There are few things in life you can count on. Death. Taxes. Software updates nobody asked for. And apparently my neighbors leveling their above-ground pool for the fourth time.

This afternoon’s episode featured the return of the skid steer, because when a shovel fails three times, the logical next step is heavy construction equipment. Nothing says “simple backyard pool project” quite like a machine normally used for moving tons of dirt around construction sites. At this point I’m expecting the Army Corps of Engineers to show up with survey equipment and a project manager.

From my deck, I watched the skid steer make another appearance while the pool site received what can only be described as yet another “final adjustment.” The previous adjustments were apparently not final enough. Somewhere beneath that pool is enough disturbed earth to qualify as an archaeological dig. Future historians are going to uncover layers labeled: Attempt #1, Attempt #2, Attempt #3, and the current masterpiece, Attempt #4.

The best part is the confidence that comes with each new round of leveling. Every attempt arrives with the same energy: this time we’ve got it. Then a few days later the machinery returns like a sequel nobody requested. The skid steer rolled in carrying dirt and optimism, two things that seem to disappear at roughly the same rate around this project.

For now, the operation continues. The pool site is flatter than it was yesterday, at least according to the latest measurements, calculations, guesses, and prayers. I’ll be watching from the deck, waiting to see if Version 4.0 finally ships without bugs. Human beings really will spend an entire summer trying to make water sit evenly in a circle.