Fix It

I am pretty proud of my fix it abilities.  My repairs are not always pretty but they get the job done for the most part.  The inventors of duct tape and those plastic zip ties are my heroes and I would be lost without my pair of wire snips.  The lawnmower has been my major project this past year.  I knew the ignition wire thingy (technical term ya know!) that runs from the mower engine to the handle bar was worn out and last year had handily fixed it with some plastic zip ties and half a roll of duct tape.  This spring I realized the need for a new wire thingy.  I ordered it online from Sears and voila! it was the right part--I feel the need to say that was probably a little help from above--I'm not sure I would have picked the right part on my own.  I was able to replace the wire thingy, do the usual spark plug and oil change thing and yep the mower has been working fine.  Until this weekend.  I guess sitting for 8 weeks unused didn't sit well with the mower and it would not start.  In my defense I haven't had to mow in 8 weeks because of the lack of rain and I just don't feel one should mow something that hasn't grown more than three millimeters and is brown with yellow splotches.  In defense of the mower it has spent four years of summers mowing nearly an acre at least once a week.  That is a lot of work for a push mower. 
The first problem was the blade would not move.  This brought out the handy dandy WD40 and a good soaking of that.  A few dozen easy pulls and it loosed up.  But it still would not start.  What does a woman do?  Yep, digs in the grooming box and pulls out the next can of miracle spray--starter fluid!  Not only good for gunky up tape for the dogs ears, it really can be used as intended!  To end the story, after many tries I did get the mower started, but now need a new can of starter fluid.  The mower and I finished 95% of the house yard and then we ran into another snag.  Out of gas and none in the gas can, duct tape and zip strips can't fix that one...

Until next time...