Random Thoughts

I just returned from Target. I desperately needed hangers for the clean clothes laying in my floor. The clothes have been laying there for ... oh ... a week. Embarressing.


While in Target, I had to wait for a prescription to be filled, so I went to get the other things on my list. While looking for a flashlight, I passed two women with a 2 year old-ish child in the cart. The younger of the two women was testing lunch boxes to see which one she wanted. When I tell you that she was testing lunch boxes, you might think she was testing the lining, the compartments, etc.

No. They were Shrek lunch boxes and when you hit it, it belched.

Yes. The lunch box burped a loud, disgusting burp.

The women thought it was hilarious. So, they kept getting lunch box after lunch box and boxing each one. BUUUURRRRPPPP!

You know how the sound of a burp just seems to carry forever? I kept trying to get away from the burping lunch box, but I heard that stupid lunch box 10 aisles away. Gross.

Now, in all fairness, I must insert here that I know a good burp when I hear one. I, and a good friend, won a burping contest in high school at an overnight lock-in. (I am, afterall, the younger sibling of two older brothers.) The key is good diaphram control and some hot Dr. Pepper.

But, like I said. That was high school. I have set aside that talent.

Oh, except for one time recently. Princess is 11 years old and, true to my professions, she had never heard me burp. I don't know what came over me, but I thought it would be funny to do a high school burp to see her reaction.

You had to be there. She literally did a double take and dropped to her knees. At which point she began laughing out loud.

So, maybe there is a time to burp. Especially if it keeps people guessing.

Volleyball!

Our volleyball champ and her dad. A winning combination. :)

Princess is pictured nearst on the back row. She is the tallest girl on the team and the third tallest in her grade.

Cosmic Craziness

Observed in the Costco parking lot. 3D vehicular artwork. Someone has a little too much time on their hands, me thinks.

First day of 6th grade

We are so blessed that Princess can walk to and from school. Everything went smoothly for the first morning of school. So smoothly that I forgot to take her picture. Here she is walking home from her first day of school. Her last year in grammar school.

I Submit My Resignation

So, you know I have been milking the goats twice a week. During the summer, Princess helped me clean. Now that school is back in session, it's all me. Along with milking comes cleaning. Cleaning a lot of poop.


Since I love goat milk, it's been okay.

This week, my love of goat milk was overcome by my aversion to poop.

Actually, my fall/winter morning paralysis episodes have started, making it hard to get to the nature center to care for the goats. But, my experience on Monday just sealed the deal.

So, what happened: I milked both goats. I swept the central walkway in the barn.

I swept Ginger's stall.


I started cleaning Sugar's stall. It was a mess. Just .... gross. I picked up a mini-feeder that the goats had knocked off onto to floor. As I flipped it over to hang it back on the wall, water poured out of it. All down my leg (wearing shorts) and into my boots. I wondered, "How did water get into the....."

It wasn't water.

It was pee and poop.

And it was now all down my leg and in my boot.

I began to draft my goat care resignation letter right then and there.

I still need to clean my boot, but I'm still not over the creeps yet.