Outdoor Power Equipment and its Usage

So I bought my first piece of outdoor power equipment last Saturday--a brand new lawn mower, complete with self-propel action. I have decided that outdoor power equipment is an ordeal. First, I didn't understand half of what the descriptions meant. Does it matter if it has a 6.5 torque engine? Second, outdoor power equipment comes in large, heavy boxes. The Home Depot dude struggled getting it into my car. I struggled getting it out of my car.

I ran out of daylight to mow my lawn on Saturday, and I was busy preparing for class yesterday, so that means that today was the day to mow my lawn. I think that the grass was about 8 inches high at least.

It took me longer to "prepare" to mow my lawn than to actually mow it. I had to read the instructions (because I am an instruction reader), and they freaked me out and made me think that the lawn mower would sever one of my limbs if I looked at it wrong. I had to go out to get gas for the thing, and I was almost unsuccessful at that since I had to go to four gas stations before I found one with gas (scary!). Then I filled the thing with all kinds of smelly liquids and wheeled it out to the lawn.

I tried to start the thing and did something wrong because it didn't start. And of course, I looked up and about half the neighborhood is staring at me. So I decided to choose a new strategy and start mowing in the backyard instead of the front. I got the thing going (apparantly you have to hold down the kwan while you pull the other kwan) and mowed the lawn. I discovered that I have a talent for mowing a lawn and making it look worse than it did before it was mowed. Luckily the mower didn't eat me.

But the lawn has been successfully mowed and I am no longer worried about getting hate mail from my neighbors.

Note to Self: Don't empty the bag of grass into a garbage bag while you are in the garage. Do in on the lawn. Then it won't take you longer to clean your garage than mow your lawn.