Getting Into The Right Frame of Mind
When it comes to mowing the yard, you just have to get in the right frame of mind. Some people hate mowing. Others love it. It is still something mental.
It’s not difficult to mow. It is just all that comes with it. Making sure the sticks are picked up. I can say I am proud of myself for doing that. I have had many 27 twig boogies. It is like the inside of your house. In order to sweep, vacum, or mop the floor you have to pick things up first.
The mental part that can really get to someone is—- Will it Start???? The lawnmower really gets the workout in the summer months. Then it just sits there all winter long. Some lawnmowers don’t make it to a shed or the person doesn’t have a shed. Or one does have a shed that is filled up with clutter, so the lawnmower has to stay outside. The latter was the case for me Pre-Flylady. My shed was full of junk! It was the stuff you think you might need someday that never really added up to anything. But here is my lawn mower that is actually a tool to help you fly and it is sitting out in the elements.
The past three seasons I couldn’t get the lawn mower to start. I had no way to get it to town either. That is another story in of itself. February 2010 I had a vehicle again. It is a 2004 Chevy Blazer. Now, I had a means to transport her to the small engine repair shop. The guy that owns the shop was overbooked so it took until the end of May last year before he had it done. There was something he fixed that I would not have been able to do.
Before the lawnmower came home, I decided the clutter from the shed had to go. I wasn’t going to keep the lawnmower outside ever again! I believe I did 3 – 27 fling boogies and trash day was that week. My lawnmower thanked me for it. She worked beautifully all season long! She started up right away and the self propelled was working too! The only thing that I was probably going to have to invest in was a front wheel this year.
Today Was The Big Day
Today was the big day. Will she start for me? I even took the morning off to rest up for the job at hand. I have a large yard and in a perfect world I would have a riding lawnmower. I drank some creatine high performance drink and took a thermo tab. I have to increase my electrolytes before I mow. I have been known to pass out from the exertion and didn’t want any drama.
I got the lawnmower out of the shed. I poured the gas that I had mixed in a stabilizer I got from the shop. I primed it 3 times and counted to ten. The anticipation was building. Will it start? Yes!!!! It did on the first pull! What a relief! It was hard to believe it only took one pull. So the way I go. I have it all planned out. I am going to mow 3 – 15 minutes and then take a 15 minute rest break. My idea was to sit in my new anti gravity lounger with a big glass of water and admire what I had mowed so far. That was the plan anyway.
Life Happens When You’re Busy Making Other Plans
You know the saying, “Life Happens When You’re Busy Making Other Plans?” Yup, I got another dose of that. I mowed one and a half rounds and the lawnmower just stopped. I thought, maybe it needs some oil. I got the oil and poured it in. It seemed like it was taking an awfully lot of oil. Yet, when I checked the dip stick it showed low. I kept pouring. I primed her again and it started off. The thing is, it started smoking because apparently I put too much oil in her. Boy, did she smoke! It was still running and and so I proceeded to mow. The oil will burn off, right? That was my thinking. I am saying to myself, “I know neighbors there’s an awful lot of smoke coming out of her but I am going to keep going!” I got another round and a half before she wanted to quit again. She quit about the time the smoke ran out and I thought I could relax. No, she wasn’t going to let me.
I pushed her up by the house. I thought if I put too much oil in there I am going to have to dump some of it out. How else do you do that but turn her on her side. While I had her on her side, I noticed weeds wrapped around the self propelled bar. I thought, maybe that is part of what is wrong with her because both times she quit, I was in an area where the grass was thick and high. I cut them off and I also cleaned the housing area where the blade is. While I was doing this, my neighbor and her boys came over to see if I was alright. I explained what I had done and was in the process of making changes. She got a phone call and had to take it. The boys were still looking at my lawnmower.
It was 5:00pm. I was an hour late with our summer snack, freeze pops! She is teaching them not to ask for them. Instead, for me to offer the freeze pops to them. They are 5 years old and 3 years old. It doesn’t matter to me. I will always have freeze pops especially during the summer. It is a tradition I want to share with them. I must respect what their mother says. I was so wrapped up into trying to figure out my lawnmower that I had forgot about our usual 4:00 pm freeze pop snack. I suddenly remembered it. It was a good thing. I needed a break away from my lawnmower. The three of us took our snack time break and visited. They both had all kinds of ideas of what could have happened and what to do now. If it were that easy. Who knows, maybe it is.
We finished our freeze pops so it was back to the lawnmower. I turned her back up and proceeded to prime 3 times and count to ten. I couldn’t help but hold my breath. The boys were holding their breath too. I pulled her cord. Nothing. I pulled her again. Nothing. I pulled the string two times close together. Nothing. The boys were called away to help with supper. I then asked myself what else could it be? There really isn’t too much to the engine. I will check her filter. There is where the problem could be. It was saturated with oil from putting too much in. That would explain the smoke. It is an air filter, not an oil filter! I did put too much oil in it.
I Am Going To Buy A New Air Filter
The only thing now that I can do is go to town to get a new air filter. I was planning to go to town as soon as I had the yard mowed. I don’t even know how much time I messed around with that lawnmower. Longer than I thought, that was for sure. I made a quick supper. It was a nice healthy one too. The greatest part of all of this is that I was “dressed to shoes with hair and make up done!” I didn’t have to think about changing clothes or putting on make up and curling my hair before I go to town. Instead, I was able to grill a pork loin steak and have a salad and vegetables. It was an easy clean up and put my dishes in the dishwasher. I say to my dog Lily, “Let’s go to town and buy an air filter!” She was ready. She is always ready for a ride!
My first stop was to pick up some medication from the pharmacy I use. I have used the same pharmacy for years and they all know me. I told them I was having lawnmower troubles and told them a short version of my experience. I had called them at 2 pm and said I would be in after I got the yard mowed. I got there at 7:30 pm. They were all feeling for me. The subject of lawnmowers really can be quite dramatic and all we do is go around in a circle when they work! I told them I was off to buy a new air filter.
I went to the hardware store and thought while I am at it, I am going to buy a spark plug. I figured it couldn’t hurt. I told the guys at the store what I had done. I guess you are not supposed to tip the lawnmower on her side. The oil and gas flood out the engine. My question is, how else do your get under there to clean it or empty out in my case excess oil? You know, I never really got a straight answer on that either. There was a customer there that deals with small engines all the time and he did give me a couple tips. I am making sure that I write them down in my garden control journal.
Will She Start???
Finally, I am back home, but wait, I can’t mow now it is too dark outside. I thought I might as well wait until tomorrow. I started writing about my misadventures in this blog and the more I wrote the more I wanted to see if she would start after I replaced the air filter. It was dark outside and I can’t mow. But the suspense began to build. I turned on my outside light and proceeded to put the air filter in place. While I was doing this, a pick up drove by. I am saying to myself, “Yes, I know it is dark and can’t mow. I am just not going to toss and turn all night dreaming about the lawnmower questioning whether it will start or not OK?” I put the new air filter in and proceeded to prime her three times. Then I counted to ten, grabbed the pull string and held my breath. I pulled it once. Nothing, but was there a bit more? I pulled the string again and it was like a miracle had happened. It started! I can now call it a night and hope I don’t dream about my lawnmower because when it comes time tomorrow, I am going to have to ask the question, “Will she start??” I am hoping it will because all I want to do is mow the yard and then sit in my new anti gravity lounge chair and admire the freshly mowed grass!
Keep Flying!
Marilyn
