Saturday Slight

Tom Sherry said last night that if we've got leaves to rake, we'd better get it done today cuz it's gonna be raining again tomorrow.

Well, I've got leaves to rake, mainly cuz my back-up lawnmower went down on me yesterday after hitting a tree root.  The blade and its housing snapped and the belt is meandering all over the place.

The backup lawnmower has been with us since our Great Northern Road days, and it's been a good mower through the years.  This injury may be its last here at the Lovestead.  I'll ask Tony on Monday what it's gonna cost to fix it.

If within reason, the mower may live another day.  In the meantime, he'll be putting a new belt on the big mower. Its belt has been stretched to the max and has lasted through the entire lawnmowing season.

But leaf mulching is a bit different from lawn mowing, so I'm thinking the belt endured a little more stress than it needed. 

To have both lawnmowers laid up means I'll be out there this morning removing leaves the old fashioned way after all----with a rake and a sore left arm.

My sister calls me OCD about my lawn care.  She used the term again last night while we were visiting with Amos, our carpenter,  and his family at Sweet Lou's.  She says she used to be OCD about lawn mowing/care, but she thinks I've surpassed her.

I didn't mind the comment one bit cuz I knew we were standing among a bunch of our own ilk there with the Walkington crowd.  John, Amos' dad, told me last year that he LOVES mowing his lawn.  

We were buds from that time on.  And, Amos doesn't mind a good lawn mowing session either. 

So, I wasn't feeling bad, but I AM feeling bad about my lawnmowers.  Tony's not.  He LOVES when OCD Mrs. Love calls up. 

"How are you?" he'll say, silently seeing dollar signs every time he hears the sound of my voice. 

"Not well," I say.  "Otherwise, I wouldn't be calling."  

Well, Tony gets one more gig out here early next week cuz I'm figuring those poplar leaves still have intentions of messing up my lawn. 

And, if I have a lawnmower that works, I can mulch the Hell out of the last leaves of 2013, if it doesn't snow, that is.

In other news, I'll be raking this morning, then joining family members for an outing near Bonners Ferry this afternoon.   We'll make sure to get back home in time to do chores, cook up hamburgers and watch those ZAGS!

It will be a Bulldog-Bulldog match-up tonight with Gonzaga vs. Bryant University from Smithfield, Rhode Island.  They racked up a 19-win season last year, and it sounds like they've got a couple of shooters returning from last year's team. 

Bryant University became a full-fledged university just a few years ago after nearly 150 years of being called a college.  It first specialized in business courses for Civil War vets but has broadened its scope over the years, including a growing department of Chinese studies. 

Bryant began as a college in Providence, Rhode Island, but its present campus in Smithfield sits on land donated by Earl Tupper aka the Earl of Tupperware!

The basketball team is relatively new to Division 1 and in one year went from two wins to 19.  So, I'm thinking we'll see a good game tonight. 

Busy day ahead, so I'll sign off with wishes for a pleasant Saturday to all. 

Am now out the door to satisfy my obsessive compulsive desires!