marrt
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Saw this article on the web. Don't know if he finished.
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Gary Hatter is riding a bright orange Kubota BX2200 lawn mower into the record books.
He started his cross-country odyssey more than three months ago in Portland, Maine and spent Thursday night in Boise before heading west toward Ontario, Ore.
Hatter, 46, who lives in Champaign, Ill., was a truck driver who injured his back while unloading milk crates at age 24. He has had two operations since then and the second surgery was to correct his first operation, in which the doctor removed the wrong spinal disk.
He has been told he needs a third operation to avoid being paralyzed from spinal-disk degeneration. His surgery, physical therapy and rehabilitation will cost about $100,000.
Hatter is hoping to raise the money he needs by distributing black-and-white checkered race flags for a $5 donation and through monetary gifts from strangers.
"I’m doing this basically to better my life," Hatter said. "Disability is not a way I wanted to go. It’s not a way I ever wanted to go."
Hatter ran into some trouble Thursday afternoon between Mountain Home and Boise when the mower’s left rear tire snagged some baling wire, damaging the odometer. He spent Friday morning retracing his drive to make sure the mileage he reports to the Guinness Book of World Records is accurate.
Hatter started planning the trip three years ago, mapping his course with weather in mind. He borrowed $12,000 from a friend to buy the lawn tractor, and on May 31, he left Maine accompanied by his son, then 17.
Driving a 1989 Chevy Cavalier, his son would ride ahead to reserve hotel rooms and make other arrangements. After they arrived in Minneapolis on Sept. 4, Hatter’s son returned to Illinois for his senior year of high school.
Hatter believes the record, held by a man from northern Illinois, is 4,039 miles and 51 consecutive days. But that is dust in Hatter’s rear-view mirror. As of Friday, he had logged about 8,600 miles and 136 days. Idaho is Hatter’s 36th state.
He plans to end his trip somewhere in Oregon or Washington, weather permitting, some time between Dec. 31 and Jan. 10.
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Gary Hatter is riding a bright orange Kubota BX2200 lawn mower into the record books.
He started his cross-country odyssey more than three months ago in Portland, Maine and spent Thursday night in Boise before heading west toward Ontario, Ore.
Hatter, 46, who lives in Champaign, Ill., was a truck driver who injured his back while unloading milk crates at age 24. He has had two operations since then and the second surgery was to correct his first operation, in which the doctor removed the wrong spinal disk.
He has been told he needs a third operation to avoid being paralyzed from spinal-disk degeneration. His surgery, physical therapy and rehabilitation will cost about $100,000.
Hatter is hoping to raise the money he needs by distributing black-and-white checkered race flags for a $5 donation and through monetary gifts from strangers.
"I’m doing this basically to better my life," Hatter said. "Disability is not a way I wanted to go. It’s not a way I ever wanted to go."
Hatter ran into some trouble Thursday afternoon between Mountain Home and Boise when the mower’s left rear tire snagged some baling wire, damaging the odometer. He spent Friday morning retracing his drive to make sure the mileage he reports to the Guinness Book of World Records is accurate.
Hatter started planning the trip three years ago, mapping his course with weather in mind. He borrowed $12,000 from a friend to buy the lawn tractor, and on May 31, he left Maine accompanied by his son, then 17.
Driving a 1989 Chevy Cavalier, his son would ride ahead to reserve hotel rooms and make other arrangements. After they arrived in Minneapolis on Sept. 4, Hatter’s son returned to Illinois for his senior year of high school.
Hatter believes the record, held by a man from northern Illinois, is 4,039 miles and 51 consecutive days. But that is dust in Hatter’s rear-view mirror. As of Friday, he had logged about 8,600 miles and 136 days. Idaho is Hatter’s 36th state.
He plans to end his trip somewhere in Oregon or Washington, weather permitting, some time between Dec. 31 and Jan. 10.
