I'm back with updates.... first I want to thank Janet and watermom for your help. I really appreciate it. I'm still working away at the pool but I have hit a few snags along the way.

I wanted to be able to post new sample readings for you guys but my local pool store (leslies) has decided to stop providing me with "free" water testing. Apparently the test they use only measures free chlorine up to 10ppm. They told me that since my reading was always seemingly at or above this level that it was pointless for them to keep testing. They did however offer to sell me some chlorine destabilizer (no worries, I didn't buy). They really didn't understand why I was purposely trying to keep my chlorine levels so high. I asked if they could just test the rest of the variables for me (pH, TA, CYA, etc) and they refused that too. Their reasoning there was that the high chlorine would distort the other readings and make them all inaccurate and useless.

Any ideas there? I had never heard anywhere before about the other tests being wrong with high chlorine levels... Is this just more pool store fairy tails?

So I officially have no way of knowing what my levels really are. I have some strips, which I know are useless but I'm basically making sure I put enough chlorine in to keep the FC color as dark red/purple as possible. I've looked a few other places for the cheapo test kits but haven't had any luck. I have ordered the Taylor K-2006 kit several days ago but it might be Monday or Tuesday before it comes :-(

I'm pretty sure that I've gotten all of the leaves and gunk up from the bottom of the pool using a combo of pole/net and the Polaris. It is still just as cloudy but my head tells me that the color may be improving (it looks less greenish/blueish/whitish/brownish and more whitish/blueish... But maybe that's just my hope blinding me from the truth).

New chemical question for you. I live in Florida, which I've just learned is important because it's one of the few places left that allows the purchase of liquid chlorine... I don't understand the chemistry and the math though... Is it usually cheaper to buy that as compared to bleach? The bleach I buy is 6% chlorine and the store sells 10%. if total volume cost less for the pool store liquid chlorine then I should be buying that instead of bleach correct? What about the powder? They say it's better cause it's 50-60% chlorine... But I've read that the powder applies only to 1,000ppm vs the liquid which applies to 10,000ppm... That's where I'm lost with the math and chemistry. What should I be buying? I understand it's called the BBB method, but perhaps that was coined in a state where you can't buy liquid chlorine? I just need some help understanding.

Thank you again!!