First Day
I'm gonna be so sore tomorrow.
Today was my first day working at the barn, and work it *was.* I expected to be there for about 2 hours today, but I was there about 30 minutes longer than that and could have probably stayed the full 3 hours!
Getting the horses out to the pasture was no problem. Cleaning and filling the water buckets was no problem. Mucking out the stalls WAS a problem. I really, really hope they were so dirty because no one has done a good job with them lately. We always had to clean our lesson horse's stall at VI, and it never took me as long as it took me to do each stall today. The task itself is not difficult-- take out the obvious manure piles, shovel out the peed on bedding and then fluff up the remaining bedding, banking it along one wall (and adding more if necessary). But, especially in the first stall I did, there was so much old, hidden crap (literally!) when I went to fluff up the bedding, I swear I was ready to cry. There *is* a small possiblity that these horses really are just messy when they're in their stalls, and maybe this is how it's going to be every day. Well, what are you gonna do? But I'm willing to bet that's not the case.
The other thing that took awhile was cleaning the barn itself. Sharon likes the place to look neat, so she asked me to sweep/vacuum the main aisle and around the stall doors and also to get rid of any cobwebs I found. Again, this is all very much easier said than done. Obviously I couldn't do this before cleaning the stalls, so by the time I got to this particular chore, I was beat. I did the best I could, but it wasn't as clean as it could have been. I also decided not to muck out the main pasture until tomorrow nor refill the pile of hay that's kept downstairs. I also needed to get home relatively early today to make sure I'd have enough time to do laundry before work; tomorrow I'm not doing anything until the evening, so I could spend all morning there if I wanted to. We'll see.
And keep in mind that, as she said, if it keeps taking me longer than expected to do these things, I can (and will!) ask for a raise. :p
I have to admit I'm a tiny bit worried. Yes, I spent a lot of time on the stalls but I'm convinced that I could have done a better job. It's hard to know what one person's definition of a "well cleaned stall" is because it all comes down to one's own opinion. Guess I will find out tomorrow, if she leaves me any extra notes in the tack room. I don't think she'll be displeased, maybe she'll have a few suggestions, but that's okay.
Oh, and I am so taking my old radio/CD player with me tomorrow. A little background music can't hurt.
**********************
I got an email from my friend Jen yesterday morning. Turns out that she and her boyfriend got engaged recently, so she wanted to share the good news.
Well, that's great for them and I'm happy for them, etc, etc. No, I'm not being sarcastic. :p They're not getting married until she finishes grad school though, so it's not going to be for awhile.
Personally, I've never been too enthused by the whole "traditional wedding" thing, and kinda think it's a waste of money! I don't want a fancy dress that I'm never going to wear again, I wouldn't even *have* bridesmaids since I have like two female friends, and why go out and get a fancy cake when a devil's food cake with marshmallow frosting from Entenmann's is tasty and cheap? :p I don't know, other people can do what they want but the whole thing is not for me. Rich and I had thought about it, of course, but he was more into it than I was! haha I *do* want to get married some day, but all I want is a simple affair with a few family members, a few friends and some good food.
My parents have even said they'd be happy if I just eloped, so that's always an option, haha.
Well, not like I have to think about this for awhile anyway. :p
************
Dammit! I just found out that a group is being organized through the Wake Up Walmart website to go out to Waterfire this Saturday to distribute info and get more people to sign the "I won't buy back to school supplies at Hell*Mart" pledge. If I weren't going to the Green Day concert, I would so very much be there. Why couldn't they fall on different Saturdays? ;0
All for now. Going to bed a little earlier tonight just cuz. I must admit that's the sucky part to working at the farm. I miss being up late already!
Today was my first day working at the barn, and work it *was.* I expected to be there for about 2 hours today, but I was there about 30 minutes longer than that and could have probably stayed the full 3 hours!
Getting the horses out to the pasture was no problem. Cleaning and filling the water buckets was no problem. Mucking out the stalls WAS a problem. I really, really hope they were so dirty because no one has done a good job with them lately. We always had to clean our lesson horse's stall at VI, and it never took me as long as it took me to do each stall today. The task itself is not difficult-- take out the obvious manure piles, shovel out the peed on bedding and then fluff up the remaining bedding, banking it along one wall (and adding more if necessary). But, especially in the first stall I did, there was so much old, hidden crap (literally!) when I went to fluff up the bedding, I swear I was ready to cry. There *is* a small possiblity that these horses really are just messy when they're in their stalls, and maybe this is how it's going to be every day. Well, what are you gonna do? But I'm willing to bet that's not the case.
The other thing that took awhile was cleaning the barn itself. Sharon likes the place to look neat, so she asked me to sweep/vacuum the main aisle and around the stall doors and also to get rid of any cobwebs I found. Again, this is all very much easier said than done. Obviously I couldn't do this before cleaning the stalls, so by the time I got to this particular chore, I was beat. I did the best I could, but it wasn't as clean as it could have been. I also decided not to muck out the main pasture until tomorrow nor refill the pile of hay that's kept downstairs. I also needed to get home relatively early today to make sure I'd have enough time to do laundry before work; tomorrow I'm not doing anything until the evening, so I could spend all morning there if I wanted to. We'll see.
And keep in mind that, as she said, if it keeps taking me longer than expected to do these things, I can (and will!) ask for a raise. :p
I have to admit I'm a tiny bit worried. Yes, I spent a lot of time on the stalls but I'm convinced that I could have done a better job. It's hard to know what one person's definition of a "well cleaned stall" is because it all comes down to one's own opinion. Guess I will find out tomorrow, if she leaves me any extra notes in the tack room. I don't think she'll be displeased, maybe she'll have a few suggestions, but that's okay.
Oh, and I am so taking my old radio/CD player with me tomorrow. A little background music can't hurt.
**********************
I got an email from my friend Jen yesterday morning. Turns out that she and her boyfriend got engaged recently, so she wanted to share the good news.
Well, that's great for them and I'm happy for them, etc, etc. No, I'm not being sarcastic. :p They're not getting married until she finishes grad school though, so it's not going to be for awhile.
Personally, I've never been too enthused by the whole "traditional wedding" thing, and kinda think it's a waste of money! I don't want a fancy dress that I'm never going to wear again, I wouldn't even *have* bridesmaids since I have like two female friends, and why go out and get a fancy cake when a devil's food cake with marshmallow frosting from Entenmann's is tasty and cheap? :p I don't know, other people can do what they want but the whole thing is not for me. Rich and I had thought about it, of course, but he was more into it than I was! haha I *do* want to get married some day, but all I want is a simple affair with a few family members, a few friends and some good food.
My parents have even said they'd be happy if I just eloped, so that's always an option, haha.
Well, not like I have to think about this for awhile anyway. :p
************
Dammit! I just found out that a group is being organized through the Wake Up Walmart website to go out to Waterfire this Saturday to distribute info and get more people to sign the "I won't buy back to school supplies at Hell*Mart" pledge. If I weren't going to the Green Day concert, I would so very much be there. Why couldn't they fall on different Saturdays? ;0
All for now. Going to bed a little earlier tonight just cuz. I must admit that's the sucky part to working at the farm. I miss being up late already!
posted by Erica at 9:00 PM
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