Today I was well on my to being woman of the year. My house was clean, I worked out, I had a wonderful photoshoot with a so so so adorable little baby, my errands were done and I decide to clean out the driveway. I was in my Dave is on a business trip and I can handle everything mode… first mistake. The side garage door that we use for the snowblower was frozen shut. I kicked, slammed and pried but there was no budging it… second mistake. Not to be detered from my mission, I fired the blower up and took it through the main door. Yes I was in charge, I was on top of things, I could do it… as soon as I turned the auger on the fetid smell of rubber hit my nostrils then smoke curled out of the motor. In great angst I frantically tried to remember how to turn the blower off then jumped back two steps. What was that?! I exclaimed to myself, I hadn't done anything wrong, I hadn't even started. I turn it on again, promptly followed by more smoke. Ok something was definitely wrong… send an email to Dave in China. "If there was a problem with your snowblower who would you send it to?" His response…a phone call…"Why – what is the problem?" "I didn't do anything", I exclaim, "something must be stuck inside" he responds "no big deal it eats Newspapers all the time". I go out to the garage armed with a flashlight to dig into the snowblower and find the culprit. Much to my surprise I find a WINTER RUBBER FLOORMAT. How did that get in there? I was paying attention, I swear, it was underneath the blower how does it get into the thing! I then spend TWO HOURS pulling and pushing and cutting away at the mat in the garage. At this point I must add that it is 16 below outside but I feel I must persevere because it is going to be -28 with the wind chill tomorrow!!!!!! I finally call a neighbour in for brute strength to remove the final piece.
I still swear that this could not have been avoided. Nothing that I did shoved the mat into the gaping jaws of the snowblower. :)
The remnants of a once very useful Honda Pilot winter floormat.
The tools that were used. Conspicuously missing is a kitchen knife. A Henkel kitchen knife might have been used in this endeavour but evidence will never be found in case it is used against me the next time I ream Dave out for using it to open a box.
The gaping jaws of the snowblower.
The monster that ate the floormat.
