Saturday, June 02, 2012

#91. or, What's good about it?



  Trying to be the hap, hap, happiest blogger on the internet.


  One of the reasons that i chose to label myself as "in a tractor" was obviously, because a lot of my time is spent sitting on that tractor seat. I can remember, in the dead of winter, trying to convince myself to start a blog, thinking, with all that time seeding, haying, and what-not, the dam of wonderful blog ideas is going to overflow with creative excess. 

  Ya, well........not so much. 

  I've been sitting here the last 4 or 5 days, seeding my ass off, trying to resist the urge to post about the difficult time i seem to be having. The sun is out, holidays are on their way, i should be able to come up with something good to talk about?

  Part of the problem is from the different equipment we are using as a result of the fire. It's good stuff, just.......different. Things that were second nature because i'd done them hundreds of times, take longer than they should because i have to take extra time to figure them out. 

  Things like, having to cannibalize the hitches off of two different tractors to make one, on a tractor i bought and had neglected to notice that part of the hitch was missing. 
......... actually, I WAS quite proud of myself about not throwing a wrench across the yard over that, so there's a good thing. 

  And how, because the two inches of rain last week, I had to shut down for five days and now feel that I am dreadfully far behind. 
 ........that rain sure helped the pastures for when we take the cows out to them after seeding. So that's good too. 

  How about those two inches of rain, added to an already wetter spring, causing endless holes to seed around. The same holes, that although I've only been stuck twice, (so far) one was so bad, i had to unhook the tractor from the drill. The drill from the seed cart, and pull each piece out separately. No small feat. 
 ..........but it's nice to get out of that cab for a bit and get some fresh air. 

 Maybe to some people, dropping my practically, brand new phone the other night and breaking the battery door might be a bit of a downer. 
 ...........I got to spend an hour shopping from my phone on e-bay for a new one. I love shopping!

  Also, because of the long hours I've been in the tractor, i've hardly got to see my sweet wife this week at all. Not to mention the fact there has been no time available for happy bedroom time. 
 ............but she does bring out supper and we spend some time together, her in my handy jump seat, chatting in the tractor during that time.

 All things considered, it's been a decent week. I came in 2nd in the voting for the Pish Posh Get Fit! Challenge. (read about that here) Turns out the votes were so close, Lady in Red, the real winner, and Pish Posh, decided it would be awesome to share 1st place between her and I. How cool is that? I won a book written by an awesome blogger, The Bloggess.

  I got to see a moose and some deer, multiple sets of new baby ducks, and unbelievable sunsets. I lost another pound on Friday morning weigh-day, so I'm at 183. (Suit of Awesomeness, here I come.) I kissed my wife, talked to the kids and petted the dog. 

  As bad as the bad was, there was a lot of good as well, it all depends on how you spin it. 

  ................oh, the first couple fields of wheat I seeded have new rows poking through the ground, so straight, you could shoot a bullet down them without hitting any plants. Plus, it appears there isn't any screw ups, so that's another bonus!

24 comments:

  1. So, first things first. Do you have anyone to help you with all this seeding and farming in general? Or do you do this all on your own?

    I loved hearing how your wife brings dinner out to you - and how she sits there in the tractor while you eat! So sweet and comfortable sounding - and of course the bedtime fun will come along eventually ;-)

    And now I learn a new thing about you... you're a shopper - I never would have guessed lol... I'm a shopper too. I don't have to be buying for myself - it can be gifts for family and friends or whatever - but I do like to make the purchase!

    I'm really looking forward to reading The Bloggess' book - everyone says it's so good and that it's full of laughs. We'll see :-)

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    1. I'm not alone here. It all started out as a family farm with my Dad and Mom, my brother and myself. My dad passed away a few years back. My brother and i do a good deal of the work and my mom still comes out most days to help with something. Also, my kids help but i encourage them to try a different job off the farm. Then if they would like, it's always here to come back to.

      I am happy to wander through the isles of a store looking at stuff, often my wife is done and ready to go before i am. :)

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    2. Glad to hear you're not working the whole place on your own. That would have been a little too much! Also, really nice to hear how you want your kids to know their options :)

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  2. I love the positive spin you've chosen in all the happenings that most ordinary people might take as set-backs. You're not ordinary, and that is why it's welcome time spent when I visit here. I too, have really been trying to take my circumstances, turn them, hold them to the light a little differently and see what other vantage they have to offer beside the obvious struggles and challenges.

    Don't beat yourself up too much about not having tons and tons of blog material. I think I can safely say, every blogger goes through spells of 'dryness' or self-selected quiet, or times when interest runs low. No worries. We'll all look forward to the times when inspiration sparks and you want to share your musings from those long rides along in the tractor.

    Happy Saturday!

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    1. I'm not ordinary? I'm good with that. :)

      I really was going to do a negative post, i've been reading others though and everybody seems to be in a funk lately. Not sure why that is but i finally decided i didn't want to contribute to that.

      As bad as things are, there is good stuff going on, you just have to look for it sometimes.

      I have post ideas, i really should write some of them down, they are thoughts that drift in and out of my head. If i'm able, i can grab one and write about it while it's there. More often than not though, i'm in front of the computer scratching my head thinking, what was that thing i was going to write about?

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    2. Ken, this was just awesome. Sometimes you help someone and you don't even know it at the time. What you said about the good stuff.... I think I need to spend more time looking for it. I know its there!

      Your wife must be pretty amazing, the way you talk about her. Her bringing you supper and spending time with you out there is so romantic in a tractor-farmer kind of way. Cherish those moments!

      I look forward to reading more from you! Have a good weekend.

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    3. Thank you Robin, i appreciate what you said here very much.

      There's always something good, the crappy thing just seems to monopolize the time. I try to remember that and let the good thing matter a little bit.

      My wife is pretty amazing, thank you. I think i'll keep her. :)

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  3. No sexy time for Ken? I bet that's a bummer. You know, if she brings you dinner to you in your tractor, she could also bring the "dessert" too...although I bet it would be hard in such a cramped space.

    You know, if you like shopping, you could always shop the workingdan store that is now open! lol Shameful of me, I know! I still have more designs to come up with before there is a decent selection.

    Hope the ground dries up enough to get your seeding finished!

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    1. If you are on an airplane and get to have a little sexy time, you're in the mile high club. Maybe sexy time in a tractor could be, the 6 mile an hour club?

      Actually i have been over at you're store doing a little window shopping. I have to wait until my Pay Pal account cools down a little, I hope to pick something up next month.

      I took Saturday off to take my kid to the Soap Box derby, (first place medal!) i should be back at it tomorrow. :)

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  4. Nothing blew up and no one lost an eye or anything. I say party! Plenty to be grateful for there. And that one sunset you shared was lovely.

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    1. YUP, if we still have most of out fingers and toes, it's all good! :)

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  5. Sometimes hucking a wrench as far as possible just makes life a little better.

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  6. This was a great post, Ken! I love how you turned every trial and tribulation around with a positive ending. There is always something good to find, and you did it! Most definitely working against the clock to get the crops in the ground is a trying time, long hours, hard work, and a whole lot of hope for what it will bring forth. The cool part is, in the fall when you harvest, you can take pride in knowing that you made it happen, you provided for your family by working the land you love. Not too bad at all, in fact pretty darn good! Congrats on the Soap Box Derby win! I love that you make time for your kids in the busy schedule. And three cheers to your wife for coming out to join you on the tractor for a bit, I've logged many miles in the "jump seat" and it was some of the most relaxing time my ex and I spent together, just tooling along at 6 miles an hour. Keep on bringing postive blogging to life, it makes us all smile!

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    1. It's funny, sometimes a mechanic of somebody will come over to do some work for me. I think once in a while it would be nice just to be able to go home at 5 o'clock, know what everyday is giong to bring. I mentioned this once to one of those fellows. He said he would so much rather be doing what I do.
      The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I think if you can find some good things about what you're doing, try to focus on that.

      Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it. :)

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  7. Way to find the joy in your days, Ken! I think that says an awful lot about your character.

    I agree with dbs, though. There's a lot of joy in hucking things too. Besides causing damage, I like finding funny violent comics to share with friends and family... and dream up new random crap to send to jerks in the mail, even if I'm not angry at anyone in particular. The process makes me smile.

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    1. The random crap you send out in the mail isn't in plain brown envelopes with no return address is it? :)

      There are days where I do throw things. I,ve thought that it might be nice to have an old dead car body out back I can just wail on with a sledge hammer just for days like that?

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  8. I think your blog is very unique (not a lot of tractor guys blogging) and we understand when you have to focus on "seeding." I have been trying to spend less time on the computer myself so I can focus on exercise and getting healthy again.

    Congrats on the book! I failed the whole challenge miserably, but back on it now.

    Have a great week farming!

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    1. Thank you, i keep saying that i'm so surprised that i was even in the running to win the challenge. It makes me shake my head. :)

      I'll make the best out of what the weather gives me this week. the forecast isn't looking too good though.

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  9. My goodness, I'd say you certainly do have some mighty good reasons for not being a blogging whiz lately, Ken! You've got a whole heap of stuff going on.

    Your blog is always interesting, regardless of the frequency of your posts. I think we bloggers often put too much pressure on ourselves to get new posts up quickly. That makes blogging a chore rather than a pleasure--which it should be. :)

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    1. i thought i might slow down to three times per week but even that hasn't been possible. I've had a few ideas come to me in the last few days though so as time allows, there will be posts. :)

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  10. We used to live in a very rural setting. We owned a tractor and some property. Your posts take me back to those days. Especially the part about getting stuck in the mud! :)

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    1. Well, i've only been stuck twice this season. I can be careful around the ones i can tell are wet, it's the ones that sneak up on me that give me problems.

      I hope those memories are good ones? I'd hate to be responsible for any nightmares you might be having?

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  11. Hey there's nothing wrong with being frustrated! No one wants to read a cheerful johnny - never frustrated, never worried, never stressed, inhuman - come lately! :) Foibles and follies make good friends :)

    You should have seen Antonio the other day. He was trying to and eventually did combine two wheelbarrows into one and was getting so frustrated I had to shut the garage door while he swore, and I brought him a beer. Suddenly, with beer in hand, he was able to do it.

    So maybe you just need more Clamato?

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    1. I'm not saying it never happens, it does. And more often than not when, i get busy and stressed. I just like to try be the glass half full guy instead of the doom and gloom. Certainly every one of my days isn't all roses and sunshine. :)

      The amazing healing properties of beer. To be taken on a daily basis. Side effects may include bloating and a flabby belly! :)

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