4th Rung on the Ladder

It is spring and home-improvement time right? Last year I purchased a rain barrel with the hope of catching some of that wonderful soft water that always drowned the planter containing my special begonias whenever it rained. Did not do much with than rain barrel last year - ha - need an eaves trough and downspout to capture that soft water! Well - rain in the forecast for this coming week, so this weekend I decided to put up an eaves trough and downspout. How hard can that be? First I need materials, so must make measurements. Took my tape measure out to make those measurements. Was having a little difficulty keeping the end of the measuring tape attached to point "A" so that I could stretch it to point "b" when the neighbor came out to offer his assistance. Jokingly he said "women are so helpless....". Well..............determination took root! I got the measurements that I needed, and with a little direction from cousin Bob, I headed off to Home Depot, confident that I would find a helpful sales person who could direct me further. Home Depot has always been a little intimidating to me. In my mind, one should have a little wisdom about what they are trying to purchase...... After a little searching, I found the isle that I needed to be in, and after even more searching, I found an 'associate' who could perhaps help me. Choices - Metal or Vinyl? Well Vinyl of course!!! It will be easier to cut than metal - and no sharp edges to cut yourself on! Vinyl it is - comes in 10 ft lengths - no they will not cut it for you. No problem I have a saw at home. Gotta get clips, ends for the trough, the down pipe (also in 10 ft length) and ELBOWS and of course some screws. Much deliberation, (not much help from the 12 year old sales 'associate' with the runny nose) I am now ready to make my purchase with the promise of help out to the car. FINALLY got those 10 ft lengths of vinyl into the car - little help from the 12-year old with the runny nose! I am off - making sure to take the side roads where I did not have to look out the passenger side of the car for intersection clearance! MADE IT HOME SAFELY! Let's get this job done - shouldn't take more than an hour and then I can get some planting done..... Tool box at the ready, materials organized, proper clothing, THE STEP LADDER - ready to go. First - much attach the clips to the boards (soffit I think it is callsd). NO PROBLEM - EXCEPT - this calls for the 4th rung on the step ladder! Third one okay - 4th one a challenge. Took awhile - yes got onto that 4th rung! Gotta get a ittle more secure on that 4th rung - so up and down and up and down until I feel more confident. Yup you got it - but already bones hurt! Time passes.... Well got the clips screwed into the soffit - (knees shaking all the time - on the 4th rung on the ladder). Ha - the worst is over - downhill from here in! NOT!!!! With this vinyl stuff - one cannot just clip the eaves on - no - one must thread the eaves trough the tiny spaces on the clips that you have already screwed into the soffit!!!!! The wind is now blowing. I get this 10 ft length of vinyl lined up to the first clip (WHILE IN THE 4TH RUNG OF THE LADDER). I cannot see just exactly where I need to go with this thing - perhaps luck will be on my side. NOT!!! Wind catches the thing - down it goes onto the patio. A patient person I am (sometimes). MANY attempts later, the air is starting to turn blue, and I was tempted to scrap the whole project. WAIT! "Would you like some help?" A savior! A new neighbour who does this sort of thing for a living! (OHMIGOD) How long was he watching? My savior arrived - and not FIVE MINUTES later he had that trough threaded through the clips. AWESOME! Downhill from here on in! NOT!!!! Easy to mount the down pipe! Not so easy to get the ELBOWS to connect the trough with the downpipe. 2 MORE TRIPS TO HOME DEPOT - and the runny nosed 'associate' - geeze I thought perhaps he might have taken sick leave or something - couldn't there be SOMEONE who knows SOMETHING???? Take those silly elbows I got the first time and let's get it on with flexi elbows. 3/4 of an hour on that 4TH RUNG ON THE LADDER getting ELBOWS to match! SUCCESS!!!!!TROUGH, PIPES AND ELBOWS ARE CONNECTED!!!!! AND THEY ARE STAYING IN PLACE!!!!! Now time to test it. Will water actually run off the roof, go into the trough, through the ELBOWS, down the down pipe, through more ELBOWS, and into the rain barrel????? (This 1-hour project has thus far taken 5 hours!) I turned the water on from the main outside source (I did all these hose connection stuff weeks earlier - thought I had all the leaky things fixed) NOT!!!!! Attached the spray nozzle thingy to the end of the hoze, held my arm way up high, pushed the lever. CRAP!!!! The hose end thing leaks, and I have very cold water running down my arm into my armpits and down my side! AND I smell cigarette smoke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (likely the neighbors watching the drama and having a great laugh) Time to get this job done, get inside, have a beer, supper and end the day! Fixed the leaky hose connection. Sprayed the water on the roof, and anxiously awaited the outcome. CRAP!!!! The water is running down the OUTSIDE OF THE DOWN PIPE! Yes, I discovered what I had done wrong, fixed it the next day. THIS MORNING!!!! 4:00 AM I hear the rain coming down! OMIG - gotta see IF MY RAIN BARREL IS FILLING!!! Ha - I actually waited until 5:15 before I jumped out of bed, put on my raincoat (on top my of nightgown) to find out if that soft water was actually going into my rain barrel! IT WAS!!!!! Yes it was a comedy, but perhaps somewhere there might be a life lesson. Perhaps it might be patience. Perhaps it might be acceptance. Perhaps it might be greatfullness. Perhaps it might be pride. Would love to hear what you might have gleaned from my perception of this experiance and wish to share.