When Plans Go Awry

Wildfire

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This girl is 18 today!

And this girl, Ambleside, is 4.75 years old. I've made an appointment for her to get a saddle fitting in a week & before then I need to gather all the stuff the fitter requested:

Saddles

Blankets

Pads

Amble will be getting a bath between now & then and I'm hoping to get Lan to scrape all the poop out of the arena so we can use it. I'm so broke (and today is payday) but I *might* be able to get a few loads of sand to put in the arena.

And let me throw this into the middle of my post for whatever good reason:

We loaded up the truck & trailer and went out to Tahuya, had a lot of fun.

This photo has been taken by use a LOT of times and this year, in March, there is very little snow in the Olympic Mountains.

Closer shot

It normally would look like this

I'm waiting to see if we get chosen to go on the Cross State ride boot camp they are doing in April on the 11th & 12th. Its just the one night of camping with your horse to learn about all the stuff they do in camp and there will be 2 short day rides. I tried to get on their list but the leader guy said they're only taking people who are doing the ride this year (which we're not, Amble is NOT ready for that) so we're on the waiting list and will only find out on the 7th if we can join or not. either way, I'll be able to ride Amble IF I have a saddle that fits her well.

This old Abetta is my best choice but Stephanie has an Arabian saddle that she will bring over to try out as well. I'll have a variety of saddle pads and blankets for the fitter. Honestly, I have never even sat in this saddle.

I also don't have a bit large enough for her mouth and I know I could buy one for $60 in Spanaway but I really do not want to drive that far to get one. I WILL drive that far though because they are the only store that has them in stock, ordering online would take too long.

Anyway, its pouring rain, another pineapple express is here and we've gotten a lot of rain today. I was supposed to work but I'd have been extra and working in the rain & I just couldn't handle that thought so called in. I'm not physically sick, just sick of work.

 

When?

With all the work our Pioche house needs, 

when would be a good time to begin to purchase things for the house? 

I'm talking about a bed and other furniture. I did buy a cute lamp, a toaster and an oblong braided wool rug at a yard sale the other day, a few other things too, all for $18.  The girl just wanted to get rid of stuff, she wasn't worried about getting rich off her grandmas' things.

from a yard sale the other day. There was SO MUCH STUFF that I liked, including lots of horse things but I am trying to be in the mindset that I don't need all that crap.

I feel like I DID need this, a Bissell Little Green Carpet Cleaner that I bought new and today I used it to clean our recliners and dang, they were nasty. They are Lazy Boy recliners, so I'd like to keep them working and looking nice.

I really got it for the Subaru; the seats and floors are pretty icky from sitting for 3 years and having mice in them for who knows how long. 

I also got a new hen, I paid $30 for a Brown Orpington hen, she's just beginning to lay and last week at Melisa's house Coco was trying to be broody. Today she gave us an egg.

Shes been here for about 48 hours and already a coyote has tried to get her. Tomorrow I'll leave the coop run closed and hope she doesn't fly out.

Morning Tea

How do you like your tea? 

I like mine made with Yorkshire tea, from England, and what I've got now was brought to me FROM ENGLAND by my friend, Michelle.

It HAS to steep for 3-5 minutes and after that I add sugar and a dollop of milk.

I am drinking my cup of tea now.

I do not drink coffee, its icky.

 

AITA?

Within the last 2 weeks I've asked several people if they want to go in on this half a beef and everyone, EVERYONE, said NO.

So I forked out $1,155 to the farmer for the half beef. Then I forked over $300 for the cut & wrap, then I paid $200 for the fuel to get there & back.

After we got home last night & I put everything into the freezer and saw just how small that cow really was, I already knew I wouldn't be giving any to anyone. I discussed this with Lan and TOLD HIM that everyone had had the opportunity and EVERYONE said no.

So today he took T bone steak out of the freezer to feed his dad, after I had specifically said not to. I'd rather buy other meat for him, saving this meat that I PAID FOR, for us. Yes, his dad does a lot for us, yes, we/Lan might inherit everything his dad has but who knows? 

Know what he said to me? That I give away all the eggs.

The FUCKING EGGS.

We'd be swimming in eggs if I didn't give them away.

So I'm not giving any more away for a while and let him dispose of them in whatever way he chooses.

  

That Feeling

 You know that feeling you get when you have finished something that you have practiced for and looked forward to for a very long time and now its done? But, what do you do now?

That's how I've been feeling since I decided not to do the cross state ride. 

I know we're going to go to the Pioche house, I know we will get some awesome things done there and we'll have a great time in the desert on the sxs but I feel like something is missing, I feel a little despondent about it. I feel like this was my one & only chance to do this ride and the chance to do it won't happen again. I know Amble isn't ready and I simply couldn't do that to her but inside ME, I really needed this. 

I'm whining and shouldn't be.

Feeling Better

 I'm feeling better about my recent life decisions. I KNOW Ambleside won't be ready to go on a 2 week trek across the state, I'm not going to be ready and I don't feel like Lan is too excited about it. Even as I was planning on the ride, I was dreaming of being in Pioche and working on the house.

I've started watching a LOT of YouTube renovation channels, there and thousands to choose from. What to do in a bathroom, what not to do in a kitchen, how to change this for that, how to make this better or hide that. It's all available at the tips of our fingers. Most of the people are flippers and I'm really not interested in their cheap changes, I really like watching the people who are going to live in their homes once they are finished. 

Janna Phipps has been great, for a young girl she's fun to watch and her disposition is funny. She can take a down turn and make it UP. She can cry and then sees the bright side.

In other news...

I have paid for 1/2 a beef and we should be able to pick it up in a couple weeks I guess. I'm not asking for them to do anything extra, mostly steaks. I'll be glad to not have to go buy hamburger at the grocery store.

Amble and I will be having another driving lesson with Stephanie, she will be here in an hour. She texted that she wants to drive Amble in her halter and since I did that myself last week I know Amble will be OK with it. I might need to use a better halter, her regular one has squared metal side thingys and the long lines don't hold onto it well.   I just grabbed one of the leather halters thats been hanging on Bucking Brown and washed it up really quick, that might work.

I need to go open the gate for Stephanie, take some boxes out to the barn for her and sweep the barn aisle. I'm looking forward to this lesson.

Re-evaluating Life

 I've decided to not do the John Wayne Riders & Wagons ride across Washington state this year. Its been a Bucket List item for 30 years, I wanted to do it with Joey but never got around to it. Now, I have Amble and was planning on it with her this year but we're not ready; I don't have her saddle figured out, I don't have a cart that fits yet, I don't have money ($3,500) to buy the cart offered last week, I need to sell these ones that I do have that are way too small and I don't have the $2,000 to pay for the ride this year.

We DO need to go to Pioche and work on the house there and we do have cash for that but its a separate account and neither of us are getting into that money.

I also have a big too much personal debt and can certainly pay more of that off.

I'm sad today, having made all these life plan changes.