The Saga of the Blower and the Distressed Runner

My dad got the bad news a few weeks ago that he can't run, at least, not for a while. And, for anyone who has any inkling of my dad, this is pretty distressing for a guy whose always out running, even if its thirty degrees below zero and he's in Canada (which really does happen, every Christmas). So, he's pretty bummed out, and as kind of a rebound, he's taken up... you guessed it! leaf blowing! Which sounds pretty tame, right? I mean, get the leaves out of the driveway, make everything look nice, etc. Except, for a person who is used to going out every day and running... leaf blowing must be done every day. And pretty soon you start to notice that the driveway is entirely clear of leaves... but he still pops out of the backdoor to get the leaf blower and says something about 'just have to get a few more off' and then starts up again. And this particular leaf blower he has been using to stem his agony over not being able to run is one of those that perpetually sounds like its just about had it. It kind of purrs and mutters and then chugs and splutters if it gets too near the monkey grass. And the worst of it is, he simply won't cut the thing off, as someone whose used to spending a long time outdoors, say, running, I suppose he finds it his duty to walk up and down the driveway swinging the thing until dinner time. Now, I'm in my living room, outside of which directly is our front porch, and I have never known a front porch (especially one that is covered) to be in need of a leaf blower in the middle of January. But you can here the thing, kind of far off (Jaws music starts in the back ground) an ominous little *chug-chug-chug-chug* and then this huge *VOOM* and the leaves are off! and I don't know what's keeping him, but he's been standing on our front porch for about twenty minutes now with that horrible leaf blower, and if he doesn't get off soon I think I shall have to find it my unpleasant duty to insert a leaf blower in his left ear, which I think should just about keep him from the unnecessary practice, at least, until he can start running again.