Mindless Chatter - FRIDAY!

No worries, Cathy, I need to take some new pics of Gracie, Jada, and Achilles anyway, so maybe I'll have one good enough to be our new avatar.  :)

I'm also a sucker for OTTBs.   My favorite lesson horse as a kid was a OTTB who was then sold to an abusive home and was bought by my instructor at the auctions. She had a bunch of issues, for sure, but she had *the* smoothest canter I have ever felt in my life. It felt like you were floating, seriously. She was also incredibly sweet and sensitive and was really smart and responsive. My very first walk-trot-canter show we were going along and the mare followed the voice cues of the announcer! She was *that* eager to please. She could get kind of hot and would get really pissed if anyone used more than the subtlest of aids, plus she never could really get that ideal head carriage (our guess is her abusive owner tried to beat a proper western head carriage out of her, so any attempts to lower her head were met with a mental meltdown), but other than that she was just perfect.

It warmed up to a sunny 76 F today. We almost needed a water jug at work. Pulled in half the service lateral feeders for the main distribution. This week has been a "make it or break it" week. Several important things costing lots of money. During our monsoon on Tuesday, we took delivery of the main distribution gear. 3 sections each weighing 1,200 to 2,000 lbs. 7.5 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Wednesday, my birthday, we got all three sections into the main electric room and sitting on the houskeeping pad without dropping or damaging anything. To give you an idea of how expensive it is, about any 2 of the feeder circuit breakers costs as much as a car. No joke.

And today, we accomplished our objective without damaging anything. We get to do the other half tomorrow and then terminate wires like crazy. These wires are 600 kcm. That's about 2 or 3 of your fingers put together. Copper, very heavy, very expensive. We use a1.25 inch rope and a tugger machine that can exert up to 8,000 lbs of force before it red-lines.

The job is on a tight schedule and we have, seriously, no room or time for error. It has to be right the first time, or go home and don't come back. Fortunately, for everyone, "this ain't my first rodeo" and I have only done this about 100 times before.

Still, there is the stress that something can go wrong. On the last pull, the guy making up the pulling head didn't get the second set of lady fingers into the clevis. But it pulled along until the last 90 degree sweep coming up into the gear. But, another old fart like me managed to thread some mule tape with a 2,500 lb test into it and I used to tugger to bring that up and out. We elected to not tell the supervisor about that. He's already wound tight and all he really needs to know is that it is done.

And I know this all sounds esoteric and maybe be even like greek. Suffice it to say that I have had a challenging day and week and came through on top. It pays to be a winner. The only easy day was yesterday. Accomplish the objective, regardless of obstacles.

Hooraw!

It's snowing again...*sigh*. It doesn't quite feel like spring with snow on the ground!

On a brighter side of things, I think DH and I have found The House.  As in, the one that we're going to buy.  The owners are in pre-foreclosure so the price is perfect, and it is the right size and location for us.  It already has a fenced yard, and is right next to a park!  I'm so psyched...I can't wait to have a home of my own!

That's great Lisa!!  Good Luck House Buying vibes to you!!!! 

Infiniti

I'm so psyched...I can't wait to have a home of my own!

Congrats. Yes, it's a major investment and responsibility. You can't call a landlord to fix things, you have to call yourself. But with all that, there is the enjoyment that you have your own place. Houses always appreciate in value. And having a yard for the dogs is heaven for all concerned. DW has the green thumb and likes to plant things. I crank up the lawn mower and mow things down. And hack off tree limbs. Though, this year, I gave a severe trimming to my Hybrid Willow Tree and the Old Fashioned Rose on the north fence. It hasn't hurt them a bit. Their blooming like crazy. And the fig tree went crazy last year with all the rain. But it will be late spring to early summer before the Canis really come up.

Well, here we are,2 days before Easter, and we have about 14" so far. They say it's supposed to snow all night---how depressing!    Anyway,Happy Easter everyone.

No snow here!!! But the rain they are calling for can stay away for at least 2 more days. Today was a nice day.

Went took Samantha to see the Easter Bunny. She sat in his lap and took a picture. Last year she wanted nothing to do with him.

When we got home we(me and Samantha) took the dogs on 2 walks and then a bike ride. Cheyanne and Lillie were HAPPY. It was Ginger's first run with the bike. She did good except for the missing eye. But it didnt take long for her to figure out to stay on the grass and not the road.

I have a new foster kitty. She's gonna have babies. Dont know when but she is getting pretty big. I named her Autumn but Samantha keeps calling her Bottom.

GRASS?-----I forgot what that looks like!

I haven't been on all day because I took today off work and then DH ended up with a snow day.  We had about 5 or 6 inches first thing this morning and it's been off and on the rest of the day.  Mind you, not much stops for snow around here.  The trash was still picked up and we felt like we were playing hooky.

maizysmom

GRASS?-----I forgot what that looks like!

Well right now the grass is half green and half brown!! The green is winning!!! 

I took off early from work and taxes today.  Man, it was so needed.  I went to 3 different places looking at plants and then went back the original place to buy everything.  I did find a really cool blue hibiscus though at home depot and a cotton candy color hibiscus at Lowes.  But at the actualy nursery I went to, I finally decided on some good shade plants.  While I was standing in line, I decided I probably would need to come back and get some bushes.  The bill was a lot lower than I expected it to be so I just put everything in my car and went back in right then.  Tonight we got hubby a cordless hedger and tomorrow I am going to plant everything.  We placed everything tonight and then went out for BarBQ and beer.  I feel absolutely exhausted and have a long day tomorrow of working and then planting.  We are going to an Easter gathering Sunday so I will also need to get the laundry done and buy groceries tomorrow.  I am just glad I finally got to get out and play in the dirt.  I did get my mandevilla from last year planted and we got the rest of a tree stump up.