Blackjack

Mowed the lawn today. Until I cannot move around anymore, I will probably continue to do my own yardwork. I recall my friend Kevin Graves, before his death in 2006, said paying $70/month for lawn care was the best thing he ever did. They'd come around 4 times a month, edge, fertilize, and fix sprinklers on occasion.

So ever since then, every time I'm out there sweating my ass off in the Sacramento heat, I think, man, twenty one bucks for someone else to do this today. The whole time I'm pushing that mower, I think of that twenty one bucks. 21 dollars...My yard is more complicated than his was, so I estimate twenty one bucks a week, for someone to edge, blow, mow, and trim the trees.

I earn what, $45 an hour? And it takes me two to three hours to do a complete job. Clearly, my time is more valuable spending it elsewhere. But, I'm still out there. This is a sign of the times. I mentioned a neighbor not acknowledging her lawn workers. And most neighbors these days farm out their landscape work, perhaps two thirds of all my neighbors. And I can see their point.

But my point is that while I don't necessarily enjoy it, I do find it somewhat aerobic, I need all the exercise I can get, and I mentally calculate what that 21 bucks would buy me...maybe two extra lunches out per week. And consider the social cost of having someone or someones drive to my house and do the work. It seems appropriate to do it myself, doesn't cost a thing, and I limit the amount of net energy needed to perform the function.

Sure, I could use a pushmower, hand trim the edges and weed by hand, compost all trimmings and leaves, and use a broom and really make this an exercise in 'green' living. But, at least I have made some efforts here. It is cumulative. This is one small part in an overall system of trying to do better.