A few weeks ago, one of my blogging buddies awarded me the Liebster award. I was truly honored and I promised to answer the questions but I haven't yet. The award came from Calm, Forward and Straight. If you don't read her blog, check it out. I can't link to it from iPad but she is on my sidebar. When I think I have it hard with limited access to a trainer, I think of her training Val on their remote island with NO access to a trainer. She is one amazing woman.
The first part of the award is to give eleven random facts about yourself. These are facts related to my experience of our move from Southern California to Northern California.
1. In SoCal, the hottest part of the day is noon. At 4:00 a breeze picks up and the world is a comfortable place.
2. In the Sacramento area, the heat builds all day long. The hottest part of the day is the evening. At 10 pm, it is still 90F. I love it here, but that part is just wrong.
3. Well water is amazing on a hot day. (see previous post)
4. Brett is a mowing fiend. He went out to the property to check the pasture for star thistle (toxic to horses, we've seen it around the barn) this morning. Instead, he got on his mower and did the front lawn and driveway. He didn't set foot in the pasture. Boys and their toys!
5. So far this week, Brett has driven up and down the State of California twice. It's nine hours each way. I was with him for the last leg up. He will make two or three more round trips before we finish next week.
6. What's left to move - first trip: Flash, Jackson, Winston and Mufasa (horses) in the trailer. The dogs (Sedona and Kersey), the cat (Passage) and the bunnies (Sage & Basil) in the car with me.
7. What's left to move - second trip: Tuffy & Finessa (donkeys); Bear, Thistle, Whiskey & Cowboy (goats)
8. What's left to move - third trip: tractor and harrow (for dragging the arena).
9. Brett used to think it would be fun to be a trucker. I don't think he feels the same way anymore.
10. I have the best husband ever. He's managing the animals, the movers, the inspections and the renovation. And he still finds the energy to worry about me being safe in my apartment at night.
11. Last weekend when I flew home, I forgot my cell phone in my apartment. I realized it when I was on the shuttle bus from the economy parking lot at the airport to the terminal. I couldn't find a working pay phone. I don't think they exist anymore. I couldn't text him that I was at the gate, that the plane was slightly delayed, that I was boarding, landing, at the gate, on my way to the curb to meet him. I stood at the curb for fifteen minutes, watching cars go by, cars stopping, people embracing, loading luggage and driving off. I didn't see Brett. My heart started racing and tears pricked at my eyes. I am a self-confident, poised, 50-something woman and I stood at the curb and barely held it together. Brett and the Subaru arrived. I rushed at the car, flung myself inside, closed the door, looked at Brett and burst into tears. There isn't much that surprises Brett about me anymore but I think that did.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Monday, July 1, 2013
I'm Too Old For This
Sunday morning Brett and I were up at 4:00, after spending a restless night waiting for 4:00. What is it about knowing that you only four hours to sleep that then makes it impossible to sleep at all? Brett tied down the contents of the trailer while I loaded a cooler with the contents of the freezer and then we were on our way.
We pulled into the Placerville storage facility at 3pm. The heat hit us hard when we opened the doors of the truck and climbed out. 105F was too warm even for Brett but we had no choice so we got to work. I poured some of my water bottle into my straw hat and then put it on, letting the cold water trickle down my face and neck. After stacking boxes and more of Brett's tools we drove to Oak Creek. It was slightly cooler there but still on the wrong side of 100F.
By this time, I was feeling dizzy and nauseous. I stumbled around with my wet hat, sitting on the tailgate when I couldn't take anymore. We unloaded my pot of rhubarb and set it in the shade of an oak tree in the garden. I gave it a thorough soaking with hose. Next, we unloaded the rabbit hutch setting it next to the rhubarb. The dog house was next. We carried it, stumbling like we were drunk or stoned, into the dog run. Large dogs require a large dog house. It's a heavy thing but the dogs love it so much that we had to bring it for them.
Brett backed the truck and trailer around to the back of the barn where we unloaded bales of hay, bags of wood pellets, and a metal trash can full of alfalfa pellets. Last off the trailer was Brett's ride-on mower. We got the ramps down and we crossed our fingers that it would start without the jumper cable. Brett started backing the mower onto the ramp; I was scared to death a wheel was going to slide off. Visions of Brett on the ground with the mower on top of him were not helping my nausea situation. Brett climbed off and we pushed, pulled and shoved the mower so that it was facing forward towards the ramp. It started again and Brett cautiously headed for the ramp. It got stuck. After trying to maneuver it over the lip of the trailer, Brett climbed off again. We pulled out the brake release and let it roll. The mower rolled straight down the ramp, bumped and rattled a few feet and stopped. Brett climbed on, it started, and he rode it in a victory circle before parking it in the barn next to the hay bales.
We headed to the front porch swing with a cold drink. Brett turned on the hose to rinse his face and hands. He looked up at me grinning, "this well water is COLD." I took a turn, letting the cold water rinse the salty sweat from my face and neck. Again and again and again. It was better than sex.
Next weekend we bring up the animals. We're in the home stretch; hopefully we will cross the finish line in one piece.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
We pulled into the Placerville storage facility at 3pm. The heat hit us hard when we opened the doors of the truck and climbed out. 105F was too warm even for Brett but we had no choice so we got to work. I poured some of my water bottle into my straw hat and then put it on, letting the cold water trickle down my face and neck. After stacking boxes and more of Brett's tools we drove to Oak Creek. It was slightly cooler there but still on the wrong side of 100F.
By this time, I was feeling dizzy and nauseous. I stumbled around with my wet hat, sitting on the tailgate when I couldn't take anymore. We unloaded my pot of rhubarb and set it in the shade of an oak tree in the garden. I gave it a thorough soaking with hose. Next, we unloaded the rabbit hutch setting it next to the rhubarb. The dog house was next. We carried it, stumbling like we were drunk or stoned, into the dog run. Large dogs require a large dog house. It's a heavy thing but the dogs love it so much that we had to bring it for them.
Brett backed the truck and trailer around to the back of the barn where we unloaded bales of hay, bags of wood pellets, and a metal trash can full of alfalfa pellets. Last off the trailer was Brett's ride-on mower. We got the ramps down and we crossed our fingers that it would start without the jumper cable. Brett started backing the mower onto the ramp; I was scared to death a wheel was going to slide off. Visions of Brett on the ground with the mower on top of him were not helping my nausea situation. Brett climbed off and we pushed, pulled and shoved the mower so that it was facing forward towards the ramp. It started again and Brett cautiously headed for the ramp. It got stuck. After trying to maneuver it over the lip of the trailer, Brett climbed off again. We pulled out the brake release and let it roll. The mower rolled straight down the ramp, bumped and rattled a few feet and stopped. Brett climbed on, it started, and he rode it in a victory circle before parking it in the barn next to the hay bales.
We headed to the front porch swing with a cold drink. Brett turned on the hose to rinse his face and hands. He looked up at me grinning, "this well water is COLD." I took a turn, letting the cold water rinse the salty sweat from my face and neck. Again and again and again. It was better than sex.
Next weekend we bring up the animals. We're in the home stretch; hopefully we will cross the finish line in one piece.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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