Recycled Benches and Patio Stones

When we purchased Gladys, she came with a mostly-buried patio-block patio on which was placed a concrete table and benches.  A little creative digging revealed a rather large patio buried under two inches of dirt and grass. We also found evidence in the yard that at one time, the table was surrounded by three crescent-shaped benches; however, one had totally broken into pieces along with its supporting legs, and a second bench was on the ground because it, too, only had one intact leg.

The old patio set with workmen in the background two years
ago removing some of the Brazilian Pepper trees from the back yard.
The bench on the ground and the pedestal under the table are now safely
in their new home at Steve and Chris' house.

In the past two years, we have used the table to eat on only once.  The bench that was still standing had some broken decorative pieces on top, so it was not terribly comfortable.  Additionally, the patio really was placed too far away to carry food and utensils to and from the house for a meal.   We have used the table to hold tools while we worked on removing the jungle that also was growing in the back yard, and I have used it to hold doors and other smaller projects that needed painting.  Since a tree hangs over the patio, however, the table was not the ideal painting place since the tree drops leaves and seeds often.

We decided this year that since we never really used the patio or the table, we would be better to get rid of it all and to grow some grass for now until we can landscape the back yard.  The patio is in really rough shape.  The patio stone seems to be a mixture of concrete with lots of additional soft materials, and the roots of the live oak tree under which it sits have really done a fine job of heaving and breaking up the patio blocks.  Additionally, the patio was constructed of at least three different sizes and variations of block.  I like things to be uniform and precise, so the patio was not my favorite thing to look at each day.

Yesterday, Steve and Chris came over because Chris said she would take one of the benches for her back garden.  They have owned their home longer than we have, so they are finished with the inside remodeling and are concentrating on landscaping their back yard.  They took the bench that was lying on the ground since it was in better shape than the raised bench.  Experience has taught us that the bench support legs break, so I told them to take all three of the remaining legs in case one breaks for them also. Spare parts are great to have, and storing them costs nothing.

Steve helped Rick remove the table top from the central concrete pedestal; they put it on its side and rolled it out to the curb.  We used a broken brick to angle it toward the road so that the city disposal crew could pick it up for removal on Monday.  Rick and Steve also transported the other bench top to the curb.

I asked Chris if she wanted to take the pedestal since it was in great shape and could be used as a base for a bird bath, a bird feeder, or a planter.  She decided that she had a place for it in her garden, so Rick and Steve loaded that into the truck to take to their house also.

We took the short drive to their house, and both the bench and the pedestal were soon in their backyard.  By the time we came home, we had at least one car slow down to look over the table top and bench.  Remember the magic curbs in this city?  Anything that is put out to the curb usually disappears within 24 hours.  Rick figured that we would have to pay the city at least $50.00 to haul away the table top and bench, but I had hopes that the magic curb would work once again.

In less than two minutes, I saw a second car stop in front of our house.  A man on a bicycle followed the car.  The driver of a small hatch-back car opened the back, and Bike Man helped Driver somehow put in the bench and then wedge the large table top into the back of the car.  I have no idea how the two of them even lifted the table top since it was solid concrete and rebar, and Steve and Rick could barely lift it to its side just to roll it to the front.  At any rate, the table top was wedged well enough into the Driver's car that he was able to tie down the hatch-back and drive away.  Thank you, magic curb!  Within an hour of our removing the table from the back yard, all of it was gone, and we did not have to pay the city anything to haul it away.  Recycled bench, legs, and pedestal went to Steve and Chris, recycled table and bench top ventured to places unknown, and now, recycled patio itself follows today.

Three sizes of stone and two or three different materials had
made this patio a heaved up mess.

We know of a place in the city were we can take broken concrete. They gladly took our broken up sidewalk last year, but we were not sure that they would accept this patio block. This morning we took in a sample of the stone and checked with them.  They said that we could bring the patio in, and that they would recycle it.  Success again!  If we had not been able to drop off the patio for recycling, we would have had to rent a dumpster from the city for about $80 to get rid of the stone.  More money saved as we contribute to the recycling efforts of the city.

The good news is that since nothing was staked or fastened down,
the patio block is coming up fairly easily with a little prying with
a pitch fork that we "inherited" with our purchase of Gladys.

We actually started today early at the doctor's office.  I met with my new rheumatologist for the first time.  I like him.  He was very knowledgable, and although he did not question what had been done to diagnose and to treat me at Mayo Clinic, he also wanted to know WHY the doctors there had chosen to treat me with certain drugs and therapies.  He was very thorough, and I like that.  He will continue to work with the treatment plan from Mayo, so I am still on the same course.

Additional blood work this morning led me to a new lab in the city, and I also was pleased with their facility.  One change I will have to make (if I can ever hear back from my insurance company!) is to go from Fosomax +D-- which I use to protect my bones-- to a yearly IV infusion of Reclast.  Apparently, Fosomax +D, if it gets stuck in my esophagus, can have fatal consequences.  Who knew? 

Another disappointment this morning was learning that I am not to the point where  I can start physical therapy to rebuild my muscles.  The doctor said that I have not been on Imuran long enough to know what condition my muscles are in right now.  When I asked what I can do to keep active, his response was, "Walk."  OK, that I am already doing.  I am back to watching Rick work, and that really drives me crazy. My friends and relatives know that I am not one to just sit around all day, but at this point if I do too much, I may cause further muscle damage. We still do not know if the Imuran is working, and I probably won't know that until I return to Mayo for more tests in early June.

For now, the work continues on Gladys, but it will be slow.  I should be able to at least lift a paint brush, so perhaps I can make myself useful when the new doors arrive.  Until then, I guess I will just have to sit back, bide my time, and watch Rick transform Gladys into a classy old lady.