Most of your small-engine equipment (think lawnmower, weed whacker, leaf blower) are typically equipped with what's called a recoil starter which is a rope and pull handle which you tug in a starting ritual that becomes personal as the equipment ages and the user adapts to various idiosyncratic choke and primer bulb rythms. Inevitably, either the starter rope or the recoil spring will fail. These are cheap (e.g. the rope costs about a buck) repairs the handyman can do himself with a little effort and patience.

The other day, I got a letter from my son's Middle School Principal announcing an escalation of their no headwear policy. For some time, it has been against school rules to wear any sort of hat or hood in school. We've never had any problems with that. All along, Nick has been wearing hooded jackets as the best compromise between competing agendas. He needs to maximize his comfort while waiting in the cool morning air at the bus stop without sweltering in school all day.