Maybe OT: Value of lawn mowing to Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh was recently asked about the parallel universe where he's not coaching football. He discussed one possible occupation:
Harbaugh does sort of remind me of Forrest Gump.
looks like he loves that red snapper. quick on the turn.
Not sure why this would surprise anyone. I wouldn't let another man touch my lawn if you paid me. After all the blood sweat and tears I've poured into it she's like another child to me.
My lawn is a step above garbage, but I judge anyone in my neighborhood that doesn't mow their own lawn. It builds character.
Likewise. I put all my considerable effort in to my flowers. I let my neighbor (who doesn't mow his own lawn, but is older than me so I guess it's okay) spread weed-n-feed on my front lawn that borders his. He thinks my weedy lawn brings down the property values. In a trailer park? Seriously? But whatever makes him happy.
Might want to suggest this to PJ Fleck as a change of pace.
Moe the Lawn! Ski-U-Mah!
Same.
Turns out Jim Harbaugh is my spirit animal
Word. My wife has her indoor plants, I have my lawn.
I finally outsourced mowing my rather large front lawn last year, but I still do the back, which is a little smaller and has lots of nooks and crannies that nobody can do like me. I totally understand the meditative aspects of doing a great job mowing your lawn. Also, strictly a walk-behind, push it yourself mower guy. None of that candy-ass auto-propelled mower. Afterward I reward myself with a steak and a cold glass of whole milk.
I'd just add: never blow another man's driveway without his permission.
Two years ago, my blower quit working in the middle of the fall leaf season and I was just too busy to get a new one for about two weeks. Apparently my neighbor didn't think my curb and the entry to my driveway were up to his standards, so he came and blew it all off and into my yard and further up my driveway while I was away (He's always on nextdoor bitching about stuff like this, so he didn't do it as a favor to me). I came home to a pile of leaves in the middle of my driveway. It would be one thing if I never cleaned or did yard work. But I'm the type of guy that likes gardening and I keep things pretty tidy most of the time.
Fuck that guy.
Blowing the driveway is my prize for mowing the lawn. Inevitably, if he hears the blower fire up my 9 y/o will come out and pester me to do it.
Feels a lot like when it’s late and I’m about to get some from his mom and he just mysteriously appears upstairs because he can’t sleep or something.
Gotta work on some boundaries with that one.
"never blow another man's driveway"
Never heard that term before. Is it in the Profanisaurus or the Urban Dictionary?
dude comes near your all-world rose garden with that crap and he's a dead man...
You know it. But in that case, I'd definitely need some representation. Could I count on you to get me off the hook?
If there was a Department of Lawn and Yard Services they would take my fescue away.
Jonathan Green now sells a tall fescue mix that looks exactly like KBG. Fairly drought resistant and can handle full sun.
This times 1,000,000 %
I obsess over my lawn, and watch too many lawn care videos...but its for sure paying off. MY BABY, HANDS OFF
I had a couple lawn care service guys come up to me, while I was tending to my child, and asked "we could do this all for you so you dont have to" I looked at him like he just punched my wife.
Also had a neighbor ask recently who my landscapers are....that made my year :)
Totally agree with above commentor, if you are an able bodied man/woman/teen, get your ass out there and take care of your lawn. Good for the soul, good for health, and oh so satisfying when its cut, edged, and ready for a BBQ.
Ryan Day doesn’t even trim his own beard.
He does dye it, though, like Arizona folks who spray their lawn green.
Ryan Day and his “Just For Men” sponsored beard.
Sometimes I worry myself. ;-)
For instance, did your mind somehow wander over, however briefly, to "chia pet" when you posted this clip?
no it didn't wander there - but that is a logical connection to make
Ryan Day's spirit animal.
Ryan Day is a pilot fish.
Does he observe Ann Arbor’s “ No Mow May” initiative?I’ve been subscribing to One Mow May for years due to laziness, not concern for bees and flowers.
I would do that but my mower is such trash that It would die in the recovery phase.
Fun fact: “No Mow May” is the second slogan of that movement. “Shitty-Looking Lawn Month” was the first.
My father was a militant freak when it came to mowing the lawn (which included edging etc.). It had to be mowed every 3rd day on the clock with the only exception being an active thunderstorm.
Good thing for him in that it was my job to do all the mowing. I have a little PTSD about it.
There's actually a method to this. I'm on the board of a private HS, and we had one donor finance a revamp of the baseball, softball and soccer fields. He put in an irrigation system and bought a commercial mower and infield grooming equipment. Then he hired someone to mow the grass for 40 hours a week. It's supposed to create thicker lawns with deeper roots, which then crowds out weeds. My daughter's softball outfield looks like Tiger's Stadium.
I am managing a Sales Team that sells caskets. The Funeral Home business is often 2nd/3rd even 4th generation and anyone from that industry has horror/PTSD stories from all the lawn they mowed around the Funeral Homes...endless. and often while wearing dress clothes.
If not mowing lawn - VACUMING.
Tuesdays and Fridays. Rotating three distinct cut patterns so you don’t wear a pattern into the grass.
Has anyone ever commented on the fact that anyone born between 1967 and 2000 was raised by parents with PTSD who projected that downward on their offspring?…
i do 4 patterns, rotating 45 deg clockwise after each one.
I / -- \
Edge first, then double cut - vertical first (road to home), then diagonal at a 30deg angle (skewed toward vertical) which alternates with each cut, then frame the entire lawn. End with a nice blow. Grow to 3.5", cut to 3". Of course, I just sold that house and am trying my hand at paying for the service as I do quite a bit of DIY remodeling...and it's killing me, but the service double cuts and frames as well, so it hurts less...
Jim Harbaugh can't be OT, not even a little bit. Mowing Lawns - On Topic. Discussing the milk he puts on his cereal, definitely On Topic. Baseball, especially Third Base - most certainly On Topic.
I mowed lawns for 5 summers during college. Was one of the most enjoyable jobs I have ever had. Like Coach said, it gives you a lot of time to think and reflect when riding on the mower.
I mowed lawns to earn money to buy a Nintendo. Was one of the worst jobs I have ever had. It gives you a lot of time to stew and resent when pushing the fucking thing.
I was never big on mowing lawns but I took to attending bush like a duck to water.
I have some acres and keep ~2 acres mowed just for a place for the dog to run around, go for walks and check out the apple trees etc. leave the rest to nature.
i do love jumping on the mower and tearing around the yard once a week. very relaxing, especially with an ice cold pbr (or three) in the cup holders
This is like the former Navy Seal Admiral McCraven (sp?) speech about making your bed daily. The discipline and journey and lessons along the way on the path to something tangible you can feel good about are good landing lights for life.
I spent the 60's building a cabin Upnorth with my Dad and dreaded it as it was every weekend driving up (4+ hours) without air conditioning and then working all weekend interrupted by a few hours of swimming or rowing an aluminum boat and perch fishing. Didn't invite friends as they would hate me for working them a lot on said trips (or so I thought).
Character building and wouldn't change a thing now. Best friend couldn't wait in later years for me to invite him to put the dock in with me in May and pull it out in October. Once we figured out the job only took a few hours and the customary battle not to get the leaky waders ensued and golf and brew pub migrations then commenced. Turns out he would have loved that same experience despite the privations.
Lessons, accomplishment and satisfaction.
Putting in / taking out docks and hoists is FINE work except for the DAMN leaky waders.....
But it builds character though.....
Builds character and shrinks other things.
I was in the lake!!
I feel like I have to admit this is the first year I outsourced our mowing. I do feel bad about it lol.
I outsourced this year as well. But I don't feel bad about it. I figure time is a finite currency that I'd rather use playing with my kids than mow the lawn.
My thoughts exactly. And it's not like you aren't maintaining a nice yard, someone else is just doing the work for you. If someone enjoys doing it themselves, great! But why shame and judgment for those that like a nice yard but would rather spend their time on other things that matter more to them. I don't change my own oil either.
What a bummer! Do you know how easy it is to change your own oil?! Yet you farm it out to someone else to do! Oh, the humanity!
/s
Same here, though I am not feeling bad about it. I'm doing quite a bit of reno work inside and out, and outsourcing lawn and snow allows me some free time.
East coast suburbia every house pays a landscaping company a large amount of money to mow the lawn. Also, nobody owns a rake anymore. It’s all the lovely sounds of leaf blowers, everyday. It’s pathetic.