During the spring and summer, on the left-hand side of the garage is where the lawnmower is stored, with the work gloves resting on the handle and the gas can underneath the gloves on the garage floor. I've been impressed this past mowing season with how much larger the lawn around our house is now that we own the house. I've been told this is a trick of the tail and nothing more. I certainly hope it doesn't hold true for snow as well.
Speaking of snow, the snowthrower spends the summer months against the far back wall of the garage though I did move it a couple of weeks ago to allow its pickup and transportation to a repair place in Groton as a consequence from my one and only use of it late last winter (that sort of blizzard in February that dumped a lot of snow on us).
In trying to clear the drive which we share with two houses on Lincoln Terrace that connects us to the street I managed to pick up a large enough stone that wedged itself between the augur and the shroud just long enough to cause the cotter pin to shear off, immobilizing the blade and effectively eliminating the throw from the snowthrower. I did a lot of wishing for warm weather immediately afterward and it seemed to work.
The repair shop returned the snowthrower last week and placed it back in my garage, ready (I hope) for whatever weather is to follow though I am never unhappy when we have winters when I don't need to ever use it.
I grew up in New Jersey which gets its fair share of snow, so I shouldn't complain about what we have here, though I still do, and not just about the snow. of course. And as I learned during the week from an article by Tom Breen in the Connecticut Mirror, an online-only newspaper focusing on public policy and politics here in The Nutmeg State, we seem to have more complainers per square foot than other states.
His op-ed is called, "Shut Up, You Unbelievable Connecticut Crybabies," and with such an inviting title how could I not be drawn to it? His tongue is slightly in his cheek as he expands and expounds on what he feels is a tendency here in the Land of the Round Doorknobs to be unhappy no matter what.
You should really read it for yourself; it's not very long and I think you'll smile at his humor, but perhaps also agree with his point. My favorite line is "This is no longer a state where a retired couple can realize the humble American dream of owning three homes, seven cars, a modest yacht, and an underachieving racehorse" although that dream makes mine of pony rides for my birthday pale in comparison.
Yeah, to some extent he's arguing our glass is half-full rather than half-empty which is a truism that also happens to be the truth but I think the biggest and most personally satisfying takeaway is his final paragraph which I will not quote or summarize (because I want you to read his entire article) but if we took it to heart right here in our neighborhoods and across our city I think we'd be a damn sight better off and if not, at least not so grumpy with one another.
-bill kenny
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