A lot happened today, most of it good. I wrote an exam for next week, and the review sheets for two exams the following week. Taught my class. Got home for some lunch, then got the cash to tip the delivery guys tomorrow. I debated going out to get an electric mower - I really want to try to do at least a little bit tomorrow, seeing as it's supposed to rain most of the coming week.
But in the end, I went back to campus, did a little more work for next week.
Also, in the process of going up and down the stairs, I tried going down left-right-left-right, like I normally would, instead of "bad foot first, good foot follows" taking it one step at a time. I have to lean hard on the railings to balance, but I could do it. And it's not super comfortable, but I can do it.
I also put up the last set of herbarium sheets. After I had loaded the folders into the boxes I use as carriers, I thought "you know, it's a giant drag to have to drive around, load up my car, drive to the ground floor, and unload down there, I wonder if I could roll the cart of boxes over to the stairs and carefully carry them down one at a time." I figured at that point if I DID fall there were still a couple people in the building to help me, and if after one box it seemed too much, I could always go back and do it the other way.
It was hard, but I did it.
After that, it was about 4 pm, and I thought, "maybe I try to get a mower now."
Lowes had several models on sale - a Kobolt (which I always want to write as kobold) and an E-Go and, I think, a Black and Decker. I had all but settled on one of the E-Go models - one with the "self propel" feature, because I think I will need that for a while yet. And I waited.
In the past, Lowe's usually had a person in each department who roamed around and asked if help was needed. But today I saw NOBODY. I waited a bit, then went up to the service desk and said "I want to buy one of the battery powered mowers, but there's no one around to assist me" and she said she would call someone, and for me to go back there. I went. I heard her call - twice, a few minutes apart. Nobody showed up. I waited more. I finally told myself, "I'll wait 10 more minutes and go back up and see"
So I waited fifteen. And didn't see a single worker. So I decided: Lowe's doesn't want my business. So I walked back up to the service desk, waited a bit behind some other people, and told the woman, "No one ever came." She did not seem at all concerned by that. I said "I'm going somewhere else, you've lost my business"
Her response: "I'm sorry you feel that way"
REALLY? REALLY? That's all you say?
I dunno, I'm not a customer service person, and I get she's probably not well-paid and well-treated, but if I ran, say, a bookstore, and I couldn't help a customer myself but had called for an employee who never showed, I'd tell them " wait here, I will GET someone" and I would go find somebody and if I had to pull them by the ear, I would get them up to help the customer.
Because even uninjured, I can't lift a fricking electric lawnmower by myself.
Perhaps that's why I almost only ever see couples, or men with teenaged/grown sons, shopping there. Single women not welcome.
Well, I was angry. I decided to try elsewhere ("if," I said to myself, "anywhere else in this benighted town even sells battery lawnmowers") Tried the fairly-new Bomgaars. "Nope, we don't have them, later this summer we might get a few in" Well, that doesn't help me,, but I thanked them anyway.
Went to Tractor Supply. Saw the display. They had two Greenworx models, my string trimmer is that brand and it's been pretty good so I figured, okay, I'll roll the dice here even though I'm probably going to pay more, there's no point standing around in the Lowe's where there's no service.
I went to the customer service desk. A woman was feeding the baby ducks (they sell chicks and ducks to people who keep them). She said "I'll be right with you" and I said that was fine, for her to finish the duck duty first.
She looked up the mower for me - there was one left, and it was on sale, so it actually cost about what the one (of a different brand, but similar features) at Lowe's cost. So I said I wanted it and she said "okay, I'll get Jaxon to get it down" - it was the display model but had never been used (the battery and everything were still closed up in a box) BUT that also meant it was assembled. I commented on that and the guy said "yeah, we do try to assemble them for people unless they say they want to take it home in the box."
But then.....problem. The handle doesn't fold down like on most mowers, and try as hard as he could, Jaxon couldn't fit it in my car. But then I remembered my friend Dana from church had a pickup and lived close to the store, so I tried calling her (with the backup plan of "hey can you hold this for me until I can arrange for someone with a pickup") but she was home and not busy so she came buy, he and she loaded it up,, she followed me home and even helped me clear a space in the garage so I can fit both the mower and my car in. And then she and I unloaded it and put it away, and I put my car away.
I told her the next time the church ladies go out for lunch, I'll buy her lunch as thanks for the help, because she really did help a lot with the garage mess.
So the battery - which looks like the same kind as for my string trimmer - is charging up now, and maybe tomorrow I can do a little mowing while I wait for the delivery.. (I will have to get up early enough to go to the grocery first - I don't want to wait until later, because they get very busy Saturdays). I gave the appliance place my cell number, so I can keep it in a pocket while i mow and when they call to say they're coming I can just quit mowing.
I was kind of filthy after Dana and I cleared out the garage, so I took a quick shower (and washed my hair, so I'll have to sit up a while longer to let it dry better) and I ate a small dinner, but at least I got the big errands done. And hopefully this time tomorrow I have the new washer and dryer installed.
I'll probably be sore tomorrow after all the activity today, but that's a problem for tomorrow. And I do think a lot of the pain I have now is just muscle weakness, and so the activity probably helps to build them back up better. I did ice it and take some acetaminophen this evening, so that's about what I can do to cope with any pain. (it doesn't feel too bad right now, but it might start hurting when I'm immobile while sleeping)
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