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I mowed my first lawn

Captain's Log, Supplemental

Captain Caffeine has been on crutches—he tore his Achilles tendon, it’s not bad, but he’s unable to put weight on his foot just yet.

The backyard had become the Amazon jungle. The Captain hates it when the grass—or, more accurately, the weeds become too long.

I admit, I was not a good wife. I did not want to have to clear away the chairs and buckets from the yard. I didn’t want to unlock that nasty garden tools shed that’s infested with spiders. I didn’t want to maneuver the lawn mower out.

The Captain tried valiantly to mow, since the lawn mower is electric and rather sturdy and he can lean on it. However, I finally decided he wasn’t going to give up or come to his senses, so I took over for him.

It’s a lot like vacuuming the carpet, except that instead of my seek-and-destroy mission to suck up every stray piece of dog hair, I had to flatten and raze the foxtails that had taken over the yard.

It wasn’t hard, but that mower is noisy. And it kicks up all kinds of little weed particles that got into my eyelashes and nose and mouth.

But I could understand the Captain’s feeling of satisfaction at seeing a nicely mown backyard. The dog enjoyed herself, running back and forth rather than weaving in and out of clumps of weeds.

Of course, now I’ve got a bit of hay fever and I’m a bit paranoid I won’t get all the grass out of my hair. But the backyard is mowed! That was my testosterone-induced good deed for the day.

Comments

izitjo said…
Hey, well done! Good feeling, huh!? I had to post a comment cause I've just come inside all sweaty, looking for a tissue to deal with the hey fever induced by MY first lawn mowing experience.

After 37 years of watching my Dad and numerous male friends mow my lawns I decided it was time I took on full independence and bought my first lawn mower. It's a lovely sense of achievement... worth a blog post for the both of us I think!!! Here's to girl power! :)
Camy Tang said…
That is AWESOME! What a coincidence!
Camy
Cheryl said…
Enjoyed reading your story about moving your first lawn. I have yet to do so but this could be due to the fact that my husband does it and two my allergies get the best of me!
Lara said…
Okay, I am sooo envious. I was mowing the lawn for my dad by the time I was twelve. Of course once I got married I swore off mowing ever again. But occasionally I'll get out there as a surprise for my husband.

I'm still in awe that you avoided it for so many years.
Tanja said…
I LOVE to mow. Probably because I never got to growing up. My brothers did it. And then I started when our kids were toddlers and I got jealous that hubby went out right after he got home from work. He got the drone of the mower, and I got the same noisy critters I'd been with all day long. I was ready for some white noise!
Camy Tang said…
My dad always mowed our lawn--always. I think he enjoys it rather than thinking of it as a chore. I never had a lawn to mow until I married, and Captain Caffeine did all that (if it were up to me, I'd have hired a gardener).

I don't really like it. Mostly because of all the grass that got stuck in my hair!

Camy
Anonymous said…
Don't tell my husband, but I've never, ever mowed a lawn. My goal is to not end that streak.

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