The riding mower beat me

OK.  So I went out to finish mowing the grass I started yesterday before the rain came and it was a fiasco!  The belt on the riding mower popped off and I noticed it had a tear in it.  No big deal.  Gene had a new one hanging in the garage.  I get the old belt off and the new one on all by myself and I'm feeling pretty good.  So I start it up and ride out to the lawn and POP off comes the new belt.  OK, I did something wrong.  Back to the garage, put the belt back on, everything seems fine.  But NOOOO, back to the lawn, POP off it comes.  OK.  I'll push mow.  Get the push mower out which has automatic drive on it or I'd be a real goner cause' I have nearly a quarter acre to mow.  Pull the cord, pull the cord, pull the cord, you get the picture.  Finally it starts but the automatic drive isn't working.  Can I scream now?  In my mind I'm cursing Gene right and left for leaving me and getting really frustrated.  OK.  I figure out that the lever for the automatic drive is off, don't know why, I sure didn't do it.  Gene was with me out there because I didn't even know you could turn it off.  Now the grass is wet and keeps stopping up the mower, so I have to keep restarting the darn thing.  The whole time I'm cursing Gene under my breath.  I'm done mowing now.  I still have the front yard to do but that's pretty small so maybe tomorrow.  Just too frustrated today.   I called my son about the riding mower and he figures it's about time to get a new one.  The one we have is over ten years old and Gene was the only one who could keep it working.  Off to Home Depot.   Sure hope they deliver.