So, this afternoon, I edged and mowed the front lawn, emptied the grass clippings into a paper lawn bag on the edge of the yard and went to weedeat the back yard. 15 minutes later, I came around front to push the lawnmower to the back yard to mow.
No mower. I looked in the side yards, the garage, the back yard, under the trampoline – NO mower. I wondered, “Is punking people still a thing?” I traced my steps and I was certain I had left the mower right by the leaf bag on the curbside. Cuuuurbside… In a panic I looked down the street for a neighbor’s old grill I had seen earlier – gone.
I remembered seeing a fellow driving a white truck around collecting scrap metal and other items of value on this day before trash pickup.
Then it hit me – my beloved $300 Husqvarna lawn mower had been trash picked right out of my front yard.
I blurted out what had happened to Penny. She took off in the golf cart and I screeched off the other direction in the van. I drove down every street in my half of the neighborhood and then started back the other way. I wondered what I would do when we found the truck…if we found it. I wasn’t all that mad at the guy – I think it was mostly a misunderstanding.
Well, a few blocks down, I came upon the truck and a car and a golf cart with a blonde lady gesturing and pointing at the guy’s truck and sure enough – Penny had the guy cornered – with our lawnmower perched on top of the cab of his truck.
The guy was very apologetic and swore that he doesn’t steal and it *was* on the side of the road. I said it’s OK and clarified a few points for him – it was on the side of the YARD…with a mostly full tank of gas…and a hot muffler…next to a lawn bag. I advised him – next time just ask.
We shook hands – the universal gesture acknowledging, “We all good, but don’t touch my lawnmower no more.” Penny took the van home and I drove the mower home on the back of the golf cart so I could finish mowing my lawn before dark.
So watch where you leave your stuff, folks, or you might find yourself wondering whose lawnmower you could borrow to finish your lawn.
