One thing that was awaiting us upon our return from Utah was a very hefty vertical amount of lawn to mow. The lawns here in Maryland never need watering. During the peak of the growing season the lawns should really be mowed 2 times a week. Since we had been gone for 6 days and it needed a bit of a trim before we left, it was a jungle when we returned. I'm sure our neighbors were judging.
The problem is that when you return from a vacation there is always tons to do. Unpack, do blimp sized loads of laundry, catch up on mail, email, and answering machine messages, smack your forehead with your hand a bunch of times in frustration, etc, etc. So the lawn again takes a back seat for a day or so. By the time we got back to it I was reminded of a slight accident that happened before our trip. I was mowing on the slanted weird side of the lot and was distracted by my 6 year old trying to yell something unimportant to me and whilst I was yelling back at her to "get away from the mower while it's running!" Then I heard a very bad sound. Like the chewing up of a bit stick I'd gone over.
I'm not the most experienced lawn mower. I had 5 brothers who took care of that for us. We gal folks did our chores in the kitchen! I now have a husband who usually does it, or 3 boys who can do a pretty amautre job that their Dad will patch up for them afterwards. So when I heard the awful sound I knew it was probably my fault. It turns out it was not a stick, it was the ripcord. I don't know how I managed to get that stuck under the mower and in the way of the blades, but I am gonna blame it on #1 The slanted hill, #2 The distracting child and #3 Having so many brothers and sons rendering me pretty useless behind the mower. So we tied it back together but only T can start it with his super power grip. For the rest of us it just falls apart or won't start. The mower was on it's last legs anyways. So sadly we had to shell out 600.00 of my couch money on a new mower. Have I mentioned that my walls are purple and my couch is maroon? Plus it's 10 years old that couch! Don't get me started!
10 comments:
I have only mowed the lawn once in my life, and I broke my wrist doing it!
Congratulations!
I am a veteran lawn-mower from my teenage days. We have had our lawn mowed professionally for three years, but my son decided he wanted the money for scout camp this year. Our old mower was not worth saving after so much neglect, so we recently purchased a battery-powered electric mower. I am happy not to maintain the gas engine. The only problem is that I can only get about 2/3 of the lawn mowed on one charge. I've decided that's okay, because my son only lasts through about 1/2 the job anyway. It takes him two days, but he doesn't get paid until he's finished the whole thing.
I also bought myself a battery-powered string trimmer. Again, it's just as well that it only lasts about twenty minutes because the vibration aggravates my neck and shoulder muscles. Actually, there are two batteries, so I could go on for twice as long, but I haven't ever wanted to.
I am also a veteran lawn-mower, seeing as my family only produced women in the beginning. Now a mower that mows the lawn itself- that's a novel idea. Kinda like the one on "honey i shrunk the kids?" Remote controlled, heck yes. :)
Nice mower! Any vehicles of that sort over here look an awful lot like a small vaccuum...and all electric! Cracks me up! Definitely nothing like the riding mower I spent many a summer's day on!
I'm impressed of your usage of the word "whilst". You'd fit right in!
I have run over many metal sprinkler heads during my teenage lawn mowing years. Congratulations on the new mower. I'd love a nice Honda mower but I have always settled for the cheap craftsman models.
saw your comment that you have a puggle. come hang out with my puggle posse. there is a black puggle named alice that is in the DC area too. www.mrpuggple.blogspot.com
Wow! Nice mower! I mow the lawn at our house and quite enjoy it. I never knew how much fun we were missing outon when we were growing up. I would run over the cord in heart beat if I knew I could get a Homda mower. I'm happy with the old orange thing though. Have fun mowing.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your couch!!! ;-)
Thanks Tracy! You are the only one who has been sympathetic about my poor sad saggy couch. Hey- possibly because you are the only commenter here who has actually seen the couch in question...
KT
Hmm-- lawnmower, couch, lawnmower, couch. Tough choices!
I used to enjoy lawnmowing in Iowa where it was FLAT!!! I had an electric mower then and felt very environmentally responsible. Alas, the only way to mow here with the hills is with a self-propelled gas guzzler. Even then it's hard enough that I wonder about using a machete instead. Or buying a goat.
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