My Messy Life - Journal

[Finnie]

Sheesh! Surely they have to at least understand basic road signs!! So unsafe! Glad to hear some of them are getting pulled.

 

[SageHill]

Sheesh! Surely they have to at least understand basic road signs!! So unsafe! Glad to hear some of them are getting pulled.

Nope! Truly sad. Even worse are the people who are complaining that licenses are getting pulled. Some also involving ICE. Those people just don't get it, and probably won't if and until someone they personally know gets hurt by one of them.

 

[drstratton]

No on the CDL. It's a huge thing around here now. They can't speak English or read it - even simple signs. A lot of CDLs being pulled.

I'm glad they're finally pulling them.

 

[SteepedInSheep]

Try not to feel too bad. Your friend probably really did have a bad day and then stressed over going out for the evening on top of it, so the abandoned house was probably just the last straw. And, maybe they had an argument in the car (happens when we’re stressed out and we get lost) so then they didn’t feel up to facing people.

It was nice that there was someone else who was able to come over on a moment’s notice. Good save!

She came over to talk to me before church started this morning. Still didn't apologize and instead started saying she didn't have any service on her phone at the time and we would have to talk about it later because it was a whole thing.
I'm laughing it off for now. Things happen. I don't know her that well… only for a few months and just at church stuff. If it's some kind of chronic flakiness we won't end up being that close because that type of behavior drives me crazy. So we'll see.

 

[SteepedInSheep]

I did sell the duck pair today. I had them listed for $25. A woman contacted me and said she would give me $25 more if I was willing to meet her halfway... Ended up being a 25 minute drive. But I got $50 and two less animals to feed.
I think I will get rid of the geese and goats next.

Dh and I had a tiff about the animals again today. I'm tired of it. I literally asked him if that was his plan.... just wear me down until I got rid of them all.
We did make up and he insisted I come out to the cow pasture and cut down trees with him, haha. So we cut down a bunch of trees this afternoon and got covered in wood chips. It is satisfying to hear the tree smack to the ground. My left arm is still somewhat incapacitated. It's not used to chainsawing so it's quivering. I may have overdone it.

 

[fuzzi]

He may not have spoken English, either. But you would think the CDL license would have at least some minimum reading and English requirements.

CDL tests require basic English literacy, but companies have been hiring non-citizens and cheating on the tests. There was a mini documentary about it, watched it a couple months ago. The non-English speaking driver who made an illegal U turn and killed several people brought the issue to light.

Here’s the CDL English proficiency requirement for commercial truck and bus drivers in the U.S., according to the FMCSA:

“A person shall not drive a commercial motor vehicle unless he/she is qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle. . . . [A] motor carrier shall not require or permit a person to drive a commercial motor vehicle unless that person is qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle.” (49 CFR § 391.11(a))

A “person is qualified to drive a motor vehicle if he/she . . . [c]an read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records . . .” (49 CFR § 391.11(b)(2))

 

[farmerjan]

I don't think you need to pursue the "friendship" with the person that was not even the slightest apologetic for finally not coming to the dinner...

 

[Baymule]

You and your husband will have to come to an agreement on your animals. It needs to be your idea so you don't blame him, even if you don't say it out loud, it will be there in your mind. At the same time you need to let him know that your animals make you happy and if you can;t have them, you could always become a professional shopper. My sister is a professional shopper, it's her thing to do. She spends money of the dumbest stuff. She decorates to the point of what I consider to be ridiculous. Or you could just demand ALL his time be directed at you. HE must make you happy. It probably wouldn't be long and he'd be buying you whatever animals you want!

Is he jealous of the time you spend with them? Is it the money you spend on their care? What hobbies does he have?

Go back to page one. Read it again. Poultry yields eggs and meat. You have some geriatric hens that could provide good meals for your family. Right now they just eat. You get nothing. Pare down to a reasonable number. Get new chicks so you can have eggs. Make your husband help you butcher the old hens. If he's gonna gripe about it and wants you to get rid of them, invite him to the slaughter party. Insist on it.

Roll this over in your mind, when you come to a decision, then tell him what you are going to do. Or better yet, don't tell him, just start implementing your plan. Dinner tonight is chicken and dumplings.

I will be culling down my flock HARD this year. I will be selling ewes and it's gonna hurt. I've raised them from babies. They are pets. But I'm following my plan and reaching for my goal. I had plain unregistered sheep. The Katahdin registry has a breed up program. Breed unregistered ewe to a registered ram, that offspring is 50%. Record with the Katahdin registry. Second generation is 75% and third generation is 87.5%. Third generation is eligible for full registration after 1 year old, after they pass the hair coat test. I have quite a few 50% and 75% ewes. They have given me ewe lambs, I'm reaching my goal. I have to let them go so I can move forward. Right now I have 30 breeding ewes plus 8 or 9 more that are reaching the age to be bred. Then I have 28 lambs, plus another 10 ewes to lamb. Do the math. My goal is 30 registered ewes. I will still have a few percentage ewes, as I breed for the next generation, but they eventually will be phased out. I want to breed for and sell registered breeding stock, with excellent conformation and as much "color" as I can add. I have ewes that are 5 and 6 years old, that were lambs when my husband was alive. Just tear my heart out, but I can't keep keeping them.

Ponder on your flock. What do you want from them? Write it down. What are your goals? Write them down. Keep up with feed receipts, keep a total every month. Treat it like a business. Every egg has value. Slaughter old hens, they have value. Sell the duck you don't want, there is value. What are your favorites? Chickens, geese, guineas or ducks? Concentrate on what you like the best, do that and do it well. Provide eggs and meat for your family.

 

[Finnie]

your animals make you happy and if you can;t have them, you could always become a professional shopper.

So that explains my retail therapy!!

It probably wouldn't be long and he'd be buying you whatever animals you want!

And all the rest, well said, Baymule.

 

[SteepedInSheep]

You and your husband will have to come to an agreement on your animals. It needs to be your idea so you don't blame him, even if you don't say it out loud, it will be there in your mind. At the same time you need to let him know that your animals make you happy and if you can;t have them, you could always become a professional shopper. My sister is a professional shopper, it's her thing to do. She spends money of the dumbest stuff. She decorates to the point of what I consider to be ridiculous. Or you could just demand ALL his time be directed at you. HE must make you happy. It probably wouldn't be long and he'd be buying you whatever animals you want!

Is he jealous of the time you spend with them? Is it the money you spend on their care? What hobbies does he have?

Go back to page one. Read it again. Poultry yields eggs and meat. You have some geriatric hens that could provide good meals for your family. Right now they just eat. You get nothing. Pare down to a reasonable number. Get new chicks so you can have eggs. Make your husband help you butcher the old hens. If he's gonna gripe about it and wants you to get rid of them, invite him to the slaughter party. Insist on it.

Roll this over in your mind, when you come to a decision, then tell him what you are going to do. Or better yet, don't tell him, just start implementing your plan. Dinner tonight is chicken and dumplings.

I will be culling down my flock HARD this year. I will be selling ewes and it's gonna hurt. I've raised them from babies. They are pets. But I'm following my plan and reaching for my goal. I had plain unregistered sheep. The Katahdin registry has a breed up program. Breed unregistered ewe to a registered ram, that offspring is 50%. Record with the Katahdin registry. Second generation is 75% and third generation is 87.5%. Third generation is eligible for full registration after 1 year old, after they pass the hair coat test. I have quite a few 50% and 75% ewes. They have given me ewe lambs, I'm reaching my goal. I have to let them go so I can move forward. Right now I have 30 breeding ewes plus 8 or 9 more that are reaching the age to be bred. Then I have 28 lambs, plus another 10 ewes to lamb. Do the math. My goal is 30 registered ewes. I will still have a few percentage ewes, as I breed for the next generation, but they eventually will be phased out. I want to breed for and sell registered breeding stock, with excellent conformation and as much "color" as I can add. I have ewes that are 5 and 6 years old, that were lambs when my husband was alive. Just tear my heart out, but I can't keep keeping them.

Ponder on your flock. What do you want from them? Write it down. What are your goals? Write them down. Keep up with feed receipts, keep a total every month. Treat it like a business. Every egg has value. Slaughter old hens, they have value. Sell the duck you don't want, there is value. What are your favorites? Chickens, geese, guineas or ducks? Concentrate on what you like the best, do that and do it well. Provide eggs and meat for your family.

Thank you for the straight shooting. It's all very wise.
My husband is really only concerned with how much the animals cost. We spend a lot of time together so he's not jealous or anything.
He definitely over exaggerated about how much we spend on feed each month. He told me $250. I bought $173 worth in early december (a month ago) and at most we are halfway through it. That's a significant difference in cost.
I did text a friend to ask if she wanted any geese or goats. She was interested in the geese, so I sold them to her.
Anyone want to guess how much? Gander is a 4 yr old toulouse and the goose is a 5 yr old buff x toulouse.

After I sold them, I was so sad. I still am. I think it will take a while to be ok with it. I hatched that goose and the gander is such a blowhard.
It made it worse than DH came home and told me he didn't necessarily intend for me to sell the ones I love.