Lately, all we want to do on the weekends is lie by a pool. Problem is we have no pool of our own. Luckily, we have a generous friend with the most perfect pool -- landscaped with a nice swath of green lawn, multiple and comfortable chaise longues to flop on after swimming, a lush shaded pergola to escape to with a book or the paper, perfectly temperate water and a fridge full of beer -- who enjoys sharing it. But we're still a little shy...
- Ask before bringing friends: Don't assume it's a come one, come all situation.
- Bring food or beverages: Be generous and go for the good beer, the high-end potato chips, the hard-to-get cupcakes.
- Provide your own towels: Bring at least one per person.
- Make your visit short: Two hours is about right. Your host can always ask you to stay.
- Entertain yourself: Don't expect your host to provide entertainment. He's already providing the pool. Bring a book or just enjoy the quiet time.
Does your home have a pool?
[Image: Michael's Modern 1955 Home]
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That pool is so cool. I do not have a pool, although i do have one available to me in my neighborhood. I can promise you it is not as cool as the one here!
my (grandchild-wanting) parents have a pool, and they love it because its a magnet for friends with young children and neighborhod kids. your etiquette rules are dead on, and i'd add one - well, its my dad's rule- "skim before you swim"- offer to do some small pool-work and at the very least dont track leaves or dirt into the pool. pool maintenance is expensive and time consuming, so an offer to help out, even if not taken, will be much appreciated. also, if you've got kids make sure they are safe and attended! insurance is through the roof if you have a pool- and nobody wants someone getting hurt.
man oh man do i love visiting my aunt down in dc because of her pool! her whole house is like club med! i always do the dishes, clean up after me and anyone else, make the salads for dinner, keep my guest area tidy, etc etc. basically, i match her generosity any way i can. it's very simple!
why don't I have such neighbors???
We have a pool, and it's a salt pool (so no nasty chlorine red-eye for us)...but it is rarely used. In fact, I've only been in it twice since the start of summer. I love having people over for BBQ's, pool parties or just lounging but it's been a weird summer for everyone. I guess the one good thing about this part of the country is that our pools are used year-round. And it's heated for those slightly cooler nights...okay, so maybe a midnight swim is in order! ;)
What's a salt pool?
Monkeyme, I think Kimber means her pool water is saline --- like tears. Not salt water like the sea.
what happens if you swallow the saline? or the kids pee in the pool?
Yeah...still don't know what it is. What's the difference? All I could find online were cholorine creators that use salt.
http://www.intexcorp.com/saltwater.html
That is essentially the same system we use opposed to a chlorine system. Our maintenance guy adds salt to it as needed, but with all the rain over summer the salinity has been diluted so he has added it more than usual.
I love having a pool....I don't swim in it as much as I should but love having to look at it like a lake. We keep it clean even when we don't swim in it. It is a nice conversation piece and I would invite more people over but I don't want the total hassle of entertaining and buying all the food and drinks.