For a few months I've been scouring the ads--not in any particular hurry--looking for one that was that perfect mix of size, quality, proximity, and price. I believe I responded to four ads during that time, only to get that all to familiar reply back: "Sorry, it's sold." Well, I realized over time that I needed to stop being choosy with location. The odds of one being near home were slim. Well, I finally got one, way the hell over in Aberdeen.
Even this time I was not first to reply to the ad. When I contacted the guy, I was 4th in line. That was Friday. He replied that he was going to be out of town Saturday, and would be back in town midday Sunday. Apparently, none of the others could make it over there until Monday or later. "If you can come Sunday afternoon or evening, I'll move you to the top of the list." Well, that got me moving into action. Normally, I would have been off work this weekend, but on Thursday I volunteered to work for a coworker on his weekend rotation so he could enjoy his little girl's birthday. That meant I had very little time for the usual logistics that go along with something like this.
I got on my email and chatted up my old friend Greg, asking him if it would fit it in one of his trailers. After multiple emails back and forth, it was determined that it could not, and we might be able to place the hot tub across the top of my truck bed if we did it right. Greg said he'd rustle up some boards and come by my place the next day when I got off work. So Saturday I get off work and drive home, and there he is with a custom-built rack system already done and installed in my truck! I couldn't believe it.
All screwed and interconnected, it could not come out unless it was disassembled. It was sweet!
When I got off work Sunday, we hopped in the truck and drove the hour and a half it took us to get to Aberdeen, arriving at our destination in the dark. Lucky for us the guy had assembled a team of friends (in varying stages of sobriety), so when we got there we had no trouble carrying it from the back of the house all the way out to the edge of the front yard. There, we hoisted it over the short chain-link fence that separated the yard from the street and right onto truck which I had backed up to the fence. Greg screwed a few wood cleats alongside of it to restrain it from sliding, and we assembled a nice weave of tie-down straps across the top.
We stopped at a little eatery in Aberdeen and I treated us to a couple beers and a a good meal.
I know for a fact we got a few looks from people on the way home (there was waving out one car window), but it went well, and I got home just about at bedtime.
Here's a shot of what it looks like sitting in front of the house right now:
Now I just need to arrange enough help to get t down off the truck and around the side of the house to its new home.
I can't wait to put it into operation!
