Snow Blower & Karma

On 3/21/08 I posted why I felt my snow blower (s) is a male here. I still feel the same way today.

This morning fortunately we only had about 1.5-2" of snow. I went out to start either of my Torro 200 snow throwers, neither which obliged. Even after mixing together the 32:1 oil and gas and filling both up. Running short of time, so very common for me, I decided to bail on the clearing of the drive and came in and got ready for work.

I left work early and came home to try to start either one of them, again. I couldn't start either, not even a gag or a sputter. I pulled out the ladder and plugged in the electrical cord to start either of them with the electric starter. Why two you ask? Neither one is fully functioning, so I got a duplicate thrower from my step-dad and I could choose which one I liked better, but determining that in the fall of 2008 was pretty hard, without snow of course. So I still have both of them. Anyway...

Electric starting didn't work. So, I shoveled the driveway. I managed to freeze my fingers and legs, while shoveling and was thankful that there wasn't more snow. I was also extremely thankful that I offered to pay my son to clear the driveway of the slush and water the day before, making today easier. When I was all done, my next door neighbor came out and asked if I had used my snow blower in the morning. Nope. He suggested that the fuel line had probably dried up if I hadn't used it recently.

Seriously. Is one really suppose to use a snow blower in the fall? Where did I miss that lesson that if one doesn't have a leaf blower and chooses not to mow over their leaves, be sure to use your snow blower? Where was the manual on that info? He did advise that I might need a fuel injector or to just add some gas to the spark plug and it/they should be fine. Sure, easier said than done, IF I knew how to locate the spark plug!

I did go back into the garage and played around with the first one again. And after minutes...it fired up...and then died. I started it up again. Same thing. Third time, it stayed running. I ran it down the driveway just to get run the gas through the line, even though the only thing it was throwing around was dirt!

Maybe it was...karma. That we get too reliant on the conveniences of life. That sometimes, it really is better for us - physically, emotionally and mentally to do things the long or harder way. That way, we can sit back and appreciate things more. To not take things for granted.

Having said that, all be damned if I have to shovel the driveway again this season! If I have more issues, it will be time to invest in some massive machinery that will shoot snow four houses down. Because it's all about..."Go Big or Stay Home". And, if I don't go big, staying home because I'll be buried in my garage is about all I'll be doing this winter!