Oct 05 2008
“Breaking” Ground
Remember this? When we were discussing going halfsies with Dad on a roto-tiller? Jenontheedge told me about wetting newspapers and/or cardboard to break up the clay - and we’re planning on doing that, too, but we still need to turn it all over at some point - so we went ahead and splurged on Dad’s fave - a top of the line model with more features than my car.
Mr. Hot met MomandDad at the farm supply store, loaded up the behemoth into our truck, and drove it out to their house. Dad ran it through its paces, calling it, “A marvel” and “A workhorse” and some other terms that only a sixty-six year old obsessed with dirty-digging-things could come up with.
In the meantime, we here at the Hotfessional household were killing the grass in 1200 square feet of our yard and waiting for our turn at the new toy. (Yes, 1200 feet. We do nothing without going overboard.)
Last week, Mr. Hot told Dad, “We’re about ready to try that sucker out.” To which Dad replied, “Okay, but I want to give our garden another round…call me Monday and we’ll figure out what we’re going to do.”
Eagerly anticipating his chance at playing with the tiller, Mr. Hot (aka Farmer Hot), agreed. He planned. He dumped the container soil into the compost pile. He read about early corn vs. late corn and setting garlic plants. As a supportive wife, I dug through the bookcases looking for the gardening books I had stashed away.
Yesterday, Dad called.
“Um. I was working on our garden with the tiller. I broke it.”
Seems that, according to Dad, his “go through hardpack like it’s softened butter” tiller, when faced with the brand new topsoil that replaced his pool (no clay out there y’all…he simply had fresh topsoil dumped into the hole where the pool used to be…) cracked. Cracked and broked.
Also according to Dad, “It’s like the paint was holding it together. Gawddamned cheap-ass thing.”
—- Would it be bad form to put a stop-payment on the check I gave them for our half? —-
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Hmm. I’d get your parents to take it back and get a new one, seeing as they broke it.
Well, you’re not the golden child, so does it really matter?
“Oh Mah Holy Hell”
Be damn glad HE broke it. If Farmer Hot broke it … I’m sure it wouldn’t have been because “paint was holding it together”. =)
you lost me at the mear mention of yard work.
That’s exactly something my dad would have done. My own tiller is busted after my son borrowed it. Damn him. That was the one that made me institute a “No borrowing Mom/Dad’s tools and/or equipment without prior permission” rule.
You should swing over for a cuppa and a Major Award. But don’t have any coffee or vodka in your mouth when the page is opening. You may spray.
Oh my, how do you split custody over something that is done? I guessed I missed the post that you were starting to “farm”….will go back
and read :).
I agree with Solomon!
I agree with the others. He broke it, he deals with it and either refunds your money or gets a new one.
But trust me, you don’t need a tiller if you just follow my method. By next spring, you’ll have amazing garden soil.
Just be thankful that you didn’t go first and break it! You would never live that down.
Cause girl, your dad and mine? Related. For sure. Wanna send me some of his hair so I can do a DNA test?
Yep, I agree - be damn glad you weren’t the ones who broke it. And make them get the new one. : )
It wouldn’t be bad form to stop payment ,but it might get you off their Christmas card list for the rest of your lives!
what bad luck! it’s got to have at least a 30 day return policy if not a warranty. I’m sure he can quickly exchange it right? Sheesh, rotten luck!
Are you documenting all this for your custody case?
oh dear, looks like you’re having trough luck!
(or papa is an unlucky fallow)
(or try not to lose your composture)
teehee.
Andy Baileys last blog post..I wanted to join Starfleet
Oh no, poor Hot Farmer never got to even till a spec! Since it had more features than your car, I don’t suppose your Dad bought the extended warranty?
I am hosting my first contest, if you would like to stop by.
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Testing what I broke.
Oh my - I hadn’t thought until I read the comments, but yep, you gotta be SO GLAD that it was him what broke it.
Does the manufacturer have a 1 year warranty on it? If it was the top level model I bet it does! And yeah, you didn’t get to use it so you shouldn’t pay! Cancel that check.
Talinas last blog post..Wordless Wednesday October 1st
TAKE IT BACK! I can’t think of one major store that doesn’t take back or FIX stuff like that. Raise a big stink, they’ll make it better!
Hyphen Mamas last blog post..Wynnie McGinney McGoo
WTF? You should get your money back since you didn’t get to use it!
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[...] start from the beginning…. Very brown, lots of moss, bumpy. Generally pretty sad. But I like the man with the roto-tiller. A closer picture of the ugliness. Finally, four months later….. All the dead grass is raked up, and we added a couple of features. A landscaped “island”, and garden beds … “Breaking” Ground [...]