Changes

One thing that is for sure is that everything changes. Lots of things have changed for us in the past year. Now in our 30's, Ben and I have finally figured out that if we can't afford it in cash, we don't need it. It's amazing, and a bit sad, that it takes so many people that long, and some people even longer. We are no longer credit card users, which can be incredibly hard at times. Coupled with no longer using them, we are trying to get them paid off. Of course this leaves little to no extra money. Which, in some budget guidelines is the way it should be until you are debt free. In early 2006 we "bought" an '05, 6.0, fully loaded, diesel Excursion. This was out of our range, but Ben had a large bonus coming up and we planned to pay over half of it off with that bonus, and refinance it. But alas, that isn't what we did! So for almost 2 years we paid the incredibly high payment, and as we watched the price of diesel climb and climb, and our "hole" get deeper and deeper we both finally came together with the idea that the truck just had to go. In hindsight it's foolish to be so in love with a vehicle. In Nov. Ben traded the truck for a new Chrysler Sebring. A CAR! It's a very pretty little car though and it gets almost 30mpg- and the payments are half as much as the truck. This left me with a paid for Explorer Sport for the dogs and hauling feed. I was less than impressed, but knew what we had to do was what we had to do. I looked around and learned that the '95 Explorer Sport was worth about the same as a slightly older F-150 crew cab. I spent one afternoon calling the ads asking if they'd like to simply even-up trade. After only a half a dozen calls or so, I found a girl in Hampton willing to meet. It all worked out and I now drive a PAID FOR '93 crew cab F150. I actually enjoy having a 'good ol girl' pick up truck again. I love having the bed to haul trash and animal feed etc. Now I have to save up for a nice insulated '6 hole' dog box. Right now all the dogs ride in the cab with me. Two, sometimes 3 in the front with me and as many as 4 in the backseat. They are wonderful riders and they all find a spot- they basically have self-made assigned seats. Cruz rides on the floor in the front and Gwen takes the seat. It's similar in the back. A couple ride on the floor and a few on the seat. Depending on where I'm going, I strap in 4 empty crates in the bed so when I get there I have crates. The rest are tied by the truck. Cruz can stay in the cab if weather permits. As I mentioned, there has been little 'left over' money since the dis-use of the credit cards. Which means trialing has nearly come to a stand still. Between entries and the cost of fuel, even going one day with the dogs that are ready to trial, it's close to $200!

So enter big change #3! I have been baby sitting a friend's toddler for almost a year now. Because she's a friend, it's not much money, but it has certainly helped us- but not enough. So this past week I applied for a night job. I haven't worked away from home since before Charlie was born. Charlie was 12 in Feb! Ben finally has a job with a normal schedule and routine, so I decided to give it a whirl. I applied online on Weds. and was in for my first interview on Friday! I've been in 2 more times since then. Now they're just waiting on the drug test and I should be in orientation by mid-week next week. I'll be working 32hrs/wk. and working 6PM-3AM. Changes will have to happen here at home. Dinner will have to be done at 5PM and Ben will have to get the kids off to bed and do the before-bed turn out with the dogs. Ben will also have to get the kids up and ready for the bus in the morning, as I plan to come home, let the dogs out for a pee, put them back up, and feed them- then go to bed until 9-10AM. Jordan (toddler I babysit) will be here nearly everyday at 10AM. Hopefully having from 10AM-3PM available to work dogs and keep up around here will be enough. And hopefully I don't fall asleep on the way home at 3AM! I was told yesterday that I won't always work until 3AM. I'll find out next week if that means the shift is actually shorter, or it means that sometimes you'll just be done with your work at midnight. I got a job unloading merchandise and stocking it. This is exactly what I wanted. I really didn't want a customer service type of job. There was a cashier position available from 6PM-midnight, but I'd rather not have to directly deal with the public during that high tension time of day! Parents and kids can't help but be tired, hungry, and irritable when they've been away from home since 7AM, and it's now 12 hours later and they've yet to be home! If it had been the only job available, I would have taken it, but I'm glad I had a choice not to.

This will be a big change for all of us, and I really hope it all works out. Not only do I want to help get our credit paid off, I want to have money to do the few things I want to do, and not feel guilty about "asking" my husband for it. I make a few bucks with the dogs and training, but not much and it's never reliable. Right now I make roughly enough to care for the dogs and the sheep.

The kids are on spring break this week, so it's been nice to just get out of bed leisurely. The weather is great for sheep work, so once I have Jordan down for her nap in about an hour, I'll get everybody worked. Yesterday a friend brought 3 hair sheep ewes to be bred to my nice Dorper ram. We swapped some outruns in the big field, then came back to the yard to work on shedding. There is green stuff coming up in the field, so the sheep didn't really need to be held, but it's good for the dogs to lift the sheep off a person and dog. It can make a lot of young dogs either stick or rush. She told me I was welcome to use the 3 ewes for the puppies, as I was explaining that although my big wooly ewes aren't nasty to the pups, they are just a bit too heavy for the puppies to move. So that will be nice. They'll be here about 2 weeks I guess.

I enjoy this blog thing. It's an easier format than my website and I think getting to type away at stuff that might not be dog-related.