The Bag Lady has decided she needs to get back on track with her blog posting. By that, she means it’s time to talk about ranching again.
As some of you know, she is a transplanted city girl, living on a cattle ranch, and doing most of the chores while her “Cowboy” works off the ranch. She has had some amusing experiences and some heart-breaking moments. The first time she drove a tractor was terrifying for her, but amusing for the audience.
The instructions went something like this:
The cowboy: Go down to fathers’ and bring the tractor here for me.
The Bag Lady: But I don’t know how to drive a tractor.
Him: It’s just like driving a car. Besides, the old man is there – he’ll show you how.
So she hopped into her little, low-slung car and away she went. Really, how hard could it be?
She arrived at the other place and climbed up into the tractor. Sat there and stared at the confusing array of dials and buttons and levers. There was a key, so she turned it. Nothing happened. (Damn, the battery must be dead...)
About this time, along came Father. A big, gruff, scary guy, who made no effort to hide his contempt for city girls. He climbed onto the step of the tractor.
The instructions went something like this:
Him: You need to move this lever into this position. Then turn the key.
(The tractor started with a roar.)
Him: This lever controls the speed .
(Must be why it's marked with a tortoise and a hare.)
Him: That lever controls the gears. Put it in high and 4, push up on this lever (he pushed it almost all the way to the hare), and let out the clutch. But wait until I get off. Oh, and don’t touch these levers.
The Bag Lady did as instructed and, with a lurch that almost unseated her, the tractor took off and fairly flew out the driveway and onto the highway. The tractor rocked along at a fair clip, the Bag Lady clinging to the steering wheel and trying not to hyperventilate. (Just like driving a car, huh? A big, HIGH car! -- the Bag Lady is afraid of heights!)
Fortunately, she didn’t have far to go along the highway before she could turn off onto the road leading to home, so was only a danger to the rest of the world for a very short time!
When she tore up the driveway into the ranch, the cowboy’s head jerked up and he appeared ready to run. She ground to a halt in a cloud of dust, mere inches from where he stood. He jumped up onto the step and did all that needed to be done to shut the tractor off. With shaking legs, she climbed off the tractor.
Him (trying not to laugh): Why didn’t you slow down coming around that corner?
Her: I couldn’t remember how…
In her terror, she had forgotten about the lever with the tortoise and the hare.
It was another two years before the Bag Lady attempted to drive the tractor again.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
The Pickton Money Pit
(Those of you who are expecting an amusing Bag Lady post today may want to skip this particular post)
I don’t usually use this blog to make social comments, but watching the news last night made me so angry, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this. The story was about the trial of Robert Pickton, convicted of second degree murder in the killings of 6 women, whose remains were found on his pig farm in BC.
Apparently, the Crown is filing an appeal because he was found guilty of Second Degree Murder, rather than First Degree Murder. We, the taxpayers of Canada, have already paid something to the tune of ELEVEN MILLION DOLLARS to convict this piece of excretement, but the Prosecutors are not happy with that. They WON, but apparently that’s not good enough. The defense is also expected to file an appeal.
The families of the rest of his victims want another trial, too. This sick, twisted individual murdered some 30 - 40 women (the exact total will never be known), and his actions have already cost society in countless ways. I can understand the desire of the families to have the “closure” another trial would bring. It won’t bring their family members back to them, but they would have the satisfaction of knowing that the murderer of their loved one is behind bars. ON THE OTHER HAND, how much of their desire to see justice done is fueled by the publicity another trial will bring? Isn’t it enough to know that the criminal will be behind bars for the rest of his life? Whether there is a piece of paper somewhere saying that Robert Pickton is in prison because he killed (insert name here) or not, he WILL be in prison. Isn’t that enough?
How much should we as a society be willing to spend on this sick bastard? As a tax-paying citizen, I am appalled at the idea of pouring more money into this case. He has been convicted. Send him to prison. We are going to pay for his room and board for the remainder of his life. We have already poured enough of our money into the pockets of his lawyers. Let it be done with!
The Crown is acting like a spoiled brat who won, but discovered the medal was plastic. What does it matter if it goes into the history books with a second-degree conviction? As long as he serves his sentences consecutively, and remains in prison for the rest of his life, I, for one, don’t care. And I am angry that the cost of this trial is coming out of my pocket. The eleven million dollars is already spent, but I don’t want to have to pay another astronomical amount of money to repeat the process. That money could be better spent on social reform programs to help the women on the fringes of society who have been put in a situation where they risk falling into the hands of men like Robert Pickton in the first place!
I don’t usually use this blog to make social comments, but watching the news last night made me so angry, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this. The story was about the trial of Robert Pickton, convicted of second degree murder in the killings of 6 women, whose remains were found on his pig farm in BC.
Apparently, the Crown is filing an appeal because he was found guilty of Second Degree Murder, rather than First Degree Murder. We, the taxpayers of Canada, have already paid something to the tune of ELEVEN MILLION DOLLARS to convict this piece of excretement, but the Prosecutors are not happy with that. They WON, but apparently that’s not good enough. The defense is also expected to file an appeal.
The families of the rest of his victims want another trial, too. This sick, twisted individual murdered some 30 - 40 women (the exact total will never be known), and his actions have already cost society in countless ways. I can understand the desire of the families to have the “closure” another trial would bring. It won’t bring their family members back to them, but they would have the satisfaction of knowing that the murderer of their loved one is behind bars. ON THE OTHER HAND, how much of their desire to see justice done is fueled by the publicity another trial will bring? Isn’t it enough to know that the criminal will be behind bars for the rest of his life? Whether there is a piece of paper somewhere saying that Robert Pickton is in prison because he killed (insert name here) or not, he WILL be in prison. Isn’t that enough?
How much should we as a society be willing to spend on this sick bastard? As a tax-paying citizen, I am appalled at the idea of pouring more money into this case. He has been convicted. Send him to prison. We are going to pay for his room and board for the remainder of his life. We have already poured enough of our money into the pockets of his lawyers. Let it be done with!
The Crown is acting like a spoiled brat who won, but discovered the medal was plastic. What does it matter if it goes into the history books with a second-degree conviction? As long as he serves his sentences consecutively, and remains in prison for the rest of his life, I, for one, don’t care. And I am angry that the cost of this trial is coming out of my pocket. The eleven million dollars is already spent, but I don’t want to have to pay another astronomical amount of money to repeat the process. That money could be better spent on social reform programs to help the women on the fringes of society who have been put in a situation where they risk falling into the hands of men like Robert Pickton in the first place!
Monday, January 7, 2008
Gee, It Doesn't LOOK like an Igloo...
The Bag Lady has started her annual January “I’m tired of this mess – think I’ll do something different” rampage. Using the woodstove in the living room for heat works through-out most of the house, but the heat doesn’t travel well around corners, so doesn’t make it into the master bedroom. The Bag Lady likes it, but her cowboy finds it too cold. So he, in his customary fashion, complains until the Bag Lady does something about it. She put plastic over the windows (which helps stop any wee drafts), but according to the cowboy, the bedside tables over the heat registers were causing some of the problem. (The Bag Lady didn’t bother pointing out to the cowboy that the furnace so rarely kicks in that the heat registers have nothing coming out of them most of the time!)
Anyway, the Bag Lady decided that if she got rid of the bedside tables, she needed somewhere to put her lamps and alarm clock, tissue box and assorted other things she might need in the middle of the night. (Gee, that could be a post all on its own – what’s on YOUR bedside table? Nail clippers, lotion, nasal spray, flashlight, book… )
Here is a picture of what the bedroom looked like a few years ago when the house was new.
It hasn't changed much over the years, except for the addition of more and more furniture!
Here is the start of the construction. The Bag Lady built a simple box, and needed a way to hang it on the wall. She secured a ledger board to the wall, making sure it was level.
Then she checked to make sure that everything would fit properly.
Then she padded the box and secured it to her ledger board. She added a shelf on top of the box. When she first set it up, it looked like this:
Now, it looks like this:
She can't decide how it should look. What do y'all think?
Now, as long as the whole thing doesn't come crashing down in the middle of the night and crush the Bag Lady and the Cowboy in their sleep, everything will be just fine.
The Bag Lady will probably tackle the living room next. No construction issues, but she definitely needs to get rid of some "stuff". She thinks her burning barrel is about to get a work-out.
Anyway, the Bag Lady decided that if she got rid of the bedside tables, she needed somewhere to put her lamps and alarm clock, tissue box and assorted other things she might need in the middle of the night. (Gee, that could be a post all on its own – what’s on YOUR bedside table? Nail clippers, lotion, nasal spray, flashlight, book… )
Here is a picture of what the bedroom looked like a few years ago when the house was new.
It hasn't changed much over the years, except for the addition of more and more furniture!Here is the start of the construction. The Bag Lady built a simple box, and needed a way to hang it on the wall. She secured a ledger board to the wall, making sure it was level.
Then she checked to make sure that everything would fit properly.
Then she padded the box and secured it to her ledger board. She added a shelf on top of the box. When she first set it up, it looked like this:
Now, it looks like this:She can't decide how it should look. What do y'all think?
Now, as long as the whole thing doesn't come crashing down in the middle of the night and crush the Bag Lady and the Cowboy in their sleep, everything will be just fine.
The Bag Lady will probably tackle the living room next. No construction issues, but she definitely needs to get rid of some "stuff". She thinks her burning barrel is about to get a work-out.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Just How Old Are You, Anyway?
Here are the answers to my little quiz.
Here’s a little game for you. Below are some advertising slogans from some years ago. How many of you can either identify the product or finish the sentence?
1. The white tornado. In Alberta, the white tornado was Mr. Clean. In the east, it appears it was Ajax.
2. If I sit here long enough, someone’s bound to take my….. ...picture. (splash)
It was a Kodak commercial, with a bikini-clad gal lying on the side of a pool. No-one took her picture until some wagster pushed her into the pool.
3. Bubbly, bubbly, bubbly, bubbly,… Eno
4. The one with the …… on top. peanut. Slogan for Squirrel Peanut Butter.
5. Things go better with …. Coke. Of course.
Pretty easy, eh? The Bag Lady will have her comment moderation on so you can’t see each other’s answers. She’ll let all of you see them at the end of the day. Which has now arrived, so the comment moderation is off again.
The winner receives an all-expenses paid trip…….down memory lane.
Here’s a little game for you. Below are some advertising slogans from some years ago. How many of you can either identify the product or finish the sentence?
1. The white tornado. In Alberta, the white tornado was Mr. Clean. In the east, it appears it was Ajax.
2. If I sit here long enough, someone’s bound to take my….. ...picture. (splash)
It was a Kodak commercial, with a bikini-clad gal lying on the side of a pool. No-one took her picture until some wagster pushed her into the pool.
3. Bubbly, bubbly, bubbly, bubbly,… Eno
4. The one with the …… on top. peanut. Slogan for Squirrel Peanut Butter.
5. Things go better with …. Coke. Of course.
Pretty easy, eh? The Bag Lady will have her comment moderation on so you can’t see each other’s answers. She’ll let all of you see them at the end of the day. Which has now arrived, so the comment moderation is off again.
The winner receives an all-expenses paid trip…….down memory lane.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Time Travel
The Bag Lady was lying in bed last night, sleepless again, and got to thinking about the time she moved from a small central Alberta city back home to where she grew up. It occurred to her that she could remember none of the details about the move. In fact, she drew a total blank about who helped her, vehicles used, and even the time of year it was! And it has only been twenty years!
What does this mean? (It means, for one thing, that she is going to have to ask her sister if she remembers!) But it also means she must be getting older. How on earth could she forget something like that? Seriously, she had enough furniture that it would have meant two trips, or a very full pick-up truck load. But she remembers nothing of that. She does remember some of the smaller details.
She lived in a one-bedroom apartment on the ground floor of a 3-story building. Her apartment was right beside the main entrance doors and had a large sliding glass balcony door that gave out onto a small patio, which in turn gave out onto the lawn.
When her drapes were open, she could see everyone coming and going into the building, and they could see her. No lounging around, naked, on her couch. (Not that she would, anyway, but you know what she means!) Being of a shy nature, this bothered her immensely, so she bought some of that one-way film that you apply to windows to block the sun (the windows also faced west, which made the apartment very warm when the sun was setting). The film was advertised as very easy to put up AND to take down. Ha.
When the Bag Lady moved, the manager of the apartment building insisted the film had to be removed, so the Bag Lady got out the directions and started applying water. She scraped and soaked and soaked and scraped for what seemed like forever. She definitely remembers THAT. She thinks they have since improved that film and made it easier to remove.
She remembers cleaning that tiny apartment to the meticulous standards required by the manager. It was a very well-kept apartment building, and the Bag Lady wanted her damage deposit back! She got it, too.
But moving? Nothing. Nada. Gone. She used to pride herself on her memory, but is starting to worry that there’s nothing to be that proud of!
What about you? How’s your memory these days? Can you remember events going back 20 years?
What does this mean? (It means, for one thing, that she is going to have to ask her sister if she remembers!) But it also means she must be getting older. How on earth could she forget something like that? Seriously, she had enough furniture that it would have meant two trips, or a very full pick-up truck load. But she remembers nothing of that. She does remember some of the smaller details.
She lived in a one-bedroom apartment on the ground floor of a 3-story building. Her apartment was right beside the main entrance doors and had a large sliding glass balcony door that gave out onto a small patio, which in turn gave out onto the lawn.
When her drapes were open, she could see everyone coming and going into the building, and they could see her. No lounging around, naked, on her couch. (Not that she would, anyway, but you know what she means!) Being of a shy nature, this bothered her immensely, so she bought some of that one-way film that you apply to windows to block the sun (the windows also faced west, which made the apartment very warm when the sun was setting). The film was advertised as very easy to put up AND to take down. Ha.
When the Bag Lady moved, the manager of the apartment building insisted the film had to be removed, so the Bag Lady got out the directions and started applying water. She scraped and soaked and soaked and scraped for what seemed like forever. She definitely remembers THAT. She thinks they have since improved that film and made it easier to remove.
She remembers cleaning that tiny apartment to the meticulous standards required by the manager. It was a very well-kept apartment building, and the Bag Lady wanted her damage deposit back! She got it, too.
But moving? Nothing. Nada. Gone. She used to pride herself on her memory, but is starting to worry that there’s nothing to be that proud of!
What about you? How’s your memory these days? Can you remember events going back 20 years?
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Want Cheese with that Whine?
So, here we are at the start of a new year. All the excitement of the season is past, and a lot of people are back to work, and back to normal. Some of us who work from home are probably trying to get back into the swing of things, too. There are probably a few with a slightly let-down feeling, rather like that last lonely party favour that got kicked under the edge of the couch and no-one has found yet. (In the Bag Lady’s house, it could probably mate with a stray dog biscuit and have a nice cozy little nest under there, raising dust bunnies into full-grown rabbits, totally undisturbed…)
The Bag Lady is struggling with her blog. She warned you when she started that she wasn’t sure if she had enough good stories to keep people interested. She feels rather like she is floundering around, still searching for a theme. Some of you said you wanted to hear more about life on a ranch. Well, this is the worst time of year for ranching stories. There isn’t very much going on right now. Calving season (on this ranch, at least) won’t start for awhile yet - although this year may hold a few surprises for the Bag Lady. The plan was that there weren’t going to be any cows on this place this year. Then one thing led to another, and there are still 6 older cows that could start calving any time, as well as a dozen or so heifers (first-time mothers) due to start calving in April. The rise of the Canadian dollar against the American dollar has wreaked havoc on an already shaky cattle market (which still hasn’t recovered from the devastation caused by the BSE crisis), so there are also 8 calves from last year, and 4 steers from the previous year that need to be slaughtered. (Anyone want to buy some organic beef?) But, other than feeding these cows every day, there isn’t much going on as far as the ranching aspect is concerned.
The Bag Lady is pretty sure that you don’t really want to hear her cleaning tips, which is about all she devotes her time to in January. She does a lot of furniture re-arranging (mostly just because it pisses her cowboy off so much!), and tries to come up with creative ways to hide the clutter. Her cowboy (bless his heart) bought her a new vacuum cleaner for Christmas, so she will actually have to use it periodically. (Just kidding! With 3 pets in the house, she vacuums almost every day, which is why she has gone through 5 vacuum cleaners in 14 years.)
She has written some rather flippant posts in the past, at least one of which seems to have offended one of her readers who no longer makes any comments, and for that she is sorry. She could write crazy rants about some stuff, but is afraid that would alienate even more of her readers. She doesn’t have all that many commenters to begin with, and would hate to lose more! Half the fun of doing this is hearing what everyone else has to say, and the Bag Lady loves the comments.
So if the Bag Lady posts stuff that is boring as hell, will you still read? Will you tell her she is boring as hell? Will you tell her to snap out of this hibernation phase and get out and do something interesting, then blog about it, for cryin’ out loud!?
The Bag Lady is struggling with her blog. She warned you when she started that she wasn’t sure if she had enough good stories to keep people interested. She feels rather like she is floundering around, still searching for a theme. Some of you said you wanted to hear more about life on a ranch. Well, this is the worst time of year for ranching stories. There isn’t very much going on right now. Calving season (on this ranch, at least) won’t start for awhile yet - although this year may hold a few surprises for the Bag Lady. The plan was that there weren’t going to be any cows on this place this year. Then one thing led to another, and there are still 6 older cows that could start calving any time, as well as a dozen or so heifers (first-time mothers) due to start calving in April. The rise of the Canadian dollar against the American dollar has wreaked havoc on an already shaky cattle market (which still hasn’t recovered from the devastation caused by the BSE crisis), so there are also 8 calves from last year, and 4 steers from the previous year that need to be slaughtered. (Anyone want to buy some organic beef?) But, other than feeding these cows every day, there isn’t much going on as far as the ranching aspect is concerned.
The Bag Lady is pretty sure that you don’t really want to hear her cleaning tips, which is about all she devotes her time to in January. She does a lot of furniture re-arranging (mostly just because it pisses her cowboy off so much!), and tries to come up with creative ways to hide the clutter. Her cowboy (bless his heart) bought her a new vacuum cleaner for Christmas, so she will actually have to use it periodically. (Just kidding! With 3 pets in the house, she vacuums almost every day, which is why she has gone through 5 vacuum cleaners in 14 years.)
She has written some rather flippant posts in the past, at least one of which seems to have offended one of her readers who no longer makes any comments, and for that she is sorry. She could write crazy rants about some stuff, but is afraid that would alienate even more of her readers. She doesn’t have all that many commenters to begin with, and would hate to lose more! Half the fun of doing this is hearing what everyone else has to say, and the Bag Lady loves the comments.
So if the Bag Lady posts stuff that is boring as hell, will you still read? Will you tell her she is boring as hell? Will you tell her to snap out of this hibernation phase and get out and do something interesting, then blog about it, for cryin’ out loud!?
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
The First Post of the New Year!
Ah, New Year’s Day. The first day of a new year. A chance to start afresh. A clean slate, waiting to be writ upon. An opportunity to make life better; to do things right, this time. The possibilities are endless. Well, it always seems that way, until the Bag Lady actually wakes up…
This year the Bag Lady’s resolution is rather vague. Something to the tune of getting healthier and being more active. Basically the same as every year, only not quite as specific as in the past. Somehow, being a perfect size 8 (or whatever) isn’t quite as important as it used to be. It seems more important to be healthy rather than just skinny. And if being healthy means being a 10 or 12 rather than an 8, the Bag Lady can live with that.
All this talk lately about how carrying your excess weight around your middle contributes to heart disease has the Bag Lady worried. She has never had much of a waist – her mid-section is straight rather than curvy when she is slim, and curves out rather than in when she’s packing extra weight. No amount of sit-ups has ever affected her basic physique. And now that her cousin (who is basically in much better health) has had heart trouble, the Bag Lady is quite concerned. Gotta work on that core. But enough about the Bag Lady.
How did all of you celebrate New Year’s Eve? The Bag Lady and the Cowboy had a nice, quiet evening at home. The Cowboy was still feeling the affects of the stomach flu they both suffered through, so a light meal and television seemed to fit the bill. They watched “Fried Green Tomatoes” (again) and enjoyed it thoroughly. Couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that they are both getting older and wiser, could it? Nah...
So did you drink champagne and dance on tables? Watch fireworks and party with the crowds? Spend the evening with family and friends?
This year the Bag Lady’s resolution is rather vague. Something to the tune of getting healthier and being more active. Basically the same as every year, only not quite as specific as in the past. Somehow, being a perfect size 8 (or whatever) isn’t quite as important as it used to be. It seems more important to be healthy rather than just skinny. And if being healthy means being a 10 or 12 rather than an 8, the Bag Lady can live with that.
All this talk lately about how carrying your excess weight around your middle contributes to heart disease has the Bag Lady worried. She has never had much of a waist – her mid-section is straight rather than curvy when she is slim, and curves out rather than in when she’s packing extra weight. No amount of sit-ups has ever affected her basic physique. And now that her cousin (who is basically in much better health) has had heart trouble, the Bag Lady is quite concerned. Gotta work on that core. But enough about the Bag Lady.
How did all of you celebrate New Year’s Eve? The Bag Lady and the Cowboy had a nice, quiet evening at home. The Cowboy was still feeling the affects of the stomach flu they both suffered through, so a light meal and television seemed to fit the bill. They watched “Fried Green Tomatoes” (again) and enjoyed it thoroughly. Couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that they are both getting older and wiser, could it? Nah...
So did you drink champagne and dance on tables? Watch fireworks and party with the crowds? Spend the evening with family and friends?
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