Thursday Night Mowing League 2025: Week 17 - Rising From The Ashes After A Divorce
Plus: Jason in California battles the brutal heat, but he gets the job done.
A TNMLer is back & it's one of the most inspirational stories from the league in 2025
— Jason R. is back after two years away from the league:
I haven't checked in since 2023 because I've been in an apartment since the divorce. I recently got the keys to my new house and enjoyed my first Thursday night cut in 2 years.
The yard is dusty and patchy so I have a lot of work to do but I'm excited to get to work and turn it into something to be proud of.
The Toro Recycler Max made short work of the yard although it is now brown from the dust rather than the shiny black factory finish. Keep up the good work. I will definitely be needing seeding and fertilizing tips for next season.
This reminds me of the TNMLer Mike in Utah who told me years ago about how he couldn't wait to move into a house he was buying because it would be the very first place he'd ever lived with a lawn he could mow.
"I have always lived in an apartment and have never had the opportunity to have a piece of land that I can call my own," Mike told me over an email.
Let this be a reminder to be proud of what you all have and what you've been able to accomplish. There are men out there who wish they could have a quarter of the life you're living.
Don't take those laps around the yard for granted.
Never forget that there's a guy out there who looks at your property and dreams he was in your place.
Product Placement: Yes, this promotion is real
Continuing with the inspirational messages, I'm still not sure what Bob was mowing, but he was out there getting it in on league day
Look, I have to be completely honest, I haven't mowed the yard in at least two weeks, maybe three. We cannot get a soaker. It'll drizzle for 10 minutes and fizzle out.
The U.S. Drought Monitor has us in the "Abnormally Dry" range, but I'm here to tell you that it's more of a severe drought. Outside the commercial mower guys who need to get paid, the only guy I've seen mow this week is our neighbor, Bob, who is at least 95. He might actually be a tad over 95.
There he was Thursday mowing away at his .33 acre lot.
It was a classic skim mow job just to make the lawn look fresh for the weekend, but let's be honest, Bob was probably just bored from weeks of not being able to mow.
Bob, who lost his wife this year, is easily the most inspirational figure around here. He'll get out there and work his ass off at a variety of odd jobs around the property. If you didn't know it, you'd think he was in his early 80s.
He still drives. Goes about his business.
May we all be like Bob and live long, prosperous lives where we're skimming the lawn just to get out of the house on league night in our 90s.
The Powerball is up to $700 million this weekend
Like I've written above, there's something psychological about a life well-spent mowing and thinking. Or just daydreaming.
Imagine riding around on your new mower thinking about how you're going to spend a couple of hundred million — after taxes.