I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK

In case you don't get the title reference, here's a clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clPYfaTvHT0.

Friday, DH announced that he had purchased a chainsaw to take care of the trees in the back yard. Sigh. He promises that he knows what he is doing. He has never been taught how to use a chain saw. He assumes it is some trait carried on the Y chromosome that will enable him to immediately know how to use a chain saw once it is placed in his hands. Having no Y chromosomes of my own, I find this explanation a bit doubtful, but I reserve judgement.

Friday night, as usual, we wandered over to the neighbors' house while the kids played neighborhood games outside. The neighbors always have an open bottle of good red wine. She is a buyer for a local wine store and she has a very reliable palette. So we know it will be good and it will be flowing. They have another friend, Firstborn calls him Mr D., who comes by nearly every night. He's a whiskey drinker, though. When DH arrived, he asked him about the chain saw.
"Picked one up today" DH replied.
Mr. D's face lit up. "Didja get the 16" or the 18"?"
"Ah. the 18".
"Much better choice. That should take care of whatcha got" said Mr. D.

Let me point out here that Mr. D is an placement specialist. I highly doubt he has ever picked up a chainsaw either. But you know, that Y chromosome. I shook my head and asked my neighbor, who works the ER at the local hospital if she would be on duty tomorrow night.

Saturday, DH suited up with his steel tipped boots, suitable denim and long sleeves, eye protection and gloves and headed to the back yard. He pulled the cord and started the beast. I could see his back straighten, he stood a bit taller.

Within minutes, there were neighborhood men walking into our yard to check it out under the guise of helping him stack the wood. It was like something from Home Improvement. "how many horsepower that thing got?" I could see one man asking. They all practiced their primal grunts, starting softly and then increasing as they all gained confidence. Well, it was either the confidence, or the logs they were all carrying to the new wood pile were getting heavier and heavier. Ya. That could be it.

My plan was to take pictures of him using the new chain saw and then take a picture of all ten fingers for my mother in law. I was simply having too much fun watching the testosterone fest in the back yard though. Forgot to get out my camera. And no, there were no trips to the ER that day.