Category: Lifestyle

Deck Covered with Clear Corrugated Plastic Pergola

Recently I covered my deck with clear corrugated plastic so our family can enjoy our deck during Seattle’s “Rainy Season”. Huge shout out to Rain and Pine! Their guide to constructing a DIY covered deck was excellent. They are also in the Seattle area and built a beautiful covered deck. I haven’t painted mine yet like they did…

https://www.rainandpine.com/diy-clear-corrugated-covered-pergola-attached-to-the-house-and-an-existing-deck/

Our Deck was quite a bit longer than the one on Rain and Pine. Ours is about 23′ and theirs was 16′. This required us to add a post in the middle of the deck.

It was amazing how sturdy the roof was and how much sturdier it made the deck railing. Before it wiggled a little bit if you tried shaking it. Now with the roof secured to the railing it is rock solid. The covering should also extend the life of our deck since the deck flooring will remain dry.

We deviated from their plan when it came to locking into place the 4×4 posts to the 4×6. We had several more posts than they did and did not want to hassle with securing multiple 2×4’s to each junction point of a post and the 4×6. Instead we opted for a bracket that secures the two together. This made the 4×4 post and the 4×6 rock solid. The downside to this is that the bracket cost $18! We needed 5 of the brackets so that was another $100 bucks added to the project right there, but in the end it was worth it.

In total, it cost us about $950 to build a 23′ x 8′ roof for our deck. This did not include the tools which I already had or borrowed from my Dad. This is an awesome deal considering a 12’x10′ covered pergola on Wayfair costs $1500-$3800+

We built the deck in two days, with about 10 hours of labor total to get the job with two people.

Here is a link to our list of materials and costs of materials:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CAesT7CdHfs-HgNK861iL-qNsqbqZwpU16f-NiVLSO8/edit#gid=0

How to Follow Your Passion


“YOLO” advocates will tell you that you should pursue your dream no matter the risk or cost. However, it isn’t that simple. It is important to assess your own tolerance for risk in your career choices before planning your next move. It is crucial to follow your true passion(s) to find happiness and fulfillment in life, but there are many ways to go about this pursuit. The various methods are listed below, in order of decreasing risk.

  1. After graduating high school, following your passion instead of going to college.
    1. Pros
      • Gives you more time to accomplish your goals and follow your passion than if you were to spend 4 years at college.
      • No college education expenses.
    2. Cons
      • Studies show that people with college degree have higher chance of being successful and gaining more wealth than those without one.
      • It is your responsibility to gain knowledge that you could have gained in college. Your education won’t be institutionalized and fed to you like it is in school.
      • Depending on what your career or passion is, it may take you a lot longer to “climb the ladder” in a company if you don’t have a college degree.
  2. Graduate high school and go to trade school.
    1. Pros
      • More stability than option 1.
      • No college education expenses.
      • Some people prefer trade school because you can focus on a skill rather than receive a more broad education at a traditional university.
    2. Cons
      • Not as much opportunity to move around within industries after graduation.
      • Can sometimes be as expensive as traditional college.
      • You’re not always guaranteed a job upon graduating.
  3. Go to college and get a bachelor’s degree that you enjoy but doesn’t have good job prospects
    1. Pros
      • More happiness since you are interested in what you are studying.
      • There are many jobs out there that simply require a college degree, regardless of the major.
      • College work will feel less arduous since you enjoy it.
    2. Cons
      • Difficulty in finding job could result in you being in the same position you were at before college, but with 4 years burned and a diploma that no employers care about.
      • Debt that you can’t pay off
  4. Go to medical school after getting pre-med degree
    1. Pros
      • Very fulfilling career helping people with their health
      • Society respects and loves doctors
      • High paying job
    2. Cons
      • Massive debt from medical school
      • Poor work life balance
      • Stress and lack of sleep can impact you and your family
      • Takes many years to get to the point where you have your own practice
  5. Go to college and get a bachelor’s degree that you may not enjoy but has good job prospects. Get a job to make money and follow passion during free time.
    1. Pros
      • Better chance at being financially stable
      • Money from your job helps you pursue your passion
      • Always have a career to “fall back on” if passion doesn’t work out
    2. Cons
      • Don’t get to put as much time towards your passion because your job tires you out and takes up most of your time
      • Left wondering if you should have taken the risk and gone with option 3.
  6. Go to college and get bachelors degree then immediately get graduate degree afterwards then get a job.
    1. Pros
      • Studies show that those with advanced degree earn more and are more successful.
    2. Cons
      • Employers often seek out candidates with experience and education, not just long years of consecutive education.
  7. Go to college and get bachelor’s degree. Get a job and experience then go back to school for advanced degree after experience helps you decide what you like best.

Best Case Scenarios

  • Your passion happens to be a career that has good pay and high job prospects (example: engineer, doctor, lawyer).
  • You have unique skills and determination to make them into a career (example: acting or musical talent)
  • You are good at multitasking and can implement multiple of these scenarios. For example, you go to school to be an engineer and at the same time work towards being a professional athlete. Also at the same time, you start an online business.

Final thoughts: Most important point here is to find what makes you happy. Then depending on what it is, you may be able to just do that passion as a career, or find a career that can allow you to pursue that passion. This involves creativity and assessing your tolerance for risk.

“Find three hobbies you love: one to make you money, one to keep you in shape, and one to be creative.”

-Unknown