Thursday Night Mowing League wants 40 million Americans to stop wasting weekends on their lawns
As we prepare our drinks, our piles of meat and our brains to enjoy the first weekend in June, I'm reminded of why we put in the work on Thursdays. I'm reminded of that feeling on Fridays when the workweek ends and there's this weight that is lifted off our shoulders.
According to a 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, "more people engaged in housework on weekend days than on weekdays, on average -- 41%, compared with 36%. However, people were slightly more likely to do food preparation and cleanup on weekdays than weekend days -- 64%, compared to 62%."
Let this sink in: Those same government statistics say approximately 11.5% of Americans are performing lawn and garden activities on weekends, up from 9.2% during the week. That is a stat that needs to flip. Yes, I understand you're busy. I get that you have to work and there are kid activities, but Thursday Night Mowing League is more than just some online mowing group. It's a movement.
Based on those stats, 40 million Americans are spending their time off working on their yards instead of enjoying the fruits of their labor.
What is the TNML?
It is a grassroots, online cultural movement created to turn a routine chore into a ceremonial sport. The motto from day one has been that we mow on Thursdays so our weekends are wide open. TNML is a celebration of hard work, taking pride in property and community and the camaraderie created when league members unlock a stress-free weekend.
How do we determine a winner? By the end of the summer, it's typically pretty clear who lived up to the standards that the legends of the TNML have stood for.
Joining the TNML is a small, but mighty, step toward changing your life for the better. Trust me.
Not only are your taxes sky-high, but then, as you're about to enter the first full weekend of June, the utility companies roll in to tear up your lawn. I know Tyler. He'll bounce back, but this is going to eat at him. Remember: Brighter days are ahead.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
This is why we do it. Dave's child is happy. Dad's weekend is wide open. Never forget that lawn care was considered a status symbol during the Middle Ages (I learned that via a Google Search). Psychologists point to a freshly mowed as a barometer to our financial success and stability in life.
A 2024 National Institutes of Health study points to the benefits of touching grass and how it reduced "systolic and diastolic blood pressure." You guys are literally lowering your blood pressure each time you're out mowing and becoming one with your grass. Anxiety levels drop. Physiological and psychological stress can also be reduced by touching grass.
Look at this boy's face. That field can be a soccer field. It can be a kite-flying launch pad. It can be the best dog-chasing-a-stick track in town. It's home. What a feeling.
This is where I remind some of you that you sent me TINY return envelopes that will not fit the 4" TNML stickers. I will have to spend part of a day addressing envelopes and then buying postage to send the stickers. Please hang with me as I attempt to maintain a job-life balance.
Remember when I pushed the "Come and Take It" mower shirts? We need a blower version. Yes, I own a gas-powered blower. No, I don't use it. Why not? Because it's dirty and the battery-powered blowers are extremely cheap and I don't have enough work for the gas blower.
Would I ever turn in a neighbor for using one? Hell no. Absolutely not. But, that's how these super LIBS in Ann Arbor roll. They are the Big Brother you should be afraid of. These LIBS would turn you in in a heartbeat over the littlest of things. Trust me, I'm about 50 minutes south of that LIB hellhole.
This is how you win national titles. Vacations happen. Vacations are encouraged. Remembering to take your TNML on the road is never forgotten by league administrators and voters.