Going for a Walk

Every day, I try and walk the dogs before it gets hot.

I generally wear a pair of New Balance running shoes that sucked for running. They work OK for that. But walking while it’s been wet made them nasty, so I don’t like to travel with them, or take them to the Girl’s house to walk the dogs there.

For that I started using a pair of barefoot running shoes that I got to try ‘barefoot running’

They work well for walking the dogs. Haven’t tried running in them yet. I’ve tried some zero drop runners, and those didn’t work for me whatsoever. And to make matters worse, they looked like old people orthopedic shoes. Those are in the closet. Maybe I’ll use them for yard work.

Sure don’t want to be seen in them.

The barefoot shoes feel weird as you walk over the parched, cracked ground.

The Girl’s place has an HOA that appears to do little more than collect money. For a new development, they have a lot of residents that feel that lawncare is optional.

I’ve been down some streets that have more than a few houses that have yet to mow the lawn. Every weekend I see some out doing lawn work. Not many. But it’s funny to see them struggle. These lawns are maybe 1/8 an acre. My older neighborhood, more people take care of the lawns, which are far larger – 2-3 times as large. Mine’s a corner lot, it’s maybe 1/3 acre. It takes me about an hour to mow. I generally split it over a few days, doing the back one day, the front another.

It’s easy. Then again, I’m an old man, with old man skill.

I came back one day. It was hot as hell and one of the Somalis next door, one of the dudes, was out suffering cutting a way to long lawn. I’m going to guess he waits until the landlord complains. I probably have it on my dash cam.

Next time I go out, I’m doing the old man sizing up thing, wondering why it looks like shit. Then it hit me – he’s mowing with the cheapest cordless electric mower which, no doubt, gets beat to shit and runs out of juice before he finishes.

I’d love to go up, old man style, and say “look, it’s a way easier job if you mow it once a week or so.” I’m sure the cordless electric mowers were designed to do this, rather than being used as a bush hog.

I have a Troy-Built with a Honda engine that I’ve had since 2011 or so. Works like a champ, and even when the grass is longer than I’d like, it blasts through it effortlessly.

Whatever. You get it or you don’t.

When I get back from inspecting the crappy lawns in the Girl’s hood, it’s barely hot. Doesn’t stop the dogs laying on the floor panting like they crossed the sahara.

And Winston here didn’t have to cut grass as long as hay with a shitty electric mower.

I’m guessing that’s worse.