nice work , rhon! as i've followed through all this i can relate..from a roofing standpoint..did my 3500 square ft of shingles roof myself this past may and everyday it was back up on the roof..2 nails in my foot, carpal tunnel in both hands, my bad back to start with , cramps, 2nd degree sunburn..but by god, i was a madman and got it done..i may have had a wee bit more motivation as everytime something was aching and sweat was burning my eyes, i thought of the 15,000 dollars in labour i saved doing it myself (boom province of alberta..it's charge whatever you like days for contracting..if you can even find someone to do the job) i celebrated in a small way after it was done by promptly ordering a pool heater, new pump, pool vac, piping, solar cover and reel and chlorine generator..3,000 dollars later i feel like i had a darn good meal keep the faith and keep sharing your good stories..i suspect you'll also feel like i did when i put on the last shingle..elated..but the aldrenaline will just be gone..and you'll enjoy that vacation so much knowing you did it yourself and that you're going to be swimming in your new pool. (my wife reminds me often that pools, at least in our area of the world, are pretty decadent) darn right