Damn lawmowers

The score: Lawnmowers 3 Me zero

Our lawnmower (a 22in, 5hp, cut and mulch with BIG wheels in the rear) broke a few months ago. I've been taking care of the yard by pretending that my weed eater is actually an AH64A Apache attack helicopter, and by executing a series of dangerously low high speed passes, and a number of equally dangerous upside down landings, the yard has been pretty well - acceptible.

Yesterday, I was badly teased. No, not by a bikini clad 19 year old tart at the pool..oh no - but by a pissy little 1 hp mower that I rescued from the trash pile of someone in my hood. I cleaned the plug, wd-40'd it, added gas, and actually got it to start. And to run - and to cut 1/4th of my yard, before it gave me the finger. It refused to start, AND a hurt myself when I pulled on the starter cord, and it let loose - causing my right fist to hit and bruise my right boob. But it motivated me to do two things:

1. Raise it over my head with 2 hands, yell like a madman, and throw it about 15 ft across the yard. The older boy was watching from his playground, and added "You do just like Hulk, daddy. That be cool"

2. Attempt to repair the older (and much nicer) mower. I called around, and found a place that bad a new float, and went to get it (we ALL went to get it-it was a family thing). When I got there, the guy told me that I didn't need a new float, but a seal kit (which is what I originally asked for). 10 minutes and $10 dollars later, I leave with a spiffy fixed carb. We get home, I put it back together - and it actually ran. Leaked gas like a bitch, but it ran. The gas tank, it turns out, has a crack near the top, and gas (althought the tank is only 1/3 full, manages to leak out the top. One more thing to fix. My glory only lasted about 5 minutes - when it stalled and refused to stay running.

It has some damn air leak - or something. It starts - then just as it starts to reve up, it revs down - and dies.

The wife decided that we would pop back to the yard sale, and se if they would sell their mower for less. They had already sold it, but refered us to a local "old guy" who fixes mowers for a living. After seeing his selection, we finally agreed on one, for $45. He agreed to come down on the price $10 if we gave him our old mower (not the hulked one, but the nicer one that has hope of running again. I'm supposed to "do the deal" tomorrow. I've given it some thought, and my "man"ness has kicked in. I will buy the new mower, but I'll be damned if that friggin old one will get the better of me. For $10, I think I'll keep it, and tinker a bit. I'm SOOOO close to getting it running. And with him only offering $10 in trade, I figure where else can I get an "almost" working mower (that I know the history of). I may end up "hulking" it as well, but at least I'll have a spiffy $45 used mower to cut the damn grass with while I do.


OH - I wanted to blog about this last week, but never got to the computer:

We are leaving the Y, after a great morning of swim lessons, and playing, and male bonding - and we are getting ready to leave the parking space, when the lady next to us loads her kids, and says (as she looks at the car parked in front of her) "Guess we won't be going straight out". (The space in front of me was empty). Logan asks "Will WE be going straight out?"

Me: Sure will. Daddy's got a truck. You know how I drive. "

Short pause

Logan: "Rock on, daddy"

Me: "Rock on, Logan"