pool situation... I took the kids every day last year....and now we can't go to the pool unless we go to a hotel or sit up our water slide.....you will have to bring the kids over one day to play on the slide...have fun this weekend...we were supposed to go to Dallas to go school shopping and swim in the pool...but daddy decided not to....another bummer....steph

Amanda Kirkpatrick said...

that stinks!!! i hate when something that is so meaningful and such a part of your past just isn't as important to others!! i hope it re-opens next summer...for your sake!! :)

Who Am I? said...

I hate when my pool closes here because of weather? I live in lewisville texas, an outskirt of Dallas. Although that hasnt happened in awhile since it has been ranging from 95-105 here. My city is a little bigger so we don't have a shortag of lifegaurds. My first day of highschool is in a couple of weeks! Even though i don't want summer to be over I can't wait till Highschool

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