Its that sheep time of year

Who is excited for the Eidman sisters to reunite this week??



The annual American Sheep Industry conference this week in San Antonio Texas!  I have been to a few of these before (pre Hank) I would go with my sister when I was unemployed just out of college and wanting an excuse to do something.  This year I suppose I should actually pay attention since I am now living on a large sheep operation.  Going to Texas means two things:

1.  Lesa and I get to do this:


2. I get to have really really big hair: (its Texas afterall)

(I need to work on my tan apparently too)


From San Antonio I will be flying to Sacramento and be in California for a week to attend the UNIFIED WINE AND GRAPE CONFERENCE.  Not sure why I capitalized that.  Anyway, if anyone is in sac Jan 27-Feb 1 let me know!  Come drink some wine with me.


HOW BOUT THEM NINERS??!?!?!?  See what happens when I leave Ca?  You get a cold wave worthy of Montana and the Niners go to the ship.

WARNING! Winter Storm Warning!

I survived my first big snow storm.  Did you know they name their storms here??  I can't remember what they called it, it was weird like "Edger" or something strange like that.



Anyway, so Henry made the Montana Rodeo Circuit Finals and they were in Great Falls, MT.  So we left late Thursday night since we kept hearing the storm was just going to get worse.  We made it about 2 hours and had to stop since the road we needed to take was CLOSED!  Awesome.  So what do you do in Montana when the roads close?  You sleep in the truck.  Luckily I had a feeling this might happen so I packed snacks, blanket and pillow. It was the most romantic date Henry has ever taken me on...
This is how I felt sleeping in a truck:



After sitting/sleeping/complaining for 8 hours, the road was not opening, so we took a different route that the local coffee shop men told us to take.  It was a little scary with white outs every so often but after 14 hours we finally made it to Great Falls!  It was Circuit Finals time!

The roads on the drive

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

The Circuit finals are three rounds, going into the third round Henry was 2nd in the average.  The steer he got came out of the chute and stopped (he called it "setting up").  It was a case of bad luck on that steer.  Such a bummer!  He did so well the first two rounds it was sad that he didn't get a fair chance at a good run.  His second run made the news in Billings: (he is at about minute 7)

http://www.ktvq.com/videos/q2-sports-on-demand-at-10-00-on-1-12-13/

We got home late Sunday night, the roads were snowy but not as bad as the way there.  I drove a little in the snow and almost peed my pants when I lost traction a couple times.  Henry keeps yelling at me for "driving like I'm in California"  I need to work on that.   Queue eye roll:


Oh and here is my car...I think I need to find the shovel.

Official-ness

My stuff showed up yesterday, kind of weird to see that all of your belongings fit on two pallets.  Now I have to figure out where to put everything...hmmmm where is a professional organizer when you need one?

Henry's mom and grandma (Eva and Pat) invited me over for a crafters meeting.  I wish I could have stayed longer but had work to do :(  Speaking of which, working from home has been pretty nice.  Its quiet so I feel as if I get a TON of things done in a shorter amount of time.

Yesterday evening Henry needed another hand feeding cattle, so I was nominated as "driver" while he and Gilmer threw hay off the trailer.

I felt pretty cool...you know, driving a truck going less than 5 miles per hour in a straight line is really important stuff, I don't know how they would have managed without me!

I headed into Columbus this morning since my car registration finally showed up!  Side note, the dealership I bought the car from sent the title to Ca DMV, not Montana even after the out of state transfer AND my new address...ugh.  Anyway, I got my plates right away, I wasnt expecting that, AND I got to choose which plate I wanted!  There was a wall of different designs, colors, animals, etc.  It was a difficult decision one that I will later regret I am sure.  Its all official now, I have a Montana drivers license AND license plates!

My car color is silver, can you tell I live on a dirt road?

While in Columbus I ran by the grocery store and needed to mail some work things, as I am checking out of the grocery store I ask the clerk "do you have a mail drop box" and she says "no but the post office is right there" as she points to the post office that is about 25 feet from the store, and about 2 feet from where I parked my car...Idiot moment of the day.  She laughed, I laughed, the bag boy laughed.  It was a special moment.

Have I mentioned everyone is SO NICE here?  Random people just say "hello" and "good morning" everywhere, its so nice.  I get a little too excited and shout back "HELLO GOOD MORNING!!" I need to work on my responses. 

Took a few cool pics on my drive: #nofilter

Old Farm Stead (I want to steal the wood)

Stillwater County Courthouse

ITS SNOWING!  I SEE SNOW!!!  GOTTA GO!

Will you accept this rose?

THE BACHELOR STARTS TONIGHT!


Call me insane, crazy, hopeless romantic I don't care, I love the bachelor/bachelorette tv show.  I mean how could you not?  Its so real!  Haven't we all had 25 gorgeous mentally unstable  suitable people all competing for our love and affection?  Well it all begins again with Sean Lowe tonight on ABC.  He really wants to start a family, I don't know why he wouldn't find his future baby momma rocking that 6-pack of his!  I'm thinking Sean might cry during this season more than the women, he looks sensitive...awwwwwww a man that cries.  Precious. PS, if you like to ruin endings for yourself there is a blogger who somehow always finds out who wins, realitysteve.com

Week 1 Done!

Well its been a week since I moved out to Montana.  Felt like it went by really fast.  I wanted to share a few observations I have made:

1. I rule.
I am pleased to announce that I have not slipped and fallen on my face/butt...yet.  I know its only a matter of time before it happens with the snow/ice.  I'm just really proud it didn't happen on my first day.  This also means I can only wear shoe shoes... cute


2. I don't know how to use my car.
The backseat doors in my car do not open when someone in the back seat tries to get out, door must be opened from the outside.  I learned this when I took Gilmer, Carlos and Jorge to the bank to cash their checks.  (sidenote: Gilmer, Carlos and Jorge are from Peru and work on the ranch.  They know very little english, and when I say "little english" I mean they understand hand gestures and some short words.  Communication is limited) So just image me and my three new friends that I cannot have a conversation with going to the bank.  Gilmer who I have gotten to know the best since dating Henry sat in the front seat with me, once we arrived to the bank he and I get out of the car and start walking to the front doors.  I turn and realize the other two are not getting out of the car, so I say to Gilmer "Gilmer, Carlos y Jorge no checks?" he says "yes checks" I say "porque in car?" about this time I see Carlos looking like he is about to JUMP over the front seat and I realize OH YEAH MY DOORS DON'T OPEN!!!  So Gilmer and I run towards the car before Carlos almost loses his mind trying to get out of my car.  Open the door, I'm yelling "Lo Siento!!!" WHOOPSIE, I really need to find the manual to figure out how to fix that.  I dont think they like riding in my car anymore. 



3. My Spanish stinks.
Taking 3 Peruvians grocery shopping at Walmart provides pure entertainmet.  After the bank we needed to get groceries for Carlos since he is taking a band of sheep out to a new area and needs to camp with them.  I have his grocery list and Henry had told me that he needs a little help finding the things he needs.  Ok, sounds easy enough.  Until they all dissapear...except for Carlos following me with his cart.  I needed to pick up a few things for the house as well so I thought I could do both things at once.  Nope.  One minute I am trying to ask Carlos "QUE TIPO?" of soup he wants, I think I am asking him, "What type" does he want, but he looks at me as if I am asking him what's his favorite color or something.  About this time Jorge pops out of no where (Jorge could weigh 110 pounds soaking wet) and is asking to pick up a few things for his camper "Si, Si" I say and then Gilmer is trying to translate something for Carlos about coffee and I have no idea what is going on anymore.  Here I am with 3 Peruvian men trying to get groceries for them and trying to speak the little Spanish I know.  I decide just to walk up and down every aisle so we dont miss anything.  Luckily we survived Walmart and all 3 made it out alive...I think.

4. I'm out of shape.
Insanity workout is called Insanity for a reason.  Started the first dvd today and about died.  I blame the elevation.  And then I made brownies...whoops


5. Date night.
Henry and I are going to the movies tonight.  We have never gone to the movies together, ridiculous right?  I love the movies and he is less than enthused about them but to commemorate my "week" we thought we would celebrate.  Getting crazy here in Montana people I tell you what!


6. Henry loves his cows.
I went with Henry this morning on 1 of his 900 chores he does everyday.  We took some hay out to a pasture of cows.  This is Henry with his new friend, he was unaware they had any friendly cows.

She needs a name

Drive to the cows

a cool Sunday morning

driving back to the ranch

 7. I'm super  fashionable warm.
Lets face it guys, I rather look funny than be cold.  Who doesn't love purple coveralls?

Hope all is well with everyone!  Miss you!

The Drive

Once we decided when I was moving out to Montana we had to figure out how my "stuff" would find its way to Montana.  I voted for a magic carpet, but since those are running low I had to come up with other ideas.  Since Henry was flying out here for Christmas it seemed like a good idea to just have him drive back to Montana with me and as much "stuff" as we could squish into my Equinox.

Christmas came and went (Henry's flight was actually delayed until Christmas Day) I moved out of my appt in Turlock, headed back up to Grass Valley and headed East!  Saying goodbye to my family was hard!  My sister made me cry my eyes out and so did my mother, the only difference is my mom looked at me stone cold in the face and made no facial expressions as I stood there with snot and tears oozing out of my face...thanks mom

ME:



My Mom:



I'm sure she had a really hard time once I left... (love you mom)

The whole time I was preparing myself to move to Montana the one thing I was dreading was the drive.  I usually don't mind long drives, but 17 hours!?  That is a long drive.  Growing up in my family I was used to some long hauls... one time my mother stuffed my siblings and me into a single cab truck with a camper to head to some sheep show a million miles away.  My brother and I decided we would sit in the back of the camper while my sister rode shotgun in the front seat.  I am assuming my brother Pat and I thought sitting in the back was a better idea than the front?  Looking back now, it makes no sense, maybe our mother didn't want someone stuck back there by themselves?  Who knows.  ANYWAY, we are driving and I remember it being really hot and going over a bump and my brother biting his tongue so hard that it was bleeding down his face.  As we are pounding on the back window of the truck (no slider mind you) he is screaming "I BI MU THONG, I BI MU THONG!"  My mother, who was less than unimpressed was not pulling over to fix some "Thong" and made him suffer through it.  Lesa was probably laughing in the front seat.  I hope the AC was out that day, in fact I am sure it was in that truck.


Sorry, that was a random side story.

So Henry and I decided to make a two day drive, first we left about 11am Friday after Christmas to get to Elko Nevada, we were told to stop at the Star Basque Restaurant and man were they right, SO GOOD.  It was also PACKED, apparently the place is a favorite among locals and tourists.  Henry of course sparked up conversation over a Picon with the guy next to him, they chit chatted about farming/snow/manly things, while I downed my Hot Toddy, that was more whiskey than hot water.  The common saying is "if you leave hungry, you did something wrong" and although it was after the holidays and you should then start to "diet" as they say we threw caution to the wind and had ourselves a nice steak, and about 45 other side dishes they kept bringing to the table.



Before we got to Elko we decided that after we ate dinner we should continue our drive a few more hours to get the most out of the day to make the drive a little shorter on Saturday.  We made it to Twin Falls Idaho, it was FREEZING COLD there and someones tongue would definitely get stuck to a pole in that town.  basically once we hit HWY 20 after leaving Grass Valley, it was snow the entire drive.  I really liked that since driving through northern Nevada can be quite ugly.

Waking up Saturday I realized I was SICK, I had not been feeling well a few days prior but kept thinking it was just a little bug that would go away.  Well I felt like death had run over me, I pulled myself together as much as I could and we got on the road by 8am.  Henry drove the whole day since he doesn't know what to do with himself sitting in a passenger seat twiddling his thumbs.  So I sat shotgun and did this the whole time:
  

Yes, I was that attractive too.

The drive on Saturday went by pretty quick.  We stopped at the border of Montana so I could pee take a picture with the Montana sign.  Very exciting stuff people!

We made it to Molt Saturday evening and was excited to finally make it, I popped champagne and went to bed!  Overall the drive was not bad at all.  Probably because I am so much fun to hang out with in a car for 17 hours... yeah I am sure Henry would agree :)

Transition

Hello Friends!

I figured this was a good way to keep everyone up to date with me and my move to Montana!

Looking back it looks like I tried to start a blog 3 different times on here, lets hope this one sticks.  YEEE HAWWWWWWWWWW