The Blonde has dictated that there will be a new patio poured by June..........her turn to have her high school "girl clique" come to visit..........and the patio that has been there for 20+ years is cracked, heaved, etc etc.

(The Machinery element is coming-----hang on.)

I of course said to merely tell them that ".....it is flagstone.........and they're all older than I am (I married an older woman, and ran with her group during highschool).......so I know damned well their eyesight ain't what it used to be........"

Didn't work..........just really p-d her off.........like poking a stick at a diamond back.

 So..........I need to break up a 30 x 30 cement pad, and steps going into the house........and pour a new one...................WITHOUT DISTURBING THE LAWN.

(Should have done it last fall.......but I kinda hoped the urge would pass......stupid me)

The lawn borders a field........and the cement pad is about 100-125 feet from the edge of the lawn...........so, we have about 100+ feet of potential rut.

Now........the Machinery Talk element..........

I could bring in the backhoe, and probably not rut the ground too much.......but that is ASSUMING everything is just ducky the day we tear things up.

We can get a jack hammer to break up the existing concrete........but hauling it away.......wheelbarrows?........I'd have a rebellion on my hands from the crew..........

And.........we have to get the cement in.

So...........first thought is demolition mats........or the mats they use to put on concrete when moving tracked equipment across the concrete.

Anyone have a brilliant idea?

(Divorce is not an option..........have some land that has not been owned for 10yrs, so I would have to pay IA tax if I had to sell it......)

(I'm kinda looking forward to the visit........a couple of the "old biddies" are two whom a buddy of mine and I used to play "tackle" football with.......in the vacant lot, kinda at dusk, in 7th grade.......when they were just taking shape.....just the four of us..........................haven't seen them for a number of years..........but that's another story..........)

 Thanks for the bailout.