Mission Complete: The Great Water Fix of 2010

I need to warn you at the outset that this blog post is highly, highly technical. But first, a song (and a jig, if you feel like dancing, and aren't too worn out from watching the Olympics):

Wee-hee-wix
The water is fixed
Wee-hee-wix
The water is fixed
Yippee-ki-yay
Clean water today
Wee-hee-wix
The water is fixed

We are celebrating the successful completion of Steps 3 through 396 of the Great Water Fix of 2010 -- ta-dah!!!



'Tis beautiful, no? Look -- there's water in them -- and it's not yellow or (bleck) brown. I know you are jealous and want one of these for yourself, so I will walk you through all the various components so you will know how to build one in your front yard.

Ready? Follow me.

First we have the black thing that makes a noise:



And it has pipes coming out of it, so you don't want to forget those when you're building your own. Very important -- pipes. Pick up a few at Lowe's.

And then we have the silver thing that plugs in but isn't connected yet because we are waiting for some black things that my husband assures me will blow bubbles. The children are very excited about the silver bubble machine -- or they would be if I told them that's what it was for, which I won't, because Mace might take it and put it in the oven:



And note that there are more pipes on this side of the bubble machine. You'll want to go back to Lowe's and get some more of those because I'm sure you didn't get enough pipes the first time -- you can return the ones you got on your last trip while you're there because I'm sure they're the wrong size. Oh -- and don't forget that purple goop that holds the pipes together. You'll need two of those if you have a two year old, 'cause the first one will go missing. Which reminds me, I need to check the oven.

Next we have the brand spanking new pressure tank -- it does something with pressure, so if you want any pressure, you're going to need one. I took this picture with the camera under the trash can that was covering the pressure tank. Very artistic shot, don't you agree?



Our old pressure tank never had the pleasure of being covered by a trash can, so I'm not sure why this one needs to be, but overall, it enhances the look of the entire set-up.

Next we have the pipes that connect the tank where we dump bleach in to the tank where we blow bubbles:



So when you go back to Lowe's this time, make sure you get one of those little pipes and a T-shaped thingie to join the pipes together. And don't forget a pipe that bends.

As I was gazing upon the grandeur of the Great Water Fix of 2010 this afternoon, I did have one thought:



Were we supposed to get a permit for this?