My San Andreas Fault

Quick –name the largest crack to be found in the earth’s surface.
1. The Grand Canyon?
2. The San Andreas Fault?
3. Nope. Clearly, it’s my driveway.

The good news: Mother Nature has been remarkably well-behaved, giving us a brief extension on summer. The conditions are near idyllic for sealing my driveway.

The bad news: Apparently, every man, woman, and child in a 40-mile radius has decided to do some asphalt-sealing as well. Crack-filler of almost any variety has been removed from the shelves of hardware stores near and far. (I know because I’ve been to four stores in the last few days, nabbing the last of what was on their shelves in every case.) On my way home today, I’m making one more stop at another outlet I’ve not yet pillaged. And I’m hoping to find just a little bit more supply.

I didn’t get all of my prep work done last night as I’d hoped to. I tried. I even tried to get home a little earlier to maximize daylight. (Long story. The plan worked only marginally.) I was outside until after 8:30 and I still couldn’t get it done. I’d covered all the ground I could still see, courtesy of the carport light, before quitting.

Repairing cracks is key to 1) improving the longevity of your asphalt surface, 2) making sealer easier to apply and 3) promoting both a more even finish and complete drying. When I last sealed the driveway (2003), I must’ve done one hell of a patch job. A lot of that work is still intact! Otherwise, I’d be facing an even greater challenge than I already am.

I’m comforting myself in the knowledge that because I am spending all this time prepping, it will not only look better but will ideally hold up well until I can do a big repair job next year. And it’s going to be a doozie. *shudders* But I’ll think about that next year. I’ve got enough on my plate right now!

With some help from the mother, everything else has been removed from the carport. So, after an unanticipated client call that will delay my planned noon departure, it’s back to the trenches … literally. Meanwhile, go guess some more on my music meme! I see a driveway and I want to paint it black ...

And, on an unrelated note, as I prepare to post this, I find that once again, Houseblogs.net is whacked out. OUCH!