Lawn Jockey IV

It has been nearly 3 months since we seeded the dirt patch surrounding the oak tree in our front yard. If you care to follow the progress, you can go here, here, then here.  Now, thanks to some massive drenching rain, the grass is starting to look like my father's head.  Meaning that there is still some life there, but it is fading fast. We have got to hit the re-seeding fast and soon.

On a side note, I was out mowing the lawn yesterday when this strange man came walking up to me.  As I turned off the mower and took the ipod headphones out of my ears, he greets me with a "I just couldn't stand that noise anymore."  He was talking about my lawnmower, which I admit doesn't make the sweetest of sounds, but I thought that was kind of rude.  He had been working on the home a few houses down from ours.  he and his crew had been there for 3 straight weeks doing a complete makeover.  Hammering, banging, crushing, sawing, drilling and all out noise for 3 straight weeks.  And he comes over to tell me that he doesn't like the sound of my lawnmower?!?!?  What nerve!!!!

He then proceeds to look at the mower, asking me questions about the gas, the blades,  and whether or not I've hit a rock or anything lately.  I responded to everything question with a rather disapproving tone.  I was kind of flabbergasted about the situation.  He then asks for a screwdriver and takes something apart.  Apparently some spongy-looking thing connected to the engine was clogged, making it sound like it was on permanent choke.  How was I to know, I had headphones on.  He told me how to clean it then went on his way. Yeah sure, he was only trying to be nice, but that really pissed me off.  

So I cleaned the spongy-thing, put it all back together and continued mowing. 10 seconds later the mower dies.  The 70 year old boy scout comes back over and looks at it again.  At this moment the thought of the Seinfeld episode in which George lets an old friend's father look at his car and then completely destroys it, is going through my brain.  He asks if I cleaned the spongy-thing with water, and I say "Sure did" because he told me to.  So now the engine is flooded. GREAT!!!  ASSHOLE!!!!!  A few moments he fixes it and watched carefully as I cut a few strips.  He said something before he walked away but I didn't hear him.  I sheepishly mouthed "thank you" and continued to mow.

Sure this guy was just trying to be nice.  Clearly.  But who goes up to a random stranger mowing his lawn and says, "I can't stand that noise anymore"??? Thank goodness I'm not a serial killer or something, otherwise that would have been a one-way ticket to the secret room in my basement.