Y'all ready for this????

I'm guessing a few months ago, I may have been complaining about the state of the hardwood floors in my living room.  Not even "may have"....I most certainly was.  I even remember posting about.  I was issuing a challenge to The Dairy Farmer....a "throwdown" if you will.  I was making a public display in front of tens of people, in hopes of lighting a fire under his bum so that he would get our floors done.  I seem to remember discussing how slow things can move around here.  I haven't looked it up, but I do believe the date was mid April- the 18th to be exact.  But, I'm not keeping track.  I had told him that the floors needed to be redone before any new piece of furniture entered this house...and we have a new sofa on order. 


In the meantime- we had spring tornadoes, summer droughts, late summer earthquakes and most recently, a hurricane....needless to say, my floors were still in the same state of disrepair.

I went to visit my sister and Boo, my better than sliced bread niece, last week.  We needed a baby fix STAT before the kids started school.  I'm sorry, a toddler fix, I stand corrected.   When I arrived home, I walked in the front door to find my living room in my dining room, kitchen and hallway.

There was a very narrow path through the house, which of course, was blocked by a happy tailed mastiff.  Oh dear.  I DO NOT like surprises.  I also was greeted half heartedly by a very tired, very sore and very cranky Dairy Farmer who said, " I wish you weren't here."  I DO NOT like cranky dairy farmers. 

He had decided late Sunday night to refinish the floors.  After 2 VERY late nights, it wasn't done and I just dumped 2 punks and a tired momma into the middle of a hot mess. 

In the midst of the sanding, he had also done the baseboards, so they were in need of some painting.  I had plans for grand things the following day, but a paint brush was thrust into my hand instead.  While we're at it, let's give a fresh coat to the whole dang room!  Yes....splendid!   Off we went to Lowe's! 

I thought he was cranky about the floors, oh my......he was even crankier about having to paint the next day!  But, we got r done......and as the sun set on our shiny, new floor and our lovely white baseboards and our freshly coated walls.....the heavens opened and the angels sang!  What a sight to behold! 






Isn't it grand?  The DF did this on his hands and knees applying each coat of polyurethane with a 6 inch paint brush.  It was a lot of work, but cheaper than hiring someone.  And, The DF does enjoy saving some green.  I am pretty sure after 4 days of this, he isn't going to quit his day job.   Excellent work, DF.....you may cross that off your to do list.  Now, the dining room floor looks so dull.......



before


after


Want to hear something ironic?  That sofa that we ordered in mid April?  They told us it would be about 14 weeks for us to get it.....perfect......it may just take that long to get these floors done!  Well, the store called on Wed......just as The DF was apply the last coat of stain!  It is due to arrive at the store on Thursday!  The Dairy Farmer does his best work under pressure!

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Real time on the farm

Right now:
 1) there is a burping, farting mastiff asleep in my living room (mastiffs are like that)

2) there is a snoring 10 yr old punk sacked out on my couch (cub scout camp will do that to you)

3) that ridiculously obstinate calf is continuing to bawl....all stinkin' afternoon.  She is hoarse and her moo now sounds like a croak.  This is day 4 of her shenanigans (it's hard realizing you have to grow up)

4) 48 dump trucks (or, perhaps 2)  are running up and down my driveway make all kinds of racket.  They are hauling corn....in August.  We don't like to chop corn this early....it's not a good thing  (a drought will do that to you)

5)  calgon....take me away. 
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Mystery Solved

At any given time, there are at least 6 pairs of muck boots on my back porch.  They vary in type, size and ...smell.   One of the pairs belongs to me.  When I take my boots off...they are placed in a particular spot....side by side. Not because I'm anal or anything...but because....well......I'm anal.


Now that 3 of us in this family of four are wearing darn near the same size shoe, I tend to put mine where I know they will be.  I want to know, when I come flying out the back door at the speed of light, ready to jump into my work, that my boots are right there.....ready to go.  Much like a fireman (fire person?) when he slides down that pole, ready to respond to a raging fire, ready to save lives, ready to risk it all....he wants his boots right where he left them.  Yeah- it's EXACTLY like that.


Over the past few days, my boots are strewn about.  I don't like that.  I blamed the punks, because, as I mentioned before, we wear the same size shoes now.  And, as I mentioned before, ONE of us likes to place her boots neatly where they belong.  Others in this family do not....boots are laying all over the place.  I figured, in their sheer laziness....they don't want to go on a boot hunt, so they take mine. 


So, this morning, I go out to work at the butt crack of dawn and dag gone....I have one boot!  Now, I'm mad.  What is the deal?  I look around....not to be found.  There is ONE boot on the back porch and both punks are still in the house?  What the heck?


I step out the back door and what do I see but this:



It's Jack and he's lovingly, gently, ever so sweetly, licking the crap off my boots!  Mystery solved.   He's sneaky pete......slipping in the back door, grabbing my boots and having himself a nice little mid morning snack.  

Here are 2 things to remember when you visit me and my farm:  1) watch where you put your boots and 2) don't let my dog kiss you on the lips.
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The Dairy Farmer- unplugged

We just returned from vacation on Saturday.  We decided to try something a little different and instead of a beach locale, we chose to rent a lake house and see how we liked it.   I'd say we liked it just fine.   The kids got to tube, kneeboard, fish, swim and basically soak up so much water, we had to come home.....just to dry out. 

Here comes The Dairy Farmer.....


There are few times when my guy gets to decompress....detox.......destress.   And that is when he's boating or when he's skiing.  He still has a cell phone attached to his hip 24-7 and it goes off (a lot).  He still has issues that arise and he deals with them from where ever he is....be it on the side of a windy mountain road, the middle of a lake or perched on a ski lift in the mid west.

Last week,  for a brief window of time, he was allowed to pretend that it wasn't obnoxiously hot and that his corn wasn't withering up and dying.  The frown lines disappeared and he was allowed to smile.....just for a little bit. 

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