Journal Rick the Red's Journal: Tax Toy 2005 3
My birthday's in May. Before I got married, each year I'd buy myself a birthday present with my tax refund. After I got married, it became our tax refund, and my birthday presents became her responsibility. Net result: I still don't have a radio controlled model airplane, or an MP3 player, or a PSP, or any of a dozen toys I'd probably have bought for myself over the years.
But this year is different. Today I get to buy, with my wife's blessing, my very first riding lawnmower. Best of all, she doesn't consider this a birthday gift, so I'm still getting one of those, too! We're on a five acre wooded lot with I'm guessing about 1 1/2 acres of grass (the rest is house, driveway, and trees). I've been mowing this on my feet, pushing a non-self propelled mower, for ten years now (well, nine - we didn't have much grass the first year after the house was built). So why do I get a riding mower after all these years? I dunno. I guess my wife thinks I'm getting old or something
[she says the real reason is so I don't spend all my family time mowing the lawn. she thinks a riding mower will be faster]
But it's not all happiness here: I had to clean the garage so there's a place to put it, which I did yesterday, which is why I'm buying it today. And it's raining. And it's supposed to rain tomorrow (Saturday) too. I don't know when I'll get to use it, but that hardly matters as they have to deliver it anyway and that probably won't happen until sometime next week. But even with all that bad news, I'm still quite happy. I get to spend $2000 on a toy today, something I don't often do
Update: I've had the damn thing less than three weeks, and they just took it back to the shop for the second time to fix it. I haven't been able to mow the entire yard once! I'm only halfway through and now what's left looks like a wheat field and what I've already mowed needs mowing again. Arrgggghh!
It backfired as they drove it off the truck when they delivered it, and it hasn't run right since. The dealer's been really great about it, and they're currently looking into taking it back and giving me another under Deere's 30 day return policy.
Just remember (Score:2)
Re:Just remember (Score:2)
Heh! My wife and I have a (non-working) farm, and we keep the fields around our house cut - about 5 acres. We're on our second riding mower, and while I kvetch about having to cut the grass, I have to admit that it *is* fun, particularly in the evening...
If you haven't thought about it already, think about getting a cart for the tractor. We've got an older one that we've used to haul everything imaginable - particularly kids :-) After my wife or I cut the grass, hooking up the cart and taking my daught
Re:Just remember (Score:2)