Sod the sodding sod

Back in spring, a pipe in our front yard’s sprinkler system burst. We tried to water the lawn by hand all summer, but we failed miserably and it died.
Long story short, we decided to put in new sprinklers and grass, and the whole process took the rest of summer, and all of autumn.
Yesterday, thanks to the the shockingly popular 8×10 sale, we finally laid down the sod, and turned our horribly ugly dirt lot into a beautiful front lawn.
Anne and I could never have done this on our own, and I want to publicly thank my friends and family who came over and spent their Saturday putting down almost 3,000 square feet of grass:

  • Darin. You arrived at 7AM, and stayed until the sun went down. In addition top helping out, you kept me calm, each time I was sure we were doing it wrong and everything would die.
  • Shane. Even though you had a wedding to attend in the afternoon, you came and helped. Your Cal Tech brain was most useful in ensuring we did our work as efficiently as possible. Good call on “The Buddy System.”
  • Jeremy. I didn’t know you had to work in the afternoon and evening, but you came and helped anyway. Thank you for making me laugh hard all day.
  • Jenn. I still can’t believe that you worked while we all ate lunch. You were the last person to leave, and you helped me clean up the driveway. Thank you.
  • Mom. Finally, you have first-hand experience being that “ditch digger” you always warned us against becoming when we were kids. 60 feet of trench is 59 feet more than I could have done on my own.
  • Michelle. The layer of sod, the leveler of ground, the bringer of Krispy Kremes.
  • BURNS! You helped us all morning and well into the afternoon, and then went and worked a long shift last night. You’re always there for us when we need help, except for that one time you forgot…but after yesterday, we’ll never speak of that time again.
  • Dad. I’m glad that you didn’t kill yourself surfing, and that you came all the way to our house from Rincon. The caution tape clearly and politely says, “Stay the fuck off my new lawn, you little creeps” to all passersby.

As I stood in my driveway last night, looking across my beautiful new lawn, I felt a pride in my house that I haven’t felt in over a year. It just looks beautiful, and we never could have done this without the help that you guys gave us…and that’s the best part of all of this, IMHO: you guys all gave up your Saturday to help us out, and you all worked harder than I ever expected. You guys are awesome.
Thank you.

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49 thoughts on “Sod the sodding sod”

  3. Oh man! Wil is talking about his lawn…Next thing you know he’ll be driving a minivan 😉

  4. i need a new lawn, too. it’s not so much grass as mowed weeds right now. guess i should make some more friends… maybe if i convince the neighbors it’ll improve property values, they’ll pitch in. or get them drunk.

  5. Wil,
    Glad to see the grass is greener on the other side. Hope you all had fun even though you worked hard. My best as always to you and your family.
    Until your next post……
    Matt……

  7. Its 20 and snowing here and you are laying sod there. One of us lives in the wrong place and I dont think its you, brother…LOL

  10. So where in the world is there a Krispy Kreme in Pasadena. On second thought, don’t tell me. I’m fat enough already. 😉

  12. you know what, no one cares about fuckin front lawn Wil. But its funny that you were to lazy to hand water it. It must be hard having to do real life things like take a dump and water lawn.

  13. How can there be this many responses to this entry?
    Why am I replying????
    ACK!
    P.S. Far from the first post. WOOHOO!

  14. Hey Wil,
    do you guys do outside contract work?! hahahaha 😀
    Glad to hear about the lawn being done and nice caution tape haha.
    Lisa Marie

  18. Wil, How about a picture of the lawn. You don’t have to show the house (I know how you are about privacy and all)
    But I’ve been debating sodding myself (wait…I’ve been debating sodding my yard!)
    And I’ve never seen a picture of someones yard that had it done.
    c’mon
    be a brother to me

  19. I don’t know where it is, but a friend of mine once won a dozen krispy kream donuts at a dodger game, so it must exist!
    Good job on the lawn, will. RMWC’s lawns are snowy white.

  21. Planting a lawn in December. I wish. Having a lawn at all, I wish. All I see is snow where I am.
    Wil, since you refer to the shockingly popular 8×10 sale, did you sell out? It’s nice to know that money went to something that will not only give you and your family pleasure, but that makes the neighborhood a little greener.
    Good friends and family are great, aren’t they?

  24. LAWN PARTY AT WHEATON’s ! ! !
    Tonight – 7pm til whenever. I’m bringin’ 2 kegs. Wil’s making teri-burgers on his George Foreman. Anybody got a Slip-n-Slide?
    🙂

  25. Wil,
    I don’t know as you really read the e-mail sent to you (no offense), but I think you do read the comments … so, do you remember “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” which introduced the Traveler?
    Well, one of the writers for that, Diane Duane, who also has done a lot of professional Trek fic for Pocket Books, included an entry in her blog today that linked to this below. I figured you might get a real chuckle out of it, since you’re a LOTR fan, too:
    http://lotr.fistfulayen.com/
    Gangsta rap, Tolkein-style. Get it now before they’re cease-and-desisted. 🙂
    “Go Gollum! Go Gollum! Go Gollum! Go Gollum!”
    🙂
    Mike
    P.S. Duane’s blog is at http://outofambit.blogspot.com/ …

  26. Great job Wil! Glad to see that worked out well for ya.
    hehe if you ever find yourself in Kentucky, look me up. My lawn could use some serious attention. I’d be happy to supply plenty of junk food! >;}

  27. Wil,
    As I was reading this entry I was thinking “What the hell is this guy doing laying sod in the middle of winter when the ground is frozen and there’s snow outside?” then I remembered you live in California. *blush* Oops. Anyway I’m glad your grass is green, Congratulations. 😀

  29. The way you write, you almost make me feel guilty for not having stopped by and helped as well 😉
    Tibbo

  30. Ok Wil, you know your well known and liked when people will post best wishes over your lawn.
    Um, best wishes.

  32. Oh God, Krispy Kremes? You mean, legalized Crack? This Michelle you speak of, she must be worshipped appropriately. And my address is (for her random acts of kindness) 123 Givemedoughnuts Ln., Krispy Kremes, Crack CIty, 55555

  33. Your friends and family are remarkable. They could of screwed around for the entire weekend, but they came to help you. That is a great bunch of friends and family that you are cherished to have around.
    Your friends and family should do an instructional video, so they can train othe people to become better friends and family members.

  34. My life is so deviod of meaning, I troll on the internet to give myself an inflated sense of importance, from 137.143.96.204.

  35. Wil:
    I always thought the money from the 8×10 would be to get Christmas gifts for your family. Few gifts would’ve outlasted the beauty that mother nature offers, and the happiness you got from charing that time with your friends and family. I’m glad I was able to put my little seed into your lawn.
    Ana Marylee

  36. I’m not sure of the Netiquette, and I don’t want to start a flame war (usually we are either touched by the writing or laugh with it) but negitive comments in a generally up-lifting message area really get to me. Would someone please let me know if I can pull a slinky on these kinds of toads or if I should really just leave them be, knowing that karma will catch up to them.
    PS.. Slinky. as in “That person is a real slinky. Not really good for much of anything, but still fun to watch tumble down the steps!”
    Alacrity

  37. i totally know what you mean Wil….
    there’s something just so completely satisfying, fun, and well…’wholesome’ about working on the house/property/lawn etc. with family…
    my wife and i just bought a house at the end of the summer..
    about a month after we moved in my folks came for a visit, and my dad and i spent the weekend working on the yard…
    it was great…
    it was like when i was a kid and helping him around the house..
    except this time, it’s my place…
    don’t know what else to say Wil, other than, i know what you mean…
    cheers
    tyson

  38. Re: the pesimistic pricks that left comments telling Wil to get a life etc.
    Let me ask this:
    What do you think is more pathetic? A guy that writes about sodding his lawn, which by the way was more about his friends that took time to help him out than the actual sodding, or a moron that comes to that guys site and tells him he’s a loser just to get attention.
    *sets down troll food*
    Okay, I’m done now.

  39. Wil,
    Hook your sprinklers to a timer, that way you won’t forget to water your lawn.
    Aren’t Krispy Kremes wonderful…

  40. Hey, Wil –
    Not trying to trump your project, but I just wanted to share the home-improvement project that we lived through after the foundation collapsed over the winter. The project had closure when we finally laid sod over the summer. The good thing is, after $30k worth home improvement, the sod was a drop in the bucket AND 1,000 sq ft of livable basement was added where dank cellar used to be. Check out these pics: http://kayt.home.mindspring.com/
    Kayt

  42. Hey Wil. Speaking of “The Buddy System” how come you never talk about that film? Great movie. You were super in it. Was it weird working with Susan Sarandan and Mr. Holland?

  43. Now that was just mean. I was just trying to have some fun, and you go and do that. Wil, hang your head in same. I hope that you feel bad. I was going to try and have some good natured fun, and you had to go and ruin it like that. For shame Wil, for shame.

  44. Wil,
    I just survived a winter storm. I need to move to a warmer climate. What the hell is grass in December? I guess 40 degrees is cold for you. Go visit your Chicago boys now. Go ahead. Take care of your grass man.
    FG

  45. At least you sod your own grass (with the help of friends, of course) unlike many other “stars” and Pasadenans. Heck, my neighbor even paid to have other people do it for him and he is an insurance salesman. Good to know your life is all glamour 😉

  46. Heh. Krispy Kremes. Every time I go visit the folks in D.C., I have to buy a couple dozen for when I return to Boston. Otherwise, my friends won’t speak to me. Somebody described Krispy Kremes as legalized crack. I couldn’t agree more. I’ve seen grown men and women get into fights over those damn donuts. When a new Krispy Kreme shop opened in Baltimore, they had to build a new lane on the street because of the traffic created by cars waiting for the drive-thru window, which happened to be a two hour long line that circled two blocks.
    Your so-called friend Michelle is nothing but an enabler. I bet after the donuts were gone, everyone got the shakes and sweat profusely, eh, Wil?
    🙂

  48. Well I WAS a fan until I read that “America bashing” stuff about the upcoming war with Iraq. As a former Infantry Soldier, I have been noticing that those who have exactly ZERO experience in the securing of America usually have the most to say about it…and it’s usually negative.
    I guess it’ll take a nuclear explosion (courtesy of sadame hussein), here in the states, to get your attention. Well I am confident that it will eventually happen and when it does, maybe…MAYBE you America hating liberals will have learned your lesson.

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