That's a lawn mower?

[mapsedge]

Yesterday, we dropped the kids off at The Grandparents' (thank you very much, Grandmomma and Pa) and headed to Kansas for a meal and some much needed adult time with friends. We had a very good time: excellent homemade pizza and the joy of sharing in the cooking, getting to know each other all over again. I left with my emotional batteries recharged.

We also borrowed their lawn mower.

It's a reel mower. We've been wanting to try one for a long time: no expense of fuel or oil, no emissions, no engine noise. We know it'll be a little more work to use, and we want to see if the newest generation of reel mowers is manageable on a lawn our size (~7100 square feet). It needs oiling - it's very squeaky as it rolls forward, but other than that I'm keen to give it a go.

We left our friends' house, mower in the back of the minivan. At every stop light there would be a little noise from the back as the mower rolled forward a few inches. At The Grandparents' we loaded up the kids and started for home. We made no mention of the mower, and the kids, sleepy and protesting, didn't notice it. Katie put on her headphones to listen to music and promptly fell asleep.

At the first stoplight, there was a little squeak from the back.

A few moments later, Jami's voice, "Dad...what's behind me?" I can see in my mind's eye that he's turned in his seat and is looking hard into the back of the van.

"That's a lawn mower."

A pause. "A lawn mower?"

"Yep. That's the lawn mower we're borrowing from Nate and Trish."

A longer pause, then, "Where's the rest of it?"

"That's it, boyo. That's the mower."

He continues his study of the thing. "So," he finally ventures, "we're just borrowing the insides?"

Kids. Best comedy writers ever.

Comments

[aerie13.livejournal.com]

Awesome.

I loved mowing with a reel mower. It was years ago. And we had a huge hill. But I still loved it. I always felt like I had Done Something.

[miischelle.livejournal.com]

I've been trying to talk my boyfriend into getting one of those, rather than the gas mower we have. Out yard is so small it makes so much more sense...

[billthetailor.livejournal.com]

One of our neighbors has a 700 square foot lawn that he mows with a riding mower. I absolutely don't get it.