I had a lot of great moments at Maine's Blue Ribbon Classic this year, and it's impossible to capture them all, but I used some of my favorite quotes to sum up my experiences. And yeah, they are pretty much all of Lane-origin because that's who I was hanging out with all week. Besides, they give you great quotes when you're around them for five minutes (Cassie had a whopper of one but it's not fit for publication).
"There's no law that says you have to think." - Amie Lane
Amie and I had a full appreciation for this sentiment after doing multiple runs to the box trailer located outside one of the gates. Really, people, shooting the breeze while a truck idles behind you on the road? Or not moving AT ALL when a truck is approaching you?
"Mmmm...pancakes and bacon sound really good right now." - Sarah (Lane) Rowe
This was one of the text messages I received shortly before I woke up on Saturday morning......three hours late. By itself, that's kind of a big oops but I also overslept two hours the previous Sunday. What can I say? When I oversleep, I do it right. So, I got up when our personal chef Momma Ann was bringing up breakfast for the crew.
"My knee is as tender as your eyeball." - Mike Lane
About three weeks prior to Fryeburg, Mike had a Nancy Kerrigan experience with an Angus. She belted his left knee - which was already his "bad knee" - once, knocking him down and then kicked him again in the same knee as he was getting up. That one took him out completely, setting his lower leg off about seven inches to the left. Mike chose not to go to the hospital until the following week, and then did nothing until my mother hauled him over to Bridgton where he was diagnosed with pulled ligaments, torn tendon, chipped bone and sacs of blood in his knee (or something like that). Impressively, he managed to keep his brace on, and occasionally used crutches. This also took him completely out of commission until it was time to show Lovely. She won the Futurity, her class, and was named Reserve Grand Champion Milking Shorthorn.
"Did you roll out of bed or get kicked out of bed this morning?" - Big Jeff Davis
This was the Tuesday morning greeting I received from Jeff as I took grain to Sarah in the milking parlor. It's an appropriate quote for Fryeburg Fair - who hasn't had a morning like this? - but I didn't fully understand why Jeff said it until Sarah said to me later...
"You do look different without your glasses...you look like you had a big drunk last night." - Sarah (Lane) Rowe
Tuesday morning I wasn't able to find my glasses at 4 am, and for a brief while, I walked around without them. My eyesight wasn't bad but I was having a rough go of it, and tended to be bitchy. Same thing on Thursday, when I went without glasses again.
"Bill Woodis punched Alex in the mouth." - Amie Lane
There is no truth to this statement. Alex got punched, but not by Bill. It was, however, the original version I heard, and I liked it best. It was also the first thing I heard from Amie after the Supreme Champion party on Thursday night, and just goes to show that you do miss out on a lot when you go to bed early.
"You don't bring new underwear to Fryeburg." - Kevin Clock
I'm intentionally leaving this one out of context because I think it's funnier that way. Kevin did admit that it's okay to bring new underwear if you're "kinda single."
"We are going to have a 'situation.' "- Mike Lane
"Situation" was the word of the week. In this case, it means the shit is going to hit the fan. Our "almost-situations" revolved around feed tubs being flung down about an hour after our cows laid down, lights being turned off over the cows, people asking about the Jerseys, people in the road pissing off Amie, Amie nearly running over Jolene Gushee, and Sarah and Amie almost having a few "sister situations". Of course, there were actual situations at the Supreme Champ party, but in Barn 3, the closest real situation we had was the Great Radio War of 2010.
"Jess, why are you so wet?" - Amie Lane
Speaking of situations, Amie was trying to get herself into one when she asked me about my wet clothing on Friday morning. Amie conveniently had to do laundry immediately after milking while Sarah and I worked on washing the cows and fixing the pack. The laundry took Amie about two hours to do, so we were just about done washing when she returned. I thought Amie was having a really, really blonde moment when she asked, but I still wanted to literally pop her in the face. I mumbled some sort of reply in an attempt to not sound bitchy, but Amie later admitted she knew exactly what she was doing. Yeah, it's funny now....
"For a second there, I thought we were at the Fireman's Muster." - Martin Lane
Speaking of being wet, there was a Diet Pepsi incident. While visiting with Martin and Becky Lane, I knocked my bottle off the top of the showbox where it hit the ground...and subsequently covered Becky in a spray of soda, even though I tried to close the cover as quickly and as tightly as I could. It was impressive how it shot out of the bottle like water out of a fire hose, thus Martin's quick comment was spot on.
"Screw it...screw it....screw it...screw it...screw it....screw it." - Nicholas Rowe, four-year-old son of Sarah
I absentmindedly said "screw it" in front of Nicholas as we were packing things up on Sunday night. He proceeded to repeat the phrase as many different ways as he could, even after I told him he shouldn't say it. See, even kids get sick of Fryeburg Fair.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
What I didn't do on my summer vacation
Obviously, blogging. I also didn't get a job, stay with my exercise routine, organize my belongings, create a budget and stick to it, or write on a regular basis.
So what have I been doing the last month and a half? I've been surviving. Between searching for a job, searching for inner (and outer harmony) and searching for motivation for the many things I want to accomplish, I found nothing.
I could write pages about my life right now, but I don't think that's what belongs here. Not right now. It is very raw for a lot of people, and should I write something I may or may not regret, it could potentially create irreparable damage. But in situations like ours, we all make choices that hurt other people whether we intend them to or not.
So the next two weeks are going to be fun weeks. They are supposed to be filled with friends, fun, and future blog entries (let's hope there are future blog entries). I am off to Madison, Wisconsin, for the World Dairy Expo on Monday. I'll return on Thursday and head off to Fryeburg Fair on Friday or Saturday, where I will live for nine days. World Dairy Expo is purely pleasure, and Fryeburg is mostly work. I hope I am ready for both!
So what have I been doing the last month and a half? I've been surviving. Between searching for a job, searching for inner (and outer harmony) and searching for motivation for the many things I want to accomplish, I found nothing.
I could write pages about my life right now, but I don't think that's what belongs here. Not right now. It is very raw for a lot of people, and should I write something I may or may not regret, it could potentially create irreparable damage. But in situations like ours, we all make choices that hurt other people whether we intend them to or not.
So the next two weeks are going to be fun weeks. They are supposed to be filled with friends, fun, and future blog entries (let's hope there are future blog entries). I am off to Madison, Wisconsin, for the World Dairy Expo on Monday. I'll return on Thursday and head off to Fryeburg Fair on Friday or Saturday, where I will live for nine days. World Dairy Expo is purely pleasure, and Fryeburg is mostly work. I hope I am ready for both!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Happy August!
Okay, I took some time off from the blog. I like to think that technically I have still been writing as I've been keeping track of a food journal. Truthfully, though, I've been doing more reading than anything. At least the job applications have been helping me brush up on some of my writing skills. And I did write a few pages one night, and have been organizing thoughts regarding my Great American Novel. So all has not been lost.
As frustrated as I have been with the weight loss progress (holding steady between 25-28 pounds loss...so close to that 30!), I'm not going to beat myself up because I have kept off over 20 pounds for more than two months, so that is huge. As for the Couch to 5K, unfortunately I have not been making headway with that project. I will NOT give up though until I absolutely have to.
Well, I plan to draft our family's educational exhibit tomorrow. I am all fired up to do some agvocating after reading a Huffington Post blog entry about Chinese infants growing breasts. The reactions to it are overwhelmingly negative. I wrote my piece, which may very well have been in vain, but I wrote it. I stood up for agriculture and that's what matters most to me. I encourage my Reader(s) to always do the same.
As frustrated as I have been with the weight loss progress (holding steady between 25-28 pounds loss...so close to that 30!), I'm not going to beat myself up because I have kept off over 20 pounds for more than two months, so that is huge. As for the Couch to 5K, unfortunately I have not been making headway with that project. I will NOT give up though until I absolutely have to.
Well, I plan to draft our family's educational exhibit tomorrow. I am all fired up to do some agvocating after reading a Huffington Post blog entry about Chinese infants growing breasts. The reactions to it are overwhelmingly negative. I wrote my piece, which may very well have been in vain, but I wrote it. I stood up for agriculture and that's what matters most to me. I encourage my Reader(s) to always do the same.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Another Wild Weekend
I guess I was sooo excited I would be seeing my first hurling match, that I had a heck of a time falling asleep Friday night. Actually, I didn't pass out until Saturday morning around 2. Not cool, especially since I had to be on the road by 10:30. Not a lot of wiggle room trying to fit in a solid 8 hours. Although it was probably just drinking Diet Pepsi after 9 and watching The Soup and Chelsea Lately.
Once I did get my act together and I hit the road, I managed to maneuver the boat over to my aunt and uncles, dealing with the occasional smell of fuel along the way (don't worry, the mechanic said that was just exhaust coming in once in a while, no big deal). We headed south to the big P-Town, grateful not to be stuck in the traffic backed up for five miles on northbound 295.
We arrived at the field 20 minutes before the scheduled start time for the match. My cousin had not yet arrived himself. Interesting...it's not often spectators arrive before athletes warm up, but then again, this was a club match. Eventually he arrived with his roommate, who was very nice, and then we waited a bit for the other team to show up. They were coming from Worcester (pronounced Wuhstuh in this neck of the woods), so we figured they were stuck in traffic somewhere.
Finally the game started 45 minutes after originally planned. If you are unfamiliar with hurling, it is a combination of several games you likely are familiar with, such as field hockey, baseball and lacrosse. The match that I watched resembled field hockey more than any other sport, but my cousin later told me that their level of play was not as skilled as others. Apparently professional hurling is played more in the air and hand, and less on the ground.
It is crazy how close to injury the players can be, especially since it is legal to use your hand to catch a ball in the air. Of course, choosing that method leaves you at the mercy of a defender who may try to interfere and whack your arm with a hurley (the primary piece of equipment, a wooden club). The really neat thing to see is when a player is able to balance the sliotar (ball) on the hurley and run down the field - like an egg-in-the-spoon race. And being a baseball fan, I highly a respect a player's ability to toss the ball up and then knock it 50 or 60 yards downfield.
My cousin took a hard hit to his wrist, and unfortunately was done for the game but did not sustain a serious injury. Portland went on to win easily. Celebrating at the local pub RiRas ensued, where I enjoyed an amazing Reuben sandwich with onion rings.
Then my aunt, uncle and I had to head back north. We contemplated the option of taking the interstate, but my uncle decided "at this time of night, traffic is coming into Portland, not leaving it. We'll be fine." Another set of famous last words, like "what's the worst that could happen?" or "that trail has to come out SOMEWHERE" or "so where IS this relationship going?"
Eventually, we arrived home, just in time to catch some fireworks from the interstate in celebration of the incredible, edible egg. I hopped in the boat, and as I started to head home, the "check engine" light popped up. Awwwwesome. I said my prayers to the car gods as I wished it to just keep rolling along. Thankfully it did.
Once I did get my act together and I hit the road, I managed to maneuver the boat over to my aunt and uncles, dealing with the occasional smell of fuel along the way (don't worry, the mechanic said that was just exhaust coming in once in a while, no big deal). We headed south to the big P-Town, grateful not to be stuck in the traffic backed up for five miles on northbound 295.
We arrived at the field 20 minutes before the scheduled start time for the match. My cousin had not yet arrived himself. Interesting...it's not often spectators arrive before athletes warm up, but then again, this was a club match. Eventually he arrived with his roommate, who was very nice, and then we waited a bit for the other team to show up. They were coming from Worcester (pronounced Wuhstuh in this neck of the woods), so we figured they were stuck in traffic somewhere.
Finally the game started 45 minutes after originally planned. If you are unfamiliar with hurling, it is a combination of several games you likely are familiar with, such as field hockey, baseball and lacrosse. The match that I watched resembled field hockey more than any other sport, but my cousin later told me that their level of play was not as skilled as others. Apparently professional hurling is played more in the air and hand, and less on the ground.
It is crazy how close to injury the players can be, especially since it is legal to use your hand to catch a ball in the air. Of course, choosing that method leaves you at the mercy of a defender who may try to interfere and whack your arm with a hurley (the primary piece of equipment, a wooden club). The really neat thing to see is when a player is able to balance the sliotar (ball) on the hurley and run down the field - like an egg-in-the-spoon race. And being a baseball fan, I highly a respect a player's ability to toss the ball up and then knock it 50 or 60 yards downfield.
My cousin took a hard hit to his wrist, and unfortunately was done for the game but did not sustain a serious injury. Portland went on to win easily. Celebrating at the local pub RiRas ensued, where I enjoyed an amazing Reuben sandwich with onion rings.
Then my aunt, uncle and I had to head back north. We contemplated the option of taking the interstate, but my uncle decided "at this time of night, traffic is coming into Portland, not leaving it. We'll be fine." Another set of famous last words, like "what's the worst that could happen?" or "that trail has to come out SOMEWHERE" or "so where IS this relationship going?"
Eventually, we arrived home, just in time to catch some fireworks from the interstate in celebration of the incredible, edible egg. I hopped in the boat, and as I started to head home, the "check engine" light popped up. Awwwwesome. I said my prayers to the car gods as I wished it to just keep rolling along. Thankfully it did.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Breakthrough!.....maybe
So I feel as if I may have had a breakthrough in part of my diet saga. As I have tried to incorporate some of the guidelines outlined in Roth's Women Food and Good, I have had trouble with one of the simplest (and best): Eat when you're hungry. It sounds simple, but sometimes it is very hard for me to tell when I am actually hungry.
Today I was able to recognize my hunger twice. Once I pushed past it and kept eating (which violates the "eat until you're satisfied" guideline, but kept in line with "eat what you want" so perhaps they cancel out). The second time, I recognized it and found a way to move past the idea that I had to eat simply because I always eat at that time.
I know it doesn't make any sense to eat when you're full, but when you are staring down General Tso's chicken, peanut chicken, fried dough, and a dumpling (the sign said dumpling, K-Fin, even though it showed symptoms of a potsticker). How was I supposed to turn that down? Actually, I don't plan to partake in a Chinese restaurant buffet for quite a while as I tend to overeat every visit.
But I think I am starting to listen to my body better, and I'm keeping a food journal. No big celebrations for that yet, since I have only kept it for five days, but I'll mini-celebrate after a full week. In the meantime, I have got to get my rest: big day tomorrow that should be full of several blogworthy moments.
Today I was able to recognize my hunger twice. Once I pushed past it and kept eating (which violates the "eat until you're satisfied" guideline, but kept in line with "eat what you want" so perhaps they cancel out). The second time, I recognized it and found a way to move past the idea that I had to eat simply because I always eat at that time.
I know it doesn't make any sense to eat when you're full, but when you are staring down General Tso's chicken, peanut chicken, fried dough, and a dumpling (the sign said dumpling, K-Fin, even though it showed symptoms of a potsticker). How was I supposed to turn that down? Actually, I don't plan to partake in a Chinese restaurant buffet for quite a while as I tend to overeat every visit.
But I think I am starting to listen to my body better, and I'm keeping a food journal. No big celebrations for that yet, since I have only kept it for five days, but I'll mini-celebrate after a full week. In the meantime, I have got to get my rest: big day tomorrow that should be full of several blogworthy moments.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
A rough first outing off the bench
After finally getting an interview after five months of searching for a job, I think I may have failed it. It wasn't horrible, but there were definitely a few questions that I immediately thought "wait, can I do that over please?" But there's always an outside chance I am being harder on myself and expecting more than they are. Let's hope, cause momma needs some new tires for the boat. Not to mention, a change of scenery would be welcome.
It did amaze me to sit and realize that I have not had an interview in five years. Furthermore, I haven't had many job interviews ever. So I guess I shouldn't beat myself up too much, and just keep looking forward.
As someone who is more inclined to written communication, the phone and personal interviews are intimidating, and do not allow me to show off my greatest strength. Of course, written responses to the questions would have been more thought out, and articulated better but I guess "administrative assistant" doesn't mean "author."
As far as exercise goes, after walking two days in a row, I took today off. My back bothered me a little, which was surprising. I will have to remember to stretch out tonight before I go to bed since I also weed whacked, and that bothered it enough for me to quit earlier than I normally would.
It did amaze me to sit and realize that I have not had an interview in five years. Furthermore, I haven't had many job interviews ever. So I guess I shouldn't beat myself up too much, and just keep looking forward.
As someone who is more inclined to written communication, the phone and personal interviews are intimidating, and do not allow me to show off my greatest strength. Of course, written responses to the questions would have been more thought out, and articulated better but I guess "administrative assistant" doesn't mean "author."
As far as exercise goes, after walking two days in a row, I took today off. My back bothered me a little, which was surprising. I will have to remember to stretch out tonight before I go to bed since I also weed whacked, and that bothered it enough for me to quit earlier than I normally would.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Blog for the sake of blogging
This post may suffer from me emphasizing the quantity of my posts instead of the quality. Today was one of those days that I did not have a lot of highlights. Of course, it was great catching up with K-Fin, and I made my official Bucket List. What I really liked about the Bucket List is that it seemed to give my life some direction, when lately it seems I have no direction at all.
Speaking of no direction, the boat is going in to visit the car doctor tomorrow, hopefully to regain its directionals. Then I'm hoping it will pass one more inspection so I can register it one more year. Fingers crossed!
Here's hoping tomorrow is more eventful and blogworthy!
Speaking of no direction, the boat is going in to visit the car doctor tomorrow, hopefully to regain its directionals. Then I'm hoping it will pass one more inspection so I can register it one more year. Fingers crossed!
Here's hoping tomorrow is more eventful and blogworthy!
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