I originally thought his battery needed charging so like an idiot I asked my twenty year old son to help me. In hindsight it was a bad choice. I should have known better...when I was twenty I did nothing to help my parents, granted I only had a Diddy but gave him nothing but grief until I was at least twenty two.
I had Zach go over to my next door husband's house and borrow his battery charger. Actually Zach just called my next door husband's son (his buddy) and he brought it over. They hooked it up in the garage that night I thought I would be good to go come morning.
The next morning I went out in the garage to discover not only had they hooked Johnny up to a battery charger but had left his key turned on. Well at least I knew NOW I definitely needed a new battery.
When I told my sister about it her comment was "Why do we even ask them to help? They don't even help when they TRY!"
Next stop was the cheapest battery I could purchase so Massey and I headed to Wal Mart. The bolts had rusted off the post so we needed more and of course in true WM fashion the guy sold me a set that didn't fit...swore they would and seemed to mean it when he handed them to me.
Lucky (or not) for me my old neighbor Mr. "Slow" Lee was out in his driveway peering at us over the back of his diesel "PickemUp" truck and declared the bolts the wrong size when he helped me install the battery. He did find some that fit in his garage and that WAS lucky! I know he wants Johnny fixed almost as bad as I do since I cut his yard too.
New "battry" (as my grandfather used to call them) was installed. I jumped on my boy and turned the key. All I heard were the crickets in my back yard...I was devastated. Then Mr "Slow"Lee started poking around with his fingernails that he could pick a banjo easily with and declared Johnny had a bad switch.
Next move was to call in the big guns. My next door husband is getting married on Saturday so I felt bad even asking him so I asked my brother in law to help. I called their house and when no one answered left a message in a deep voice: "Harvey, this is Johnny. I don't feel so good could you come see what's wrong with me?"
He came over yesterday and told me he thought I needed a new switch. (Shout out to "Slow"Lee for calling it right) and today I trucked up to the John Deere store and purchased a new switch. Came home, put it on and what did I hear when I turned my brand new switch? A big fat nothing...
I called my BFFL at the JD Clinic and he said he would try a solenoid switch next. I trucked BACK up to the clinic and when I went in the second time a young mechanic who actually WORKS on the mowers was sitting at the desk. He asked what model I had and I told him. He said he wouldn't spend anymore money on parts until I found out which switch was bad and as old as Johnny was I could unplug and circuit around the bad switch with a paper clip and electrical tape. I felt like asking him what time he got off work and did he like leftover spaghetti but decided instead to take the four paper clips they gave me and a John Deere ink pen off the counter. He also told me to use a tester light to see where the bad wire was. I thought he meant a flashlight but it seems there is some nifty tool you can buy to tell which wire isn't making a connection.
Next stop...Autozone. They had several and I chose the $3.99 version. It was little but so is Johnny. He rang it up and said "That will be three dollars and twenty cents." I thought that was odd once they added tax it went down a dollar but who am I to argue with a scanner and took it home. Mr "Slow" Lee said he knew how to use a tester light and would help me but when I pulled back in my driveway he was hosing down his chimney top that had flames coming out of it on a balmy seventy degree day. They burn a fire every day from October to June no matter what the temperature and it looked kinda scary so I just went inside and left him to save his house.
I have no idea how to test the wires or switches or even where to find them...and what's a ground wire? It sounded important because there was an exclamation point after that part of the instructions.
I opted to just start dinner...I KNOW how to do that.
I would say I'd just crank up the push mower I bought from a guy at work for forty bucks two months ago that is self propelled but Tim burned the motor out the first time he cranked it up trying to surprise me by cutting the back yard when Johnny had two flats and the grass was high and the blade was down too low.
Can my life get anymore "Redunkilous?"
On top of that I have three dogs..one GREAT one, one bad one and one REALLY bad one but love them all. I have three kids and despite their mistakes, failings and terrible decisions love them all too...and not one of them ever crapped in my floor. They wrecked cars but they were all potty trained.
Here's the thing:
No one said life would be easy, although it is for some. The one's who have it easy are missing out. My life has been wonderful. It has also been horrible. I have been the same person I have always been and for that, have always been loved back.
"Love is all you need."
My body has taken some hits and I'm about fifteen pounds under my fighting weight. Through it all I have managed to laugh at myself and situations we have been in. Laughter is the greatest medicine of all.
What has it done for me? It has made me survive and determined to succeed. I've used shortcuts, rationalization and the help of many others.
So Johnny won't start. Yeah I'm ticked at him but over the past few years I've felt like not startng several times.
Somtimes you have to take a break from life, regroup and go at it again when you feel stronger.
I have a house and I have a husband who loves me. I have three kids who have survived having me for a mother. I have a brother and sister who are my biggest champions and a network of friends who support and urge me on.
“If things start happening, don't worry, don't stew, just go right along and you'll start happening too.”
― Dr. Seuss
It's something different every day here but I've learned different is better than dull. It's never dull at my house...and on top of that I still HAVE a house!
As broke as we are , we are rich beyond belief. My goal is to be a good wife and mother. To be a true friend and to reach out when others need help. It may be a dollar or it may just be a prayer but at least I help.
If you don't help your fellow man... how can you expect help for yourself?
“I know, up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here at the bottom we, too, should have rights.”
― Dr. Seuss
We will be okay and I am totally grateful that my biggest current worry is getting my lawn mower cranked.
It's the millions and millions of others who don't even have a house or yet let alone a bed to lay down on.
How can I feel like we have it bad when so many others would feel lucky to just have MY life?
LOVE YOUR FELLOW MAN. Never prejudge and be grateful for what you are blessed with and always pay it forward.
Til next time..COTTON
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