The Mechanical Gene

Before I start this posting, I would like to add a disclaimer (or valid reason) for why I am totally lacking in anything mechanical or spatial like in my DNA.  I am sure it all stems back to my childhood, although I am not really sure of this fact..except for the fact that I grew up with my mom and my sisters, and a group of females just don't spend their time looking at car parts or power tools.  We did use rakes a lot, to rake the gigantic piles of oak leaves that accumulated in the front yard, and caused me to lose my glasses a couple of times. Oak trees make a lot of leaves, I tell you. Of course my middle sister will tell you that she was the ONLY one who ever did all the house/yard work, but if this was true, how could I lose my glasses? (Now we all know that after you rake leaves, jumping in them is a must).

I never had such magnificent leaps into the leaves, and our piles of leaves were MUCH bigger. But you get the point.

I have always had spatial issues. When I was working with small groups of children in college, it was kind of mortifying to note that the students in third grade could piece together a puzzle much faster than I could.  Although I can put together some puzzles, I might add. 

I am also good at the 36 piece ones..most of the time.

After I graduated from college and got married, I just didn't worry about anything that had to do with cars, tools, wood, or anything that I would have to put together. That just wasn't in my job description of me. But God has a sense of humor, and now that I am living alone, I have to face my deficiencies in this area. 

First of all, I had no tools. No hammer, no pliers, no screwdriver, nothing. So kind friends took pity on me and I got some as gifts. I actually have a little pink set, complete with pink hammer and assorted tools whose names escape me at the moment.

I also had to purchase a lawn mower. Now I will say that one thing I am good at is mowing. I learned from the master of the lawn patterns, Craig.  And although I never mowed while living with him, I did a lot of watching from the Yoda of the lawn mower. So I am pretty good at mowing.  I looked around for lawn mowers that were on sale and didn't use batteries, and found an orange one with the Husaveanga name..or something like that. 

I actually found this one at Sears, where someone had returned it, and I got it for 100.00. And it's orange. I think Reid had a hand in this. It's worked really well, except for the time I accidentally bent the blade while trying to trim the border with it. I might add that is not a good idea. 

Since I had to have great looking grass, I had to face my biggest challenge of all..

The gas weed wacker tool of foreboding.

I have seen these things being used by the men in my life all my life. They scare me to death. First, they are taller than I am. Secondly, they make a lot of noise and have string like stuff flying out of it. Thirdly (I know that's not a word, but I like the way it sounds) there is a way you turn them to edge your yard..and I have no idea which way that is. (Please keep in mind my spatial issues).  They also take some kind of mixture of gas and oil. Why that is, I don't know. I guess that they are the equivalent of a Coach handbag versus one from Target, and they are higher maintenance tools. 

The whole point is, they scare me to death. 

I have been looking for one for some time, because I was told by Todd (the master of all things yard related) that I needed one of these because not only do they trim your grass, but you can also put all these attachments on them that will help you do other yard like things as well. Like it has an edger attachment..and a tiller attachment..and I am sure other attachments that make men get excited like women do when Kohl's has a huge sale. 

He called me today to report that I needed to get myself quickly to Lowe's, where one of the scary tools was on sale for 60.00...marked down from hundred something. So being a good padawan of the Yard Master, I turned my car around, and got the evil tool, a gas can thing, and some oil to mix the gas with when I take the new gas can thing to get filled. 

It is now sitting in its box in the garage, laughing at me, and waiting for Todd to come and try to instruct me how to work it without harm to self or others. I guess the better phrase would be without harm to self or the yard.  

So now hopefully I will learn to conquer this tool of power, and try to strengthen the few mechanical genes I have in my body. I am sure I can do it. I am just not sure how well I will do it. 

I am sure bloodshed will be part of it, however.