Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[Margali]

@Ridgetop Do you have Gmail? If so, there is a trick. Gmail ignores "." in center of email. So I have margali.two@gmail and margalitwo@gmail.com for various things. They are different email to doctor, DMV, etc but Gmail put both into my inbox.

 

[murphysranch]

OH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is great to know, Margali. I struggle with this cus hubs won't remember to forward to me info about his medical stuff.

 

[Ridgetop]

I don't have Gmail but it is a reason to get it. Our children make fun of us for still being with AOL.

DS1 said he lost another ram lamb today. It was the nicest one too. He was lethargic yesterday but seemed to get better this morning. Thisevening he was dead. DH thinks it may be the heat. He is really upset because he really liked that ram lamb's conformation. It was the largest and the longest. He is texting the tag numbers and we can repeat the breeding later. Really sad about that ram lamb, but we have 3 good ones left so far. DS1 is working at moving the portable corral panels to fresh grass. Once we are back there we can put up the electric fencing. The electric netting will be easier to move than the heavy metal panels. Hopefully the sheep will get used to the heat by next year.

Went to PT this morning then straigt to DMV with my walker. DH let me out with my walker and I got in line in the "no appointment" line since I couldn'tmake an appointment with the email address problem. DH parked the car and then got me out of the line (which went around the entryway of the building) and brought me in a shorter way which skipped a lot of the line because I had my walker. They had a special door for handicapped people. Thank heaven I took the walker instead of the cane because I could hardly stand or walk by the time we left. I explained to the lady at the first intake desk I couldn't fill out the application or do anything on line since we share an email address and the DMV only recognized the address as being for my husband. She said we needed to each have an email address in future, but she gave me a paper with a number and sent me to fill out the application on their computer. That got me some more paperwork and another number. Waited about another hour and finally got called up to show my current DL, pay the fee, eye test, etc. Then I was sent for a picture, then back in line to take the written test which everyone over 70 has to take. I said I would take it on line since that was supposedly faster. I started taking the test which had strange questions about carseat ages, % of alcohol allowed on DUI tests, number of years to serve in prison for certain offences, and a few other odd questions. Naturally I missed one extra question so had to take the test again since I was not concurrent wth prison sentences or DUI percentages. You are allowed to retake the test 2 more times on the same day if you don't pass. OK fine, I was definitely going to take it again - not going home and going through all that again another day. This time just as I reached the final page of the test, the computer malfunctioned and obiterated my entire test. The test monitor came over and said I had to wait 25 minutes before the computer would allow me to log in again. After the 25 minutes I started again but this time the thumbprint scanner refused to recognize me. Tried twice - same thing. Called over the test monitor who said that several other computers had malfunctioned as well and the system had to be reset so to wait another 25 minutes then start again. This time I got a test book to refresh myself on those odd questions - a couple of which asked whether a person under 21 could drive with liquor in the car. First time I said "never", then I read in the booklet that they could transport liquor with a signed letter from a parent - What??? 25 minutes later I started the test again and the thumbprint again said I wasn't recognized. Each time the computer glitched the test monitor had to take my paperwork, give it to someone else, who reentered it in the system- that took 15 minutes each time. After the last glitch I asked to take the paper test and was told by the test monitor that she didn't think I could take the paper test after saying I would do the computer test. However, when I reached the head of the line to the desk lady to reenter my paperwork, I asked her and she said that I could but would have to wait while she downloaded and printed the paper test. 15 minutes later I was dashing through the paper test, finished it, and handed it in to be graded. 15 minutes after that I was walking out with my temporary license - the permanent one to be received by the end of September. OVER 3 HOURS IN LINE BUT THE PERSONNEL WERE REALLY SWEET ABOUT MAKING SURE I HAD A SEAT. DH was darling about waiting for me - he chatted with everyone else sitting there. LOL We were both exhausted by the time we got home.
And to think I can do it all over again in Quitman for my TX license.

The coyotes have realized that the dogs are no longer here. I looked out the bathroom window and just where the old night pen had been was a big coyote. DD2's dog had started barking so I went outside and yelled at the coyote which took off across the pasture. Abby ran out and chased it a bit farther then I walked across the field to see if I could spot where it went. Not sure where it got in the 7' fence in most areas, but they can jump over the fence from the upside of the gully. Just shows how badly we needed all those LGDs when the sheep were here.

Tomorrow DH will take the auction check to the bank. We need to use it for the stuff we are doing on the ranch in Texas. We thought we were going to have to pay for an entire new turbo in the truck, but DH found out that it still had one day left on the warranty! The Turbo replacement is covered!

The SS shop said that the turbo was "completely thrashed" when they removed it. Galpin supposedly replaced the turbo new 2 years ago. Galpin charged us for a new turbo. We went 19 years on the orginal turbo before it went out. If that "new" turbo that Galpin replaced is "thrashed" after only 2 years I think they probably replaced it with a used one. DH said maybe driving back and forth to Texas with trailer loads of stuff wore it out but I reminded hm that we spent years loading on a 12' Lance camper and hauling a full trailer of goats and equpment to fairs, the hitching the 5th wheel and driving all over the country for more years. Galpin's service department has gone downhill in the years since Boeckman retired. Bert always said that by selling family cars and keeping them in good condition through a good service department he got return business. That was how Boeckman built Galpin into one of the largest dealerships in southern California. His sons and nephews took it over and are more interested in muscle cars. The service department has really suffered.

 

[Mini Horses]

Wow....better check on how VA treats it's prime drivers license renewals! Mine expires in '27 and I'll be 81. I believe they require a road test drive again here....plus ??? Prob the written, also. Makes you feel like a teenager again

No need to worry yet. Last time renewed on computer. Just paid and felt honored they knew I'd love 7 more years! . Yep, an AOL addy....but I have a Gmail, too.

 

[Baymule]

Quitman will be MUCH easier! That’s where we went. We lived in Smith county, but trying to do anything in Tyler was a nightmare. We went to the social security office in Tyler ONE time. That was also a nightmare made worse by lackadaisical uncaring bored employees. So for all things social security, we went back to the office in Lufkin.

 

[Weldman]

Y'all should of moved in up here, I'm sure the court house is still using AOL and ICQ to talk amongst each other on dial up internet here. You can still write checks here.
If you forget to renew your DL here I think after 15 to 30 days you must retake the test as you never had a DL before.
Social security office here is 3 hours up the road, plan accordingly and stock up on bulk grocery shopping in town. Anytime we go to Billings, MT we come back with the SUV dragging arse with hundreds of pounds of wheat flour, sugar, rice, beans, building supplies and list goes on.
Call us prepping, I don't care, I call it not having to spend money on trips to grocery store, its cheaper and ready for winter storms.

 

[Ridgetop]

Call us prepping, I don't care, I call it not having to spend money on trips to grocery store, its cheaper and ready for winter storms.

Being ready for weather conditions is not "prepping" it is common sense. I prefer to shop only once a month for staples. Fruit and veg is harder to shop for (no garden here because of gophers and bad soil - see previous posts). Once we are in Texas we will plant a big garden, perennial fruit bushes and vines as well as fruit trees.

DS1 checked the ear numbers of the dead lamb. R11, 6 months old, and out of 7088 and P17 (Junior). So sad, he was a beautiful ram lamb. Decidedto keep him at 2 weeks and he just kept getting nicer. Oh well, it happens. I will repeat the breeding next spring and I have several ewes out of 7088.

DS1 went to get the new ram out of the ram pen and naturally he didn't want to leave his buddies. Finally got him out into adjacent field and he discovered fresh grass. Refused to move further. DS1 decided to use Ozel's herding prowess to move him to the ewes. Washout! She sat down next to him and just looked from him to the ram and back. Finally DS1 tried driving some ewes into the field with him. Ozel leapt into action and herded them back to the other pasture. Apparently no co-mingling while she is in charge!
Finally he got some ewes into the area with the ram and the ewes became floozies. The ram realized that there were beautiful ladies coming to visit. He perked right up and tried to get to get to work immediately. Ozel then helped DS1 move everyone back into the large field. DS1 said by the time he got back to the house Z164 (Patton) had marked about 3. Since he has never been bred we will have to see if he actually settles the first ones bred since sometimes rams tht haven't been in use shoot blanks until they clean themselves out. Hopefully lambs will be born around mid-late January. DS1 said he made a mistake and put a blue crayon in the harness forgetting that we had marked the ewes with blue paint when we numbered them before shipping! Oops! I figure the crayon will show up in a dfferent spot or be slightly different in shade. I need to make sure he has plenty of "hot" crayons though to get him through September.

I am sore today from the new exercises yesterday and standing for all those hours at the DMV yesterday. DD2 said the coyote came back yesterday evening around dusk and Abby chased it off again. Probably coming in at night too since Abby barks and disappears for about 15 -30 minutes and does not return. Hope the coyote doesn't return with some buddies and take Abby down. The coyotes are getting bolder without the LGDs. Abby barks and chases. The LGDs don't bother, they just stroll out and kill the coyotes. Their scent markings must have faded by now though so the coyotes are more confident.

 

[Ridgetop]

DD1 called yesterday and insisted that we should all go out for dinner tonight to our favorite Mexican place. All of us being DD1 and her family, DDS, Annabel, DH and me. I don't really like to go out for dinner anymore since I don't eat as much as they serve and restaurants are so over priced. However, ot was my birthday so she insisted we go. DH and I split an order (which was still too much food) and I received a birthday crown of candles. I also got a 750 piece puzzle and a mystery book. I had finished fixing Elizabeth's skirt - found a spool of navy thread - so took that to her. Got flan with a candle and of course the obligatory Happy Birthday serenade wearing the birthday sombrero. Lots of fun and Annabel was very well behaved until the last 25 minutes when she came apart. She is only 3 years old.

We all agreed that Carl deliberately delayed his return until after my birthday so he didn't have to chip in on the bill. DH too the check from Emory auction to the bank and brought me flowers when he came back. So sweet of him. Annabel is in bed, DH and DD2 are watching Longmire, and I am going to lay down. My back hurts from yesterday.

First week of school is over. Elizabeth got accepted into the advanced classes at her mother's middle school. She is still on the waiting list for her brothers' advanced Magnet school, but this is similarly advanced classes amd cuts down on the driving and pick up being at DD1's school.

DD2 has signed the apartment lease, gotten her renter's insurance, and is working on utilities for the new apartment. DS1 got the plumbagos and lantanas planted along the front fence. Hopefully they will grow large enough to block the view into the yard to give us privacy and some floral color. This winter I will plant some more fruit trees and maybe some roses. DH will b driving her stuff back to Texas the beginning of September. I am not sure if I want to go with them so DH will not be driving back alone. I am not sure if I will have enough PT in on the leg by then.

 

[Mini Horses]

Dang...I can appreciate the improved use, loss of pain and all the pros with a "replacement".... I just thank God every day for not having to experience any of it!!!

 

[SageHill]

Happy Birthday!!