it's no walmart but...

Although Walmart tends to have great prices and a wide selection, I tend to avoid it because I can't stand the way people behave inside it's walls. In Belfast, Walmart doesn't exist... the clientele however, does. I decided to venture out on my own for my first attempt at a drive. It is Sunday afternoon, so I'm not sure what will actually be open, and I am not confident enough to venture out of my circle of roads that are familiar to me. I decided to go down to the end of the road (even though the hill at the top has become my nemesis) and travel a relatively short distance down the road to none other than our very own McDonald's... I know, I know, I don't know what possessed me to go there. I was talking to Sonia the other day, and it got me curious if it was the same here. So I pulled in.. Successfully-- and parked. I avoided the drive thru, and I think that I will continue to in the future... they take your order and 60% of the cars were directed to park in this parking spot that would have been a driving nightmare for me at this moment... where I would have to back up in to the oncoming drive-thru traffic, across the crosswalk of people seeking out their vittles. So I parked... where there were no other cars, and looked for the entrance to McDonald's. It was not obvious... and when I found it I realized I was entering a sea of children under the age of 15. I took a deep breath and joined the long line of people hoping for fries. The line had a least 15 people in it so it gave me plently of time to observe the chaos in the restaurant. I think that there was a 9 to 1 ratio of child to adult. Honestly I don't know who was responsible for the children that were having a food fight in the corner. And the parents that were with their children were screaming across the restaurant.... ah, Happy Meals in a Happy Place. It was some of the longest minutes that I have spent in Belfast... I collected my food as quickly as possible... although the girl taking my order could barely hear me shout over the noise, and when I questioned that what was on my receipt wasn't at all what I order, she just shook her head and said it would all work out. So in the end, it was close to what I order... the fries were pretty much the same.... the burger and diet coke were horrible. I don't know what it is here... but I had a diet coke at Burger King at the airport in London and it is awful... I supposed that is one way to kick my caffeine addiction, or at least transfer it. So I have eliminated diet coke from fast food restaurants... and after today eliminated the McDonald's at the end of my street for a potential place to dine. I did however make it up the hill and around the corner without stalling and I am sure that is mostly because there were no adolescent boys to provide an audience for me. Anyway-- my first driving experience (alone) was less eventful (thankfully) than I had anticipated, but I have plenty of other follies to report from the rest of the weekend in my next posting. Check back in...

If you look really closely you can see the golden arches in the distance!

I'll admit in pictures the hill looks downright wimpy... but Grainne's car would beg to differ and as you can see no adolescent boys to torture me.