The Tales of a Big Tub

Even before we moved into our house over a year ago, we started talking about how nice it would be to have a hot tub in our own backyard! So many benefits! Relaxing in it while it snows, relaxing in it in cool fall evenings, relaxing in it before bed to make us really sleepy, relaxing in it with friends...

So 2 weeks ago, we found a good quality one in Craig's List for a reasonable price, so we bought it! The guy even delivered it right to our driveway!

Everything was going so smoothly, until...we had to move it into the backyard.

For those who don't know, we live on a hill. The driveway has a nice slope to it, and the path connecting the front to the back yard is composed of broken slabs of concrete.

Colin got his parents, brother, and a skateboard to come over and help out. We're all like "Um, Colin, don't we need more people?".

We got our answer and started moving it.

The skateboard was the dolly.
For half an hour, we tipped it onto the skateboard and steadied, pushed and pulled it along the sloped driveway, up 3 stairs, and along 30 feet of the broken concrete. We stopped every few seconds to readjust the skateboard, move some plywood pieces to make the ground more smooth, and to suggest to phone some friends to come lend a hand.

But we persevered...until...
The wooden skirting of the tub was quite rotten, and this was the part that was resting on the skateboard. Finally, the skirting gave way and the skateboard broke right through it!

Great. Now we didn't even have anything to rest on the skateboard to wheel it any further, so the hot tub sat for a few days.

That Saturday was "wiring day". Colin pulled yet another skill out of his hat and played "electrician" for the day! He installed 40 feet of wire from the circuit breaker to the opposite corner of the house. The wire had to go between the basement ceiling and the upstairs floor. I didn't even know this was possible, but he had it done within 3 hours! WOW! He amazes me.

In the same day, Colin also managed to rebuild the broken side of the hot tub while it was still on its broken side, so it was ready to move! Heeding to my suggestion, friends were called and were booked for the next day.

"Hot Tub Moving" day comes (one week after we purchased it), along with a foot of snow on the ground! Since we do not have a sleigh, it was impossible to move it any further until the snow is gone. If this were a normal Vancouver snow storm, it would all have been washed away by rain the next day. But this was not a typical vancouver storm, so it sat for a week, collecting snow, instead of warm water and lots of people.
A week later, we had plowed enough snow for moving day to happen. So 3 eager friends (eager to help, and eager to use) came over to help Colin move it the rest of the way.

It was going smoothly until...
Yup. The newly improved skateboard dolly went through the side of the skirting AGAIN!

Luckily, that was the only problem, and now the hot tub sits upright!
Colin wired it to the circuit breaker.

Colin did the "chemical work" to clean the water, and then we waited (rather impatiently) for it to heat up to 103 degrees.

Yesterday evening, the wait was over! We went in twice! Ahhhh.....it felt like we were on vacation!

Hot tub party, anyone?