Thursday, October 4, 2007

I am not much of a Man, but...

at least I try.
Tonight I mowed the lawn of this new home of mine and I was very proud of how it turned out.
I need a weed whipper, but otherwise it was easy and fun.
I'm sure I'll get sick of it sometime early next summer, but that's life.
As I was grumbling over the gas I was spilling
while filling
the mower,
Oliver said cheerfully, "I guess you shouldn't have gotten divorced, then!"
He is such a little nut.
So far so good, on that front, by the way.

The reason I say I'm not much of a man is that I really don't have the man's innate sense of the right way to fix things around the house or do things like mow a lawn.
But I'm really excited at this new opportunity I have to learn them!!
I just hope I will always have someone to ask when I need to be taught.
I almost gave up on the mower...my arms are neither long nor strong enough to yank the cord into ignition.
I was swearing at that thing like it was a bowl of Jasmine's mother's cookie dough!
(that's some brutal treatment, I tell ya, but damned if the cookies aren't scared into perfection!)
Anywho.
I finally tried pulling the cord with the handle depressed.
I don't know how else to explain it, but it's what you hold down while you mow, and if you let go it turns off.
I don't know if that's how you're supposed to turn on the fucking machine or not,
because I've only mowed one lawn in my life and I didn't turn on the mower that way.
I didn't turn it on at all...He did.
Whatever.
It's cool to solve my own problems.

I also tried to drill holes in my way to hang a towel rod thingy and it worked out ok, but it was not a clean job, that's for sure.

Today I finished the last of my Replacement Shopping.
I hope.
Damn but it's been expensive to share our stuff!!
Oh well...
It's been such a smooth affair I can't really complain.
Like, for example, at least I have the money to replace stuff.
For now...
I need to plan carefully or I'll end up broke.
Wooooot.

I am giving a lot of thought to my anonymity at this point.
I hate the idea of moving again, but I'm not sure I can be as open as I need and want to without one more move.
Fuuuuuuck that.
We'll see.
I'll keep you posted...

Hope you all have fantastic, respective weekends.
I plan to!!
And next week is Fall Break, so I have NO SCHOOL ALL WEEK!!!
My kids are off Thursday and Friday, but still--
that's 3 whole days of them at school/me at not-school!!!
peace out--

7 comments:

Tricia said...

"...I really don't have the man's innate sense of the right way to fix things around the house or do things like mow a lawn.
But I'm really excited at this new opportunity I have to learn them!!"

"It's cool to solve my own problems."


Boy, do we have a lot in common! I've utterly amazed myself at what I've accomplished this past almost-year. I still have a long way to go, though. I'm guessing on some level, I always will.

I had the drill out yesterday to finally get babyproofing cabinet latches installed in the kitchen. And just like your towel rod, they ain't pretty, but they're doing their job.

Go us! Woot woot!

Unknown said...

Do you have any idea how many holes I fucked
up before I learned to screw
properly?

You'll get there. And remember: righty=tighty. Lefty=loosey. Unless it's backwards on your side of the ocean. You do drive on the wrong side of the road...

Bud said...

I'm a survivor-handiman myself. Just something I've been forced to do to avoid paying somebody. I've always been good at drilling and screwing, though. It's cutting straight and painting that gets to me. Plumbing? That's high adventure down low. Good luck with that shit.

Lisa said...

So you won't come put a new ring at the base of my downstairs toilet, Bud??? :) Yes, I think I'll call myself the Survivor Handiman!!! I do love weilding that drill...

Yes, D-man, right-tighty, lefty-loosey--I knew that much!! :) And from what I've heard, the answer to that first question is: not many, if any. Hehehehehehe...see how I dropped that song line in there so you wouldn't feel so bad about my insult? Slick, eh? :)

You and me, Tricia, we are pretty much the awesomest chicks out there. PERIOD. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay us!!!

Leen said...

i learned how to do much of the drilling, mowing, etc while in my first marriage. like being divorced while still being married? married without benefits? something like that. we had a self-propelled lawn mower but i had no idea what that meant. i mowed the entire front lawn (read hill) before the neighbor came and showed me the lower handle that operates the self-propelled mechanism...

you're an incredibly intelligent and accomplished WOman in general. you'll get the hang of all of it quickly, i've no doubts.

i'm so happy to read that things continue to go smoothly for you all.

~leen

Anonymous said...

You got it, dear. That lever is a dead-man switch, supposed to keep you from mowing over your own injured self. As for the man-stuff? Sweetie, all those handymen had to learn somewhere, at some point. Get you a few good wide-topic books at your local home store, books that cover simple repairs and things like that, buy you a good hammer, screwdriver set and a tape measure and you'll be unstoppable.

Anonymous said...

Here's a tip: push the little rubber primer button two or three times, then wait 10 seconds. THEN depress the handle and pull the cord. It usually will start faster that way.

Damn, do I HATE mowing the lawn!!!
And that wasn't innate "man" knowledge, it was a lifelong lesson.