Big Plans, Firsts, and Other Stuff

I had a first this past weekend; I rode a motorcycle for the first time. It wasn't very far and not for very long, but I am talking to a friend about going to Billings and riding off road over there in the spring. It was fun...this is just what I need; another expensive hobby!

I went to a friends' house yesterday and rode the bike and we had dinner and played UNO! Dinner was tasty, the bike and UNO were fun; so all in all a good time. This was a pretty good weekend. Now the fun really begins; this week I am doing two programs: one tomorrow on trich and BVD in cattle and the other on Saturday (steer weigh-in and Quality Assurance). I can't wait to deal with contentious steers!

I am also on a planning committee for a large, multi-state small ruminant conference. Right now we are planning a conference call for next week that will include Extension Agents and Specialists from MT, WY, ND, SD, CO, and NE. This, I hope, will look good on my faculty report this year...they like to see regional cooperation! Plus, as a bonus, we are planning this conference for the Ft. Collins area so I will get to visit friends in Colorado again, I hope. Maybe I can also get a brewery tour of Budweiser or Coors while I'm down there...I would like one of the Coors grower hats (if anyone knows a Coors rep, let them know)!

Mom and Dad are coming out on Wednesday this week to help finish my basement! This should be a lot of fun (no kidding). Unfortunately, it will be VERY sloppy while they are here. We have been in the upper 40s and 50s for about a week now, so the ground has started to thaw. Add to that, we got two inches of fresh snow last night; tomorrow's temps are back to 50 and Wednesday's temp is 55 and we are going to have a sloppy, wet mess later on this week! It should be fun for steer weigh-in on Saturday...nothing like wet, muddy steers!

Dog Pile

This should be an interesting week upcoming. I am dog-sitting for a family (Kevin and Andria Calloway) at church this week. Kevin is working in Hobbs, NM and Andria and their daughter Jordan are flying down to visit for a week. In the mean time, I get to keep their two dogs Hatchet and Jet (German Shorthaired Pointers...and darn good hunters!). Kevin took me hunting a couple of times back in the fall and I just thought that this would be a good way to thank them...although, I don't know that he'll get his dogs back!!! I really like the way that Jet hunts. Anyhow, it should be at least entertaining to have four dogs, Mom and Dad, and trying to do some home improvement projects all at the same time! I guess that I haven't learned how to quit "burning the candle at both ends". Actually, with the dog thing, I am hoping that Macks will start to pick up some of the retrieving commands from Jet and Hatchet. I would like to train Macks to do agility trials with the 4-Hers.

Just quick and mindless

I just need a break for a little while. It is now 21:30 and I have not left the office yet. I am trying to complete my classwork for this week and I think that maybe I am burnt out at this point. I decided to try and post something here, just to give my mind a break. This week's Water Quality lesson is on TMDLs...sound familiar anyone? I am looking forward to really getting into my soils class next week. Oh yeah, I also have to prepare a presentation on trich in cattle since my vet can't do the talk and a quality assurance program for my 4-Hers; we're going to talk about ethics, quality grades, and withdrawal times...sounds fun huh? Apparently dad is anxious to watch me rodeo some 4-H steers when they come out. I got news for you all...the first fence I go over; that steer is gonna be dinner!!! That's my version of "I'm gonna shoot that cow and leave 'em layin'" which is a famous dad quote...other dad quotes that aren't so famous; "When I find the interstate, we're going home", and "I didn't drive eight hours to eat no damn bologna sandwich"...Good times.

Well, back to the grindstone...

Buning the Candle at Both Ends

I am now working two jobs and taking classes towards my MS degree; and I have decided that something has to give. That something is the part time gig selling beer and porn. I have decided to work there until May and then give it up. It has been a huge blessing financially, but socially, and time-wise it has been a burden. I would leave earlier, but Charlie (storeowner) is shorthanded now and I would hate to worsen the situation. This actually has been a difficult decision to make as I am desparately trying to dig myself out of the financial hole that the divorce from the whore has left me in; the part time job was helping tremendously with that. But, my Extension career is more important and finishing my master's is more important so the debt will get paid off at a slower pace now, but it is still manageable.

This past weekend we had a progressive dinner with the church. For anyone who hasn't tried this; it is where you go to a different person's home for each course of the meal. It is a blast! I signed up to do the salad course, but when I saw how many people were signed up to attend, I had the salad at the church instead of at my house. The main course was also at the church as the hosts for that course live out of town somewhat. So we only got to go to two different houses, but it was still fun! There is also talk of a guy's hunting/camping retreat this fall with the church guys...I'm in for that!

Cat in a tree

There was a little excitement in the McClellan house last night...not that kind of excitement. There was a cat stuck in a tree out back and the dogs were, of course, trying to coax the cat down to play with it (read sarcasm). This was about 11:30 pm when I returned from Billings. I had to rescue the cat from Maggie and Macks who were determined to eat the cat. I could not locate the owners of the cat last night so the cat slept in the dog crate in the living room while Maggie bayed at the cat from the basement (fun night). This morning I found out that the cat did not belong to the neighbors so the cat is now at the pound...I had no idea what else to do with it. It was a nice cat; but I don't need any more animals.