Frittata anyone?

I got home from work today and the incubator had hit 125 degrees. We have been unable to get the temperature to stay steady. I think we cooked the poor things. I'm very sad. Should we try again? I don't know. I just dont know if I can stand the thought of additional failure here. Poor little chickies.

On a happier note, my friend Babs got 4 little goats. Dixie, Daisy, Dotty & Gigi. I'm so jealous. They are nubian pigmy goats and she brought them home in the back of her mini van. Aren't they cute? She says I can play with them whenever I want. They aren't for dairy though. I'm trying to convince her she should try it!

The egg, Jill, & I

Yesterday we played tourist on Whidbey Island. We prowled around Coupeville. We saw an orca spouting, We went to Ebey's Landing and poked around Isaac Ebey's house - which I love. We went to Fort Casey and explored all the ammunition chambers and assorted dark cavernous spaces. It was a good day.

Sadly, we had to come home today. Jill talked me into bringing a little bit of rural life with us. We brought home 4 (cross your fingers) fertilized chicken eggs. The two little ones would be the chicks fathered by the little white rooster on the banner. The two bigger eggs are, well, obviously from the bigger chickens and the bigger rooster.

We also brought home an incubator. What an adventure this will prove to be. Eggs need 21 days to hatch. If all goes well we'll be having a little birthday celebration about May 3. Are you excited? I'm excited. Jill is more excited. She's reading the book and she's assured me she'll turn the eggs and monitor the temperature and the humidity. I may be the chicken queen - but she is running the chicken nursery. Jill the chicken nanny.

New Stuff

Several years ago, about the time I started considering dating again (2007), I made a New Year's Resolution: THIS will be the year I do things I have never done before! It was a rousing success that lead me to some mighty adventures. That year I:

• Rode on a mondo-huge roller coaster (I hate roller coasters.. riding on one did not change my opinion).
• Went to Jamaica.
• Rode on the back of a motorcycle.
• Fell in love with Peter.
• Spent a week in jail (kidding!!).

But this year.. We're talking seriously "never done it before" stuff!


Today alone I moved irrigation pipe, prepped a field for planting a vineyard, had a chicken round-up and got stabbed in the backside by a hawthorne tree. It was all so much more fun that the roller-coaster!

Go to College!

I've lost my job. I still go to work. I still get paid. But I have no work. About two weeks ago the work I was doing no longer exists. I go to work. I do my best to look like I'm working hard. It's brutal. Faking it is hard. I've asked my boss for work - but there is none to be had.

• 15 years ago I was an awesome Novell Network Administrator.. Since then things have changed (welcome Active Directory) and those skills are now antiquated.
• 15 years ago I could get into DOS and re-write .bat files and make all sorts of cool and awesome things happen on a desktop pc. Since then things have changed and those skills are now antiquated.. (DOS...what's DOS??)
• 5 years ago I could make html sing and dance. Hello asp, cf, js, and more. bye bye html.
• 3 years ago I was the technical trainer. On-line training and another employee has taken over.
• 2 years ago I could write code like nobody's business in our Web Content Management Software. That software is now at end of life and being replaced - and handed over to another division.
• I was once the GroupWise expert. GroupWise was replaced by Outlook about 18 months ago.
• 6 months ago I was neck deep in Microsoft SharePoint creating sites and wikis and blogs and more. My agency has now scrapped that project.

Yesterday my employer started the process of figuring out what skills I have so that they can find a new place for me. The process involved defining my "desires" as far as a job goes. The concept is so alien to me. I'm 50 years old and find myself with no marketable skills, no degree and very worried.

If anyone knows of a job where they value socializing, knitting and drinking coffee, please send them my way! Of course, in a little over a year, I think I'll find my bliss...

- oh.. I've started a lovely hot pink beret for Jill. I'll show it to you soon. I'm almost done.