Mowing and a Membership

Today it was time to mow the yard for the first time in the 2009 mowing season.  That is another official indication that spring is really here.  The sun was shining and it was only cool, not cold.

The lawn boy mower that I use as a trimmer and tight spot mower had no gas in it at all.  I must have run it dry last fall.  And of course, there was little or no gas in the mixed can either, so the first trip was to the gas station to mix oil in the gas for all the two cycle stuff around here.

But the mower started and I mowed all the trim work without a problem.  Then on to the John Deere rider.  The battery was so flat that it didn’t even click.  Bad sign!  I hooked up the charger, and it wouldn’t crank even with the boost set at 55 amps.  I set it back on 10 amps and went inside to have a soda.  Read a few web sites and generally chilled out.

When I went back out in a half hour, it cranked sort of slowly, but finally fired and we were off and running.  Another half hour and the job was done.  The charger went back on the mower at 2 amps for over night.

After lunch, I cleaned up and decided to go to Sam’s Club to renew a membership.  After talking to son Chris, I decided to get on with his business membership as that has better hours and is five bucks cheaper.  I rode the bike over.

Like all things go, he had given me his member number, but I lost it somehow in the bike ride over.  It took the lady what seemed like forever to find his account without the number.  Eventually she got the card issued.  So I shopped the Sam’s Club.  Nothing has changed since I was a member ten years ago.  Except the prices, LoL.  Maybe it should be Crying out loud!

I bought nothing, so we will see if I use this as a money saving deal or if I wasted $35.  Time will decide this. I do need batteries this spring and thought they sold Interstate like they did in Phoenix.  But with new card in hand, went to the battery display and found that they were a cheaper brand.  Now I really thought I wasted the $35.

On the ride back to the house, I was hit in the neck by a bug.  Eating bugs is a normal part of motorcycling, but this bug turned out to be a bee!  And he was unhappy about me running into him.  Sooooooo he stung me on the neck.  Man I was on fire, riding at 40 miles an hour.  I turned into the closest parking lot, and fished the bug out of my helmet strap.  Stomped him good too.

I came home and put benadryl ointment on the sting, once I got the stinger pulled out.  Its six hours later right now, but I can still feel the venom in my neck.  Maybe some more ointment before bed.  What I won’t do in the name of fun.