Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[Ridgetop]

I like the ability to put things on the Lowe's card... lots of times it is no interest for 6 or 12 months

Check on getting a contractor's card. They offer 5% off on everything you buy with it. We used that until they offered military discount of 10% which was a better discount and we get $$ back on what we spend with our regular card.

More evidence that my men do not listen when I speak. For the past few weeks I have been telling them that on our next trip we will load the small Kubota tractor, the utiity trailer, the sheep squeeze, assorted panels (if they will fit) on the flatbed. In the covered bed of the black truck and in the stock trailer we will load the 3 oak bookcases in the family room, the dining room table, buffet, and china cabinet, 6 plastic bins, the boxed paintings, and the stack of boxes in the living room occupying a space 6' x 10' x 4'h.
Response: "OK, no problem." "Just tell us what to load and it will be fine."

For the past week I have said repeatedly we would leave right after the funeral on Friday, August 18th. Three days ago Maysie's BD party on august 27 was cancelled. I told DH and DS1 that meant that we would be able to take a few extra days to get back by September 5. Both DH and DS1 have dental appointments on September 6.
The response each time. "OK, we know."

Today DS1 announced that he would drive out and back over Labor Day weekend. What? No way to get to Texas, unload everything, and return in that time! He said he thught that we would go out around Labor Day. Reminded him that they had dental appts THAT THEY COULDNT CANCEL on the 6th at 9am!
Response by DS1: "Oh, but I have to be here to pick up DGD1 from school."
Response by DH: "We can leave on September 4 or 5 and be home in time."
Response by me: "&*^%$#@&!" and
Response by DS1: "Dad, you can't drive all night anymore. You are not as young as I am."

DS1: "Well, what are we really even taking back this time?"
Me: , then listing everything mentioned above.
DS1: "I didn't know you were taking all that furniture back."
Me:
DH: "We can load the flatbed this week. And get the paintings out of the Connex and load them in the stock trailer."
DS1: "You can't load the paintings and leave them sit in the heat."
DH: "Well we can load the flat bed, then load the stock trailer."
Me: "DS1 can drive back earlier than us. We need to pick up another 80 bales of alfalfa."
DS1: "I don't have anywhere to put it."
Me: "Stack it on the field."
DH: "So are we leaving over Labor Day weekend?"
Me:

There are times I think it would be easier to just move everything myself without my family. This solid block between the ears is not limited to DH and DS1. DSIL2 offered to drive one of the trucks back with us and fly home.
DSIL2: "I can drive out with you, unload, and fly back - no problem."
DH : "That's good. You can help drive and unload. It will make is easier on us. DD2 can ride along and see the ranch."
DD2: "No I can't. Maysie starts school on Wednesday."
DH to DSIL2 "She can see the ranch."
DD2: "I can't go Dad. Maysie has school and I have work."
DSIL2: "It will be great, we can drive out together."
DD2: "I can't - I have work, Maysie has school, and Annabel will be a pain in a carseat for 3 days."
DSIL2: "We can make it in 2 days, less if we drive through the night."
DH to DD2: "It will be fun - you will love it."
Me, loudly: "She can't go."
DD2, loudly: "I can't go."
DH and DSIL2 continue talking about the whole family driving to Texas in 2 days, unloading everything and returning immediately - with a 2 year old and a 6 year old.
DD2 and I:

 

[Ridgetop]

I am back. Tried to decide whether a tranquilizer or a stiff drink would help and decided that i need a clear head to deal with these guys.

No rain in Yantis so Cody said he shredded one of the pastures. Not sure if he did all of them or not. No more hay being made for the time being. Disappointing. Cody said he had baled Bahia in a couple places he leases/owns nearer to Lake Fork and would be able to fill my hay order from them. DH doesn't understand why I want to make sure of my hay order NOW instead of waiting until winter when EVERYONE is trying to find hay. I told him that Baymule has had to buy hay already and that with the drought we were lucky to get any cuttings of hay baled. He is used to just calling the hay guy and having it delivered. He doesn't understand that you can't just pick up a few bales from the feed store when you need them. I think this will be a bigger adjustment for him than for me.

At any rate, he plans to load the little Kubota- I have christened it "Baby 'Bota" - this week. We need to measure the sheep squeeze and make sure it will fit in the utility trailer. Daddy made the utility trailer from the bed of a Toyota truck back when they were midget trucks. Hopefully we can fit a couple other things on the flatbed too.

DH then asked me if we were going to live out of suitcases after this trip to Texas???? I had just gotten finished enumerating the pieces of furniture that we were taking back. He got annoyed when i did not understand why he would think we would have to keep all our clothes in a suitcase here in CA. Another example of not bothering to listen. Then he told me to be sure I made a list of the furniture I planned to load so I would know what I was taking.

Maybe I will have that stiff drink after all.

 

[SageHill]

I think that block is sexlinked.

 

[Baymule]

Summers like this, you grab the first cutting. Get your hay as soon as it hits the ground or you won’t get any. Even the feed stores run out of hay, by winter there may not be any to be found.

 

[farmerjan]

My Lowe's card offers 5% off... but it has to be paid every month or incurs interest... sometimes the savings is more than offset by getting the free financing and paying the "full price"... I did that with the new freezer I bought when I moved here. Got it on sale, so saved $99....O that was the "full price" for the freezer so to speak... 1 year no interest financing... so it was cheaper than the initial 5% off then paying interest on the remaining balance to pay it off...
Did that with the TSC card and getting the fencing... $50 a roll off, no interest for 12 months financing... so the "sale price " was better than 5% off of regular price and then having to pay interest until paid off... which I would have tried to do in less than 12 months but still... interest on $1500 or so that the fencing cost for a few months would have eaten up the difference.

 

[farmerjan]

I am back. Tried to decide whether a tranquilizer or a stiff drink would help and decided that i need a clear head to deal with these guys.

No rain in Yantis so Cody said he shredded one of the pastures. Not sure if he did all of them or not. No more hay being made for the time being. Disappointing. Cody said he had baled Bahia in a couple places he leases/owns nearer to Lake Fork and would be able to fill my hay order from them. DH doesn't understand why I want to make sure of my hay order NOW instead of waiting until winter when EVERYONE is trying to find hay. I told him that Baymule has had to buy hay already and that with the drought we were lucky to get any cuttings of hay baled. He is used to just calling the hay guy and having it delivered. He doesn't understand that you can't just pick up a few bales from the feed store when you need them. I think this will be a bigger adjustment for him than for me.

At any rate, he plans to load the little Kubota- I have christened it "Baby 'Bota" - this week. We need to measure the sheep squeeze and make sure it will fit in the utility trailer. Daddy made the utility trailer from the bed of a Toyota truck back when they were midget trucks. Hopefully we can fit a couple other things on the flatbed too.

DH then asked me if we were going to live out of suitcases after this trip to Texas???? I had just gotten finished enumerating the pieces of furniture that we were taking back. He got annoyed when i did not understand why he would think we would have to keep all our clothes in a suitcase here in CA. Another example of not bothering to listen. Then he told me to be sure I made a list of the furniture I planned to load so I would know what I was taking.

Maybe I will have that stiff drink after all.

 

[Ridgetop]

Got it on sale, so saved $99

Lowes has gotten tricky about giving the discounts anymore. They won't honor the discount if the item is on sale.

Maybe I will have that stiff drink after all.

Didn't have the drink after all. Came back and did some more work. I need to file everything and enter all expenses in my records.

DH says now that we won't buy any hay on the way back (waste of empty flatbed trailer then) since we have enough to last for a month. And what about the month after that? We will be into winter and prices will be up. We can store the hay in a corral and feed off those stacks first. Does he think that prices go down going into winter? I am beginning to think he doesn't want to move after all.
Just deleted 2 paragraphs of complaints.

Going to the shed to bring up the small electric brad nailer, and the sabre saw. I have needed them at the house the last 2 times and keep forgetting to pack them. I will also pack several other of the electric/battery tools we will need. We take the small driver back and forth and need to leave some tools at the ranch. Also need the toolbox with all the tools and miscellaneous we need for working on electrical. I will ask DS1 if he has any idea of tools he wants to have there as well. They need to be added to the growing pile in the living room. DH's business of "We'll get them from the shed/Connex when we are loading" is ridiculous - they are either forgotten or I hear "Next time". *&$%#@*# "Next time"! I will pull them out NOW!

Calm down Ridgetop, calm down, and do it yourself so you know it is done.

Here is a happy picture! Robert and Nicholas in DH's office chair. Robert comes back to visit when I am working. He likes to climb into the chair and I spin him around. He decided Nicholas who is just crawling would like a ride. Told him to hold Nicholas tight so he wouldn't fall off.

Robert is a funny one and talks with sign language. He is earning to say more words and had also learned to pout and sulk with his lower lip pushed out and arms crossed. We laugh at him which he doesn't like. Nicholas is the happiest baby ever. Rarely cries and always laughing and smiling. Now that he can sit upright and crawl, he is happy in the baby jail with his toys. He is at the age where he pulls himself to stand and then can't figure out how to sit back down. LOL Robert usually has more hair but his dad just gave him a haircut. Nicholas weighs almost as Robert.

 

[SageHill]

Now those pics are definitely 'make ya smile' pics

Calm down Ridgetop, calm down, and do it yourself so you know it is done.

Well, ya' beat me to saying it. Just pack 'em and when they need 'em in TX and they have them, you might just get a 'you're so smart' or atta girl. You and I both know they'll at least think that.
We only moved 30 miles and I gave up the "we should take ___ next trip" and just did it.

 

[Baymule]

At least my BJ was a little more compliant when I dragged him kicking and screaming all the way to Lindale. On moving day, he hired 4 guys to load the U-haul for $50 each. One guy brought his buddy and was going to split his $50 with him. It was his buddy’s anniversary and he wanted to take his wife out to eat. I don’t know what $25 was going to buy, french fries and a coke maybe? So we gave him $50 too. It was a madhouse. But the truck got packed, my car was packed, BJs truck was packed plus the flatbed trailer. Son Layne drove the U-Haul. It was our 19th anniversary. The lady moved in that night. LOL

 

[Mini Horses]

Sounds like you needed a traffic cop to direct that day