Rains...Pours...Torrential Floods....or "Can't I Catch a Break?"

So, I stopped last night on the way home to grab a few things for this weekend.

Two totes to haul water in (we'll see how this goes.  I opted to skip the trash can for this option...for half the price I can haul more water...I guess we'll see!).

Some quick links to hang my bucket from (should have taken a picture.  Again, looks like this will work...but time will tell!)

A few snacks.

Stencils to get his glittery number on his butt (this was a pure vanity move).

Cheesecloth to help squeeze excess water from the beet pulp.

A large container to carry electrolytes in and smaller ones to throw in the saddle packs.

I grabbed all of that, then ran to go get money to pay the lady who watches Kaylee.  Was heading home when "POP!" beneath the hood of my car.  And...no acceleration.  *sigh*

I manage to strong arm the car into a parking lot and call Joe to come get me.  Again.

We're hoping it's the starter.  And, if it is, that's something Joe can fix in our driveway.  As I'm out of town this weekend, and he has to work at his volunteer gig and it's Josh's birthday on Monday, car isn't getting fixed this weekend.  Hopefully next weekend though.

So, I had to drive the truck into town.  I genuinely hate driving it into downtown Austin.  Lanes feel narrow and people ride the lines.  UGH!! 

But, on the flipside, grateful we have a spare vehicle for me to drive.

Anyway, Joe rescued me from the parking lot where we left my car, Sparky (oh yeah...I name vehicles too).  Thankfully, the lady who watches Kaylee, her husband works for a repo company, so they have a tow truck 24/7.  So, within the hour he had grabbed Sparky from the parking lot and dropped him off in our driveway.  They frequently save us this way.  Eternally grateful for friends like that.

So, with disgust and annoyance, I decide I need to attempt to hang the bucket, straighten up my tack room, attempt to set up my new awning and then get to work on soaking out more beet pulp and prepping some electrolytes for Strider and Dakini.

I get the bucket figured out.

I pull out the necessary items from my tack compartment to restore some semblance of organization.  Realize I still have a full bucket of grain in there (yay!) and my rice bran.  I then just straighten those things up and call that "Good enough".

Then I wrestle with my new awning.  It IS easy to put up for one person.  Once you really and truly stake down the opposite foot.  So, I've practiced setting that up.

With all of the outside things handled, I head inside and begin with the beet pulp.

I had gotten through probably two bags when I realized that I had the ability to soak 2 bundles at a time.  So, in about an hour and 45 minutes, I got 5 bags done (with breaks for other things).

I quickly mixed up electrolytes and my kaolin-pectin with a splash of CMPK.  Tossed that in the fridge.

And at this point it was about 9:45.  I'd been busy. 

Tonight begins my jaunts to the barn to electrolyte the two horses then put their beet pulp smushes in front of them so they'll eat it up.  I have big buckets, brought my beet pulp baggies to work (sorry co-workers for the 2 weird bags in the freezer here!!  Oh, and the Rubbermaid container with the pink stuff in it!), remembered to pack syringes and a change of clothes for the barn.

Since I'm now in the truck, I'll stop for hay on Thursday on the way to the barn. 

Tonight begins the laundry so that's one less thing I'll have to get done on Sunday when I get home.

I was feeling really stressed out yesterday and Sunday.  Honestly, I'm feeling better now. 

Now that I am starting to get a rhythm down to prepping my beet pulp, I know I can get it done faster.  Now that I see how simple the electrolytes are to get ready, I'm feeling better.  Trailer is basically ready to go. 

So, while my car is broken...I refuse to feel freaked out any more. 

T-Minus 3 day.