My bathtub arrived in the middle of January, two months after it was promised. I was given a date in January when it should arrive in a warehouse in Athens. At that point, I was assured, someone would call me and schedule a delivery.

I needed to know ahead of time when the tub should arrive as I was told it would be lowered down a lift gate from the truck in front of my driveway, and I was responsible for inspecting it then and there for damage and getting it to its destination.

Since I had investigated online and discovered that the tub weighed 365 pounds, the tub demanded some coordination of manpower.

So you can imagine my surprise when my husband called me and told me the bathtub had arrived with no fanfare and no notice. It took forever to get here and then just popped up.

I told him he had to inspect it. And he did. He then backed a trailer down the driveway, and he, with some help, was able to muscle the tub in its crate onto the trailer. He then went back down the driveway and backed the trailer under the carport. Backing the trailer under the carport is no mean feat, as it houses piles of important stuff and looks like an episode from "Hoarders.’’

The next project was taking everything out of the bathroom (especially the old tub and sink) and painting. We were lucky to discover that the floor (hardwood) under the old pedestal sink had been refinished and didn’t need any work. The old pedestal sink had a pedestal that was 4 inches wider than the new one. I tried to find one that matched. I couldn’t. At this point I had two bathtubs in my yard.

It took six men almost three hours to get that tub into the house, affix the feet and put it in place. Each corner required a specific foot and the instructions had to be followed carefully so the tub would sit level.

The next day all the plumbing was done for the tub. I now have cut-offs for the water going into the tub. And the plumbing for the water lines is finished. Everyone who came in contact with the project volunteered to take the old tub off our hands, and I had visions of getting some big bucks for the scrap metal in it.

We all underestimated my husband. The old tub is now ensconced on the deck of his cabin. Now he can bathe al fresco.

Paula Travis is a retired teacher for the Newton County School System.