I’ll Be Me and You Can be You

I might be opinionated and quick to the draw but that doesn’t mean I expect you to believe what I believe.Here’s the thing….I’m done, with a capital DONE! I’m so tired of pussyfooting around everyone’s feelings and it stops today. If you don’t like it, feel free to unfollow me, avoid me, run screaming in the other direction when you see me coming, whatever it takes. Oh…and the next time I buy a black chicken, I’m naming her Black Betty….f*** the narrative!

I don’t expect you to believe what I believe but I do want you to THINK for yourself and come to your own conclusions. It’s no secret I’m not on Facebook, except in the incognito chicken groups, and for local events. Also for front Range Radio, I saw your post Tim and you’re welcome. If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t hear any new off the cuff music. Anyhoo…my brother told me about a post made by an extremely over privileged person who called someone else an over privileged white man because they had an opini0n that went against the narrative. This is why I am not on Facebook. Everyone wants to talk about it but no one wants to call the person out…well maybe one cousin but still.

I was pretty worked up by the time I made it over to the neighbor’s for pool time. They thought it was funny because I tried to keep it light and PG….if I was not there it would have been a rated R rant full of F-bombs. I was much calmer after the pool.

I didn’t get to go to the pool on Wednesday because of a doctor’s appointment. I didn’t mention this appointment because I didn’t want to jinx it. In the middle of no drains and no car, I received a call that something was different on the mammogram this year. It turned out to be a cyst. I wasn’t too worried but like I said, I didn’t want to jinx it.

Friday when I was leaving work something was making a lot of noise in the tree above my car. I was extremely excited/surprised to see a great Horned Owl, especially because it was only 5pm. I dropped my stuff and reached for my camera. I probably could have at least gotten a shot…even if it was bad but I reached for my reading glasses and it flew away. It was still talking but now it was lost in the trees. I am disappointed because I didn’t get the picture and more disappointed that I wasn’t present in the moment.  I did see it and it was magical while it lasted.

Those were the highlights of the week, I hope you had a good one…Zia

 

Rainy Day Play

Yesterday was beyond rainy! Lots of places had flooding, thankfully there was no flooding in our neighborhood. Once I finished the errands I had to run, I threw a tarp over the kitchen table and got busy. When was the last time I just sat and played for an afternoon? It must have been a while because I can’t remember the last time.

I happened upon some free cigar boxes and sometime during the last two weeks of prairie time I decided to combine them with the Christmas cards I have been saving. I mostly use last year’s cards as gift tags but I think I like how these came out better.

I also had an oracle deck that I don’t use. The artwork is beautiful but I was never able to connect to the cards. These will make great boxes for birthday presents! I am very pleased with how the Christmas boxes came out as well. You know me…it’s all about the upcycle. I refuse to buy wrapping paper that can’t be recycled so these boxes will be a great alternative. Plus, they only cost me my time.

I was surprised tonight to get the notification that I have been in the WordPress world for nine years. That’s a long time for me!  It hasn’t gotten old for me so far….Zia

Thirteen Days

Where do I begin? I guess I will start with last Sunday. What do you do when you have to wash your clothes, have no drains, and no car? You get a bucket, a scrub brush, and a plastic tote and then you hand wash them in the backyard. Yes, that really happened. When I knocked on the neighbor’s door Sunday night to use their shower I said “It’s Zia from the prairie, here to take my shower.”

If I didn’t joke about it or treat it like an adventure…. it would have been more miserable. The part finally came in on Tuesday, only it was the wrong part. We still don’t know who was at fault for that one. There was a lot of yelling and miraculously the new part was delivered on Thursday. We survived from 10pm July 3rd to 1pm July 15th with no drains. Somehow I kept it positive. My coworkers didn’t know anything was wrong until the wrong part was delivered…I wasn’t sure I could continue for another week. Thankfully it was only two more days.

Monday I got the call about my car. It was not my transmission. It was the axle that went into the transmission that snapped. They had to order a part and thankfully it came in relatively quickly. Of course it’s never just one thing. Some arm thing had frozen bolts and it needed replaced too. I do believe the extra part needed to be replaced and you will too after this next part.

Remember when I told you my car was towed to a location that wasn’t currently opened? The mechanic went up on Monday to look at it, came back today with the new part, proper tools and did the work in the closed space. He even left to go get the new part (arm thing) and tools to come back and finish my car today. Then…..they delivered it to me at work. Who does that? My mind is still blown! My car still needs front brakes but at least it is running. I hate having to depend on people for rides, hopefully it’s a long time before I have to do it again. I am extremely grateful to them for going out of their way to help me out.

When is the last time you looked at your toilet, shower, washing machine, kitchen sink, and were grateful for having them? These mundane things that we use everyday and never think about are pretty convenient. The expression is “you don’t know what you’ve got, until it’s gone.” Personally I hear the 80’s band Cinderella singing the words but to each their own. I think you get my point.

I didn’t freak out, okay…maybe a little bit on Tuesday when the wrong part came, but other than that I remained calm and we all survived.  My car stayed in that abandoned space for a week and now has a funny smell. Hopefully the fresh air will help with that. I can’t even remember the last time I vacuumed my car out? I guess I’ve been neglecting it too. Maybe this was a lesson in being more present and to stop coasting on autopilot? I’m not sure why it had to happen, I’m just glad it’s resolved.

Now I’m off to tell my washing machine how much I appreciate it before I start catching up on the laundry….Zia

 

 

When it Rains….it Pours

Well….it’s been an interesting week to say the least. The part needed for the grinder pump was supposed to be here Thursday and it’s still not here. I have running water but nothing can go down the drain. No toilet, no laundry, no showers and I’ve done dishes in a bucket in the backyard with water from the hose. It’s been a challenge.

I switched garbage companies and their cans were on a back order. My old can was picked up yesterday. Thankfully a new one was delivered today so I can take “nowhere to put my garbage” off the list.

We went to a Middle Eastern restaurant last night for book club and we all liked it. The food was great and so was the atmosphere. We left right before they closed at 9pm. I got in my car, backed it up, and waited my turn to leave the parking lot. The red car in front of me turned left and I moved up to the edge of the parking lot. I looked both ways and then put my foot on the gas. My car jerked and then sounded like the engine was grinding. I couldn’t move forward or backward. I opened my car door and looked under the car and nothing had fallen out.

I stepped out of the car and made eye contact with the man in the truck behind me. “I’m sorry, but my car won’t move forward or backward.” He parked his truck and another man helped him after I put my car in neutral and steered as they pushed. I turned off my car in a relatively safe space. He looked under the hood and spoke the words I was suspecting….transmission. I thanked him profusely and then got in my car to decide who I was going to call to come get me. He knocked on my window and pointed to his wife and said “we can take you home.”

He also helped me write a note to put on my windshield and then I jumped in the backseat of the truck. I would have throttled my daughter for getting into a vehicle with a stranger and here I was doing just that. We made small talk and it turns out I have seen him on the news. Something about 3d printers. His wife was lovely, we talked about a local bakery that makes macrons and reminisced about the restaurant that used to make the best sausage gravy and biscuits. I know where she works as well, I will send a thank you card to one of the businesses.

I was very fortunate that they were in the truck behind me. Anything that happens that seems unusually lucky when dealing with car problems I attribute to my grandpa. I know he will always be watching and is the best car guardian angel this family could have.

I called my neighbor this morning and asked him to drive me to my car so I could call a tow truck. He said I didn’t wake him up but I think he just said that to make me feel better. I called the tow truck that Big K recommended and he seemed awfully annoyed. If he wasn’t highly recommended I might have said never mind. He got there and was the cutest little old man, turns out…he just couldn’t hear.

While I was waiting for the tow truck, my neighbor walked over to a large hotel to use their bathroom. I called the credit union to inquire about my car title. I paid off the loan in February and never received the title. The woman said it was highly unlikely that they still had it but she would check. She called me back, said she had it and then apologized. I still have to wait a week for it to be ready. At least it wasn’t lost.

I had the car towed to a transmission shop close to where I work. The adorable tow truck guy Brad said “you should call and  leave a message.” Turns out there was an answering service.The guy called me back and asked “what part of the building did you leave the car?” I answered “it’s in the back where the big white door is.” He followed with “which location did you have it towed to?” “There’s more than one?” “Yes, I’ve only been working in the original location because I can’t get enough people to work. Yes, I had it towed to the wrong place.

He was super nice and helpful. I’m glad I chose this place. The status of my car is in limbo but it’s in good hands. KB came over and took us to Lowe’ to pick up a few things. Originally it was mostly for a garbage can. Sometime between when I called her and when she pulled in, they delivered the new can. It wasn’t a wasted trip since I still needed to drop off my spare key. She took us to lunch too, she would not take no for an answer.

It’s been quite the week! I am holding my own over here but I have no idea how this is going to end….Zia

Mother and Monday

I’m not sure where to begin so I will start with today. I started my day with a dream of a doe around my chicken coop. She had one of her front hooves raised so I am guessing she was injured? I opened the back door to find a herd of deer, including some pretty big bucks in my back yard. In the middle of the herd with hair that looked as soft as a rooster’s feathers stood Bigfoot. I jumped back in the house, shut the door and said “I can’t believe Bigfoot is in my backyard! Where is my camera?” Then I woke up.

I remember thinking to myself  “starting my day dreaming of Bigfoot should lead to a magical day?” The Monday after a three day weekend is always a little rough, so maybe I was reaching…maybe not?

The tarot card I pulled today was The Mother (Shapeshifter tarot), the traditional card is The Empress. I felt this a couple different times throughout my day. When I was getting ready for work this morning a tiny little Carolina wren perched in the window hinge for a bit. My mom may or may not have known what this bird looked like but she knew it’s call. She called it the cheater bird and if you listen to it’s call it does sound like it’s saying “cheater, cheater, cheater.”

I saw three bunnies in my backyard and I passed one crossing the road. I saw a large “teenage” eagle perched in a tree, and passed the mama robin on my way into work this morning. I think the little guys hatched today, which is exciting!

That was a lot of mom references right off the bat! Maybe it’s because I keep making references to my mom and grandma? My daughter keeps saying “dysentery” and referring to this video game. https://youtu.be/vjD3O24NG9M

The Girl had friends over Saturday night and after flushing the toilet “the cruncher” alarm went off.  There were 6 houses on this street that were “forced” to give up their septics and tie into this line. This well type structure crunches up the waste and then goes into a shared line.They all dread it. Ours went down Saturday night, Sunday was not only a Sunday but a holiday and today the places to buy parts were closed in observance of the holiday.

To make a long story short….we have water but it can absolutley NOT go down a drain. The no toilet part is the worst!! I keep a big bowl in the sink where we wash hands, face, and brush teeth. When the bowl gets full we dump it outside the back door. The Girl and I even did dishes outside yesterday. I washed them in a big soapy bucket, rinsed them with the hose and the Girl dried them. That’s something I’ve never done before. It’s been an adventure! We took a shower at Big K’s yesterday and my neighbors have been great about sharing their bathroom. It could be a lot worse. The way I look at it….my grandmother never had indoor plumbing or a toilet…just an outhouse and a cistern and that was married life. I know growing up she had to go to the creek for water but I don’t know about an outhouse? We can rough it for a couple of days, like I said…an adventure.

One night last week the dog smelled something, came downstairs and started pacing around my bed. I told the Girl “I felt like I was in a covered wagon in the middle of a prairie.” I still don’t know what she smelled but I took her outside at 3:20 am and she did nothing but sniff. I coukdn’t fall all the way asleep until the sun came up…I was worried it was coyotes. I only have two chickens left so I am overly protective.

Last week the girls at work surprised me with a cake they knew I couldn’t eat. It really is okay, it was a sweet gesture. They wanted to celebrate me getting my license and they wanted cake. They picked a magical unicorn cake which made up for the fact that I couldn’t eat it. I did bring some home for the Girl and she liked it. It was the thought that counts.

Today was a nice catch up day for me. Everyone was closed today, we were closed on Friday. I was able to reconcile all of the optical charges for both offices today, one statement is even done, so that is a huge weight off of my shoulders. June was a lot…hopefully July will be a bit calmer….Zia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodbye June

I don’t usually wish my life away but I will be happy when this month is over! I am hoping for a much calmer July because June was quite the wild ride!!!

The whole month was wild but it wasn’t all bad…I took a test, passed and now have a license. This was the reason I have been so sporadic in my posting. I wasn’t saying a word until that license was hung on the wall, I did that today so I guess it’s okay now. It was a lot of studying and the Girl became quite the cook as she cooked while I studied. My fifty year old brain struggled but somehow I pulled a rabbit out of my hat and passed. I’m glad it’s over and yet…. it doesn’t feel real yet.

It has beyond busy at work and I can’t do it all. Big K, the Young Doctor, and I had a little pow wow tonight trying to figure out who can help with what? We have a game plan which is a start…I will take it, because somethings gotta give.

It’s been very strange to just have two chickens. I still miss my Rhode Island Red and the two we have left which are actual hens are confused…they’ve always been bossed around. I tried to give them a “girl power” talk but it didn’t stick. I will keep trying and I will try and find a somewhat local hatchery and get two more girls.

There hasn’t been time for much else, so hopefully I will have something new to talk about soon.I hope wherever you are, you are having a good day….Zia

 

Learning Curve

I have learned quite a few lessons over the past couple of weeks and not all of them have been pretty. The important part is that I learned from them.Onward and upward is all I can hope for…

Yesterday I attended a soap making class at the farm where I buy my eggs. It was more of a tutorial but that’s okay…it was worth the $10.00 to be able to ask questions. I’m afraid of the lye, just as she was. I need to get over it and do it once and then I should be fine. I just need to get over that fear. My grandmother told me once, “don’t be afraid of it, just respect it.” I get it…be careful. I will add this to my Summer projects.

The Girl and I went KB’s for her daughter’s graduation party last night. I have a lot to say on that subject but no worries…you are safe from my tangent. I have already said these things to her daughter. I went because I love my friend and her daughter but I refused to give her money for having a diploma.  I opted to give her an early birthday present instead. She really wanted the tarot cards anyway.

I had a nice visit with KB’s parents, her younger brother and his wife. KB’s mom and brother both referred to the time when I got stuck going up the hill? Her mom said “I think of you every time I drive it.” I have no recollection of this event?  That 76′ cougar had a v8 so either I wasn’t driving fast enough (most likely) or the roads were really bad? I honestly don’t remember?

This morning I woke up knowing I would be saying goodbye to one of my birds. It wasn’t as hard as saying goodbye to my beloved rhode island red but it wasn’t fun. At least he is going to a good home. Now we need to find a hatchery to get two more chicks stat. Two isn’t enough, I was planning on four.

The Girl and I spent a big chunk of the day in the neighbor’s pool, which is the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I needed the distraction/relaxation to recharge for the week ahead….Zia

Rooster or Hen?

Have you ever played the game rooster or hen? I don’t recommend it. My favorite chicken, the Rhode Island Red turned out to be a rooster and I had to re home him last week. The chicken who rested her neck into my shoulder every morning when I carried her to the chicken tractor. The same chicken who I said “Good morning pretty girl. You know you’re my favorite don’t you? I know I’m not supposed to have favorites  but I can’t help it, I love you the most….just don’t tell the other girls.”

I was able to find someone who was willing to take on a rooster. She had two already, Cluck-Zilla and Cluck-Norris. I knew my favorite would be okay right then and there. She sends me pictures and videos and he is thriving…I’m a wreck but he is happy and that’s what matters. She said I can come visit him anytime, it’s nice to have that option. I don’t know if I could go through that again? There were lots of tears between myself and the girl. I’m still not over it, every morning when I let them out of the coop and I open the door to say “good morning ladies” it’s not the same because my girl isn’t there.

I never sent a picture of the finished coop. The prefab coop from China was not the best choice but I feel like it was my only choice since I have no experience in building anything. My brother came over and made a frame of 2×6’s, stapled some hardware cloth, and then screwed the boards to the metal frame.If I had to do it over again I would have just bought a shed, it would have been cheaper and easier to personalize. I added some flowers to make the little coop more homey and you can see my favorite up in the front.

And then there were three…..this morning I heard the spaz chicken make a “cock a doodle do” sound. I only have/had four birds how can two of them be roosters? What the heck? I can’t just have two so I will need to get two more asap. The Girl is in denial about the newest rooster. I’m not emotionally attached to this one so it isn’t nearly as painful as the first one. I guess I need to start looking for a new home for this guy asap.

I have been working on something which is why I have been absent as of late. I’m halfway there so I will wait to tell you until it’s a done deal. All I can say is that my brain has been getting a work out! I am hoping the hardest part is over…

That is the cliff notes version of the last couple of weeks. I am hoping to get back into the groove this week….Zia

 

Who Knew?

The Girl wanted to go to the new Mejer’s tonight, I can’t even remember why? Oh, wait…she likes their popcorn, that’s why. She had decided she wanted spaghetti as well. She sought out brown rice noodles in the Asian section and was on the hunt for gluten free breadcrumbs. There are just too many ingredients in those things. There was a pregnant woman shopping in the same area who said “when I make meatballs I use rice krispies. I don’t know about the canola oil but it does work.” We went back and found the rice krispies and canola oil was not on the list of ingredients. I don’t fully trust the labels so the true test will be when I wake up tomorrow. Fingers crossed… The meatballs were surprisingly tasty! Who knew?

I struggled this morning. When I think back, I struggled last month too. It honestly felt like a hangover. Last month I questioned myself. This month I know for a fact that I only had one glass of wine. The place we are having book club is louder than previous places. Last night was exceptionally loud because there was a band on the other side for a private party. The restaurant was jam packed and between the noise and the people, it was a struggle. On the way out I talked to SC about it so I know it’s not just me. She said “yes, that was a lot.”

I’ve been around people everyday, but I haven’t been around large crowds like that since before the shutdown. It was quite draining and maybe it’s more than that? Amy   was the first person I wanted to send a question to but I restrained myself. https://herladypinkrose.wordpress.com  I know we are all figuring things out as we go but I do think it helps to talk to someone who understands.

There have been other things but I have found that if I don’t talk about it that day,,,the thought is gone…Zia

 

 

No Rest for the Wicked

I want chickens I said….It will be fun I said….All jokes aside, I love my girls but 6am on a Saturday AND a Sunday was a little much for me. There was no ignoring my Rhode Island Red and she wanted outside stat! So much for sleeping in…

Yesterday the Girl and I went to a housing development’s neighborhood garage sale. I have been garage saling a long time and I have never been to one in the middle of a golf course. I’m not sure why it’s a appealing to build a house/live in that kind of neighborhood but to each their own. There were so many…I can’t even tell you how many houses were participating but it was a lot. I found some good deals so I’m glad I went but there were just too many. We even stopped at a few in the center of our town afterwards but I really had to push myself.

I was never as glad as I was yesterday to have a neighbor with a pool! It was our first swim and it was perfect. I thought for sure I would end up taking a nap after pool time but I did not. Let’s just say…I never moved an inch last night.

This morning I was done with all of my food prep and cleaning by 10:30. It felt like forever before it turned 2pm. Yes, my neighbors are still very regimented for the most part. There is an occasional exception but for the most part it’s 2-4 everyday. I was in the pool for about an hour. I like to lay in the sun and dry off and somewhere in that half hour I did doze off for a bit. I guess that was a good thing.

I came home and saw I had a missed call from my aunt. She doesn’t like to talk on the phone during a storm so she called me early. Luckily I caught her between storms when I called her back. We had a nice talk, I even learned what a mulberry was. I have heard of them but have never come across one. We talked about mom and grandma which was inevitable after that dream I had last week. I would really like to figure out how to make an apple stack cake and how to ship it out of state and have it get there in one piece.

KB’s daughter called me while I was on the phone with my aunt only she used KB’s phone. I’m still not sure why? She wanted to come see me and I said sure. She showed up with her brother and girlfriend and they stayed for quite awhile. I was happy that she brought her girlfriend because she is super handy and helped me get the rest of the chicken coop up. Now I just have to predator proof the bottom.

I think KB’s daughter misses her psychic. I can’t say friend because there was a money exchange but she trusted her and liked to talk to her. I think she is looking to fill that void? I am not a psychic medium, nor have I ever claimed to be but I know how to listen. Plus I will call her out on her bullshit.

KB’s son is where my focus kept falling. He is trying very hard to be social again but still struggles. I noticed quite a bit there and even talked to KB about it. I do believe he is on the upswing and will do better from here on out. His sister needs to listen a little bit better but they are young…they will figure it out.

They left, I called KB for a minute or two and then I went out and cut grass, and here we are. Except for the swimming and food prep….nothing was planned today. It ended up being a good day. My favorite part other than my talk with my aunt was the unexpected visit with KB’s kids. KB is coming over for dinner on Wednesday (her birthday celebration one month later) and we will compare notes and catch up then.

I am going to have to turn on the air conditioner tonight…I have put it off for as long as I can but it’s going to be super humid this week. Plus there’s a new moon with a solar eclipse this week so who the heck knows what kind of week this will be…Zia