The Shed--3 or 4 steps back?

This morning we got up on time and decided to rent a plate compacter to flatten the gravel. It worked really well, and we used our full 2 hours worth, then threw it back in the aveo and returned it to the store by lunch time, all ready to start on the shed!

Look, I'm tough enough to use this manly tool...

Here is the lovely compacted gravel.

After lunch we officially opened the shed. We got out the instructions, and the first thing they said to do was take everything out and inventory. So we did! Then we turned the page, and...

...the next page said "Before you take out the shed pieces and do inventory, you need to build a wood platform. Materials for platform are not included." Ok, the packaging said that the flooring kit was included, but now we know that just means the thin vinyl tile flooring. But you have to screw the vinyl to a wood platform! And why in the name of Abraham Lincolm did the instructions tell us to inventory BEFORE it told us we had to build a huge wood platform? And how were we supposed to know that since we had to open the shed container and take stuff out to even get to the instructions? Anyway, by this time it was after noon, when every lumber store in town was closed. So we called a friend and he was wonderful and allowed us to borrow his truck and and his table saw, and we drove to Ottumwa to buy lumber (after I had a short cry, but hey, at least I didn't swear or break anything!).



We bought the plywood and all the 2x4's, and began to cut all the pieces. Here is Scott doing a bang-up job of cutting a spike to go into the ground:

And here he is cutting plywood with the circular saw (which is my sister's and is being used for about the 2nd time ever). You may notice that Scott is doing all the sawing--normally I also like to use the tools, but by this point it was just easier and less stressful for me to just stay as the measurer, and Scott to stay on the saw.

After about 100 gazillion cuts, we finally had all the pieces ready to go...by then it was dark and we were exhausted, so we did not build the frame tonight. I guess we will be doing that tomorrow evening, and the shed will go up next weekend. I was hoping to make pear sauce and can it next weekend, as it is that time of year, but that might have to wait...unless it really is an "easy assembly" shed, and it goes up quickly once you have the foundation and the wood platform done.

Oh, and you may have noticed the large pile of gravel still in the pictures. That is not being used for the foundation, so we will now be graveling our neighbor's driveway as well as our own. We should be in that show on HGTV "Curb Appeal: the Block." Only in that show the experts come in and do everything for you...