I’m in love with my new toy.  No, and sort of sadly, it’s not what you think.  This is my new toy.

Last night I mowed part of my yard with this thing.   Night.   I was out mowing the lawn at 9:15pm.  Mowing.  At 9:15.  PM.   I mowed until I couldn’t see the sticks I’m not supposed to mow over. 

 Does it look like a golf course? No – but if I wanted golf course I would have made sure husband #2 was a plastic surgeon.  I love my un-fertilized organic weed- and mole-infested yard, all 10 acres of it.  If there's a husband #3 he won't be a plastic surgeon either.  Unless he also loves my lawn as is.

I got the best workout I’ve had in decades.  I was sweating and breathing air – not diesel fumes – and the only place grass clippings went was around my ankles.  This morning, everything hurts but in that really good “I just got an amazing workout” way, not in the “I sat on an uncomfortable seat bouncing around” way. 

Echo followed me around and chased flashy-buggies and I heard every funny thing she said.  We had races and she picked up sticks in front of me and it was fun. FUN.

I stopped – just stopped without having to put it in neutral, stop the blades, slow down the engine and put on the emergency brake and still not be able to hear what my child was shouting at me – to solve a frustration issue for Ben.  And then I started right back mowing.  Just started mowing again.  No complicated procedure that I never do right the first time anyway.  Just walking.  

I could hear the kids coming and going from the house and it was pure joy knowing where they were and kind of what they were doing.

I got closer to the fire pit and trees than the Kubota has ever managed, and without the frustration of a weed whacker, which has always been, in my opinion, one of the most poorly designed pieces of equipment in history. 

The Kubota will still be necessary for the larger fields, but I’m so happy with my new little mower for around the house and trees and swing set.  I haven’t been this happy in a long time.  And maybe in a few months I’ll be posting a picture of my new ass in a pair of size four jeans instead of lawn equipment.  That would make me pretty happy, too.