It Stinks To Be Strategic (Even Organized) Only To Learn...Well, So Much For That.

Last year, during the move, my snowblower conked out. It wasn't the engine, but the auger chord for the blower rusted and snapped in half, making snow removal impossible. I went to shoveling two driveways in the worst part of the year, only to give birth to Henry, the Hernia.

So, I was smart about getting the replacement chord online to put on this Fall. It came around Thanksgiving and yesterday seemed like the perfect day to be Joe Repairman. It was 65 degrees and I didn't mind lying on my garage floor.

The snowblower I have was a gift from my father when he found it free on the side of the road in Cherry Heights. At first I thought, "Oh, crap. I will have a clunker that someone didn't want," but it did the work. We had an auger chord problem then, but it was easily repaired.

I lived by my machine in CNY during my dissertation and it was a blessing for my first couple of years in Connecticut.

When I pulled the machine apart yesterday, I realized, "Man, this ol' gal is rusted and seen better days." The auger chord I got, too, was too long. Although it was billed to fit my particular MTD Yard Machine, it is about an inch too long.

I went to return it, and the company I got it from is no longer in business. This time I ordered directly from MTD. It should arrive sometime, I hope (and I write, I hope, because many of the holiday gifts I purchased on Black Friday have still not arrived and tracking says they may not make it until January).

I was trying to think ahead and to be ready for the first snow fall, and took the tropical El Nino weather yesterday to be repair day. It was a bust. Now I must wait again and even then I don't know if the machine will run. Fingers crossed it will get me through another winter because these toys are somewhat expensive. My Nordic upbringing, however, has me ambitious to have such power under my belt...

...so only time will tell. In the meantime, I'm off to Madison Square Garden for a 'Cuse game. Couldn't pass up an opportunity to see them play in the Big Apple.