The One Acre Workout

I mowed the lawn for the first time yesterday. Actually, I mowed the front yard, because I only had an hour. Years ago I bought a Black and Decker CMM1000 cordless electric mower for our 1/3 acre lot. It was perfect - easy start, no emissions, relatively quiet - like a large box fan.

I was concerned about the time it would take to use a push mower on an acre, but then I changed my thinking and decided to look at the job as exercise rather than a chore. Suddenly I have the perfect setup - Cardio because I need to hurry and get done; the steep rise in the lot makes for a perfect Stairmaster; Resistance from pushing a 75 lb mower up and down and all around.

I wonder if my company's gym reimbursement program will cover part of my mortgage?

I got the grass cut (correction: I got the weeds bent over and scratched up) before the rains came about an hour later. There was some thunder and a little lightning, but mostly it was just a constant soaking rain that lasted until bed time. It was the kind of rain that made the gardener in me smile. Until I reminded the gardener that there are only about two dozen plants in the whole yard that are there on purpose. The rest are, um, wildflowers.

Oh, well.

Somehow I managed to end up with both girls in my bed at around 3:15 this morning. Anna came in because she had a bad dream. Alyssa came in because I was there. I snuggled them both as best I could in the little twin bed I have, but as soon as all ten fingers started to tingle I put them back in their own beds.

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