Creative Lawncare

I want to take a poll. How many of you actually pay someone to cut your grass using those 2 ton dune buggies with the blades attached to the bottom? Can I see a raise of hands? Now don't get me wrong. I have friends who make a living through lawn care and use those impressive grass-cutting beasts. However, the one time I allowed one of those machines on my property resulted in deep tire tracks, bald spots in the grass, and a general mess of my yard. The grass had been cut but the beauty of the yard had been destroyed. I have sworn never to let that happen again...even if it means using my push mower with one arm in a sling and hobbling on a crutch as I push it with my waist. I still think the yard would look better.

I am one of those lucky boys who cut grass for money even before I could drive. I hated to cut grass and would not have made near as much money as I did if my mom had not threatened me on many occasions to go mow a yard or else. There was one sweet lady from church who was very particular about how her grass was cut. Ms. Snell wanted me to use the grass catcher (extra work) and also cut the grass differently at times. She didn't want me to cut it the same way every time resulting in permanent tire tracks in her grass. Obviously, I did not enjoy cutting Ms. Snell's grass becaue of how particular she was and the little bit of money that I made.

Let's fast forward to today. I just cut my grass yesterday (for free) and thought about this post as I was pushing my mower. Mowing your yard can be good thinkin' time. I know a lot of guys consider time on the porcelain throne to be good for accomplishing some good thinkin', but I choose not to dwell there any longer than what's required. Ms. Snell popped into my mind as I cut my grass because of what I was doing. I cut my front yard diagonally and then framed it so the places where I turned the mower would not be so noticeable. I also cut the grass in the backyard in the opposite direction than I usually cut it in order to...guess why...prevent permanent marks in the grass from mowing the same way every time. I understand that I'm an anal-retentive individual and have to have things a certain way. My clothes in my closet are sorted and hung the same way, my shoes are placed in the same spot when taken off, my CDs are in alphabetical order as are my DVDs, my four remotes are always put back on the coffee table in the same place, etc, etc. But I think I have finally gone too far. The curse of Ms. Snell has taken full effect. Just drive by and take a look at my yard. It's impressive and sad at the same time. I'm proud of it and a little scared simultaneously. I'm not even halfway through my lifetime (hopefully) and I'm afraid this condition will worsen with age. Who knows...maybe I'll find an "Anal-Retentives Anonymous" group and be cured. Only time will tell.

A Trip Down Memory Lane, Part 2

Yes, my 20 year high school reunion has come and gone. It's been so long since I have posted, it seems like my 30 year is right around the corner. The reunion went a lot better than I expected. There were a lot of people I had not seen since the 10 year reunion and others I had not seen since graduation. I desperately studied my yearbook in preparation for the event knowing that I would forget the names of many people. Friday night was a little social where everyone just stood around and talked. It was a good way to get my feet wet before the "big event" Saturday night. It was the typical reunion where you see many women who have lost weight since graduation, many who have gained weight since graduation, and all of them with different hairstyles (thank goodness since we graduated in the mid 80's). The guys pretty much fell in the same categories. Weight had been lost by some, gained by others, and the hairstyles ranged anywhere from more hair than in high school (Jimmy Deas), hair barely hanging on with bald spots trying to take over (yours truly), to no hair at all (Nover Bailey and Ernie Ferry).

Saturday night started slowly and I noticed the old high school cliques beginning to form. That was my cue to call it a night until I saw the dance floor open up. I have never been a dancer and many people will say that I'm still not a dancer. However, this was my high school reunion and I was going to enjoy it. Therefore, I stepped onto the dance floor with my friends and commenced to looking like an idiot attempting to dance. Of course, I don't think I looked any more foolish than the other 18 year old wanna-be's throwing their 38 year old bodies around trying to keep beat with the music that made me even more deaf than I already was. After letting all of my inhibitions go for a couple of hours, losing probably several pounds from sweating, and having a song dedicated to me because of the impressive way that I danced, it was time to head home. I said my goodbyes shaking hands with the guys and hugging the girls and hit the road.

Looking back on this reunion, it's so interesting how people who were too good for you back in high school all of a sudden treat you like a long lost friend. It was also interesting to see how some still consider themselves better than others. All in all, it was a good couple of nights. I had twice as much fun at my 20 year than I did at the 10 year. Maybe that means I'll have three times as much fun at my 30 year reunion in 2016. Whew...2016? Not only is that 30 years out of high school, it's also 12 years before I can retire. Now that's scary.