[jimhelm]

then you jam the form down into the concrete? and then top them off.

That's what the mason did.... In retrospect, I'm thinking that maybe it would have been better to put the tubes in cut to be flush with ground level.... back-fill with dirt, fill to level with the ground. I'm kind of bummed that I didn't slow him down and tell him what we were doing. I was warned that he was a bit of a blunderer, but this seemed such a basic job, that we figured he couldn't fuck it up. Plus, it literally WAS so fucking hot that all I could really spend my attention on was laying out the location of the bolts I'm putting in the exact spot...which i have no confidence of at this point... and how could there possibly have been this much sweat in my body? Forreals though... I really wish it had been nicer and less rushed by the huge ass concrete truck idling in the driveway while we carted loads back, and how fast it set up. It will serve, but elegant it is not. I'm going to have to cover that shit up.

Anyway... I'm reserving judgement until I can see what I've got after the deck is up.