I did it again! I mowed the yard with the riding mower!! Yay me!!!

There are lots of exclamation points because I'm all jittery and shaky still.

(deep breath) I not only read the manual again but this time I followed the instructions...even when the instructions tell me to do scary things. Like when I was supposed to drive this huge machine straight up the steep hills. We have a very steep back yard and even steeper front yard. My body and mind said DON'T DO IT but the manual said GO UP THE HILL. I tried it and it was scary but it worked. Last time the drive belt came off three times and this time it didn't come off once. Who knew the manual was correct. They should put instructions in that say "This will make your body feel as if you will tip over and be smushed by the machine but DON"T WORRY we have tested this and made sure it works. Up and down is WAY safer than going side to side even though the steepness is greater up and down." But they don't say that. They just tell you what to do.

I snort in the general direction of my father-in-law who told me that the drive belt comes off if the up and down hill is too steep when really it comes off when the area going across is uneven.

I talked to myself a lot while I mowed. I talk to myself a lot all the time but usually I pass it off as talking to the babies. Don't be fooled, most people who talk to babies are just using the babies to make themselves look less crazy. On the mower, going up and down the hills, talking to myself with no babies in sight I did look crazy. But I encouraged myself and cheered for myself and told myself that I could figure out how to get out of that stuck situation. My clutch got stuck, in 3rd gear when I was heading for Stump City™, and I fixed it. Partly so that I could succeed, partly so that I could at least get the mower into the shed before the rain came, and mostly so I didn't have to tell my husband I needed him to fix one of my messes.

Whew!

Now I can drink a Diet Dr. Pepper and knit for an hour before the big kids come home and I can talk to them instead of imaginary people.