Shattering Day

Well today was pretty good. I got a lot of work done around the house and ate at home.

I fixed the new lawn mower by moving the old lawn mower blade to the new one. The new one got bent a few weeks back when I hit a tree stump with it. The old lawn mower had had problems in the past and our neighbors fixed it when it broke on their watch. They did not have to but they did. When they got it back together the old mower shook a good bit and made it hard to mow without your arms starting to tingle from the shaking. So I bought a new mower and kept the old one for mowing dirty jobs and/or parts.

Interestingly enough when I removed the bend blade on the new mower I noticed that the blade was not in the same direction as the old mower. I carefully study both mowers and they both turn the same way and the blade on the new mower had the sharp edge aligned correctly. So the old mower had it blade on backwards with the blunt edge moving in the cutting direction. Funny thing is that it cut the grass just fine other than the shaking.

I though hmmm maybe this is why it shakes....maybe being backwards it is out of balance. But once I got it on the new mower and working correctly then the new mower now shook similarly as the old one. But it was still functional and I got the yard mowed. Yea!

Now for the shattering part. I was cooking dinner for myself and had broiled a steak in the oven in one of our square Pyrex (spell) dishes. When I was done I placed the dish in the sink and without thinking turned the water on it to clean it up before the crud set on it. Well that was a mistake....you think? The dish went from about 450F to about 75F and of course it went from a nicely formed dish to popped and absolute glass pieces. Any that were still pretty good size, which was about 4 pieces were shattered but holding together. Luckily for me it all seemed to stay in the sink and none flew up or out. I was in shock...I had never had a Pyrex shatter like that. Maybe it was not Pyrex. Sadly it was a wedding gift and fit a nice square wicker basket. Oh well.

I got out our "bought to clean up ugly messes" vacuum and cleaned up the mess. And vacuumed then swept the kitchen floor to be doubly sure. I guess the lesson learned is even Pyrex has changes in temperature threshold limits. :( One would think as a fizzicist that I would know better. Praise the Lord.

The bourbon steak and pasta frigoli soup was wonderful though.

I have been watering most of this evening. I have two more spots to cover and all is well. Laundry is slowly but surely getting done too.

And Zoe and Carol dropped by and of course Zoe was looking for the girls. I gave her a treat and visited with Carol a good bit...mostly about New Zealand of all places. She vacationed there in 2004. Always nice to visit about NZ. And to boot a stranger mentioned, "Nice jersey" to me in the Smith's parking lot. I happened to be wearing my All-Blacks jersey. :)