Going Green but Seeing Red

I'm all about the environment except when the 'going green' momentum screeches to a grinding halt.

We bought, at my behest, an electric battery powered lawn mower last year right after 'taxation without representation season' was over. The thing was wonderful...at first.

As the time wore on, despite following the 'rules' of lawnmower care and feeding, the mower required more rest breaks and pit stops to refuel it's battery. If the grass required more than a gentle once over, the mower sounded like it was toiling beyond all human suffering and comprehension. Talk about a maudlin mower!

Sure, we aren't putting out that big ol' whopping carbon footprint Al Gore cries over at night while tucked into his 4,000 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets he and the missus picked up during their weekend trip to Luxor in his private jet. But we also aren't putting out freshly mown stems of grass flung out to help fertilize our lawn and provide new nitrogen to the roots.

Instead, I get to mow a few feet, then go watch Sesame Street for a few hours while the anemic batteries suck in a minimal charge.

I checked with our local Sears dealership from whom we purchased this brilliant piece of time and labor saving greenware.

Turns out they don't service what they sell. Whodathunk?

But they were happy to tell me I could ship my mower AT MY EXPENSE to an authorized service center somewhere in Fiji to replace the 400$ batteries.

Uh...no.

The mower wasn't even that much to begin with.

I'm ready to smell the delicate burning of fossil fuels again. Either that or buy a few Nubian goats.

Since I am the one who labors over the yard, I wanted to be responsible and green and planet saving and all of that tree kissing, Earth hugging, environmentally saving decision making.

Turns out the only saving here is the corporate bigwigs who are saving my money instead of making a mower that actually WORKS!

GRRRRRR!!!!

I think I'll take my cuticle scissors out. I'd make better time.

*********In an addendum to this post, my wonderful Daddy brought over his GASOLINE powered mower. It looked at the battery powered 'weak sister' with a jaundiced eye then proceeded to bring my lawn into Augusta compliance in no time at all.

I'm recommitted to a mower with actual power. After all, I am a busy woman. With the time spent mowing and recharging that is wasted I could catch up on my reading, knit an afghan or send letters to shut-ins.

Oh, I am so funny!

Actually, with the time I saved, I took a shower, washed some towels and took a nap. . .

On gasoline fumes...