When is an edge not a side?

Husband said the edges of the lawns needed strimming so today I had my first attempt at strimming. Also today I broke the strimmer.

Strictly speaking, the strimmer stopped working when I was using it, so it might not be broken, just sulking.

On Friday I cleared out the greenhouse and put the gro-bags down. Yesterday I went to watch Elder Son playing in a charity football match and while I was out Husband planted the tomatoes in the gro-bags - and managed to pull a muscle in his chest. So, as he's resting today, I was trying not to have to ask him anything. Hence I got the strimmer out and began strimming. "That's odd," I thought. "It doesn't seem to be having any effect." I turned it upside down and, sure enough, there wasn't any strim or string or whatever. So I had to call Husband, who showed me how to replace the string, and then began telling me that I had to use the strimmer differently for edges and sides.

"What's the difference between an edge and a side?"

I was no wiser after his explanation so he shrugged and said, "Just use it as it is." Husband went away, I began strimming, shouted abuse at the strimmer because it was doing a rubbish job, and then it stopped.

I mowed the lawn at the back instead. Again, it didn't seem to be having a lot of effect. "Perhaps I should lower the setting." I turned the mower on its side and pushed the handle thing. "Okay, so that way moves the wheels closer to the ground, so that must be right."

Continued mowing. Even less effective. Considered my logic about wheels being closer to ground . . . ah, maybe it's not the wheels that are moving but the blade that is getting further away from the ground.

Anyway finished the lawn just before it started to rain. I went and pulled up a few brambles out the front instead. Did you know brambles can make roots at both ends? Devilishly clever. No wonder they're so hard to remove.

It didn't rain but I gave up then. Came in to blog instead.

* * * * *

So, as I said, Elder Son played in a charity football match yesterday. He plays a couple of times a week but with small teams, small pitches, and short games. Yesterday it was a full team, full pitch, full ninety minutes. He survived but was disappointed not to score a goal. 

One easy opportunity he had he blew and one of the lads, whom he plays with in the week, watching shouted, "Neil would have got that!"

Neil is Younger Son and the three of them played football for the church back in their youth, so know each other's skills. The deepest cutting comment! To say your brother would have done better! All in good spirit. I think!

Elder Son was doubly disappointed because he and football-mad GrandSon3 have a weekly competition to see who scores the most goals. The loser has to cook Sunday breakfast for the winner. Grandson3 was winning as of yesterday.