They call this a short shift?!

Oye vey, some days its hard to work the same job as your family. My dad also works as a viner driver for the same company but is on a different crew than I am. This leads to the occasional bad situation where one or the other of us gets off work before the other does and has to wait.

Today he got stuck waiting 3 hours at the farm shop for me. Which wouldn't of been so bad had he been paid.

Though on the bright side I had the relief driver with me and we had a blast laughing and talking and joking around. We were running what we fondly nicknamed the "Cab of Innuendo" as we were tossing out every bad double entendre and innuendo that we could come up with.

To Work or Not to Work?

I run tonight but I was told that it was a 'short shift' I.E. a shift that is not a regular shift and we get 'crew hauled' home.

Day off yet not

Tuesdays are my day off. This week though was just as busy as a 'work' day. We had Speech therapy, Occupational therapy, and a Pediatrician appointment to follow up the neurology appointment.

I'll spare you the boring part of the ST and OT, and skip instead to the Ped's appointment.

We were just running a quick follow up to last weeks Neuro appointment, and our Ped was a little ticked because she wasn't able to get notes OR a dictation of any kind from the doctor(a week later). We discussed what he said, and she was a little perturbed that instead of going ahead with some tests he recommended that we 'wait and see' what happened. So she is having us do a blood draw to run the Fragile X test, and sending us to see a Geneticist just to be 'safe'.

The various forms of life in the Pea world

Now as a fair warning this post does contain some 'foul' language I apologize in advance. It is just a common part of our pea field culture.

There are several forms of 'life' in the world of Pea Harvests.

Shop Rats- The guys who work the shop and do various jobs. Some also double as Van Bitches, Parts Bitches and Foremen Wannabes.

Pea Fucks- Our very colorful name for the Pea Trucks. They were so named my freshman season as they are the ones most likely to screw up and pull some dumb shit move. Like running over peas, and forging their own lands where there wasn't one before.

Plant Rats- The people who work in the plant sorting, washing, freezing and processing our harvest.

Foremen- This is one of the people you do NOT want to piss off. They are the ones who control your life for 13 hours.

Field Boss- The Foreman's boss. Generally only seen at the beginning and end of a shift for 5.3 seconds as he tells you where to go.

Mechanics- aka your Best friend when your machine breaks. This is the guy who can fix anything on your machine when it's loose, breaks or is generally acting wonky.

Fieldy, Pea Bitch, Viner Driver- This is what I am. We are the ones who run the machines, and if angered have enough of a weight behind(and below) us that we can do major damage to you and your stuff.

My 'baby'.....

To give you a comparison how lucky I am this year I have some photos from last year and one from this year of the machines I USED to run.

I apologize for the quality these were all either shot A) on the move or B) with a camera phone

Old #1, She was a sweet, sweet ride if you forgot about the giant crack in the windshield and the fact only half her lights ran.....

Harvest in progress: (taken on #4- my 'baby' last year)

#2- I haven't actually RAN #2, but its a POS from what I hear. First night out this season and it apparently caught on FIRE.

My 'baby' this year #38. I love her so much, she has Air Conditioning AND heat(the old ones have AC and that's it), a radio that works, monitors, lights, and a sweet joystick that controls everything.

Bin side(the side that we dump from):

Ladder side(the side with the cab ladder):

I'll try and snap some pictures next shift of the cab, so y'all can see the space in which I actually work.

It was FUBAR

So tonight I worked a FUBAR shift. We were called in at 4:15 and told we'd be running a 'short shift'.  Which normally means that you'd be running until about midnight or 1 am. Should of known that if they were calling us in early that wouldn't be the case. We RAN until just about 7(which is when we normally get TO the field), and then our foreman was awesome enough to have us grease all our machines PLUS another crews(6 machines total). *shrug* Oh well hours are hours right???

Tomorrow I'll post some pictures of the machines.

My summertime theme song

We all have songs that when they come on the radio we crank it up, roll down the windows(when we can) and jam along to them. For me there is one song that especially while working I CRANK.

 

It's International Harvester, by Craig Morgan.

This song is just a combine drivers' friend. Seriously who couldn't identify with lyrics like:

I'm a God fearin' hard workin' combine driver
Hoggin' up the road on my p-p-p-p-plower
Chug a lug a luggin' 5 miles an hour

or

Well you may be on a state paved road
But that blacktop runs through my payload
Excuse me for tryin' to do my job
But this year ain't been no bumper crop
If you don't like the way I'm a drivin'
Get back on the interstate
Otherwise sit tight and be nice
And quit yer honkin' at me that way

or

Well I know you got your own deadlines
But cussin' me ain't savin' no time hoss
This big-wheeled wide load ain't goin' any faster
So just smile and wave and tip your hat
To the man up on the tractor

The only thing I don't like is that it is geared toward male combine drivers but what is a girl supposed to do?

Common Sense is hard to come by

Last night I was again working though not with my 'normal' crew. Apparently they were short drivers and needed me on the 'away' crew, up north. They were for the most part pretty good and I was rather impressed with a few of them(oh wait I trained him, 2 days before might that explain it?)

No, I'm talking about common sense in my regular crew. See Monday night we had a machine that'd apparently had an alarm that was going off, for 20 minutes. Neither driver(one returner, and one newb) thought anything of it, and therefore didn't say anything to the Chief. We were getting lined up for our road move, when I go to help clean their machine and notice that the long pea conveyor is clogged. Now there is the 'small' and 'large' clogs, this was neither it was a 'jumbo' clog, that had the conveyor piled about 2 feet deep for the length of the conveyor. I got in and started digging it out, and was questioning the driver about it, to be informed that the 'alarm was no big deal, it said something about the hopper' *sighs* the Chief finally showed up with the other machines, and I informed him what'd happened his response was 'Your kidding right?' *I WISH!* I explained no I wasn't kidding he and I had a quick conversation in which I informed him I'd already started digging it out, but was going to help clean the other machines. Went did that and got back to the clog(about 15 minutes have gone by now) and finished cleaning it out with help.

I may strangle some drivers if they keep pulling crud like this through the season. I mean its one thing to have a sensor go wonky on you but its a whole other game to just flat out ignore a sensor.

Neurology 101

Yesterday was Kenzie's Neurology visit. It went really well, and we got an 'almost all clear'.

Basically if she makes zero improvement he wants to see us in 6 months, and if she declines at all he wants to see us sooner. Though he said that he feels that the issue lies more in the people than in her and that once she starts talking spontaneously that people might be a bit 'happier' with her and not so concerned.

I work tonight short shift- so look for a fun and exciting update tomorrow.

Working, working, working....

So tonight was my first night of work. It was basically a cluster f*ck of mistakes.

First off remember the 3pm start time? yeah it totally went out the window at 1pm. Let me set the scene for you. I'm in bed dozing trying to get a last few seconds of shut eye before dragging my butt to work, all of a sudden my phone starts ringing, and the company's number pops up. So I groggily answer it, and am informed that 'Plans have changed we need you @ the farm shop at 2:15.'

So I get up rush around like a chicken with its head cut off get a lunch ready, and get dressed. My dad(who also works for them) is going through the same motions. We rush off arrive and park, and are told to go to the 'meeting room'. Uh okay, that NEVER ever happens. So we all wander into the shop and are standing around BS'ing, and checking out the 'newbs'. Well one crew left right away(they had a 40+ minute drive one way), come to find out they had the ONLY van.

The foremen stand around debating what to do(vans were on the way but not supposed to arrive till 5 PM), and finally decide to play 'clown cars'. They load 4 people in one F-150, and 4 people in the other and put about 7 people in the Shaggin' wagon(a Ford Caprice). The Wagon heads out and makes it about 10 feet out the gate and breaks down(granted the wagon was carrying about 2 tons of weight). Sooo that leaves 8 drivers between the two F-150's.

We get out to where the machines are and are tossed out on a road move right off the bat. Lets just say that road moves are bad enough the first week, but to do one RIGHT off the bat with people who have never driven the machines in the field let alone on the road? Pure unadulterated h*ll.

I'll save you the nitty gritty of the field opening(otherwise what would I cover later in the season?!) and the boringness of sitting and waiting 45 minutes for a pea truck. I will also spare you the rant about newbie drivers. For now.

Finally!

So the call that I have been waiting weeks for finally came today.

We start work tomorrow at 3pm.

We are to arrive at 2:45 at the Farm shop, and leave at 3, we will be transported to the field, and work until approximately 3 AM Tuesday morning.

A Quick Update

I have yet to start working yet. We attended a 're-orientation' yesterday that was the biggest waste of an hour EVER!

Such phrases as the following were used:

* It's only a joke until its not a joke.- This was in reference to the company's harassment policy.

* We might start Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday ~beat, from the back of the room~ OR Thursday or Friday.

* You'll know at the end of your shift if your working the next day. Unless you aren't working. Than we'll call you. (there was more to this but my brain shut down)

* There was a very nerve wracking story about an incident that occurred in E. WA with the company. Lets just say, I will NOT be bringing glass with me. (Not that I would any ways)

Have you ever....

been glad that you didn't do something you planned on doing? Be it driving somewhere, getting in a certain elevator, whatever?

Well today I am having one of those moments. A number of months ago I stumbled upon the fact that one of my favorite actors was going to be doing a Sci-Fi Convention in Orlando, this weekend.

Originally I was going to fly down there, and do the whole con thing. Well than I started looking into airfare, hotel, etc. and realized that I'd not be able to afford it and should plan farther out in the year for a con(hence the "I'm Going to Burbank" thing).

Well I just logged into my message board for the aforementioned actor, and found out that he apparently had to cancel his appearance at this convention. So, so glad I didn't go now.

I'm Going to Burbank

So after much debate, discussion and deep thought, I have finally decided on what to get myself for my 21st birthday.

I AM attending the 2008 Creation Burbank SG Convention.

I do not care wether anyone likes it or not. My family thinks its rather odd. They've 'geek danced' me into oblivion and continue to make fun of me but hey, I'm who I am and I like me.

So I already reserved a room, now I just have to arrange two sets of flights(one from Seattle to Burbank and the other from Denver to Burbank), and buy the tickets and various photo opportunities. I can't wait! Its going to be a blast.

This also means that I am now re-scheduling my birthday from 8/10 to somewhere between 11/21 and 11/23.

Though I will still be going on 8/12 and getting my shiny horizontal drivers license.

The Duck Situation

So as I briefly mentioned while I was gone over the weekend we had a severe case of Predation occur. The poor unfortunate victims were 3 out of my 4 ducks.

The only surviving member of the duck clan was wee little Brie. I'd post a picture to remind y'all which one she is, but at the moment she is in the ICU.

So RIP: Slowpoke, Ninja, and Todd.

The Gay Feline Chronicles

Meet the cast:

Darryl:

 

Bean:

 

Edgar- Fat gray cat, who is declawed but refuses to live indoors.

Harvey- Skinny gray cat, who is kind of wussy and theoretically should have been dead eons ago.

Over the next several weeks look for GFC stories.

A Duck Update

If you recall a few weeks ago there was a giant duck massacre here resulting in 3/4 ducks being killed. One duck survived.

 

That was the Gray duck. She(its a girl for sure) has been named, "Gray". Next week or the week after she will be getting a new duck friend.

I had pictures, but apparently accidentally deleted them.

The Great Zoo adventure

Today was a really long day. It started out not so great and ended pretty blah. See I was woken from a dead sleep by the toddler at 7, and shortly after I got her resettled in her bed, the phone rang. It was my grandmother calling to inform us that she was CERTAIN that she was dying or having a stroke and that we must come NOW. *sighs* so my mother headed off to her house and I went back to bed expecting to get another 2 or so hours of sleep. Instead Kenzie slept in until nearly 1pm.

Since I'd been up since about 10:30 I'd basically gone insane from staring at the same four walls. So I decided we needed to get out and do something. At first I figured we'd go to the mall and wander around for a while perusing the shops and all the great wonders. When Kenzie awoke I hurriedly dressed her and loaded her in the car anxious to leave. We started driving north with my awesome Canadian station blaring out my favorite country tunes. Next thing I know I glance around and realize that 'hey! we're in Bellingham, What the????' (for reference Bellingham is about 40 minutes north of me, the mall is 10 minutes away).

So since I didn't want to go to the Bellingham mall and quickly thinking on my feet I decided that we should just hop into Canada and go to the zoo. We hopped onto the Guide heading for the border whizzed through the border(though thank you Mr. Border Guard to be the first to question me about wether or not I really was allowed to have my child) and headed up the road for the Greater Vancouver Zoo(convinently located 10 minutes north of the Aldergrove border crossing).

We arrived at the zoo, and are cruising through the parking lot when my phone rings. Its my sister calling to inform me that they are on their way to pick up Howie(my grandmothers dog) as she was being admitted to the hospital. Of course while she was babbling on to me I'd found a prime parking spot, and parked and had pulled out my wallet to get the money to pay and what not. I hung up with my sister flipped open the wallet, and realized the only money I had was four 1 dollar bills. No check card, nothing. So I had to give up my primo parking spot, turn around and drag my sorry butt back to the states.

Though the trip was short lived, it was nice to be back in Canada again. I LOVE it up there, the atmosphere just recharges me.

Oh and my grandmother? She's fine, just a stress attack.

At First Sight

If you follow my blog at all you know I don't tend to have a lot of 'free time' on my hands, so when I do I usually kick back, and relax.

A couple weeks ago, I was at the library working, and noticed that in their 'support the library' sale they had a couple of brand new hardcover books by Nicholas Sparks. Now I'd seen The Notebook, and thought it was okay, but wasn't too sold on it. My friends kept talking about various stuff they'd read by him and how good it was and since the price was right, I decided to pick them both up.

Fast forward to today, the books have been sitting staring at me for about two weeks now I hadn't even had a chance to crack them to read the dust jackets. Kenzie decided to take an extra long nap this afternoon leaving me with a chance to kick my feet(and twisted ankle) up and read.

I picked At First Sight to read (the other is True Believers).

I was totally engrossed into the book to the point that I could NOT put it down. I read the whole thing(277 pages) in a little over 3 hours.

The author did a really wonderful job of bringing you into the story, and in fact for a lot of it I felt like I was sitting right there with Jeremy and Lexi. Now I'm not one to cry, but this book left me with tears hovering in my eyes, but the warm fuzzies as well.

I had NOT read the previous book when I started this and still felt with in the first chapter like I 'intimately' knew the characters and their lives.

The plot was good, and well developed with no glaring plot holes, and left me with relatively few unanswered questions. So if you are looking for a good 'quick*' read I'd really recommend this book to you!

 

* I am a fast reader to start with, add in something that 'catches' me and I will inhale a book. I can finish a 700 page book in less than 6-7 hours if motivated.

Let me just say....

SQUEEEE!

Okay, since I'm going to try to keep my blog spoiler free, I can't say a lot.

Though I will say that the new season(5) of Stargate Atlantis looks like it could have some potential to it.

Tonight's episode secured my place in my new super secret identity, and reminded me of my other one.

So, if you haven't yet check out Search and Rescue, the Stargate Atlantis Season 5 premiere!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words

What she was looking at out the window:

   

 

So today was Kenzie's MRI. *exhales giant sigh of relief* So glad THAT is over! I knew going into it that it was going to be hard, but I had no idea HOW hard it would be.

See we arrived early(which is fine) and of course I'd forgotten to charge the portable DVD player that I packed so we were stuck watching some random irritating crud on the waiting room TV(or she was while I talked to a wonderful lady from Alaska). Finally 10 minutes after we were supposed to arrive, they whisked us off to the back to prep her, and let me 'settle in' (ha!). We had a wonderful nurse's assistant who was just a joy, and a great nurse too(actually the same one who put her to sleep last time we were in!) so we were very very lucky.

The poor wee thing did something she has NEVER ever done at the hospital before she broke out in a full on scream fit. I felt horrible because normally the nurses RAVE about how well behaved and quiet she is. Thankfully once we were in our torture cell sedation room, she calmed down as there was a very engaging playground below our window. She had to wear the embarassing gown, that somehow actually covered her bum!

We hung out snapped some pictures on my cell phone than the Anesthesiologist came in to put her to sleep. Let me say she did a wonderful job though my nerves at the time might not of said so. We were escorted from our room to the prep area for the MRI, where she'd set up the mask and almost everything we'd need. Poor Kenzie, though was very dead set on NOT being there. She kept pointing at the nurses, waving and saying 'Bye bye', while clinging furiously to me. So one of the assistants had me sit down in an office chair while they shoved gently placed the mask onto her face. Kenzie promptly held her breath aside from muttering 'Bye bye' repeatedly. That is when the scariest thing I have ever heard come out of a nurse was said "Oh by the way mom, don't be freaked out when her eyes roll back in her head, and it drops back" a moment later I got to see what they meant as we laid her out on the table. *shudders*

It was at that point I was kicked out dismissed to go 'grab a bite to eat'. I went and grabbed a quick salad, and came back to the room where I sat writing(strangely my muse decided THEN would be a good time to show up) and waiting.

Not long after, they brought her back, still asleep and went off leaving her attached to the monitor while they went to knock out sedate another child. Of course as soon as they were part way through that her alarms had to start going off, drawing in an NA, who of course had to wake her up *le sigh* and send us on our way. Literally I think we were there maybe 10 minutes after she woke up till we left and were on the road. *shakes head* So now we just wait until the 22nd to get the results.

Oh, on another note L is having a BOY.

Oops!

So as I was reading back through my entries I realized I made a slight mistake.

Today(the 8th) is NOT Mackenzie's MRI. Its actually tomorrow the 9TH. *blushes*

Instead today is a much happier occasion- the day I find out wether my best friend L is having a boy or girl. Hence why I fixated on the date(the 8th).

Soooo look here tomorrow for the update on Kenzie's MRI, and maybe even wether I get to buy tons of pink or blue clothes.

Nothing quite says baseball like....

2 Errors on the same play!

So tonight I went to my first baseball game in about 4 years. I used to be a FANATIC fan(still am a fan just not a fanatic fan), and would watch EVERY game. I at least knew SOMETHING going in(BB's, RBI's, HR, K's, ERA's etc.)

I will just say that tonight's game was AMAZINGLY fun, exciting, and the best time I've had in weeks.

Except for that one crazy play. A man on second, one out, batter's at the plate, 2 balls, 2 strikes. He strikes out. Sounds simple enough right? WRONG! Catcher dropped the ball. 3rd base coach started flagging the guy on 2nd to run, and the guy at home to run as well(the catcher still didn't have the ball), so they start running. Catcher finally comes up with the ball popping up like a jack-in-the-box, throwing to 1st base. Only thing? He was about 5 feet over the 1st basemans' head, into right field. The right fielder is coming in, misses the ball, the ball rolls all the way to the wall. Batter has now rounded second is motoring towards 3rd, and the 3rd base coach is waving him home. Right fielder comes up with the ball and throws home but is beaten by the batter. 2 runs score(and 2 errors). It was truly one of the most interesting plays I have seen in a long time!

We did end up winning(this was just a local single A team). 5 to 3!

Fourth of July round up

Since yesterday was the 4th I finally got to 'play' with my Jell-O creations I have been slaving over for weeks perfecting.

First Layer (Berry Blue Jell-O)

Second Layer (Cherry Jell-O)

 

Chillin'

Set but not done:

Top it off with some whip cream, and you got yourself Red, White, and Blue Jell-O!

 

  

After reviewing the paltry supply of explosives that the family had 'stocked up' on, I decided to forgo blowing crap up and instead poke fun at the teenagers whilst they tried to explode themselves. The show this year clocked in at a measly 47 minutes(last year by comparison was nearly an hour and a half long). Most of the fireworks(except the aerials done by my uncle) seemed rather small, and wussy, petering out half way through. Though it was rather interesting watching the slight clouds overhead lighting up bright as day as the neighbors attempted to blow up half the free world.

However I did get a chance (albeit brief) to blow the crap out of a couple of targets. Right up until my sister decided that I shouldn't get to because 'it isn't fair'(oh gee I've spent all day chasing a toddler while you blow up shit, and now I take 10 lousy minutes and its not fair? riiiiiiight).

I am once again wondering wether or not I come from the same gene pool as my family due to some rather 'risque' comments that were made(some towards me), and just some of the general joking that was going on. However since, I am trying to keep this a 'family friendly' blog, we won't go into the innuendos and whatnot(though I will say a general apology to all people from Arkansas, Kentucky, and West Virginia).

Happy 4th of July

To all my American readers-

HAPPY

4th

of July!

Women of Faith

So like I mentioned in yesterday's post over this past weekend I attended the Women of Faith Conference in Seattle.

Now I had attended a 'spiritual conference' many many eons ago when I was growing up, but wasn't really all that into it. So I went into this not knowing what to expect(but having heard great stories about last years conference).

I will say that I was throughly, and utterly, surprised at how much I enjoyed myself. Now I won't go into my views on religion(I'm honestly still trying to figure it out as I was raised in between about 3 faiths) but I will say that it was an amazing conference.

The speakers were truly awe inspiring and I particularly enjoyed listening to Shelia Walsh, as I could somewhat identify with her story. I look forward to reading her book after I'm done working for the summer(otherwise I won't remember any of it) as it sounds like an intriguing piece of writing.

I think though my favorite part was the 'special surprise guest' on Friday- Anita Renfroe, now if you haven't seen any of her stuff, you should check her out on You Tube. She is HILARIOUS. In person she is about a million times better! I could NOT stop laughing. I liked her stuff so much that I actually bought her new DVD- "It's Probably just my Thyroid" it kept me in stitches!

I came away from the weekend somewhat relaxed(that is a whole OTHER post) though feeling like I might actually be able to sort out some of my questions and what not in the next few months/years.

If you ever get a chance to go to one of these you really should!

Old habits die hard

So do you have a habit that you just cannot get rid of no matter what you try? I know that I have things that I have done for as long as I can remember and don't even remember when or how they started.

* I tend to bite my nails. A LOT. I don't think I'm capable of growing nails past the end of my fingers. Mind you even if I cut them short, I still must bite off every. little. piece. that is left. A lot of times I end up biting them until they bleed.

* I stress out in large crowds. I actually know where this one originated from. It came from the time I went to Pullman in high school and was forgotten by my chaperone and classmates for almost 2 hours. Yeah they just walked off and left me(the kids thought I was with the chaperone, the chaperone thought I was with the kids).

So.... I'm sure you can imagine the terror that was residing in my heart all day last Friday and Saturday when I was at the Key Arena for the Women of Faith conference. Thankfully, one of the other women I went with understood my fear(no matter how irrational) of being 'forgotten' by them. So she let me be my clingy McClingerstien self. I did WONDEFULLY for the most part. That is aside from when we went to lunch and I almost lost them in the crowd. More on Women of Faith in tomorrow's post.

Let the stress begin...

So now that it is officially July, it means that two things that have been stressing me out will now come to pass.

One- July 8th Mackenzie has her MRI on her brain. She will be sedated for it and the biggest stressor here is that as I understand it I will NOT be allowed into the room(or the viewing room) with her.

Two- July 22nd we have to go to the Neurologist appointment. In BELLEVUE. Bellevue is stressful enough for a 'country girl' like myself as it is a rather sizable city, and I do NOT like cities. Secondly there's the whole Neurologist thing. I don't get why we are going. Thankfully I can have our pediatrician explain it in 'idiot' terms on the 18th.

***Post is backdated*** Was written but never published (Sorry the stress has rather gotten to me this week).