I had a similar experience yesterday afternoon. After a half day of procrastinating I dragged myself outside to mow the lawn. Cheap old mower, feels like it's going to fall apart Any Minute Now. Every so often a part falls off or a flimsy metal bit fails, but the paint-shaker engine just won't quit, so...

Cold starts are a breeze; it often starts on the first pull. But it's a gas hog and can't get through the whole yard on one tank. Restarting the thing after topping off is always this major ordeal, yank yank yank ad nauseum. Sometimes it won't start, period. It just sits there smirking. I stomp back into the house and wait for it to cool, fantasizing all the while about fixing it permanently with the sledgehammer.

Yesterday it restarted ON THE FIRST PULL. Clouds parted, a beam of light shone down, angels sang. Some sort of Briggs and Stratton miracle is what it was. Silliest little thing, but it made my whole afternoon.