Cathy in the Wright

Cheers!

Lots of celebrating at The Outpost lately, but before I list today's roll call of laudatory events, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who emailed and left comments on my brother's birthday. I hope he enjoyed all the messages; it's not every day your sister solicits personalized greetings from one of the blog world's big hitters for you. (I still cannot believe Chris Muir stops by now and then.)

Moving on...special recognition is due to my brother-in-law's wife, The Dane. Today is her birthday. I hope the brother-in-law spoils her rotten. Both The Senator and The Governor send their love, C., and want you to come back for a visit soon. Otherwise they threaten to descend on Colorado. Of course, since you're remodeling...they could save you some significant money on the demolition costs.

And speaking of the boys, another mighty "SKOAL!" for The Senator who finally worked up the determination to ride his bike sans training wheels. The other day he wheeled the bike out of the garage and said, "I'm going inside for the monkey wrench. I'm taking these things off!" And off came the training wheels. However, it took another week and a half for him to work up to actually trying to ride the bike in it's denuded state. Yesterday was his first solo attempt; a few glorious moments when I took my hand away from the seat of the bike. Today I cannot keep up with him. We're still working on how to get going, but it won't be long before he's zipping around and making me wonder if I could get him to wear a Kevlar body suit in addition to his helmet. This afternoon's lesson: Braking, or how to let the bike do your work, not your sneakers.

And I must not forget The Governor while I'm recognizing local accomplishments. I think we are rapidly approaching pacifier detox. Sunday night he threw his 'nookie' out of the crib and told me to put it up on a table. I warned him that if I took the pacifier away, he wasn't getting it back that night. Of course he yelled and screamed and cried, but The VP and I gave an awesome performance of Tough Love and he eventually went to sleep without it. Now last night he did use it again, but I've heard pacifier withdrawl is tougher than meth or crack...and there's no methadone. So tonight...we're going to sit through the DT's (that's Destructive Tantrums) and go 'nookieless' once again.

Next: A salute to my father-in-law, who has worked up the courage to let me help him mend the pasture fence this year. We're planning to raise a few heads of beef, and so in preparation, we must make sure the bovine stay on our property. The last time we had cows, my father-in-law sent me out to check the fenceline.

Just see if there are any holes or any low spots.

Well, fresh City Girl that I was then...I hopped on the 4-wheeler and slowly made a reconnaissance mission around the pasture. In my report I noted that there were no apertures through which a cow could escape. I didn't bother noting that there was a spot on the western edge where the top wires were bent down. After all...a several hundred pound cow would have to jump to clear that. And cows don't jump. Right?

Wrong.

Let's just say that our cows took a mini-vacation consorting with the neighbor's herd.

So it is with extreme delight that I am once again allowed to participate in farming activities. Well...I haven't gotten the official green light quite yet, but I'm sure I will. This is a lot different that the time I took out five feet of black landscape edging with the riding mower. I'm still waiting to be allowed back on the John Deere.

Finally, a toast to Spring, which finally got off it's lazy ass and warmed the air enough so we could wear shorts. This is a great improvement over the cold weather that killed my geraniums.

So raise your coffee mugs, your soda cans, your flask hidden in the back of your lower file cabinet...CHEERS!

Posted by Cathy at May 18, 2004 01:37 PM