Pulled the hard-top off the Wrangler today. Sure, we're likely to see more rain, but it's time. I've complained a lot about lousy products and incompetence lately. The Jeep soft-top is first-class. Oh yeah, it didn't go on smoothly; but that's pretty much because it's brand new and the canvas hasn't stretched at all yet. But it's weather proof. It's a good snug fit. High quality stitching. Heavy duty zippers. I'm impressed.

More people that should be removed from the gene pool...

The landscaper who initially laid out my yard 22 years ago. Obviously an amateur. Not that I'm a pro, but you only have to pick up one or two books to find out that there are some things you just don't do. Period. In this case, the culprit is the concrete retaining wall. I'm now pulling out the second tier. The first is already gone (as of last month). There was no drainage anywhere. To make it worse, there's a concrete footing that butts out from the next level tier all the way to the (base) ground about two feet from the house. And I wondered why there was standing water in the crawlspace under the living room. The answer is, it was diverted there and trapped there with no way to get out. A retaining wall isn't rocket science. You need to create a strong enough structure to withstand the weight of the dirt behind it. You need to let water drain from behind it. You need to plant trees far enough away and anchor it firmly enough that the roots won't break it up over time. You need to provide a mow-strip if it adjoins a lawn so that you don't have to trim the grass along the edge by hand. This guy didn't do one of these things right.

Then I'm pulling out more old sprinkler lines, and discover that there are two more sprinkler heads than I knew existed. they were broken off below the ground sometime in pre-history. No wonder the water bill is so high. If they had been laid out in a straight line anywhere it might have been a simple task to notice that there was uneven spacing and have a hint that something was wrong. Oh well, that's why it's all getting done over. If it's any consolation, I can say I've done my part to dilute the toxic waste in the Sunnyvale ground water.