Mowing

With a young family and a full-time job, I do not get a lot of time to myself.  So I make sure to savor the few moments of solitude that come my way each week.  For instance, I used to hate yard work, but now I view it as a chance to have a little Larry Time.

This evening’s mow was particularly sweet, so I thought I would share the details:  Unless it is brutally hot, I usually pour a glass of beer to sustain me through my task.  Tonight I enjoyed a glass of Capital Brewery’s Maibock — it is a little out of season, but I haven’t been able to give it up just yet.  I load up Laurie’s iPod shuffle with some of my favorite tunes — the last few weeks my mowing play list comes from one of my favorite Smart Playlists:  Tracks that I’ve rated four or more stars that I haven’t played in the last 30 days.  Tonight’s selections were:

• ‘Run for Your Life’, Rubber Soul, The Beatles, 1965.
• ‘Please Mister Postman’, With the Beatles, 1963.
• ‘Get Back’, Let It Be, The Beatles, 1969.
• ‘Spirit on the Water’, Modern Times, Bob Dylan, 2006.
• ‘Someday Baby’, Ibid.
• ‘Adam Raised a Cain’, Darkness on the Edge of Town, Bruce Springsteen, 1978.
• ‘Up Around the Bend’, Chronicle, Vol. 1, Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1976.
• ‘Just in Time’, Dino – The Essential Dean Martin, Dean Martin, 2004.
• ‘Blue Moon of Kentucky’, The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Complete 50′s Masters, Elvis Presley, 1992.
• ‘Trying to Get to You’, Ibid.
• ‘(You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care’, Ibid.
• ‘Honky Tonkin”, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, 1972.

So with booze and tunes in place, I hitch up behind my Larry-powered, Deluxe Light reel mower manufactured by the American Lawn Mower Company.  We have a tiny yard, so the reel mower has been perfect for us — light, quiet and low-maintenance.  We didn’t buy the reel mower to be fashionably green — my giant gas-powered trimmer could take down a couple of redwood trees — the reel mower is simply all the mower that we need.

Before I knew it my weekly 1/2 hour of solitude had come to an end.  Fortunately Jack and Millie both decided to go to bed early, so I could take a little time to share one of life’s small pleasures with you dear readers.  Good night.