Ever feel like the planets must be perfectly aligned so as to give you nothing but trouble? I'm sure everyone has, so everyone can relate to this. It has been my life lately and every time I think it can't get worse, well it does!My troubles started when the skid loader went to a neighbor mechanic in September. He is very good, reasonable in cost and SLOW. He had it for two months before it came back. I am absolutely dependent on it, as I can't get the stalls cleaned without it. Pushing wheelbarrows up a hill to the manure pile left my resume a long time ago. That said, Deb and I had to do it. Mark took time off from work to help when he could. So, it came back and was returned to him 3 weeks later by the male half of this equation, not me. Mark said the neighbor could stop the leak and have it back in a couple of days. It's a good thing I had my cap on because the top of my head would have blown like a rocket otherwise.
It has been a month. Bad enough, but I've had insult added to injury. We had a big melt a few days ago and then a refreeze. The place is a skating rink. I had to make paths to all the areas I need to get to with a wheelbarrow filled with ice melt and grit and lay it with a shovel. This is a lot of area to cover and I would normally have the machine. Next, horses can't get out for the day, but only get an hour or so in small groups, as I have two paddocks that are reasonably OK. Mark has end-of-year tax projections to get to his clients, so no chance of help from him, Deb has a pinched nerve in her neck and can barely move, so no help from her. I can't push a wheelbarrow up the hill if I wanted to because it is solid ice. The stalls are a nightmare and the horses are antsy and I wonder what I did to find myself stuck under this black cloud of misery.
I thought we would get some relief from the ice with the forecasted snow, but it all stayed in central and northern Minnesota. They are getting record amounts, us not so much. But I don't have the machine to plow us out if we got anything measurable anyway!!
I'm having myself a real pity party. Hopefully something good will come out of writing this......anyone reading it will think things aren't so bad for themselves. Anyone, remind me why I thought this life was such a great idea again. : )
I have hope beyond measure that I'm getting my skid loader back sometime tomorrow. My friend Beth is willing to work while Deb is out of commission, so if you hear the Hallelujah Chorus coming from nowhere on Thursday you'll know I got it back and we are slogging through piles of horse manure on New Years Day!
13 comments:
Uh~huh, uh~huh. Me, I set aside the money I needed for new curriculum but now the car needs brake pads & I will have to squeeze all my money into a ball & make it perform miracles! :) lol. That's life I guesss. Can't you just go to your neighbour's & get your machine back, fixed or not? I have enough issues with the cat who has learnt to sit in the litter tray but then pees volumes over the edge! Wrong edge I might add. *sigh* I love him but he's daft! I can't imagine dealing with the volumes of horse dung your horses must be producing. No wonder they're getting antsy.
The skid loader is apart, so I can't get it. Seals for the cylinders are what is holding him up at this time.
I don't know, cat pee is pretty bad, maybe horse manure isn't so bad after all. : )
I know the feeling of being overwhelmed at one time or another is universal, so I also knew my pity party would be related to, even if not the cause of it.
Got the geldings out, so that's the last of them. They have about an hour before dusk sets in. They'll be ready, it's blowing and snowing and cold out there!
We got your record amount of snow up here! I posted photos on my blog. It's beautiful - but hell to drive in.
I am empathizing with your problems - not about a tractor though.
Youngest daughter is getting her mouth full of orthodonture next week. I was worrying about making the payment (in full - I don't need another monthly payment). I rejoiced when I realised that January is a three-paycheck month! Yahoo - no worries.
This weekend our four-year-old (not that old to ME) 54" television went on the fritz. It's our only TV. If it were up to me, I'd say "Nevermind, we don't need a TV". Everyone else is disagreeing with me. Crap. When it rains, it pours (or snows, in our case)!
Ain't it grand! Most people know all about the hamster wheel, we just keep spinning round and round and getting nowhere. : )
Oh, it's funny that you made that statement. I swear to God, there isn't a week that passes where I don't say, "My wheels are just spinning in the sand!"
I like your image better than mine. I see myself as a fat little hamster desperately running to get somewhere and failing. ;)
Oh guys,
Sorry all this pain in the neck stuff is happening. I also have a complaint! The air conditioning in our car broke two days ago. So I am arriving everywhere looking like I laid down and peed on myself because my butt to my neck are soaking wet with sweat/ LOL /
Sandra I really am sorry that the brutal ice/poop/broken tractor combination has you in a bind. I am sorry that whoops of joy will be heard from you neck of the woods because you can finally clean manure but I do get your point. Marina is potty trained and I am pretty happy not to be dealing with any sort of poop during the day: ) !
Let us know if the skid loader returns!
Ash
Ashley, once again I feel a little better. No air conditioning in the tropics. OMG, torture!
Listen carefully, you may actually hear the angels sing on high and you'll know it's back. : )
I think I mix my metaphors.
I know I'm probably going to be considered odd..... But I am looking forward to the stall cleaning chores on Thursday and Friday! It's a GREAT stress reliever... After the holidays and a week and a half with the boys it's not going to be here soon enough... Hopefully the boys and I will survive until school starts - it's been a little too much together time for all of us :)
Dirty stalls and antsy horses can be a real nightmare. Considering that I am told the average horse produces 40# of waste per day.....That's a LOT of wheelbarrows.
Icey weather is another time that an attached indoor is a Godsend.
I feel your pain, Sandra. I DO hope that skidloader is back at World's End in top shape tomorrow!
Beth, be careful what you wish for! The task is daunting.
Thanks for putting the math to it Jean.....I owe you. :)
I used to use the arena, but mine is not attached as yours is and I stopped at some time. No matter what, when it's icy and you have a lot of horses it's a bad deal. The poor things are better than I think I deserve, they are being so good about all of it. Mr. Solo was very excited, but you know how worried he is about where he puts his feet, his floppy feet, which makes it worse. He needs something to do, poor fellow. But that's a lot of stallion when he's excited and nervous about his feet!
ok now my overwhelmingly disorganized room, doesn't seem all that daunting of a task.
so sorry you are having all this trouble. i totally wish my guys could come give you a hand. my husband is amazing with a shovel, and my son is just pretty entertaining to watch, while he's trying to keep up with his daddy.
thanks for the encouragement over at my place too.
i just found out next week 3 of my extra students decided to go on vacation, so I will only have 1 more with my three.
hoping for a special blessing to make it your way too!
christy :)
Thanks Christy. If I can't have your husband and son, I'll gladly take a blessing if it comes my way. Let's hope it comes in the form of green John Deere!
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