So the instructions said it would take 2 knowledgeable men (Sexist?  Nah...truthful.) about 16 hours to put this playset together.

My dad and I worked on it for about 8 hours the first day and I worked on it about 4 hours the next day.  We came in well under their 16 hour estimate.  I imagine it would have taken two women about a year and a half to put together (I'm joking...but seriously, it would have.).

Dad was a huge help.  It definitely takes at least two people to put this together.  It wasn't difficult, just time consuming...and the instructions were really vague in a few spots...and they referenced part numbers that didn't exist a couple times, which was awesome (it's a wonder the Chinese are a world power when they can't even provide accurate instructions for a playset)...but we got it done.

Zoe absolutely loves it...and Cooper likes watching Zoe fly around on it...he also really likes the swings.  At first, Zoe couldn't get enough of the slide...but now, she is all about the swings.  She also tackles the mini-rock wall quite well.

• More Playset Photos

Dad and I used a trencher to run a wire underground from the garage main panel to the shed back in December before it got cold.

The trencher sucked.  We literally had to go an inch or two at a time and wait for it to dig down, and then move it another inch or two.  It took hours to go 50 ft.  Horrible.  Digging by hand would have probably been quicker.  Not sure if the teeth were dull, if the clay ground was the problem or what.

But it got done.

After that the sub panel went in.  We got it wired to the main panel.

Then I discovered the meaning of the phrase, "not to code"...so I had to redo a few things...adding a ground bar at the workshop, removing the bonding strip, adding a grounding rod, pigtailing the hot wire since we ran 12/2 instead of 12/3 and couldn't have two wires under the same lug, downsizing the 30amp breaker in the main panel to 20amps, etc.

No biggie...but it was a learning experience for sure.

Anyway, I have the lights on one breaker and the outlets on another.  And best of all...it all works.

And I also ran some of the wire in the workshop through plastic conduit to protect it.  It wasn't required, I just thought it was a good idea.

Other updates:

• Two shop lights are up...need to put up four more yet.
• The workbench is done...vice and bench grinder are mounted.
• Killed a mouse.
• Zoe helped by holding screwdrivers, adding sidewalk chalk murals to the shop concrete floor while I worked...and of course, sitting on the riding mower and making sure it didn't go anywhere.