Eastgate Pools and Spas

Okay…I admit that I am a chronic complainer. In the summer I constantly complain about it being too hot or too humid. I gripe about the wasps that built their nest under my deck where they plan their sneak attacks on innocent people oblivious to the havoc that will ultimately come their way. I complain about weeding my garden and mowing the yard when I could be relaxing in my outdoor furniture. Then for good measure, I complain a little more about the heat and how the humidity makes it difficult for me to properly grip my golf clubs, resulting in errant shots and balls that now swim with the fishes. An excuse, you say? Totally, but so what? I need all the excuses I can get.

But now, it’s time to complain about the winter. Maybe it’s a seasonal thing? No. My distaste for winter is justified. I’m not a skier or ice skater and would never consider drilling a hole in the ice covering my pond to try and catch a fish that isn’t stupid enough to bite anyhow. I despise the cold. I walked out yesterday to get my morning newspaper so I could read the two-day old news (yes, I’m the one that still gets a print edition), and my eyes hurt —seriously! —from the cold. Then I slipped and wrenched my back when I stepped on a patch of ice I didn’t see because I was busy rubbing my eyes to keep my eyelids from freezing shut. Winter is a miserable time.

Missing My Outdoor Furniture

After I finished reading today’s old news, I stared wistfully out my kitchen window to my back deck and realized what I miss most about summer: I miss simply sitting on my deck on my Berlin Gardens poly-furniture,

watching squirrels scamper up and down the trees, leaping from one thin branch to another. I miss watching the birds from close range, not through the kitchen window. I miss trying to figure out exactly where the wasps are plotting their takeover of my deck.

As you might expect, I have a pretty good collection of outdoor furniture from Eastga te Pools & Spas. My deck is big, and the Berlin Gardens counter-height chairs share space with a twenty-five-year-old set of Telescope Casual Furniture. Its frame is extruded tubular aluminum and the Sunbrella acrylic sling seats and chair backs still look good today after more than two decades of use. It is a perfect example of how quality lasts, it having replaced a three-year-old economy set I got from a discount chain. That set rusted away faster than you can say ‘Well, that was certainly a disappointing idea!’ It’s a dining set that works great for invited guests. That’s another thing I miss —people; everybody just sitting around, gulping down a couple beverages with some burgers or chicken grilled up on my kamado-style ceramic smoker grill. Ever hear of Big Green Egg? If you enjoy grilling, you should look into one. I’ll talk more about them in the future.

Here’s to warmer days ahead. After this winter, I promise never to complain again about sweltering summer heat or humidity. At least, not until it’s here.

…MW