Today I started to snow blow the foot of snow outside at 7:30am. I was snow blowing and then at about 10AM I started to head back to do our driveway. All of the sudden the belt broke on the snowblower! The kids and I loaded up and spent from 10AM until 1:30PM chasing a new belt. We went to Home Depot first. In a couple of trips we bought two different belts that did not work. They really did not have the best selection. Finally, we decided to go to Lowe's. THEY HAD THE BELT!.........,but they were completely out of stock. We then went to 3 lawn mower/snow blower sales and service shops. All of them decided to be closed today. I finally decided I would follow my passion for cars. I went to a couple of automotive parts places. I compared the belts that they had in stock for cars. Finally, at NAPA auto parts I found one that worked perfectly. So, if you have a Yard Machines A31u150E-129 snowblower, you will be happy to know that it uses the same belt as the alternator belt for a 1986 Toyota Corolla. :) I finally finished all the snow blowing around 3:30PM today. I showered and then decided to do some cleaning in the house. As I was vacuuming, I kid you not the belt broke...... We went right to Sears (where the vacuum was purchased) and.........found it right away.
The kids played in the snow a lot today while I was snow-blowing. I would pull them around on their sleds, causing them to scream WEE! When they were tired or cold they would go with Grandma and Grandpa and scream "Wii!" Some of my siblings all pitched in to buy Grandma and Grandpa a Wii for Christmas. The rule is that no one can play it without Grandma and Grandpa getting involved. The kids loved bowling and baseball with Grandma, Grandpa, and their cousins the last couple of days. Grandpa is dangerous at bowling. He has yet to bowl less than a 150. Grandpa has also been so great to us the last couple of days. For Christmas Eve dinner he made some HUGE king crab legs and we feasted like kings. On Christmas morning he made pancakes and eggs. On Christmas Day, Grandma and Grandpa made a huge feast. Then, the day after Christmas, he made french toast for breakfast. He is quite the chef. T keeps telling him that he should be a chef "when he grows up."
the first FIVE years
