Yesterday.
We had spent about 3 days wrangling with Regan's mom about when we were coming up this last weekend. R's sister is in from Boston until the 20th, and we wanted to see her again before she went back.
Add on top of that that her mom is psycho about family stuff, considering she never seemed to care about family at all until she was over 40 and had a 2nd set of kids 13 and 17 years Regan's junior.
Then it comes out that Regan's step granmother is apparently dying. She had been frail for a couple of years, but the week after Christmas she shot downhill like a snowboarder. If we didn't get up there, we might not get to say goodbye.
Pretty tough situation.
I had also been planning to fence all weekend. Not with swords, silly, but finishing the 140' (that's 41 metres for all you metrics out there) of fence necessary to let the horses back up in the field, instaed of being stuck in the the little lot all winter where they have been for a year. Last stages- resetting one post and stringing the wire.
So we make plans to go to Mom's on Sunday, be there by noon to see Grandma, back to the house by 4 to see Bengals game, then spend time with siste....
Wait a minute.
Back to see BENGALS GAME?
grandma's dying, and you've got to go watch an effing FOOTBALL GAME?
Hmmmm. weird priorities.
So I fence all Saturday.
I get up at 7:30 sunday to go back out and fence.
While I am performing morning ablutions, the phone rings at 8:15
Grandma died Saturday night.
Shit.
Turns out, she was just waiting to see all of her kids one more time, they were waiting on the one from Tennessee (she had ten kids). They all showed Sat eve, she said "Oh good there's Dennis, I didn't think he'd make it" they step out of the room, and she dies.
Jeez.
So everyone is sad, but not really. She lived a long life. She kinda planned when it would end. Her husband was already dead. And she saw all her kids again.
She was a pretty cool lady, and she will be missed.
So now, we aren't going up til the afternoon. So i fence. And i fence. And i fence some more.
Finally... it's done!!! and the gates are......hmmmm..... about a foot too far apart...... SHIT!!!
So now they are tied with multiple pieces of rope until I can buy a bigger gate that will fill the whole gap.
So ok, not a great day so far.
We shower and change into our "goin out" clothes, then let the horse up into the field.
Shad comes running up IMMEDIATELY.... oops, my pocket's ringing. Gotta go!!!
I'll finish the story later....
OK, it's now about 4 hours later. Whew.
So the horses run into the field, after MUCH coaxing. literally a half hour of going bac and forth, up and down 2 hills with handfuls of treats.
Horses are kinda dumb sometimes.
By this time, i am already pretty worn out, and it's only 12;30.
So we're having a great time watchin the horses run and buck their new found freedom when- the squeak of Dodie, the dog, as she squeezes under the fence and goes running pell mell, leading her little pack of playmates down the road as fast as they can run.
I shout "Shit!" and take off after them, screaming their names etc.
Our dogs do NOT roam- they stay behind a fence, as they would otherwise be hit by cars, stomped by bulls, mauled by feral dogs, or killed by coyotes. Believe me all of those things ave happened. Plus, if they do get out, they are gone for AT LEAST 2 hours of worry filled nightmare time, wondering if that gunshot I heard was one getting shot by an overzealous neighbour trying to "keep em outta mah cattle".
And we are supposed to be on the road to go see the family.
So i fall about three times careening down the hill, blast through the gate, grab the keys, and hop in the car after them.
Long story SLIGHTLY shorter- a little over an hour later, I and three dogs, all much muddier and worse for wear after traipsing through my neighbours farm, all arrive back at the house in the car. Quick change, as my nice clothes are now trashed, re clean up, jump BACK in the car, drive an hour and a half to Indiana to see the family.
Where we proceed to have a lovely time.
We talk about Grandma, go out for Japanese hibachi grill stuff (you know- 8 people around a huge griddle while Mendes the Mexican Japanese chef throws shrimp tails in your face and laughs), have a couple a beers, a fudge cake at Frischs, and then home.
Quite a day.
We had spent about 3 days wrangling with Regan's mom about when we were coming up this last weekend. R's sister is in from Boston until the 20th, and we wanted to see her again before she went back.
Add on top of that that her mom is psycho about family stuff, considering she never seemed to care about family at all until she was over 40 and had a 2nd set of kids 13 and 17 years Regan's junior.
Then it comes out that Regan's step granmother is apparently dying. She had been frail for a couple of years, but the week after Christmas she shot downhill like a snowboarder. If we didn't get up there, we might not get to say goodbye.
Pretty tough situation.
I had also been planning to fence all weekend. Not with swords, silly, but finishing the 140' (that's 41 metres for all you metrics out there) of fence necessary to let the horses back up in the field, instaed of being stuck in the the little lot all winter where they have been for a year. Last stages- resetting one post and stringing the wire.
So we make plans to go to Mom's on Sunday, be there by noon to see Grandma, back to the house by 4 to see Bengals game, then spend time with siste....
Wait a minute.
Back to see BENGALS GAME?
grandma's dying, and you've got to go watch an effing FOOTBALL GAME?
Hmmmm. weird priorities.
So I fence all Saturday.
I get up at 7:30 sunday to go back out and fence.
While I am performing morning ablutions, the phone rings at 8:15
Grandma died Saturday night.
Shit.
Turns out, she was just waiting to see all of her kids one more time, they were waiting on the one from Tennessee (she had ten kids). They all showed Sat eve, she said "Oh good there's Dennis, I didn't think he'd make it" they step out of the room, and she dies.
Jeez.
So everyone is sad, but not really. She lived a long life. She kinda planned when it would end. Her husband was already dead. And she saw all her kids again.
She was a pretty cool lady, and she will be missed.
So now, we aren't going up til the afternoon. So i fence. And i fence. And i fence some more.
Finally... it's done!!! and the gates are......hmmmm..... about a foot too far apart...... SHIT!!!
So now they are tied with multiple pieces of rope until I can buy a bigger gate that will fill the whole gap.
So ok, not a great day so far.
We shower and change into our "goin out" clothes, then let the horse up into the field.
Shad comes running up IMMEDIATELY.... oops, my pocket's ringing. Gotta go!!!
I'll finish the story later....
OK, it's now about 4 hours later. Whew.
So the horses run into the field, after MUCH coaxing. literally a half hour of going bac and forth, up and down 2 hills with handfuls of treats.
Horses are kinda dumb sometimes.
By this time, i am already pretty worn out, and it's only 12;30.
So we're having a great time watchin the horses run and buck their new found freedom when- the squeak of Dodie, the dog, as she squeezes under the fence and goes running pell mell, leading her little pack of playmates down the road as fast as they can run.
I shout "Shit!" and take off after them, screaming their names etc.
Our dogs do NOT roam- they stay behind a fence, as they would otherwise be hit by cars, stomped by bulls, mauled by feral dogs, or killed by coyotes. Believe me all of those things ave happened. Plus, if they do get out, they are gone for AT LEAST 2 hours of worry filled nightmare time, wondering if that gunshot I heard was one getting shot by an overzealous neighbour trying to "keep em outta mah cattle".
And we are supposed to be on the road to go see the family.
So i fall about three times careening down the hill, blast through the gate, grab the keys, and hop in the car after them.
Long story SLIGHTLY shorter- a little over an hour later, I and three dogs, all much muddier and worse for wear after traipsing through my neighbours farm, all arrive back at the house in the car. Quick change, as my nice clothes are now trashed, re clean up, jump BACK in the car, drive an hour and a half to Indiana to see the family.
Where we proceed to have a lovely time.
We talk about Grandma, go out for Japanese hibachi grill stuff (you know- 8 people around a huge griddle while Mendes the Mexican Japanese chef throws shrimp tails in your face and laughs), have a couple a beers, a fudge cake at Frischs, and then home.
Quite a day.
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::hugs:: I hope all things settle down and go well for you, from now on.