I made a new friend!

Today is Friday and I was wondering what to do this evening when Sam got home. However, she made a very good point this morning. From now, till we get back from New York, we'll be pretty busy, so mentioned that she would like to have a relaxing, quiet evening. Seeing as she has been at work every day this week, then came home and we had gone out someplace, she hasn't had a day or evening to relax and do nothing. I have been busy doing nothing but relaxing while she's been at work so her suggestion was a point well made and I can appreciate it. So tonight was a lazy night. 

While Sam was at work I mooched around the house and went out to water the plants. Just as I was about to go back indoors, a voice from across the street called to me, asking for a little help.

This lad was fiddling with his mower and it seemed the wheel was broken. He asked if I could hold it in place while he tied some rope around the handles to hold the wheel inline. So I did just that. Then he asked if I knew anything about mowers and if I could attach the bag. We went to the back of his house and took a look at his mower bag. I fixed that to the mower too and he said I seemed to know a lot about mowers. I don't really but was surprised he didn't know how to fix the bag himself. After having a chat, it turned out he had just got hold of the beaten up old mower and was intending to go up and down the street, round the blocks seeing if anyone needed their lawns cut, to earn himself a little cash. I admired his entrepreneurship. He was about 21 ish and to think, guys at that age at home, with no work would be more of a pain in the ass to the local area than a help. They would be hanging around causing trouble not doing anything constructive, where this guy was wanting to go out, help people and earn some cash on the side. Make his way as best he can. Turns out, a few of the local kids do this, even in winter, they grab a shovel and see if people need their drive ways cleared. Loved that go getting attitude. 

We chatted some more and he had a typical ghetto New York accent but turned out to be a great kid and very inquisitive. He noticed I had an accent and we talked a little about England and the fact royalty had visited the USA. I invited him over to sit on the porch and have a beer but he said he had to go cut his aunt's grass up the street a ways. So off he strolled, pushing his mower to go grab some cash. Good for him, I thought. 

That night, when Sam came home, we just chilled on the sofa, ordered a pizza and watched Indiana Jones films that were on the tv. Seeing as we were off out Saturday and my birthday would be when we are in New York, Sam gave me my birthday present. I opened it and loved it! It was an illustration of a shark in a suit. 

It even came with his own story...

Although I'm enclinded to make up one of my own. He seems to be a Quantity Surveyor. We were always a little shark-like when it came to money being spent on building projects and wore a suit so he may be a QS instead. Suggestions for names in the comment section BELOW... Although I think I already know what I'm going to call him. See if you can guess. 

And that was our relaxing Friday evening.