---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: to find. He was trying to requisition…"
description: "\"“to find. He was trying to requisition some gas-powered leaf blowers to blow the new sand off the old. Nothing was happening”\" — Mary Roach"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/mary-roach-635_gas-powered_to-find-he-was-trying-to-requisition-som_2120957.png"
---

#  to find. He was trying to requisition some gas-powered…

![“to find. He was trying to requisition some gas-powered leaf blowers to blow the new sand off the old. Nothing was happening” quote by Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/mary-roach-635_gas-powered_to-find-he-was-trying-to-requisition-som_2120957.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/mary-roach-635_gas-powered_to-find-he-was-trying-to-requisition-som_2120957.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/mary-roach-635_gas-powered_to-find-he-was-trying-to-requisition-som_2120957.png)

> ““to find. He was trying to requisition some gas-powered leaf blowers to blow the new sand off the old. Nothing was happening””

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A humorous anecdote about a failed attempt to use a leaf blower for an unconventional purpose, highlighting absurdity and trial and error.

**In simple terms:** A funny failed experiment with a leaf blower.

Key Takeaway

Embrace trial and error, even when absurd.

Themes

humor absurdity experimentation

Mood

lighthearted curious

Type

anecdotal humorous

When to use this quote

- DIY projects
- field work
- creative problem solving

Key Concepts

innovation practicality failure

Questions to Reflect On

- What unconventional tools have you tried?
- How do you handle unexpected failures?

A Different Perspective

Sometimes practical tools are unsuitable for unexpected tasks.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [“Thank you leaf blowers, for making me look like the world's lamest Ghostbuster. I ain't afraid of no leaves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/thank-you-leaf-blowers-for-making-me-look-like-the-world-s-lamest/)

[Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/)

> [“Leaf blowers have taken a world which was, on the whole, a decent place to live, in spite of talk radio, and turned it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-nelson/leaf-blowers-have-taken-a-world-which-was-on-the-whole-a-decent-place/)

[Michael J. nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-nelson/)

> [I wrote an essay about leaf blowers and the evil they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-newmar/i-wrote-an-essay-about-leaf-blowers-and-the-evil-they-do/)

[Julie Newmar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-newmar/)

> [“Backpack Blower Reviews presents you unbiased reviews of the best backpack blowers on the market from all the big brands as Husqvarna, Tanaka, Makita…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/husqvarna-backpack-blower/backpack-blower-reviews-presents-you-unbiased-reviews-of-the-best/)

Husqvarna Backpack Blower

> [Did you use a chainsaw?" Joey said. "I seem to recall you like chainsawa." "There wasn't a power outlet." Clay turned to me. "That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/did-you-use-a-chainsaw-joey-said-i-seem-to-recall-you-like-chainsawa/)

[Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/)

> [“Ahhh! Impossibear has a gas powered stick!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/breehn-burns/ahhh-impossibear-has-a-gas-powered-stick/)

[Breehn Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/breehn-burns/)

> [The fracking revolution kicks off two additional mini-revolutions in energy: the accelerated shift to natural gas-powered vehicles, reducing the oil demand even further, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-p-m-barnett/the-fracking-revolution-kicks-off-two-additional-mini-revolutions-in/)

[Thomas P.M. Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-p-m-barnett/)

> [We do have serious energy needs for the country, we are aware that natural gas is especially in demand because of its air quality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-norton/we-do-have-serious-energy-needs-for-the-country-we-are-aware-that/)

[Gale Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-norton/)

## More by Mary Roach

> [“Rawson points out that although snakes can’t taste, they have a primitive sense of smell. They’ll extend their tongue to gather volatile molecules and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/rawson-points-out-that-although-snakes-can-t-taste-they-have-a/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

> [“As the number of Inuit who hunt has dwindled, so has the consumption of organs (and other anatomy not available for purchase at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/as-the-number-of-inuit-who-hunt-has-dwindled-so-has-the-consumption/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

> [For the most part, if somebody approaches me and says, 'I'd like to interview you,' who am I to say no, when I spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/for-the-most-part-if-somebody-approaches-me-and-says-i-d-like-to/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

> [To me, death is dark, pain, grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/to-me-death-is-dark-pain-grief/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

> [“If you look at survivable crashes, it’s rare that even half the emergency exits open,” says Shanahan. “Plus, there’s a lot of panic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/if-you-look-at-survivable-crashes-it-s-rare-that-even-half-the/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

> [“…he was doing a breath hydrogen test. If you know the amount of hydrogen someone is exhaling orally, it's a simple matter to extrapolate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/he-was-doing-a-breath-hydrogen-test-if-you-know-the-amount-of/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

> [“Viagra isn't the only drug being prescribed off-label for women with arousal problems. Los Angeles urologist Jennifer Berman told me some doctors are prescribing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/viagra-isn-t-the-only-drug-being-prescribed-off-label-for-women-with/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

> [Sharing a room with a cadaver is only mildly different from being in a room alone. They are the same sort of company as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/sharing-a-room-with-a-cadaver-is-only-mildly-different-from-being-in/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

> [Every now and then, someone will tell me that one of my books has made them laugh out loud. I never believe them because:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/every-now-and-then-someone-will-tell-me-that-one-of-my-books-has-made/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

> [“panel applicants at the initial screening were asked not only to describe the cat foods but also to rate them according to how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/panel-applicants-at-the-initial-screening-were-asked-not-only-to/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

> [“\* Kissing is a less aggressive form of bacterial transplant. Studies of three different gingivitis-causing bacteria have documented migration from spouse to spouse. Periodontically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/kissing-is-a-less-aggressive-form-of-bacterial-transplant-studies-of/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

> [“Nirlungayuk reached a similar conclusion. I tracked him down, seventeen years later, and asked him what the outcome of his country-foods campaign had been.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/nirlungayuk-reached-a-similar-conclusion-i-tracked-him-down-seventeen/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

> [Astronauts are like these mythic legends, but really, they are just regular people, people who wear chinos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/astronauts-are-like-these-mythic-legends-but-really-they-are-just/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

> [“Olive trees grow in the same climate and soil conditions as grapes. The olive oil people have been up in Napa Valley all along,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/olive-trees-grow-in-the-same-climate-and-soil-conditions-as-grapes/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

> [“A patient on the way to surgery travels at twice the speed of a patient on the way to the morgue. Gurneys that ferry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/a-patient-on-the-way-to-surgery-travels-at-twice-the-speed-of-a/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

[Explore all 435 Mary Roach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

## More Gas Powered quotes

> [Did you use a chainsaw?" Joey said. "I seem to recall you like chainsawa." "There wasn't a power outlet." Clay turned to me. "That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/did-you-use-a-chainsaw-joey-said-i-seem-to-recall-you-like-chainsawa/)

[Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/)

> [“Ahhh! Impossibear has a gas powered stick!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/breehn-burns/ahhh-impossibear-has-a-gas-powered-stick/)

[Breehn Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/breehn-burns/)

> [The fracking revolution kicks off two additional mini-revolutions in energy: the accelerated shift to natural gas-powered vehicles, reducing the oil demand even further, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-p-m-barnett/the-fracking-revolution-kicks-off-two-additional-mini-revolutions-in/)

[Thomas P.M. Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-p-m-barnett/)

> [We do have serious energy needs for the country, we are aware that natural gas is especially in demand because of its air quality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-norton/we-do-have-serious-energy-needs-for-the-country-we-are-aware-that/)

[Gale Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-norton/)

Browse all 5 Gas Powered quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“to find. He was trying to requisition some gas-powered leaf blowers to blow the new sand off the old. Nothing was happening”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mary Roach"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/to-find-he-was-trying-to-requisition-some-gas-powered-leaf-blowers-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Gas Powered"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/to-find-he-was-trying-to-requisition-some-gas-powered-leaf-blowers-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/mary-roach-635_gas-powered_to-find-he-was-trying-to-requisition-som_2120957.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/mary-roach-635_gas-powered_to-find-he-was-trying-to-requisition-som_2120957.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec4/mary-roach-635_gas-powered_to-find-he-was-trying-to-requisition-som_2120957.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“to find. He was trying to requisition some gas-powered leaf blowers to blow the new sand off the old…” — Mary Roach",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Mary Roach",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“to find. He was trying to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/to-find-he-was-trying-to-requisition-some-gas-powered-leaf-blowers-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/to-find-he-was-trying-to-requisition-some-gas-powered-leaf-blowers-to/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
