With no carpentry skills whatsoever and no actual plan,
what I did have was a desire to build my own bar
on our patio by the pool!
Spent $126 at Home Depot on twelve 2X4s, outdoor deck screws, metal joiners, Tapcon screws, and a Tapcon drill bit. I then got to work for the next 4 hours.
Something I learned about was gunite, which is apparently what my outside walls are made of. This matters because when I thought I’d simply Tapcon screw the side up against the wall, the wall started to crumble around the drill bit and then the screw. Went back to Home Depot and came across Gary, probably the most knowledgeable guy about homes I’ve come across, and toggle bolts is what I’ll try next!