Ever have one of th9se day?

You know one if the ones that nothing goes right and anything and everything that can go wrong does? That was today. Scheduled a day at ine of my regular clients and only expected to be there about 3 hours and not be that hard of a day.

Started out I went in and we discussed the things I needed to do and what was on the agenda. Wasnt a big deal, switch out a busted water hose, cut a limb that had fallen and remove it, trim some limbs that hang down far enough that are hitting the top of the car as you drive down the driveway, mow and weed eat.

Boy was I wrong..

Started the mower just fine, drove it out towards the truck so I could see in the tank and it looked like it had gas in it, which it looked like it had gas in it and thought i could mow the front end and then fill it up when i got back to the house. Nope, I was wrong. Got two thirds mowed by the street when the mower died.

The walk up the driveway from where the mower died was about the length of 2 or 3 city blocks. I was hobbling most the way from my foot and knee still hurting from the weekend.

I got the gas can and put it and the weed eater in the golf cart and drove back down to the mower to refill the gas.

Guess what still didn’t start? The mower, aparently the starter went out and I killed the battery trying to start it. So I went ahead and started weed eating. Got the entire front end on the one side finished. Pulled the battery and loaded it back up into the golf cart and drove it back to house to charge it.

Went inside and told my client about what happened and that inwas going to charge the battery while I cut up the limb.

She told me to use the chainsaw and that it should be good because it had just had a tune up a few years ago and hasnt been used since. I checked the oil and filled the gas tank, primed the motor and attempted to start it. It started but would not stay running.

Inwas already a bit tired from doing the weed eating, so i took the chainsaw back to the shed and put it up, and dug through my tool box to get to my saw zaw. Pulled out my long extension cord and plugged it in and proceeded to cut up this fairly big limb.

I backed up the truck but couldnt get it that close so had to walk these shorter chunks of wood that was still kinda heavy and loaded up my truck. After loaded I pulled my truck back forward and trimmed those low hanging limbs.

Wound up my cord and put my saw away, loaded up the battery back into the golf cart and my car battery jumper and drive back down to the mower. It still wouldnt start and apparently the battery didn’t charge. I used the jumper and got it to finally fire up by shorting the solenoid. But didnt stay running.

I drive back to house and the lady that helps with cleaning inside the house was just getting ready to leave and asked me what was going on. I told her I have to go tow the mower back to the house. She wanted to help by steering.

Guess where my straps were? In my tiredness and not expecting to have to tow the mower back, I had covered them up with the cut up logs. I dug through and found them and put them on top for easy access when I got to the mower.

I drove down to the mower and the lady was already there and looking at the mower. So i backed up to it and started attaching the straps. Went to the back and disengaged the drive mechanism which is supposed to basicly have it in neutral for towing. She got in the seat and I showed her to keep the handles in neutral. It didn’t engage but I didn’t know that at the time.

I started to pull forward and pulled it into the road, but since I didnt know it had not engaged into neutral, the back tires were locked and I left ruts in the dirt. The one end of the strap pulled free when the mower hit the road due to the extra resistance.

At this point I was frustrated but had an idea. I pulled out the jumper, raised the seat of the mower, connected it to the battery and then put it neutral. There was a sound that of it engaging, so I disconnected the battery and booster and listened for it to disengage. It didn’t so I was in luck, the mower was now locked into neutral

I started to pull forward and pulled it into the road, but since I didnt know it had not engaged into neutral, the back tires were locked and I left ruts in the dirt. The one end of the strap pulled free when the mower hit the road due to the extra resistance.

At this point I was frustrated but had an idea. I pulled out the jumper, raised the seat of the mower, connected it to the battery and then put it neutral. There was a sound that of it engaging, so I disconnected the battery and booster and listened for it to disengage. It didn’t so I was in luck, the mower was now locked into neutral.

I re attached the straps to the front and then hooked it up to the truck hitch and pulled it all the way to the house. When we got there I unhooked it from the truck and then and I pulled it the rest of the way and into the shed about 50 feet away. The lady kept telling me that she couldn’t believe i knew how to do all this and wanted to know how I knew to do things. I told her it was growing up fixing things and all was pretty much trial and error back then.

My client at this time was upset and scared that something happened to me because we had towed the mower back, I explained to her what was going on and she could tell I was tired. She told me I sould go home and get some rest. Wanted to know what she owed me for the work I did and I told her then told me to go home and rest and call in the next few days.

After I left I needed to go to the store and get food for Barbie (to see pic of her you can look at my post “pets“). I went in and bought what I needed and a few other things and came back to the truck. Unlocked the passenger door and loaded the items into the truck, shut and lock the door and then went to the driver side. I aparently had also tossed my heys up on the seat and didnt realise it. I was locked out.

I still made it home, woke up today hurting like hell but I survived.