Good Buy

This is the picnic table that we've been using

for the past few years.

It was left here by the previous tenants

& we just kind of took it over.

It's weather-beaten from the elements,

but still served it's purpose.

Well, OK, Jesse and his cousin Shawn were

really the only people who sat at it to eat.

It did make a good gardening bench for Shauna & me;

and the outdoor cat, Little Boy, liked to lounge on it

in the early morning hours before the sun hit it's peak.

When Shauna & I were doing the grocery shopping at Smith's

a couple weekends ago, a patio set caught our eyes.

"Wouldn't this look nice on the back porch?", said Shauna

as we plopped down in the chairs

"Yep, it would", said I, "but it's $450."

"I would even sit outside & eat at this table", said Shauna,

who is fair-skinned and overheats in the sunshine.

Then we continued on with our shopping.

Thursday morning when I pulled into the parking lot at work,

I saw that Smith's had all their patio furniture outside with

big signs screaming:

50% off!!!

Then Friday at lunch, I poked around

the selection that they had out,

but couldn't find the one that we had looked at.

When I told Shauna that they didn't have it, she said

"Just pick out one that you like."

When I went on my weekly grocery trip Saturday,

I poked around some more and found ours!

Yeah Liz!!

It went home with me.

As Jeff and his brother Beaux took

Jesse and Shawn camping that morning,

it was up to Shauna & I to put the thing together.

It took us about 2 1/2 hours,

but we kicked ass!

This is the umbrella that goes with it.

But they didn't have anymore of the bases,

so we either have to find one somewhere else

or make our own.

Here's to many a fun evening bbq'ing

and enjoying the cool nights.

Until it starts to snow again....