I Cut the Grass For the First Time Today...and Yesterday

...and the day before that. And the day before that.

Yes, it was a four day ordeal.

Well, ordeal might not be the correct word, because, in my brain, it has a negative connotation. I did not have a negative time cutting the grass. 

In fact, my brain found it to be quite satisfying, which I kind of predicted. 

Oh yeah, this was also my first time cutting the grass, ever. 

Unless you count the times I rode in Papa’s lil trailer behind his riding mower while he cut his massive lawn in Townsville, SC. But that was mostly just me looking for whatever mythical creature that he told me was on the loose that day, not doin’ any actual cutting. 

Let me get this out of the way first, because you may be wondering why Mickey isn’t cutting the grass and I will tell you. It is because I wanted to. Simple as that. I’d never done it before and I thought it would find the accomplishment of physical work to be satisfying. 

I was right. I can say that now, after four mornings of cutting the grass. 

With a push mower!

Which brings me to your next question: why didn’t you get a riding lawnmower?! The yard at the Professor Haus is almost three quarters of an acre!

Again, it was because I wanted to. I wanted the physicality of it. I am not a good or regular exerciser, you see? It’s just so interminable and boring to my brain. So I thought yard work would be a good way to trick my brain into exercising. 

Now, I’m sure you are wondering, how did it take four days?! It ain’t that big!

Welp, we have a battery-powered mower from the Greenworks line. I actually love every tool we’ve purchased from this line so far. I’ve trimmed hedges. Mickey’s sawed poles and sawed chains. We’ve both blown leaves and I’m really looking forward to washing some pressure very soon. A+ purchase for sure. 

The first day, I woke up ready to tackle the lawn. I started in the back in case I had a learning curve and it looked ugly and got through almost the entire back section when the battery died. 

So I called it a day and put the batteries on the charger. The unfinished section did not sit well with my brain but what could I do? Mickey ordered a couple new batteries (it takes two at a time) so that I could have ‘em charged in rotation and maybe get through the entire yard. 

Day 2, I’m up and ready for lawn slashin’. Oh, I should also mention that I’d let the lawn go a bit too long, so some sections were very lush and jungle-y so the mower had to work extra hard to get through those. (My brain had psyched me out a little bit, telling me I would screw up the yard somehow by mowing it, so I put it off longer than I should have.)

I finish the section I began the day before and start on the side yard. Halfway through the side yard, the battery dies! No problem, I think to myself, I’ll just go get the ones that are all juiced up and then juice theses babies back up. 

EXCEPT, when I took a battery off the charger, I put it next to the dead ones and got them all confused. So I think I must have put one full and one weak battery on to finish the side yard and cut ONE STRIP in the front yard.

Y’all, it looked so bad. 

Now, we’re on Day 3 and, believe it or not, I’m still looking forward to the yardwork! Day 3 was a banner day. I did the entire front yard and backyard. The battery switching was flawless (I marked two of them with blue tape!). My cutting speed was impressive. 

As a treat to my brain, I stopped when there was only a small section left to cut behind the white garage. It was looking pretty fab, if I do say so myself.

This morning, I realized I only charged one set of batteries, so I charged the other set while I was cutting.

“It’s small section,” I told myself, “You probably will not need more than that.”

Spoiler alert: I did.

But it’s okay, the yard looks pretty good for my first time cutting the grass ever.

I learned some lessons that I will use next time and I can honestly say that I am looking forward to doing it again next time. I think I can do it in at least three days this time.

But here’s the thing, normally, I would be really mad at myself for not getting it done in a single day, because that’s the efficient way to do it or whatever. But I liked this. I liked the pacing of it. 

Oh here are some photos Mickey took for me:

I have not used the weed whacky thingie yet, though. That’s for tomorrow, I guess!