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so I was going to mow the grass this morning, it's pretty cool here this morning, nice day, get an early start & it's not a bad job. DH is gone, kids r at school, I don't have anywhere to be until after lunch so peaceful quiet chore time.

EXCEPT me & this mower have a history & it ain't a rosy one. The lever that engages the blade is at '3:00' under the steering wheel (like a turn signal) & has to move up, 2:00,1:00,12:00, to 11:00 to engage the blades. And it takes every bit of the strength in my right arm to push it around. you know how u can exert more power when your hand is close to your body as opposed to fully extending your arm? well everytime i lean forward to get some leverage under the lever the dang mower tries to die 'cuz my butt is coming off the seat too much!! Finally I fall back to my customary (but undesirable to DH) method: I lean way back in the seat & put my boot on the lever & push like crazy. It usually takes about 3 tries, mainly because my leg doesnt want to make that turn around the top of the steering wheel, i have to make sure my butt is slanted far enough over to maKe the turn. AND if you stop pushing at any point before 11:00 (to readjust your foot or 'cuz DH came around the corner) the #%^* lever will spring back to 3 . I'm telling you, if I ever break that stupid lever pushing it with my foot I'm going to have to leave home, lol.

Well, i finally get the blades going and i make a lap across the front of the house & i circle nice & slow under the lowhanging limbs of an awesome crepe myrtle that has a huge wisteria vine growing thru it. It makes a wonderful little hideaway under the limbs & we're going to get a bench to put under there. Well, You know how you do when you're mowing under bushy limbs & you kinda just lean as far away from the limbs as possible and keep on arm in front of your face? While i was doing that one of the vines LOOPED AROUND THAT DANG LEVER!!! And yes, you guessed it, snatched that lever back down to 3:00 'no mow' position .
So, I get out from under the crepe myrtle where I'll have plenty of room to kick that dang lever & I'm pointed back across the front of the yard when I noticed the mower had SCALPED the grass down to the dirt! on one side. Nice look for the front yard, right? Well, forget re-engaging the blade, i pull onto the driveway where its nice & flat, I spend about an hour adjusting the deck level (there are 3 adjustment points underneath), trying different combinations, searching for a bolt (remember, we just moved & ALL our tools are stacked & piled & wedged every which way under an old barn until we finish building a shed) and then a nut that would fit it, finally find a nut but its one of those no-slip kind that won't turn 1/64th of a rotation without a ratchet, so then I spend a ridiculous amount of time finding two sockets that'll fit (1 for the nut & 1 for the bolt, you know) finally find the magic combo, crank the mower up (& did i mention this stupid mower has the WORST method for engaging the blade) & when I tried to engage the blade there was a HORRIFIC grinding metal against...metal(?) sound so I immediately turned he mower back off & I'm crawling around the driveway with my face pressed to the ground and my butt in the air trying to see what the problem is. Is the deck binding against something? No, looks fine. The gears? Nothing obvious. The blades? Are they in a bind? Hmmm, seem to rotate freely by hand...about 1/2 a turn! There's the noise! lo & behold one of the blades is bent & when it comes around a certain point it's digging into the driveway. Too bad I didn't check the blades an hour and a half ago when I first noticed the furrow! Oh well, guess I'm not mowing. What else is on the list?

Oh! I need to take the trailer off my little truck so I can run errands after lunch. Saturday, we (me, Dh, ds, & dd) all loaded up in it to go to town since its our only towing vehicle & we needed to go to lowes to pick up plywood & siding for the shed. Saturday was also my & Ds's birthday so we stopped off at our favorite Thai restaurant for birthday lunch. Got home, covered the trailer with a tarp since its been kinda rainy & we weren't quite ready for the plywood yet & my little truck has set there until today. DH is gone, kids are gone, im going to use the truck for running around after I unhitched the trailer but I need to back it into position first. I go put up the mower key, grab the truck key & when I open the door I am faced with the realization that the kids LEFT THE THAI LEFTOVERS IN THE BACKSEAT OF MY TRUCK, for 4 days, in the middle of August, in Mississippi. crap. Do u know how long it took me to get rid of the chicken odor after they left a frozen chicken behind the seat? (sending your kids to the grocery store has its liabilities). To be fair, it was well hidden & they DID bring in EVERYTHING else.
Ok, this too shall pass. And it's kinda spicy smelling so it wasn't TOTALLY unbearable, so I'm going to have to suck it up, ride with the windows down, buy an air freshener

Ok, ok, still gotta unhook that trailer! Pull it around to where it supposed to be & notice my little truck's having a hard time pulling it...? I know it's heavy but not THAT heavy...maybe the ground is too soft from the rain...? Put it in park, go look to see if I'm sinking. Nope. I've gotten the dang tarp caught under the tire & as the tire rolls its pulling the tied down tarp further & further under it, ripping the tarp & dragging yet another furrow in the yard

So, I'm done. I thought about finding a sewing project but I'm kinda scared to with the way today has started. Best idea would probably be to go find a beer & lay under the crepe myrtle tree except I still have those errands to run in my spicy chicken smelling truck.

Have a great day!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: toryam,

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Oh hon, I'd say you've earned the beer and the break! Errands can wait, there will always be more errands.

Might I suggest that when you DO go run errands, you add "buy new mower" to the list

Hang in there!

Lisa

PS- I'd stay out of the sewing room, were I you.

Oh darlin' you have DEFINITELY earned a beer & a break!! Maybe even a margarita. Frankly, I might put that mower out of it's misery.

I have a bit of a history with my mower too. Nothing like yours, but apparently, my arm strength is pitiful because I pull and pull and can't get the dumb thing to start. I refuse to call DH to start it for me, so I start getting angry. Finally, I'll get so mad I yank the *$%# out of it and it starts. Then I spend the first 5 minutes of mowing, cursing at the stupid thing. Always fun!

Agree, no sewing for you, sounds like you need to go back to bed and start the day all over again. We left a plastic gallon of milk in the truck one time and it was weeks before we figured out what stunk in the van. We left the windows open as often as we could so the smell would go away, but it took a long time. It was summer and very hot that year too.
Find a good book to read and I surely hope that the rest of your errands are more easily accomplished. Pat

You and my DH! LOL I'm sorry...no LOL... for you and DH.

DH got on the tractor to mow yesterday morning. He uses a finish mower and mows about 8 acres including the yard. The last time the blades were sharpened he knew that they should be replaced so he'd already bought the replacement set. After the first pass, he noticed he wasn't getting a smooth cut. Sure enough - the tip of one of the blades was bent. So back to the shop where he replaced the blades. Second pass - he has a patch of grass in the middle that wasn't touched. Back to the shop to remove the too short blades he was sold...in the pickup to a town about 18 miles away to swap out and get the correct blades. Back to the shop to install the correct blades.

I called him from the dentist's office about 10:30 yesterday morning to let him know that the procedure to "install" the post for my implant was over...I felt okay...was headed back that way (1 1/4 hour trip one way) when he told me about his morning. He was just about to get on the tractor to start mowing. He did get all his mowing done.

This morning it's weed-eating time for him.

BTW, a ratchet was involved in setting the post in my upper jaw for the implant!!!! So I was involved with tools too.

well, dear Char, sounds like you will have an ear-full for your DH later today! Frustrating!

Go ahead and sew...it will calm you and all will go well...

Your first mistake was to go anywhere near a lawnmower.

DH bought a new mower about 15 years ago. Of course he got the biggest honkin' (push) mower he could get, big engine, souped up horsepower, etc. I tried it one time & when it attempted to drag me into the bushes, I handed the key over to DH & said here -- it's YOUR baby now. And I haven't touched it since.

If someone made a cute little pink Hello Kitty lawnmower, they'd probably make a killing. But there are just some machines better left alone. DH's car is the same way. It HATES me & always finds some way to tell me. Usually it'll light a random dashboard warning light (that won't go on again for DH), it'll shut off the radio if I try to change channels, or else Nav will get stuck in the "on" position & I can't make that Nav broad shut up. I've never seen a car so ornery!!

Oh my...now I'm reviewing my day with more respect. Thank you so much for making it seem easier.

Got the yanking thing down too...a buddy showed me how to fill my power steering fluid in the car...made it look so easy...sure I can do that...hubbs tells me (on the phone, yeah where is he to do this) to push the hood lever in the car...hmmmm.. no workie...he gave me the dyslexic answer (it's pull) I pull and pull, no hood release, finally get mad and yank the snertz out of it, thinking it will break. No, apparently that's the regular strength one must use with this 23 year old vehicle not driven much for 15 because of my hip injury. Get the hood adjar. Sprain thumb trying to move little yellow lever to the left, so I can HEAVE up the 400 lb hood...oh no...forgot to reach for the "stick" thingie to hold it up. Shoot, that just fell over. Well, clunk goes the hood. Get stick, power steering fluid in places I can reach,slide (hahaha) yellow button over...shove stick in while holding hood up with shoulder...oops the top part of it slides down, can only rest on middle part...oh who cares, I can slide in the 1 foot opening to pour in this stuff...don't overfill or pour outside cup. whoops. Well, that's what the towel is for...struggle to get hood up,thingie knocked out,drop hood. huff puff...need nap. Buddy made it look so easy, says he'll make me a mechanic yet. Many chances left for that to occur...it's a leak.

sigh. I R WOMAN. Thank goodness I'm too old to be drafted.

Can't we PAY people to do all of life's unpleasant tasks? That's my mantra. LOL

Oh Sweety! You deserve a medal for not throwing that lawnmower into the nearest lake. As for the trailer antics, the tarp was out to get you.

Chicken in the car, ouch. My DH has left 8 pound bags of ice in the car, (3 different times) Makes a right good mess and smells a little moldy, but rotten chicky beats it everytime!

Get you a big ole glass of sweet tea and sit out the rest of the day.

judy

Well, I'd be huntin' up a big glass of wine myself!!! And a good book. You've had enough hassle for one day.

Besides, don't you have teenagers who can do that lawn mowing??? Hmm?????

I prescribe lots of chocolate, that beer or margarita, and a really nice time in your favorite comfy spot with a nice book. I'm not sure you should try anything with a needle or scissors today. You could go pet your fabric for awhile and find a new project to start.

My DH refuses to do grass. We pay the guy. He told Wife No. 1 that he does not do grass. A couple of years later she gave him a lawnmower for his birthday. Result? DIvorce 6 months later.

I was asked at the gardening store to enter a contest for a lawnmower. Ha, ha! I told the guy my husband divorced his first wife when she gave him a lawnmower. No way was I making that mistake. He thought I was nuts. Okay, no comments.

I'm just glad it was a low stress day to start with, lol. I figured it might give some of you a chuckle.

to top it off, my inchie bag strap bit the dust on the way out to run errands.

seriously?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: toryam,

but look at this awesome tree (ignore the scalped patch around the left side, haha)

Char, don't you love crepe myrtles? They are so gorgeous in the heat when everything else has taken a nose dive. I have several along my drive and one in the backyard that has a huge antique rose climbing through it. I think wisteria is a great idea.

Scalped patch? I don't see any patches, LOL.

Sorry about your bag. I think you should buy yourself something really nice today.

.... OH MY GOODNESS ladies ... I am laughing so hard I am rolling on the floor with a huge gut ache (yes, both, gut and ache) I'd love to have a margarita with you, but I'm afraid that gorgeous Crepe Myrtle would fall over on me!
YOU are a freekin hazard!

Do NOT touch your sewing machine today!!! Hard telling what would happen to it. Just take the rest of the day to think about your next sewing project.

Oh my word, laughing so much. When DH and I married I told him there was one thing I had never done and didn't plan on ever doing, mowing the lawn. I've been true to my word and have never laid a hand on the lawn mower. I bought him a riding lawn tractor when we moved in our new house 7 yrs ago because we have over 3 acres to cut. He used it a couple of times and something went wrong with it. He had someone from Sears come and fix it and used it a few times and then something else happened to it. It sits in our basement and we pay someone to cut our grass. In all fairness, our lawn slopes from the street down to the house and he hated the thought of cutting it.

I think I would just give up and find a nice cool place to lay back with a cool drink and a good book and some chocolate.

You have had one more kinda day..

I will leave you with a little limerick my granddaddy used to tell us while we were growing up..

chicken in the car
and the car won't go
chicken fell out
and broke his toe...

I am laughing out loud! Not only is the story wonderfully hilarious, you wrote about it so well!! I hope your day goes better tomorrow! Thank you sooooo much for sharing. Haven't we all had days like that and it reminds us to try and laugh - at least a little bit! sorry, too about your bag!

Quiltaholic - your little rhyme made me laugh out loud, too!

Thanks,
Susan
About your mower engagement handle...we have one just like that and I complained to the guy where we got it. He looked at me as if I were nuttier than he remembered and told me to spray the belts and stuff between the mower and the tractor with WD40. It helped a lot!!! Can't hurt it! You still have to throw the lever, but it is a little easier!

My goodness! you did have a cloud of something following you...maybe planning to sew would be good for today.
We have an electric mower now, at my request. Hauling around 50' of cord beats pulling on those **** pull-start cords. Hubby's knees past few summers required me to do the mowing...oh, but I didn't even think of hiring it done!
nancy, if you make sure the wheels are straight when parking that car, the fluid won't leak out so fast, and you won't have to go through the ordeal so often.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: wildcatmom,

nancy, if you make sure the wheels are straight when parking that car, the brake fluid won't leak out so fast, and you won't have to go through the ordeal so often.[/quote]

Omy goodness! Thank you so much!!! I did notice that sometimes there was a bigger puddle than others! Does that apply to flat ground versus slant as well????

AHA...when the wheels are turned, there must be more fluid flowingto the mechanism that makes the wheel turn!!!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: nancyc20,

Bless your heart! A nice long bubble bath with a good book and a glass of wine or bottle of beer sounds about what is needed right now... Chris

Char you deserve a break today! :P
So sorry dear you have had a DAY!
Too bad about the bag....but if you take a strip of denim and stitch it all together again it will look fine...too soon to retire the inchies!

And that is part of the reson I now live in an apartment - no mowing! Girl, I think this constituted an emergency. I'm sure I could've convinced my boss of that if you called me. I would've raced down, piced you up and taken you away from all that stress.

Tory - I have to admit that saga made me laugh a lot...your descriptions were just so very vivid

I was required to mow the lawn when I was growing up - vowed I would never do it again once I left my parents house....still true to my vow!! I didn't mind the mowing so much as the scraping of the underside with a putty knife after each time, UGH!!

You had quite a day!

Gorgeous crepe myrtle! I have three dark red CMs down by the entrance to my driveway. LOVE them!

Last Saturday evening, I went with step-D and her family to visit friends' new home. Friends drove by their old home of 14 years. New owners ripped out all the planting beds AND the crepe myrtles. Friend said that none of the new plantings were over a foot high. Go figure...

Toryam: Re your bag...give it an inch and it takes a mile!!!

Be sure and save your story for a scrapbook or something...it's HILARIOUS!!! Such a good writer!!!

What a day you had!!! And the thread reads as if some others have had not so good days with mowers.

I never tried one, don't intend to. That's man's work!!!!!

A darn good thread for chuckles and laughs.

Sorry, I'm sitting here laughing so hard at a computer screen, glad no one can see me.

What a day you had, and you express it so well.

Katiemedarlin - your story is also mine - grr. I'm about ready to go buy a new mower, after all a mower that is 30+ years old probably has the right to be persnickety about starting!

Laughing at all the stories - we don't just sit at those sewing machines all day.

Your story was funny but also so scary. Don'tcha know it's dangerous to do things like that when you're home alone? At least it would be if I was trying to do them! lol. That's the reason I have a neighborhood kid cut my acre of grass. I figure I am contributing to the local economy. Hannah cuts my (and neighbors') grass (as did two of her brothers before her), then she pays her dad rent on his tractor and weed-whacker. It's so much better for my blood-pressure!

As for the smelly vehicle, my ex came back late at night from a fishing trip and left a cooler in the back of the car. "It's ok, it's empty." he said. Well not quite... It still had ice in it that had been packed around the fish. Ice melts, drain stopper leaks, fishy water soaks into carpet. Two days later...fill in the blanks!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: quiltinnana,

Oh my!!! I would've just left the lawnmower, truck & everything else where they sat. Gone inside, got a drink (doesn't matter what kind), gone to my sewing room, closed the door & DARED anyone to disturb me. I love cutting our grass (have riding lawnmower) & love working in the yard. BUT if anything goes wrong with any of my "tools" DH gets an earful.

Snertz!!! Gotta use that in the future!!

Bless your heart!!

Gina

I thought I was having a bad morning until I read about yours. I was laughing thru my tears, not at your troubles, but at your telling of them. I could hear the "Oh, sheet!: throughout. Always remember my motto "This too shall pass." I give you a lot of credit tackling(or trying to) all those outside jobs.

I hope your day today has been going much more smoothly. Thanks for sharing your treacherous experiences. Who wudda thunk that a vine could adjust the controls on the lawnmower?

Tory: I just read your post.
This sounds so much like a "I Love Lucy" episode!
Don't ya know we all have those "Lucy" days.

Hope the machines leave you alone for a while.