don't count on teh cruise helping much. it is not usually like the cruise on a car that you can set at any speed, many only have a couple spots you can set them. this always ends up being too slow for the straight aways and too fast for the turns(sounds like a NASCAR description LOL). i mow 4 acres and have 417ft runs in any direction, yet i rarely ever use the cruise on either of my machines due to havign to constantly slow dow to cut around trees/pick up sticks and debris/ease over rough spots. you have to mash the pedal down and release the cruise, so this gets as tiring as just keeping your foot on teh go pedal. my best advice to you is go sit on as many different models as you can. if possible actually drive them around on YOUR property, though this is doubtful if buying from a box store. also keep in mind the amount of regular maintenance items you will have. will you be able to remove the deck to clean/change blades? many box store mowers are a royal PITA to get the deck off. folks find it easier to just lift the mower to get under it. so look at deck removal procedures prior to buying.

I read your thread way back.... I guess about a year or so ago and just today decided to come back to this forum to check and see what's going on. Lot's have gone on in the time past. I am glad to hear you got your SSDI. I am at the hearing point on mine, I have a lawyer but not sure he's any good.... he has not called and talked to me once and when I've called the office I never get to talk to him it's always his assistance. she tell me it takes about three months once the appeal has been turned in. It's been over three months...I called the SS office to check and make sure it was at the hearing office and it checked out. The wait is awful. I'm so thankful for this forum it is so helpful, One of the members stated to write everything down how life was before and how life is now and that is something I must do for the impending hearing. There is no medication I can take other then pain medication and my doctor will not proscribe anything for more then a month at a time. I don't agree with the doctor that I was being seen for my back so I did not go back to him. The 4th and 5 th lower lumbar is fused together and I have scoilosis curving of the spine. I've had problems with my back off and on but in my younger years it never was that bad. It wasn't until it seem all of a sudden it hit me, Well I guess not really all of a sudden but the worst part is. I now cannot sit for long drives after an hour of sitting in the car I may or I may not be able to get up out of the car seat and at times when I do get up and put my foot down to get up my back may not be able to support me, I have a pain that will run through me as I put my foot down on the ground. Now that the scoilosis has started giving me problems it is hindering the use of arms and moving my neck, when it acts up I can't turn my head to look around when driving I have to use the mirrors. I've also started having problems with my hands and arms. So off I went to the doctor and after some test found corporal tunnel to be the problem but the nerve is don't damaged to the point of being able to do surgery weather that is good or not I don't know but it has changed my life 100% where I use to be very active do what I wanted when I wanted. It's only been 5 years ago that I was working and come home to clean house, cook dinner, do a load of laundry all in a days time now I'm lucky to get through doing a couple of loads of laundry in a day, I can't lift the clothes basket I have to push it with my foot from the bedroom to the laundry room, if I had to go out and do laundry I guess I'd be in a world of hurt. I clean house one room at a time one day at a time just when ever I'm able to. I started to oil the cabinets down but hands and arms can't take it so I stopped. I have started carrying the cell phone with me outside just in case I fall and can't get up. I can't do the thing's I use to do with the grandkids any longer if it's not something simple then forget it. I can no longer walk around the mall. I haven't gotten to the point of asking for a wheel chair ... not wanting to go there. Although I have told my family that I cannot walk around much. I know long find my bed a comfort anymore, for me it is hard cause of pain or discomfort laying down. At times I give up trying to get comfortable and get back up. It is not visible to ones eye of my problems. Just to look at me you would not know I had anything wrong. Wishing you well with your surgery and happy gardening come spring time.

neesie, obviously I was talking about the handicapped spots and not the entire parking lot! Geez. The way the law (in the US) is written the "van-accessible" spots have to be the closest *handicapped* (or "disabled") spots of the handi-spots and my point was that that is the wrong way to approach it. So let's not try to suggest I was saying the wheelchairs should park in the next county, OK? And I think someone riding in an electric wheelchair can handle riding "all through the parking lot while others are backing out" much better than someone someone on crutches, walker, cane(s), lugging an oxygen tank, using prosthetic devices, etc. Why should those people suffer so the rider can have the closest spot? Come to think of it, those people are *more* susceptible to problems since the rider can usually be looking around and paying closer attention to the surrounding activities than the others who have to pay close attention to the ground in front of them so they don't fall. Good grief, I never thought of that before! Thanks nessie! And that's for the person propelling themself in the wheelchair. When being pushed by someone else, they have yet another benefit. You're actually making my point and I'll have to remember that. For someone who is struggling to walk to have to walk farther so someone can literally "drive" into the store, is wrong IMO. I have sympathy for people in wheelchairs but I see very little sympathy from people in wheelchairs toward people who are trying to walk. And I won't even bring up the people who *can* walk, but use a wheelchair anyway. And as I said, not that someone in a wheelchair should have to, but if it came down to a choice of someone in a wheelchair parking on the far end of the lot (even if it's to have the extra room to load/unload) and having to ride, verses someone in any of the other situations mentioned and possibly more, I'd say it's still better IMO that the rider go the farther distance most of the time. And yes there's exceptions but for the majority, I feel it's better. The fact is if someone in a wheelchair gets tired even if they're propelling themself, they can stop and rest. They're sitting. If someone is in the other situations, not many are carrying chairs with them to be able to stop and rest. There's been times I've had to stop and lean against a car and even try to sit on a bumper or something when I've had to make my way through a parking lot. Maybe I should just say to heck with it and use a wheelchair! Jae_tn, not to get involved in your argument, but saying you wished people wouldn't park in the vandicapped spots gets contradicted when you said "If you notice, there will be a sign in front of the space saying " Van Accessible" and that means not to park there unless you are a van or there is no other space available." I haven't found the law that says that yet, post a link if you know one but the vandicapped spots aren't only for van use. It's that they're van-accessible by my understanding. I am going to keep looking though. Maybe I'll just call DPS and ask them.

From the sounds of it, I think you have the wrong plant...! If it's only recently planted, getting rid of it is likely the smart thing to do. I gather that, for whatever reason, wisterias are not as rampant spreaders in the UK as they are in some parts of North America, but they are vigorous growers everywhere- as you've found out ;-). Is it a Chinese or a Japanese wisteria? I have one of both, and both are grown as 'trees'. We planted the Chinese one 15 years ago and keep it to ~8-9'. We planted the Japanese one in 2007 and are keeping it shorter - ~6'. I ignore the complicated pruning instruction you see everywhere and just whack back into the desired framework all whippy new growth as it arises - can be an almost daily task when it is in active growth! All root suckers and growth from below the graft union (assuming there is one) get ripped off (not cut off - I'm trying to remove bud wood...). The Chinese wisteria virtually stopped producing root suckers after 5-6 years of age, but the Japanese one is still producing lots, so it is the more rampant grower in my experience.