For the record, just because you "spent a lot of money" on something doesn't mean you have to use it. Allow me to vent my frustration here:
As most people know, my wife works split between 2nd & 3rd shifts. Sometimes she doesn't get to go to sleep after working overnight until around noon. For the past few years, my elderly neighbor (who is the best I could ever ask for) has had some group come work yard maintenance on her property. Every time they would come out with this God awful, loud and obnoxious sounding leaf blower, jetpack-looking thing. It sounded as if a giant hog was rampaging a china shop. They kept the throttle up high and repeatedly kept revving it up. I knew if I can hear it in my studio or in my living room, then my wife had to be really annoyed by it because the bedroom is next to where they were blowing the leaves.
I got tired of hearing it in my house, so went out there to watch what the man and teenage boy were doing in my neighbor's very, VERY, small backyard. They we're only blowing the leaves around, the teenage aiming the debris out the gate. I literally watched the grown man blow a bunch of the dried up leaves between our fence and the neighbors garage / shed. It was like he was hoping to hide it and maybe my sweet neighbor wouldn't see it. I monitored them more as I rolled up my garden hose and put it in my shed. As the revving continued, I calmly walked over to my fence and the young boy saw me standing there waiting for them to turn around.
The teenager signaled to the older man, they turned off their equipment, and took off his headphones as they came over to the fence. I politely said "let me ask y'all a question: do you have a rake?" The man looked to the side thinking and said "yeah, I got a rake". I suggested that maybe he should use it instead of the two using the leaf blowers in such a very confined area. The man looked at me, kinda stunned for a few seconds before saying they were okay with using the machines. I leaned a little closer to ask him "is all this really necessary?" The guy asked me what I mean, and I replied "with the leaf blowers? As you can see it's a very small yard and it would be better off with a rake and you get more done than just blowing the leaves around in such a small area. Besides, my wife works overnights and right now she is trying to get some sleep", and I pointed to where our bedroom is located. His reply was "well we've been coming out here for the past 3 years doing it this way." I responded back "I know that. I also know for a fact you get a lot more done neatly with a yard rake because I raked her yard many times over the years." I pointed to where he blew all the leaves between the fence and the shed along with some stuck on a vine.
"Well sir, I would have to kindly disagree with you", he smirked. At this point, I knew there would be no use to reason with the guy. I said "you know what? If she paid you to come out here and blow leaves with those two noisy things, then you go right ahead, but I know without a doubt that you get more done with a rake and it's a whole lot quieter. All I can do is ask for and I asked." After a moment of looking eye to eye with me, he said "I apologize about the noise and suppose we could work on another part of the yard". I just smiled and said "carry on..."
As I started to turn around to walk off back toward my house, Ladies and gentlemen, I swear to you, this guy came with the most illogical comeback: "We spent an awful lot of money on this equipment so we have to use it!" "Again, I know for a fact you get more done with a rake" I replied while imitating the motion of using a rake. I turned around and continued walking back into my house.
Ladies and gentlemen I am proud to say they are now using a rake. Spending big money does not always make the small jobs easier. Nor just because you spend a lot of money on it does not mean you have to use it, especially in very small places.
