So, I kept seeing things about this tennis player, Ben Shelton. Young guy, big serve, lots of energy, you know the type. People talking him up. I thought, okay, let me try and catch one of his matches, see what all the fuss is about.
Honestly, it’s getting harder these days to keep track. Seems like every few months there’s a new ‘next big thing’ in sports. They get hyped up like crazy, maybe win something, and then you blink and someone else is the flavor of the month. Or maybe I just don’t have the energy to follow it all like I used to.
Getting Sidetracked
It’s just… life happens, right? You plan to do one thing, something simple like watch a tennis match, and then something else just completely takes over. This actually happened to me just the other weekend when I was trying to watch one of those Shelton matches.
I had it all planned out. Saturday afternoon, grab a drink, sit down, watch some tennis. But first, I glanced out the window. The yard. It looked awful. Grass way too long. I thought, “Okay, quick mow, shouldn’t take long, I’ll be back inside before the match even starts.” Famous last words.
The Mower Debacle
Pulled out the old lawnmower. Gave it a yank. Nothing. Yanked again. Sputtered a bit. Died. Okay, probably needs gas. Filled it up. Pulled again. And again. Nothing. Dead as a doornail.
Now, I could have just given up. Gone inside, watched the tennis. But no. Something snapped. I was going to fix this thing. How hard could it be?
- First, I checked the spark plug. Looked dirty. Cleaned it off. Put it back. Pulled the cord. Nothing.
- Okay, maybe the air filter? Took it out. Clogged with dirt and grass clippings. Cleaned it thoroughly. Put it back. Pulled the cord. Still nothing.
- Fuel line? Maybe it’s blocked. Disconnected it. Fuel seemed to be flowing okay.
- Alright, the carburetor. This is where it gets messy. Never really messed with one before. Watched a couple of quick videos on my phone. Took the whole thing apart on the garage floor. Tiny springs, little jets. Sprayed carb cleaner everywhere. Got my hands all greasy. Put it all back together, hoping I remembered where everything went.
This whole process took hours. The sun was going down. My back hurt. I was covered in grease and grass stains. Completely forgot about the tennis match. Ben Shelton who? My entire world had shrunk down to this stupid, stubborn lawnmower.
Finally, after putting the cleaned carburetor back on, I gave the cord one more pull. It sputtered. Then it coughed. And then… it roared to life! Loudest, most beautiful sound I’d heard all day.
I ended up mowing the lawn in the near dark, feeling ridiculously proud of myself. Fixed the mower. Saved myself probably a hundred bucks or more on repairs or a new one. By the time I came inside, showered, and cleaned up, the weekend was practically over. Never did see that tennis match.
Sometimes, I guess, you get more satisfaction fixing something old and broken with your own two hands than watching someone else hit a ball really hard. Maybe that’s just me. The hype train moves on, but my lawnmower, well, it runs. For now, anyway.
