So back to that new mower...

I was lucky enough to get a new mower for my birthday...It was on my to-buy list but I avoided that. It's all fancy-schmancy, mulches the clippings and is self-propelled (though I had to explain it to folks several times before I could even remember the term self-propelled.) Never had one like that before.

It was such an exciting toy at my house everyone wanted to start and use it...turns out one of the key features selling my people on it was that it is an "easy-start" mower and guaranteed to start right up for 3 yrs. My old mower required me finding a sucker - oh no! I mean friend. Yes, friend. - to start it for me every time I wanted to mow the lawn. Apparently I am truly yard tool challenged. Perhaps it's genetic?

Once D went out of town, C's boyfriend was unavailable and there was not an available person within miles I decided the lawn needed mowing. I did half the yard before I ran out of gas. I added gas, started the mower and ran out again so I did the only logical thing. Duh, I trucked on down to the gas station for more. I filled the tank, filled the mower and cranked that bad boy up.

But wait, that's not true. I couldn't start the bitch! I tried and tried until I was tired and disgusted. I read the book. I called folks for their opinion. I blamed the mower. I mentioned it to the ex when he came to pick up the children he deposited with me for swimming. Wonder what he said? He offered to try. He pulled gently (he is a big, strong guy) and the damn thing cranked right up. I was not nearly as pleased as I should have been. He turned it off and asked me if I hadn't learned my lesson yet. What lesson? Apparently you are not supposed to keep your cracked gas can outside because you don't like the smell it puts in your shed. That pleased me even less.

I did verify I could re-start it on my own before he left. He recommended I mow as much as I could to get the water-gas out and get a new can. I think I blew him off a little and I know God don't like ugly...I could tell because once he was gone the damn thing would not start back up. I walked away.

The next day I went and bought a brand new gas can (It's in my shed, much to my dismay) and I added stabilizer to the mower and the remaining gas. Really, I mean what else would you do with it? I'd never pour it out on the ground and have no idea how you "safely" throw out gasoline. The mower cranked right up and I'm certain my neighbors were quite entertained watching me try to get the hang of that whole self-propelled thing. ;)-