My Hoop-Making Adventure
I have recently been re-introduced to the concept of Hooping (see Hooping.org for more info)and decided I'd try my hand at making a few hoops of my own to use in an attempt to start getting back into shape. Using the instructions I found at http://www.jasonunbound.com/hoops.html I proceeded to drag my little brother (who is temporarily in town on leave from the Navy) to Home Depot to look for materials. All they had was 1/2" poly tubing, so no dice there, but I did manage to pick up a ratcheting PVC cutter and some colored electrical tape. Since I was visiting my mom's house in Laveen, I figured I'd just find a place who had it in stock this time, and pick some up on the way home. Yay! There was a Lowe's near my house that seemed to have the 3/4" tubing in stock that I needed. Excellent.
A 45 minute drive in rush-hour traffic later, I arrived at Lowe's and made my way to the plumbing department. Once again I am surrounded by 1/2" tubing. But I KNOW the right stuff is here SOMEWHERE, because I checked this time. I just had to find it. After waiting my turn for assistance for twenty minutes, I made the employee help me look. He looked lost as I explained that I needed 3/4" inch tubing, not the 1/2" tubing laying about everywhere. He checked all the stacks of one inch tubing again as I discovered some of what looked like larger tubing that was unmarked on a high shelf. If I were 5 inches taller, I could see for myself if it was the correct stuff, but alas I am short and there was no readily apparent ladder. Since the employee had gotten waylaid again by another customer, I continued to wait so he could check on the high shelf for me. I was in luck, it was the right stuff.
Then I had to get connectors. This time we were both stumped as I tried to explain what it looked like and that it was for a hula-hoop, and couldn't have any bits that stuck out. I finally had to call my mom and walk her through a series of web-pages that I remembered seeing a Lowe's part number on. Now I was cooking with propane! I had a PART number! Unable to find where this particular part was hanging out in the store, my faithful employee sidekick called for backup and another fellow seemed to know exactly what I needed. He asked if I needed the 3/4" or the 1".
"3/4"!" I crowed!
"How many do you need, just one?"
"No, I'll take 8". So he pulls out 8 of them and hands them to me and I make my way to the check out stand. Mission accomplished, right? Hah.
I spent an hour at home, heating up the ends of my hoop-to-be and trying desperately to get those damn connectors in. I tried the hair dryer method AND the hot water method. I heated it up for longer when the first tries didn't work. I showed the parts to my long-suffering boyfriend (who still doesn't understand why I wanted to make hula-hoops anyway), who agreed that there was no-way, no-how getting that connector into that tube. It was just too big.
I rechecked all my hooping websites to verify I had gotten the right part number and size and couldn't see anyone that had had this kind of problem. Frustrated, and ready to throttle someone if I didn't get my damn hoop, I ventured once again to Lowes, and took a piece of the tube and one of the connectors with me, hoping to find something similar but smaller. I went to the exact place where the guys had found these for me...and discovered I'd been handed 1" connectors. I checked the parts number. Two boxes over was the 3/4" connectors with the correct part number I'd mentioned earlier...the guys just handed me the wrong ones, despite asking me for what size, and despite the boxes being clearly labeled. I'd been trying to fit a 1" connector into a 3/4" tube for an hour. If I'd gotten it to work, man, that would have been an accomplishment, wouldn't it?
Grumbling, I took my prize home and proceeded to work on my hoops, this time the connector going in like a charm- despite my inability to cut tube in a straight line even with the proper cutting tool. I had this fun flame-covered duct tape I wrapped around my first hoop...and ran out before I was finished. Fuck it, I'll get more later. I had more success with the 2nd hoop and despite my tension headache and the desire to destroy a small town in my best Godzilla imitation, I took them both outside to give them a whirl.
I sucked. I dropped the hoops repeatedly after only a few spins, my heart racing with the effort to keep my overly curvy hips and belly moving fast enough to keep that thing in the air. The dogs thought this was comedy gold, and kept trying to get in on the act. Say what you will, this definitely counts as aerobic activity. I'll try again tomorrow, because stick a fork in me, I am DONE for the night!
A 45 minute drive in rush-hour traffic later, I arrived at Lowe's and made my way to the plumbing department. Once again I am surrounded by 1/2" tubing. But I KNOW the right stuff is here SOMEWHERE, because I checked this time. I just had to find it. After waiting my turn for assistance for twenty minutes, I made the employee help me look. He looked lost as I explained that I needed 3/4" inch tubing, not the 1/2" tubing laying about everywhere. He checked all the stacks of one inch tubing again as I discovered some of what looked like larger tubing that was unmarked on a high shelf. If I were 5 inches taller, I could see for myself if it was the correct stuff, but alas I am short and there was no readily apparent ladder. Since the employee had gotten waylaid again by another customer, I continued to wait so he could check on the high shelf for me. I was in luck, it was the right stuff.
Then I had to get connectors. This time we were both stumped as I tried to explain what it looked like and that it was for a hula-hoop, and couldn't have any bits that stuck out. I finally had to call my mom and walk her through a series of web-pages that I remembered seeing a Lowe's part number on. Now I was cooking with propane! I had a PART number! Unable to find where this particular part was hanging out in the store, my faithful employee sidekick called for backup and another fellow seemed to know exactly what I needed. He asked if I needed the 3/4" or the 1".
"3/4"!" I crowed!
"How many do you need, just one?"
"No, I'll take 8". So he pulls out 8 of them and hands them to me and I make my way to the check out stand. Mission accomplished, right? Hah.
I spent an hour at home, heating up the ends of my hoop-to-be and trying desperately to get those damn connectors in. I tried the hair dryer method AND the hot water method. I heated it up for longer when the first tries didn't work. I showed the parts to my long-suffering boyfriend (who still doesn't understand why I wanted to make hula-hoops anyway), who agreed that there was no-way, no-how getting that connector into that tube. It was just too big.
I rechecked all my hooping websites to verify I had gotten the right part number and size and couldn't see anyone that had had this kind of problem. Frustrated, and ready to throttle someone if I didn't get my damn hoop, I ventured once again to Lowes, and took a piece of the tube and one of the connectors with me, hoping to find something similar but smaller. I went to the exact place where the guys had found these for me...and discovered I'd been handed 1" connectors. I checked the parts number. Two boxes over was the 3/4" connectors with the correct part number I'd mentioned earlier...the guys just handed me the wrong ones, despite asking me for what size, and despite the boxes being clearly labeled. I'd been trying to fit a 1" connector into a 3/4" tube for an hour. If I'd gotten it to work, man, that would have been an accomplishment, wouldn't it?
Grumbling, I took my prize home and proceeded to work on my hoops, this time the connector going in like a charm- despite my inability to cut tube in a straight line even with the proper cutting tool. I had this fun flame-covered duct tape I wrapped around my first hoop...and ran out before I was finished. Fuck it, I'll get more later. I had more success with the 2nd hoop and despite my tension headache and the desire to destroy a small town in my best Godzilla imitation, I took them both outside to give them a whirl.
I sucked. I dropped the hoops repeatedly after only a few spins, my heart racing with the effort to keep my overly curvy hips and belly moving fast enough to keep that thing in the air. The dogs thought this was comedy gold, and kept trying to get in on the act. Say what you will, this definitely counts as aerobic activity. I'll try again tomorrow, because stick a fork in me, I am DONE for the night!