Suggested troublshooting not yet fully completed, but here's some updates. With the new knowledge that I CAN swap the left/right plug wires, I did. Exact same problems I had before, but as you probably know, exactly reversed. Which means: The cyl/engine is still basically 'good' (humor me there, I like the mower!) - it WILL run on both cyls, just not at the same time. Doh! I swapped the wires back, and the original non-firing cyl was back where it was previously. Glad to know I'm not crazy. I pulled the plug from the good side, grounded it against the block and hit the starter after turning out all the lights but one in the corner. Good looking spark! I replaced the plug/wire, and pulled the other side to try the same thing. This time, I used a pair of insulated pliers to hold the plug against the block. I had a flashback of working my my stepdad's garage when I was 11. The wife and the new baby were VERY happy to hear less cursing this time, but I still cursed a little - because it appeared to have similar spark to the other side. Did both sides again, making the wife watch and she agreed, appeared to be similar spark. I checked all the wiring, no obvious chew marks/rips/tears/breaks. Amazing how well it's held up over the years, why cant my cars do that? Oh yeah, they get used more than once or twice per week. I do have this odd little tool that everyone I mention to thinks I'm crazy - something my father-in-law gave me to check for bad wires on a car. Looks liek the top half of a clicky ballpoint pen - you rub it up and down the wire while the vehicle is running - if it lights, you have a crack/etc. It didnt light at all on either wire - even though I now new both are getting spark. And appearantly gas. so - what the heck?? I came home during lunch today and threw the battery charger on at 2amps for about 6 hours, if anything it has a slightly over-charged battery (charger came off an hour before my testing) So - spark appears good. Must be getting gas or wouldnt run at all on that side regardless of wire. Plugs are good for same reason (but I did switch them and clean them again.) So, the coil has two leads coming out of it - do they both get the magic spark of life from the same place, or does it have two sets of internals, and one side is going bad? I can find 100 sets of instructions on how to test coils but appearantly the wife's rabbit DID eat the leads to my multimeter - so other than the wire to the tongue test, I guess I'm done for the night (note - rabbit was never in the same room as the mower - ever.. I know they love to eat wiring and the 3rd time it ate a computer cord belonging to said Wife, she agreed that bunny is perma-banned from the garage and basement under penalty of stew.)

Fortunatly, I haven't been tested often. The one time that comes to mind,is when we lived in the country, dirt roads all around, and it was mudd season (spring) I was making supper one night when the neighbor girl knocked on the door and asked it I could come over because he Mommy was having the baby. The lady had tried to drive to town but the truck got stuck in the mudd and they did't have a phone. I turned off the stove, and ran across the field to their house. The lady was on the floor and was pushing. Just as I got to her, the baby came out, and was crying right away. I told the little girl to run back to our house and ask my DH to call for an ambulance. I wrapped the baby in a blanket and gave her to her mother, who was so calm through the whole thing. The afterirth came and I just covered it with paper towels and left it on the floor. The mother was still on the floor and I got a blanket for her and we waited for the ambulance. They had to drive through a couple of fields to get to us and when they came, along with our Barny Fife like, town cop. He asked her is this your first baby, she said "Hell no, its my last!" It was her 4th. I had a hard time containing my laugh watching the young intern picking up the afterbirth to take it along to be checked. He was gagging the whole time. On the way to the hospital ( the mother told me this afterwards) they had the siren on and she asked them what the hell was the hurry for. The excitement is all over. I have been asked what I did the whole time, and I said I went to the window a lot asking "My God, arent they coming yet!!"

Hope things go better for you. Things here are busy it seems. I baked a big black raspberry pie and a big cherry pie and a small black raspberry pie and a pie shell. I am taking the two big pies to church for the dinner if I get to go. I was going to make a big sweet potato casserole, but since there is a chance I may not go, I put my mashed sweet potatoes in the freezer and did not make it. We would not eat it up around here. We had snow most all day. We probably got 5 inches more. Now it has stopped. It is 25 out now. I took a nap and that was good! My husband came home early afternoon and he and son in law chipped away at the ice and snow so we could open the back door. I fixed lunch and I think that is about all that is going on here. For Now! Sue

No you are not the only one who does that. I read somewhere how people will write to the networks to ask where to buy particular furnishings that are used in sets. The article said the most requested info sought on "where to buy" was a certain lamp used on the 'Friends' show. I don't know what lamp that would be since I don't watch TV and have never seen 'Friends'. People write to find out about clothing too. It was said that when the movie 'Father Of The Bride II' came out, the studio was inundated with letters wanting to know where the maternity clothing was purchased. Unfortunately they were all made by the wardrobe mistress who designed for Diane Keaton. What the letter writers do not realize is that the sets designed are not realistically in the budget of what real people who live the lifestyles of the characters could afford. That lamp cost $60,000. When someone sees a look they like on a set, thinking how fresh and casual and fun it seems, they don't realize that the look did not come out of 'Bed In A Bag' but rather came from a designer who put together a great look for the set. Just because the characters in the show were Blue Collar or college students or whatever, they did not get the look from shopping at Walmart for the set. Often times there is 'product placement' going on with sets where a manufacturer pays to have their stuff used if they feel it already has a recognition. Supposedly Apple does this with their laptops paying to have one of their products set on a desk in the background. The producers know that people are paying attention to the set and take full advantage of it.