48 HOURS (is) HARD (here's) EVIDENCE

I participated in Eric Young's assignment of going 48 hours without the use of any form of media, electronic device and even took it as far as not driving anywhere. I also shut my A/C system completely off for the full 48 hours and didn't eat anything that needed to be cooked (we're not allowed to have open fires in my association and I don't know how to make coal heat up meat).

This assignment was relatively easy for me... the second time. The first time I tried this assignment I failed by logging onto a public library computer while trying to find a book to borrow to keep myself entertained for the next 40 hours. So I started this assignment all over again a few weeks later. I had a lot of prepping to do for this 48-hour electronic fast. 

On Saturday the 8th of March, I spent all afternoon getting ready for my fast. I bought a bunch of can foods, fruits, peanut butter, grape jelly and white bread (wheat bread was a little too pricey at Harmon's). Then I drove myself somewhat across the street over to Lowe's and starting buying up their whole garden department. I bought a hoe, a rake, a shovel, a spade, several packs of gladiolus flowers, a whole bunch of sunflower seed packets, three one-pound bags of grass seed, some wild bird seed and some little pink gardening gloves. 

I took one look at my weed-infested rectangle dirt patch of a yard and decided it was make-over time. My little brick patio is cool but I wanted it to stretch out to my back wall. I had a brick pathway that lead to the inclosed master patio but it really didn't need to be that wide. However, though I could take some bricks from the pathway and move them over to the main patio it wouldn't be enough bricks to reach the back wall. So my solution was to spread the bricks out more and do a checkered pattern. It was the perfect solution for a prettier backyard! I was able to maximize the use of the limited quantity of bricks, thin out the extra large pathway and extend my patio with a unique chess board looking design. 

Here's the sketch I drew up before I started: 

My handwriting is ugly when writing with a stylus - just to let you know. 

Here's a bunch of "before" pictures that my fiancé took of my yard: 

The over-sized brick pathway.

My fiancé's cat Booger Jeans standing in my weed-infested yard.

I got my hoe out and hoed up half my yard within an hour. Pfffft, it was so easy. (There are no photos of me because I may have been multitasking by trying to get an awesome tan while working and wasn't dressed appropriately for photos.)

The fiancé helped me with this part. This was not easy.

At the end of day one we were both very tired and he went home to go to bed. I trusted him to come back over and help me again the next day without me having to call him and reminded him.... But he forgot.... 

I ended up doing this part by myself because I didn't want to slip into the temptation of easily calling someone up over the phone to have a conversation. I had planned on only having in-person conversations. (I may have slightly cheated and may have turned my iPhone on to take these pictures.)

The new thin, little pathway.

Then I spread grass seeds all over the place... Kinda messed it up because I suck at following instructions... I blame the fiancé for not being a man and helping his woman.

I casually ran out of grass.... And this was perfect timing because my 48 hours were complete and I was able to go buy more grass seed!! ...cause I don't carry cash around...

Overall, my experience in this device abstinence didn't really bother me. I was over-prepared for this and I think that would have changed the outcome just a little bit if I had went cold turkey out of the blue with no foreword.

Of course I kept myself busy and entertained with my backyard project but there were a few times when I had an itch to go get my iPhone and open my Pandora Radio app. I also had the itch to Google "how to properly spread grass seed" and that will forever remain a mistake.... I mean, just look at that horrible grass job I did...

I guess one thing I learned was that when tough situations arise the best ethical way to go about it is to do the greatest good for the greatest number... and for me, that would have been to use the Internet or some form of social media to ask for help to achieve a prettier backyard so that one day I will be able to sell this house for twice as much as I bought it for. 

Any takers? I'll be asking for $198,000 in the year 2020.