Snow blower...

So, I've had a snow blower with an electric starter for the past two winters. I consider myself to be a "man" and have chosen to ignore that feature...because a real "man" will give himself a hernia or wrench his back using the pull start before acting like a girl and using the electric start.

I went out to the garage this morning and cleaned it up just enough to get the snow blower out, check the oil, and get it gassed up for the coming snowpacalypse. Every man knows that Murphy's Law says you actually need to start the thing up prior to the first snow. If you don't, it won't start when you really do need it.

I pushed the primer button a half dozen times, inserted the "key," moved the choke lever over, and started pulling that starter rope. I decided to push the primer button a few more times after the first 20 or so pulls didn't work. I took the key out, moved the choke lever back, and started over from scratch after the next 20 pulls didn't work. A few minutes later, after I'd stripped down to my t-shirt and underwear and punched 911 into the phone, just in case, I gave up.

As I lay on the icy garage floor, gasping for my last elusive breath, I looked up and, for the first time, settled my gaze on the 3 pronged plug embedded in the back of the snow blower. As the feeling began to return to my left arm and the black edges of unconsciousness ebbed away, I slowly got up, collected myself; and grabbed an extension cord off the shelf on the other side of the garage.

Female plug to male outlet, male plug to female outlet, all plugged in and ready to hand in my man card...I pushed the starter button.

Screw my man card! That extension cord is staying plugged in and right where it is all winter long.

Wisdom found through giving up is still wisdom.