What to Know Before You Buy a Trampoline

Hello all,
Happy Thursday and congratulations for making it to the 'almost weekend.' It's been a long week for a multitude of reasons that I won't bore you with at the moment. The good news is that the weather here in New England is supposed to be absolutely brilliant over the next few days which means cooking out and flip flops and Corona with lime (not necessarily in that order!)

My 3-year-old niece is coming to stay with us this weekend which is so exciting because we don't have her for overnights very often. That's her to the left, I mean really, look at those eyes! My sister-in-law says she is excited to come to Auntie Shoes. Yup, that's what she calls me, which, if you knew how many pairs of shoes I own, is sort of fitting.

Good weather also means a lot of trampolining - is that a word? Anyway, the trampoline in our yard has been a mixed blessing. It definitely has kept the girls occupied as well as several dozen residents of Newburyport. But, before you go out and buy one, let me issue a short warning:

1. The box it comes in is larger than a Smart Car and perhaps close to the size of a Prius. If you are environmentally conscious, you may need to borrow a great big Suburban.

2. The directions will say that two adults can put the trampoline together in just a few hours. "A few hours" is a pretty subjective term depending on the technical knowledge of the assembler, the state of mind of the assembler and whether or not the assembler has any tool other than a hammer. How much beer is involved can also be a factor, more beer = more time.

3. You will be very popular among your neighbors and the staff at your local hospital. Have the number of the ER on speed dial.

4. After assembly, do not invite your insurance agent over to your house for dinner.

Okay that's all the time I have for today. Enjoy your Thursday night. So sad about the other Sioban (Idol) who got voted off. She was one of our favorites. C'est la vie.
~Sue