Missing my calling...

You know how I mentioned that everything was really difficult for me when I first came to Belfast, that the daily things of life that should be simple just weren't. Well, I thought that I had outgrown that stage in Belfast and that I was finally settling in to the dailies, until today. I have been walking out of my house every morning thinking to myself... you need to cut the grass today it is embarrassingly long. Then I would go about my day and never actually make it to cutting the grass. Today I had it on my list and was confident that I could accomplish this smallish task. So around 3:30 when I got home, I straightened my house, did the dishes, and decided to tackle the lawn. Mind you that the yard is maybe a 10 by 10 square of grass, one would not think that this was an overwhelming task. One would be wrong. I first weedwacked around the fence and the concrete that surrounds the yard. Simple enough, it didn't take long. I could tell that the weed whacker was not going to be the tool for the rest of the yard based on the respond to the long grass I had around the edges. So I went inside to get out the lawnmower that Grainne's mom had brought me in the first week of my arrival. I pulled the box from the cubby under the stairs and decided today was the day to tackle my skills not only as a lawn caretaker -- but also as a lawnmower engineer. For any of you that have been graced by my technical skills you would know I am no Sharon Young... (the handiest woman in Ridgewood). And I don't think Grainne is either since I couldn't find any tools. (No offense Grainne is you are a closet mechanic.) Regardless, I decided not to be daunted by minor set backs like no tools, and I pulled all of the pieces of lawnmower out of the box. First of all, I have never used a push mower that wasn't propelled gas... this is truly a push mower. Which I was thankful for not having the hassle of gas, but I am not looking into one of these for my lawn at home. Anyway... besides the mower being in pieces, I really wasn't sure how it was going to work once I finally got it assembled. I laid all of the pieces out on the floor and I even took out the instructions. I have to say the majority of it was assembled, but the handle definitely was not! After much struggle, pushing and pulling coaxing the screws into place I finally emerged victorious-- I had a fully assembled lawnmower. Next was getting it out of the house:) Really that wasn't all that hard. I dragged the mower out to the front yard and followed the directions to put it to good use. I pushed it. Sounds ridiculous, and it was. I am sure that the young boy that lives next door who had been watching my progress while meandering down the road was amused, I was not. Nothing happened... the wheels didn't move, and the blades didn't turn... and of course the blades of grass did not miraculously fall into the collector. So after several tries I found a spot on the lawn that caused the wheels to move, the blades to turn.... and miraculously the blades of grass landed in the collector. The only problem... well at least the first one was the grass was so long, that I had to continually stop and try to drag the grass that wound around the wheels out, and moves the blades to dislodge the bunches of grass that continually kept it from moving. After about 40 minutes (a ridiculous amount of time for this little plot of land) I emerged victorious! The grass was cut, and I was cleaning up. Well... almost victorious. You know when kids cut their own hair... I am afraid that is what my lawn looks like right now... big clumps gone, others left long out of sheer exhaustion... This morning as I left my house I did not have the pride of a beautiful lawn to greet me. I did, however, have a list of things that I have learned. 1. Everything in Belfast must be done a little at a time... dishes, laundry, grocery shopping and of course cutting the lawn. 2. It is not worth having grass if the enjoyment does not equal the energy expended in upkeep. and 3. If Damien offers to do anything again for me... the answer is yes, when can you come over:) (He offered to assemble the lawnmower, and I foolishly did not jump at the offer!) Ah, look at me learning. I am sure that there is a little self-help book lying latent in all of these experiences. Perhaps now that my lawn is mowed I can begin thinking about the title.