So today was pretty cool--I ended up going to bed at around 10ish PST, which meant 1 AM EST... and I'd been up since 3 AM EST, or midnight PST. I was toast.

I ended up waking up at what turned out to be 6 AM PST, and I just kind of drifted in and out of sleep for a while - Jen sacrificed her studio to turn it into a bedroom for me, and I had a futon and a fan... what more can a girl want? Either way, slept really well - didn't miss my water bed. I'm half-tempted when I move out to seriously consider getting my own bed that's not a water bed.

We watched Definitely, Maybe, and had omelets and toast for breakfast. Jen was worried that the weather was going to suck, since it was predicting rain and cold temperatures. Slightly chilly, but nothing I couldn't handle with a t-shirt and shorts. I am in heaven. This weather was fantastic - we got a bit of rain in the afternoon, but it was otherwise gorgeous. So what's a girl to do? Ride horses! I've been on a horse once in my life. That's it. So we took out the enormous 18-hand Belgian mare, Becky, and we went through grooming and brushing, and how to tack up. She loves faking people with the cinch--blowing out her stomach so to make the cinch not be as set as it should be. Further more, Becky is the boss mare of the herd - I quickly learned that sweetness and manners got me nowhere with her. My crooning was essentially earning me a big 'go fuck yourself, sweetcheeks' from the horse.

So, tacked up, and led outside... time to mount up.

In case you didn't know it already, I am short, dumpy, and front-loaded with an apron-gut. This mare is fucking huge. We had a little step stool for a mounting block, and I was trying to boost myself with my weaker leg, the one that's had more sports injuries. And this did not go well. Five tries later, with Jen holding onto the other side for dear life, I was about ready to give up and watch her ride, because there was no way in hell I could see myself getting on this horse short of a ladder....

[ Continued ]

Okay here.


Not anywhere near done yet, but here we go. I got up at 3 AM, woke up the princess (aka my mother), ran downstairs. She was driving me to the Aboutown depot. I thought I saw it to the right of one intersection, she insisted it was at another address.

Okay then.

So she turned out to be wrong, and off we went to where I'd seen the sign in the first place. So we got there, and she headed back to her bed. I, in the meantime, got in the big comfy shuttle.

Note for everyone, if you do use Aboutown, ride shotgun. The back seats suck for slumping/slouching/snoozing. End result, I was awake and stayed awake.

Got to the border in about two hours, so we made good time. Went through security, and headed to the airport. Got there about twenty minutes ahead of schedule. I was thrilled. Got through ticketing, checked the duffle, took the laptop and purse as carry-ons. Through security, which wasn't so bad, but it would have been nicer to be able to hear them. But no real problems there. Past security, and into a veritable freaking mall. The Detroit Metro Airport is kind of freaking awesome.

I got the muffin of my dreams, and it was sensational. I kind of want another, but I know better. Found the tram, which is a VERY nice way of moving from end to end of this enormous freaking terminal. Found my gate, and lo and behold, tell it from the mountain, but THERE IS A BOOKSTORE RIGHT BY IT. I am in love.

Picked up two new books. They will be fun.

(Continued after landing)

So I picked up two new books, and I read one on the plane, and it was faaaaabulous. Absolutely side-splitting hilarious... The Portable Italian Mamma.

The flight was good, though we took a while to get off the ground, and the turbulence meant we were delayed about 45 minutes. I got a window seat, and did have a kid beside me, but she was very well behaved, very quiet, and basically clung to her mother, who kept her quiet.

Disembarked, met up with Jen and Matt in the airport, got my bags, and headed...

[ Continued ]

Honest! We're just super busy with Mish coming after the fourth, and the holiday this weekend. I thought I'd post up some pictures of some of the stuff I've been up too. First and foremost the chicken house, Matt, some of the babies, and an arbor we've made. But don't worry... I have mizahar stuff done too. I just finished Zulrav, his followers called the Stormwardens, and a ton of beasties for the game as well. Friday its supposed to be well into the 90's here... and i have the day off (imagine a three day weekend!!!) and so I'll be working on Miza in the shade when its just too hot to do anything else. I promise I have so much done it will blow you all away. In the mean time, here's whats been going on.

(Stop messing with the chicks and post to mizahar!)


(Arbor built last weekend - the climbing rose - a dreamweaver, was planted previous year and grown on a temp trellis)


(Hot hubby sweating away in the sun working on new chicken coup)


(You can get chickens in the mail even!)


(Group shot!)


(Gardening Chickies - they make good helpers)


(Meanest Chick alive - aka toe biter)


You know its just a phase right? I promise I...

[ Continued ]

I had the best intentions. Its supposed to not be nice today... rain showers later. I didn't get the chicks outside at all yesterday because I was just too tired and spent the morning in jammies and watching Jaws on TV. I cuddled with a few cats, made a great lunch, and then went off to work. All in all I probably killed the three spare hours before work easily. Today is a different story. I got up at 8:30, after about 6 hrs of sleep and fed hroses... then moved outside to get some work done on my computer. I brought the chicks out to play, but I'm worried. We need to get the coup done fast because sitting here I've seen a pair of bald eagles, a coopers hawk, a harris hawk, and a northern harrier 'wander by' all in the first hour.
I cleaned cages, stalls, and let horses out too. I've caught up on some of the stuff I'm working on, and am sitting here by the firepit watching the chickens learn a brand new fun game.

The Easter Egger chickies... the Ameracauanas... have discovered if you get into the flower beds and scratch, you can find worms and all sorts of cool bugs. When one finds a bug, all the others chase the one with the bug around until the bug is consumed (by whomever ends up with it). so now all the chickies are out comfortably weeding the garden. The Rhode Island Reds have put themselves to bed... they are fair weather flowers.... when it gets windy, which it is now, they tend to go to bed and stay there. Since the EE chickes are still in their wire cage, they don't have that option... so they are staying out still looking for bugs... juicy bugs.

I've never seen a creature love bugs so much.

My fearless leader hen, Sugar, just offered me what looks like a grub of some sort.... I think shes telling me she loves me. I need to charge the digital camera... but when I do, I'll take some pictures and show everyone. I really shouldn't be so obsessed with my chickens... .seriously... but they are a delight.

I think I just finished one of those weeks. You know the kind... where there's something IMPORTANT (tm) planned each day. We've had a lot of stress lately because there were a few more layoffs at work (inside, the union guys), and the news that 'Sunday Swing' is now canceled permanently (unless the economy changes). This doesn't effect my company, but it does mean no more working sundays (at straight OT!) and simple just 'on call' for saturdays now. It's a bit of a break truthfully! This whole weekend has been a bit of a break from 'all week'. I have been seeing the doctor because I need some work done on my wrists. So I had no less than three doc appointments this week during my morning. I had a noted lack of sleep (I couldn't sleep all week for some reason!) and then having to crawl out of bed after 5 or 6 hrs... go to an appointment, fill out paperwork, etc... come home, go to work, fight tooth and nail to stay busy (when its not) and crawl home to go to bed... getting progressively more tired all week. I seriously was absolutely done for by friday, and that day was taken up with the shoer being here for 2.5 hrs in the morning (starting early, of course ) before I headed to work.

My chickies are still a joy. Matt has a very funny picture of me sitting in his office with two 5 week old EE chicks perched on my head looking gleeful after having flown up there themselves. They are getting so big.

I still need names. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to make them. I have this so far...

1 Rhode Island Red Rooster - Giovanni
1 Rhode Island Red Rooster - Naked Butt
1 Rhode Island Red Hen - Big Mamma
1 shy Rhode Island Red Hen - ?
1 small Rhode Island Red Hen - ?
1 plain ordinary medium-sized Rhode Island Red Hen - ?
1 White Easter Egger Hen - Sugar
1 Multicolored Cream Easter Egger Hen - Spice
1 Butterscotch Easter Egger Hen - Whistler
1 Black Austerlorp...

[ Continued ]