This week has been long because of the time change.  I am dragging.   Two nights, it was at least midnight before I fell asleep because it was not time to sleep yet in my brain.  The neighbors’ barking dogs have also contributed to this.

Work has leveled out.  The problem person is being more respectful.   This helps everyone’s mood around the place.  We are getting more phone calls and drop by customers, leading me to believe that our busy season has arrived.

Saturday of last week was a busy day.  We started with a vet visit for both boys.  Remington needed shots, and Cinch needed shots plus a check-up.  The vet was pleased with how much clearer Cinch’s lungs were compared to the last visit.  The congestive heart meds are working well.  They did change the dosage on his arthritis meds.  We are now giving them twice a day compared to once a day.

After the vet, we went to the membership meeting for the tractor show that we go to every summer.  That meeting was over four hours long when you considered the fellowship time after with lunch. 

When we arrived home, we had a little under two hours to get ready for the truck show.  We ended up taking both of our 1985s.  A pick-up and a semi.  After the sun dropped and it was cold out we headed home.

Sunday, I worked on laying river stones for our front pathway.   I got three more flower beds ready for the year.  I cleared off the asparagus part of the garden. Remington and I went on a long walk with my mom.

This weekend is going to depend on the weather on what we do. 

I am to the point where I am wondering if good changes will ever happen again.  The last 15 months have been extremely hard for us in the trucking industry.   And since Christmas, it has been tough at work due to one co-worker.  Some days, I feel so drained and tired and at loose ends on what to do.

The bad coworker is on a rampage again.  If it is just me and the shop guy around, we are treated with disrespect and rants. But if the bossman is around, he is much different.   It has gotten to the point that if he is on a rampage in the morning, the shop guy leaves until he leaves because he is so tired of it. 

Last weekend, I finished skirting the greenhouse on Saturday. I also cleared one of my six flower beds off.  Remy, Mom, and I went on a long walk. 

Sunday on Wrangler’s birthday, we went to a friend’s to sign a lease for Wrangler to haul fuel again.  We were there for five hours.

Monday was mom’s birthday.  She had a club meeting so we celebrated with a nice supper on Tuesday.

Back in November of 2021, my will to write died after writing seven books and in the middle of the eighth.  I forced myself to finish book eight, but it was definitely forced.  They are all unpublished because that route scares me. 

Since then, I may get five or ten pages written, and I am done. I tried to add another book to my eight book series and ten pages in it, and I put it to the side.  I can plot a book out, but it dies in plotting and is never written.

A very vague idea popped into my head last week.  So vague, I figured nothing would come of it.  I opened up my browser and started typing.  Instead of plotting it all out ahead of time, I know a vague ending  and one scene ahead.  At twenty pages, I was hopeful the curse was broken.  Tuesday, I hit fifty pages on my eighth day or writing.  Now, ideas for future scenes are popping up easy.  I can’t wait to open my browser up.  But editing will be a chore.  Right now, I am just writing  and doing no edits.   The first twenty pages are very rough.

It has been very slow for me at work.  But the problem tech problems have gotten better this last week.  Which has helped out a lot.

Last weekend, Cinch and I went in the truck Friday night with Wrangler and Remington for his last load of the week.  It was good to go with him, especially when he had to leave by five Sunday night for this week’s loads. 

This weekend I am not sure about the plans because I don’t think they know what the weather is going to do.  I know Wrangler is going going to be home tonight.  After a short 24-hour break last weekend, he is ready to be home more.  He stopped by the house for tools this morning and grabbed Cinch since it was just a day trip.   Wrangler birthday is Sunday, and my mom’s is Monday, so we will be celebrating for that.

This whole winter, we have been lacking winter.  Usually, our highs are in the 40s at most.  We usually have a 10 to 15 really cold snap below freezing.  We are lacking moisture. We may get cold a couple of days but they are not as cold as we normally get.  We have been in the 50s to 70s for highs more often than not.  Last Friday night we got 80 points of rain.  We have received less than 2 inches of snow this year.  And we are in a major drought.

Tuesday brought very high winds, which cause piles up on interstate 15 miles from work due to blowing dust.  And a bad pile up in Colorado.   They evacuated a town an hour northeast of us to a fire.  We are all hoping for a wet spring or it is not going to be a pretty year for crops.

Work has had some resolution but still has problems.  It has been a busy month for the shop but a slow month for me. 

Last weekend, I made beirrocks and pigs in the blanket out of sourdough and a few cinnamon rolls.  We were outside more than we were in because we had nice spring weather.

The sky’s have been beautiful.   Last year at this point Cinch could only walk a half mile before his old dog issues had him stopping.   He is walking over a mile regularly again this year with the new medicine.   Remy loves Wrangler’s trailer.

This weekend, I am going with Wrangler in the truck for his last load of the week tonight and tomorrow.   Sunday, we will be working on our normal weekend list.

Life may be leveling out towards normal again.  Work is to the point the last 3 weeks, I have had more good days than bad days.  But my interactions with the problem are at a bear minimum to keep it that way.

Saturday ended an era of 9 years.   We said goodbye to Elmo.  Elmo was a truck Wrangler, Rex, Cinch, and I spent 5 years in wherever the loads took us.  It sat a year while Wrangler took a traditional job.  And then Elmo worked for two years hauling fuel.  And then it was with our driver for a year.  So many memories are attached to Elmo.  It is the truck we started our trucking business with.  Elmo will sit in the shed the majority of the time.  We traded for the cabover we got rid of 13 months ago.  The farmer had only put on 1500 miles.

Sunday was tank top weather outside.  It was in the mid 70s and I was outside all afternoon.   I worked on getting the truck ready for Wrangler for the week, took a 6600 step walk, and worked on getting the first side of the greenhouse skirted.  Cinch and Remy enjoyed the nice weather too.

This weekend coming up depends on the weather, it is supposed to rain or snow but be in the 50s.   I want to make a couple of loaves of sandwich bread to stock the freezer up.  I made hamburger buns Tuesday night that were so good, so if I have enough discard, I will be making more to freeze up for spring and summer.  If I am stuck inside, I will bake more cookies or something too.

Outside projects I want to get done in the next week or two include getting the greenhouse finished skirted, get our large stones for the front pathway in place, and to start clearing out the dead in my flower beds.

It seems like a struggle to make it to Friday anymore.  This week has been better than most of January.   But it still is not normal.

Last weekend, we did not trade trucks like intended.   The truck we were going to trade for did not match the condition the pictures and video sent.

I spent Saturday baking.  I made sourdough sandwich bread, sourdough pull apart garlic bread, and a large batch of sourdough chocolate chip cookies.

Sunday was spent outside, including a walk.

For four weeks, my job has been overwhelming,  stressful,  full of unnecessary bad attitudes taken out on others, and so much more.  This week, I feel more stable because one of the people in a bad mood is in a better one, so it has helped out a bunch.   A big project is completed so that stress is gone.

Home life has been boring.  I was sent home from work at noon Friday due to bad weather.   During my bonus time off, I accomplished a nap.  Saturday, I was stuck inside again.  It was right around zero for the highs for day two.  I finished my diamond painting, baked sourdough brownies and sourdough rolls, and worked on some projects around the house.  Wrangler, on the other hand, did nothing but watch TV and was stir crazy by Saturday night.

Sunday was a whole different story.  It was in the 20s.  We got out in the two inches of snow to complete truck tasks and other outdoor tasks.  I enjoyed warming up in the near 80 degrees greenhouse. That is just the sun’s heat.

So after I completed my last diamond painting, I went hunting for my next one, which I had bought in the spring of 2025.  I could not find it until last night when I moved my Valentines decoration tote, and it was between it and the wall.  My basket that I have diamond painting supplies sits on top of that tote.  So last night I started my new diamond painting.

This weekend, Wrangler will be gone trading Elmo in for another truck.  People have asked my thoughts on it. It was the first truck that Wrangler and I bought nine years ago.  I traveled in it with him from 2017 to 2022 all the time.  But after what happened with our driver and the condition, it was left in hurts my heart.  Every time I walk by the truck on my way to the shop, my heart is heavy, so a new beginning I think is needed.

Remington always goes with dad in the truck.  Imagine his displeasure at being stuck at home with mom this weekend. He will not be happy. With Elmo clean, Wrangler wants to keep it that way.

The weather is going to be nicer this weekend, especially Sunday.  So I plan to get outside some. 

The growing season has begun with mom and I starting a tray of seedlings for the greenhouse last night.  

We have an unusually warm winter so far, but that ends later today.  We are finally going to have normal winter temperatures, and we are going to freeze.  The lowest high so far this winter is 22.  The high is 8 on Saturday.   So, there is a major difference that we have not been seasoned for.  Where I live, it is 1 to 3 inches.  Where Wrangler is supposed to go this weekend before it was called off is 2 inches of ice and up to 10 inches of snow.

So, my plan for the weekend is to stay inside where it is warm.  I am growing my starter discard pile so I can bake multiple things.  Some kind of dessert and rolls are on the menu for sure.  I think I am going to set up the quilt frame tonight so I have one more thing to distract me from cabin fever.

Sunday we went three hours for my Great Aunt’s 100 birthday party.  Two of the three cousins I seldom see were there.  Only two of my cousins were missing.   One is pregnant, and her doctor does not want her to travel, and the other has left our family many years ago.

I am making some wind spinners for Farmers Market.   And my sourdough loaf from last weekend.  I also made chocolate chip cookies out of my starter.

This week at work has been brutal.  It is amazing how people can act.  Two of five at work have made my work in 2026 to the point where I am ready to find somewhere else to work.  I am tired of the constant friction and mood swings.  I think I have had 1 good work day this year so far.

Home life has been quiet, but Wrangler left Monday.  I have been working on my photography class.  I am almost am done with my current diamond painting.  And I keep trying to start writing again.  I am looking at outlines.  Reading first chapters trying to get something to make me get out of this writing stall.

One thing about life is that no matter how old you get, you are never too old to learn.  January has been a month of learning. 

I have been learning about sourdough starters.  My first loaf was a little dry and more dense than it should be.  But tasted good.  I am going to try looking for a fridge raise recipe for this weekend since I won’t be home much.

Also, I am taking some online photography classes.  Certain things I am used to my camera on but shooting the wedding taught me I need to learn more to be at home and comfortable for something like that.

Here are some of my latest photos on my photography page and website.  The sky’s have been stunning in December and January.   So many stunning sunrises and sunsets.  And even clouds.  Here are a few of the ones from the last week or so.

Work has slowed majorly down for me.  Boredom will soon be a factor.  But I have plans for when that happens.  At least this week work has felt not overwhelming, and progress has been seen.  In a bit, I will be filing the last of the filing stacks.  My desk is cleared.  And my lists have so much crossed off.

At home has been a slower pace.  I’m trying to work out more now that my step count is shrinking into the winter slump.  But evenings after are spent on the computer doing photo classes or working on updating my page or website with photos I took.  That or reading.  I have been reading a lot.  Tuesday Wrangler was home for 3 hours of my time at home, so I just hung out with him.

This weekend we have to travel 3 hours one way on Sunday for my Aunt’s 100th birthday party.   The weather is supposed to be good for traveling.  It is a relief because January is usually kind of hairy to travel around here.

We both felt drained and worn out last Saturday, so we never did go out to eat to celebrate.  But we ended up cooking supper together that night.  We had a nice night even if we were home.  We both were mostly recovered from being sick at that point but just tired and leary of being out in public. Wrangler came home in Friday, giving me much relief that he was feeling much improved compared to when he left on Monday and had me very worried.

Yesterday was Wrangler and my 14th wedding anniversary.   We were separated by Wrangler’s work but will celebrate when he gets home with a nice meal out

This last week has been filled with challenges.   It all started with sickness.  I did not make midnight on New Year’s due to being sick.  And New Year’s Day I rested the only thing I really did was to start my sour dough starter, which will be ready to bake with this weekend.

Friday Wrangler woke me up at 5, in extreme pain, but would not let me take him to the ER or urgent care.  He managed to fall asleep again, so I went to work.  At 9, he told me to call and make him a doctor’s appointment, and the only one they had that day was at 1.  At 11, he told me he was going to drive himself.  I told him I was on my way and he could not drive himself. I was afraid he was going to pass out from pain.

Immediately, we were told to go to the ER, where for the first two hours, we were led to believe he had a bowel obstruction and probably would be sent to a larger hospital for surgery. But it turned out to be very inflamed bowels, which was causing major pain and discomfort.  They think whatever virus we had caused it.  They have had other cases with those with stomach issues having similar issues. An hour later, the medication was working, and he was released.  Friday, he was very sore but better some.

Saturday, they cut down some trees at mom.  I let Wrangler be on the skid steer while I split wood, but I limited his physical activity even though he was a lot better.  When we were done, I did not do much.  Sunday, I got the truck ready,  took down the outdoor Christmas decorations, and went on a long walk on a 70-degree day.

Work this week has been so overloaded and heavy.  My desk may get cleared by tomorrow so I can start the end of the year tasks like W2s and such.  I have 2 massive filing piles that keep on growing.  It does not help that 15 to 20 invoices a day is a heavy invoice day and so far I have had 18,  31, and 27 the last 3 days so it takes an extra hour to two to process.  After being so slow in December today, I am feeling overwhelmed and mentally exhausted.

Monday night, I brought the indoor Christmas boxes inside and got my tree undecorated and broken down.  Tuesday night, I got the rest of my decorations down.  Last night, I got everything out to the shop into the back corner of the storage room where my Christmas stuff hibernates until it is time to come back out again.

I decided with how I am feeling today, which is mentally exhausted from a long week. I am going to light the wood stove when I get home.  Our weather is more like early winter with highs in the 30s the today and tomorrow and rain turning to snow.  So the stove is needed again.  It has been a couple of nice weeks with temps in the 50s to 80s, and we have not needed it much since late November.  I will be resting tonight.   I’m just attending to my starter and making a salad for supper. Otherwise, I will be resting and relaxing.

This weekend the weather is not as nice so I am not sure about the plan.  It also depends on if Wrangler is home or not.  It depends on what loads are out there tomorrow after he unloads a little under 2 hours from the house.  If there are none he will come home.

My starter is alive.