Au Revior 2009...

I am ready for this year to be over with. Period. There have been some good parts, like the trip to Ireland and such, but as far as the farm goes, it has been slow going this year...though we did get the stock tank dug (which is a huge accomplishment). Being a huge accomplishment though, it seems to take a lot more to feel as though we are making progress.

That being said, we did finally sit down and get our resolutions done up for 2010. I am a huge proponent of resolutions. It gives me something to focus on and work towards. I will be posting those here (personal resolutions and farm resolutions)...in order to create a higher level of accountability.

Of course, I leave this place "post-less" for months at a time without any accountability...but I do feel bad about it. In fact, it keeps me up at night...well, for a few seconds anyway.

Bottom line, I think that we have finally got the right fire lit under our rumps to get motivated and get things done.

Let's hope we can keep up the momentum.

Where I spend my time not really giving you an update...

So...long time no see. All I can do is apologize and give you an update or at least an update on the updates I will be posting later.

We just got back from Ireland. It was a great trip. I'll have to do a post on that later but I have some other things I need to catch up on first.

We haven't done anything on the property, but we a planning on sitting down and re-working our "to-do" list so that I can have a better grasp on where we are and what we need to get done. I feel lost not knowing where we are and where we are headed. I'll give you an update on that too once I have it figured out in my head.

With that little bit of a "no real update to speak of" I will get back to you soon.

I am so happy that fall is finally rolling around to our parts. Now perhaps I can stop sweating when I breath. The other exciting part of this is that as it cools off, we will be able to get things done around the property.

Ahhh...the property...for the last few months it has been a huge source of frustration for me. Back in May, someone cut one of our gates and some cows that we had allowed to run on our property (they are not ours) got out. Of course, our non-english speaking "neighbors" saw big dollar signs when the cows started messing up the place. Keep in mind the cows were out for THREE DAYS before we even got a call from the police about it.

THREE DAYS!!

They "couldn't get a hold of us". REALLY?!?!? Then please remind me WHY WE BOTHERED TO GIVE OUR PHONE NUMBERS TO THE MAYOR OF THE CITY!!!!!!

We went out there (I with my camera to take pictures for evidence) and these people had the audacity to claim that these cows that aren't even ours damaged a lot property (some of which we know for a fact was already damaged). The cops gave us a bunch of crap about it...and were trying to tell us where they came from because we were going to need to patch up the fence and there was no damage where they kept saying that they were coming from.

So everyone left and we walked down the fenceline of the property to find that someone had cut the wire to our drop gate on the other side of the property. When we called the cops back to tell them, there statement was...get this..."we can't do anything about it because it's in another county".

I can tell already that this is going to potentially be an issue for us since the county line runs through part of our property.

So ever since that event I have not wanted to go out there and have even had thoughts of selling the place and buying property elsewhere just to not have to deal with these people that throw trash on our property, cut our fence lines, and play their music at ungoldly levels all night. My only hope is that since the weather is cooling off we will be able to get out there and get some work done, so we can get out there on a more permanent basis and can create a permanent solution.

Lets just hope the weather holds up.

Facebook Farming

So...I finally stepped into the 21st century and joined Facebook. I only signed up so that I could play a piano game that was offered on there.

That's not the amazing part.

The amazing part is that I am actually playing a game that requires some effort. Not the piano game, but another game called "Farmville". I know...you're shocked. I was too. Doug started playing it about a week or two ago and practically owns the King Ranch now. I, on the other hand, have 9 little squares of strawberries, eggplant, wheat, and *gasp* soybeans. This is not the funny part.

The best part is that you actually have to wait for things to harvest. Granted on a much faster scale. For example, strawberries have to wait 4 HOURS to be harvested.

Okay...call me crazy...but my brain just couldn't register that.

Why do I have to wait???

Can't I harvest now?

Not even just a teeny little bit?

Not one soybean??

YOU MEAN I HAVE TO WAIT?!?!?!?

Because as disturbing as it is that this game perverts nature into growing and harvesting crops in 4 hours from start to finish, my little instant-gratification, pee-brain couldn't even wait that long.

Dear God, I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

Unplayed Piano

I love the keyboard that Doug got me for Christmas! Until we got Merlin, I played it about once a week. Then it sat there collecting dust while I chased a puppy around trying to reclaim my underwear.

Over the last couple of months though I have rededicated myself to practicing. While this week, I have not had a chance to play, I am overall very happy with my progress.

Since music was never really important in my household growing up, it's a little more difficult and I truly feel as though I am having to start from the ground up. But, I am getting the hang of the Waltz, and feel fairly certain that within a couple of months I will be having a recital for a select few who are hard of hearing.

It's only fair.

The Point

I have been working on losing some weight. It's amazing how well it works when I actually get my fat lazy arse off of the couch and put down the Snickers bar. Of course, I already knew this, but I hadn't yet reached "The Point".

"The Point" of where I was completely disgusted with myself and what I had let myself become.

"The Point" where I said for God's sake STOP!

"The Point" where being that weight was really uncomfortable.

I have, thus far, lost 15 pounds and 2 clothes sizes. I have already started getting rid of those old clothes. I have to.

I pulled out a pair of Old Navy size 8 jean's and hung them on the closet door. My goal is to be able to where those on our trip to Ireland.

Oh yeah!! We're going to Ireland. Ahhhhhh...just the thought of it makes me drunk with excitement. Although not drunk enough that I forget that I still have 3 months before we go.

Unfortunately.

Hot Dog...

Well, since Satan has taken up residence in South Texas and it is hotter than, well, Hades, we haven't been able to get much done on the property this summer. Unfortunately, since we do not have a place to stay out there, by the time we drive out there, it is already pushing "hot enough to make your ankles sweat", and you can't do much before you get to "dead from heat exhaustion". If only meteorologists used this kind of terminology on the evening news...maybe I would watch...maybe.

Our lack of being able to get anything done on the property and my sheer laziness is the reason why I haven't posted much in the last month. We have been busy with other items though, namely chasing around the son of Satan AKA Merlin. He is now in intermediate training, and while I do love torturing myself, I am really ready for it to be over. Actually, I am really ready for him to be over a year old because I am telling you right now, that if I have sons I will desert them when they become teenagers. You have all been warned. Actually, I will just send them out to their father. That should do the trick.