Have a desire to do well, love for others and have a good day.

     Big fun weekend.  Duke & I traveled to Perry saturday morning for the Cherokee Strip showback.  Perfect weather and a good turn out with some really good goats.  We had to get home in a hurry as we needed to go to a social function in Woodward on Saturday evening.  The Taylor’s & Kelln’s all piled into the ’93 Chevy Van and went to the NRA banquet.  This deal was packed to capacity.  Why?  Well, Phil, Miss Kay and Alan were the featured guests.  The kids all got autographs.  They look exactly like they do on tv.  I’ve seen other actors, tv/movie personalities, musicians before and they don’t hardly ever look quite like they do on the screen.  Not this, crew.  Exactly!   Phil was the guest speaker for the evening.  And he did a whale of a good job.  Not just some 5 minute appearance speech.  It wasn’t a fire & brimstone, scripture quoting preaching, but he forevermore laid it down with a lot of common sense regarding Jesus, life and government.  It was very good.  Alan did a fun opening bio about the family.  The kids loved his stories and powerpoint regarding labs and Uncle Cy.  Did I mention that this was in Woodward, OK?

     Sunday, Duke and I got home from church and we had a little bit of tractor driving school.  He learned about clutches, throttles, shifting and don’t hit high line poles or fences with the drills.  We planted a little test plot.  Then people started showing up.  We looked at some goats, clipped one or two and decided NOT to photo the bred does that will be for sale.       

     I wanted to go to Pfeiffer’s sale tonight, but there were too many obstacles to trip over and be there on time.  So, our crew had a new bidder standing in.  Hopefully, he did well.  We’ll see.

     It’s homecoming at Shattuck on this fine evening.  I’m out.  Duke was way in.  I did make him take his sunglasses off before he left.  You can only wear so much retarded stuff on any one evening.  I’ve showed him a couple of my best dance moves, but I learned them from a couple of John Travolta movies and the Village People.  Soooo, he will probably be more of a stumbler than a dancer.  Then again, judging from his homework, he will be a shuffler. 

     I’m watching/listening to the Cardinals play a little baseball against the Dodgers on this fine evening.  Cards/Sox world series fits my schedule. I like watching those teams.  I don’t have a vested interest in either team.  I just like the organizations, their ballparks and the way they play.   OSU sports, I like, but normally they just put me in a foul mood.  I’m better off “watching” those clowns on the radio.  Notre Dame is the only other team that I give a care about.  I don’t live and die with them.  But, I like them and would like to go watch a game  in that stadium.  

     I got up from the earlier post, because I NEEDED to, in order to preserve my place in this piece of paradise.  Either, my son or myself was going to be dragon fodder.  Beings as how my youngest offspring was the cause of the problem, I took the brunt of the flames (I’m thinking ahead.  That, and I am borderline flame RETARDant.)  Duke and I spent the next 20 minutes working on vocabulary problems.  Thank goodness it wasn’t 7th grade algebra.  I can’t do that.  Why?  It is useless crap that only math teachers and a couple of NASA rocket scientists (that are currently un-employed) know how to use.  I can use real life math real well and real quick.  This stuff that they are required by LAW to know, I’m out.  Why?  I don’t need it and don’t use it.  

     Answer me this:  shouldn’t our leaders know how to earn, manage and save their own money before they are allowed to have control of our nation’s budget?  Seems simple to me.  I’d rather have a single location, quick stop owner running our country than some clown that never had a real job.  How can you run a country if you’ve never dealt with margins, cash discounts, income, expenses, drive-offs, left-over corn dogs, no-show employees, etc.?      You want to talk sexism or racism?  If you are running a business that you depend on, then you won’t care about color, race, age, sex, etc. as long as that person will show up on time, work–not steal, do the job that they are paid to do and clean the bathroom when needed.  

        Here’s how we fix our country.  

Don’t pay politicians.  Don’t give them any benefits that are any different than the rest of the country.  If there are no benefits or pay, only the truly dedicated ones will rise to the task.  That is how this country was founded.  

Consider GOOD teachers as professionals and pay them what they are worth.  

Military personnel and clergy men/women should always be treated with reverance.  

Quit idolizing athletes, movie stars and musicians.  Appreciate them for what they are and that is it.  I thoroughly enjoy a good game, watching a great movie and jamming out to some tunes.  That’s it.  I’ll spend some cash to watch any of the above.  But that’s it.  I don’t need to listen to them for guidance, politics or well hell, anything for that matter.  Most people know somebody in a local coffee stop that is smarter than any of the above, they just didn’t have the cash to buy a public opinion.  Charles Barkley was right, athletes shouldn’t be role models. 

      None of us need our current government, media or sociological problems.  We have allowed these things to exist because we didn’t need rid of them.  

     I NEED to stop.  

We all NEED to thank GOD for what we have.  We NEED to look for oppotunities to help others.  PRAY.  We need to work.  VOTE.  We need to PRAY that we can have the opportunity to WORK to HELP others.–“in less need for charity, but more of it when needed.”  

I’m done.  For now.  Although, I still think that I might need a tank.

    There aren’t very many things that I sit around thinking that I need.  I’m not hungry, homeless, disabled, isolated, etc.  I’ve got a good job, great family and friends and bad hobbies which lead to bad habits.  I’m not rich, but I know how to make some money when needed.  I’m really lucky and I know it, love it and therefore, I have a large time in life.  I didn’t think that I would make it to adulthood and I did not plan on being 40 or older.  Now, I have a phenomenal daughter who is a responsible adult, a son that has a chance to become a productive citizen and a wife that is still here putting up with my crap (how’d that happen?).  Since, I didn’t plan on 40, I have some concerns on making it to 90+ like a lot of my ancestors.  I shouldn’t be allowed to have that many years of fun.  There are only a few things that I truly need in life that I don’t have.

1–A tank.  Not a water tank, an actual tank.  With ammo for it.  This would be great fun.  No, I have not ever driven a tank or shot the guns, but it wouldn’t take me long to figure it out.  I would also use it in times of national defense, if needed.  Watch the movie “Kelly’s Hero’s”.  I would have a bloody, beautiful tank–playing music as we go.

2–TIME–Who doesn’t need more of this?  I can tell you who.  Those dumb bastards in washington D.C.  

3–I need somebody that can transfer an iTunes account.  I have 549 songs in an existing iTunes account, but with the new phone, newer email address, conversion from a pc to a mac computer, it won’t let me download MY account (bought & paid for) to MY new phone and it pisses me off.  The cat AT at&t told me that he had the same problem and it took him 6 hours on the phone with an apple genius (think about that term) to get his accounts merged.   refer to #2– I don’t have the time, patience or desire to sit on a phone, in front of a computer trying to get what is already mine.  If an at&t employee that sells iPhones has hell with this problem, why should I think that I could get something done.  I should be able to type into MY account and then type in a dang phone # and download that crap to that phone.  I already paid for it.  I’m pretty sure that our government has something to do with iTunes.  Why?  It is shutdown and doesn’t work properly.  

4–A government that functions.  These crayon eating tards (your president and congress) that are sponging off of all of us need to look at history, not at polls.  We need representation of people that have actually done it.  By done it, I mean worked fields, had a time clock job, had a boss, understood a dollar–not inherited it, lied for it or cheated for it.  They need to understand what it means to be a representative.  Go to WORK in Washington D.C., for NO pay, then come back to their jobs after ONE term.  Read the last paragraph of the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln (do they still teach this in school?).  

“But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Highlights include:  Under GOD and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from Earth.

WE need people in leadership positions that understand what a DOLLAR actually is and how to MAKE a dollar, not print it or spend it.  We need a government that doesn’t use the terms Debt Ceiling, trillions, campaign funds, lobbyists or RE-ELECTION.  They NEED to understand ONE TERM, NO PAY, SERVICE, JOB.  If they do a good job of the people, by the people, and for the people, they will by heroes, rich, etc.  If not, they can come stab goat turds at my place with chop sticks.  

People have more money than ever, but our governments (city, some states and national) are broke.  Why?  When people EARN their money, they spend it as they see fit (see high $ goat sales).  When they don’t earn it themselves, they piss it away.  Money is only valuable when you understand the value of the labor, time and commitment that it took to earn said money.  

I need our government to be OF the people, BY the people and truly FOR the people.

5–I need the word “obama” to be the sound that all toilets make when being flushed.  He & his fellow politicians have never had a real job.  He’s played dirty pool to get his banners and now they are pissing away the money that others earned.  Our nation will survive this.  Just look at charities, fundraisers, church collections, etc.  We, as a nation, have money.  We get things done to take care of those that we want to help.  We just don’t give two squirts of duck shit for people that are incompetent, crooked or un-trustworthy.  Hopefully, they will spend their way out of office, then actual people, with common sense, will move in take over and get things done.  

6–I need an un-biased media.  I need Gary England to give me the news, not the weather.  Somebody that we trusted for the past 40 years.  I need somebody like my Mom to give me the news.  She is INCAPABLE of lying or sensationalizing anything.  Straight forward and ALWAYS with the thought that GOD is watching and listening.  I can do the straight forward part, but I know that GOD is good at forgiveness, (I listened to that part in MASS.)  so I still have a chance at talking my way out of that last stupid stunt, whichever one it was.  If I get hit by lightning, you people will know why.

 7–I need a smaller government.  I need a president that actually understands the value of a strong military.  I need a president that will negotiate with fellow Americans, not the syrians or other skid mark regimes.  

     No matter how this deal ends up, the United States and the Roman Empire will go down as the greatest civilzations ever on Earth.  “Et Tu, Brute?”  And these “elected” officials will be noted–nameless, I might add, to the reason of the fall.  oBAMa isn’t the first or the worst, just a part of the problem.  They weren’t true citizens.   

8–I need a better goat in Duke’s pen.  Whoever, is picking his goats needs to do a better job. Wait, how old is he?  12.  Oh heck, he’ll be alright, we haven’t hit the debt ceiling yet.  Give it a while or so and I will be able to buy his goats with gov’t money because his dad is mentally disabled and then they will send him a funds card that as long as the online sale is advertised as a community development event it can be spent on show “projects” for the needy as they are a “food” item.  And whatever is leftover on the card can be spent at Charlie’s because their products are made from barley and other subsidized programs.  RUSM?!

     I normally don’t bring a whole lot of work stuff into this blog.  I see my job and goats as seperate deals, even though a lot of my customers just so happen to show goats.  But, a lot of work stuff, everyday life stuff and goat stuff all ties together from time to time.  

     Anybody that has dealt with me in the past two months is well aware of the mission that I have been on to hire more service techs.  I have decided that they are like hay, get all of it that you can, because you will need more in months to come.

     Last Thursday, I hired a service tech over the phone while I was at Tulsa.  He is from Beaumont, Texas.  Showed up in Woodward, Ok in a ’96 cadillac with his tools and went to work on Friday.  Now, we have stories.  Stories that involve:  a tent, 9.8 mile walks to work, impounds, divorce, insurance, McDonald’s, no cash, me spending personal money and it looks like this cat is the real deal.  This is a heck of a story.  I just don’t have the ending yet.  I can tell you this much;  either I will be paying him well in a year or so or he will no longer be working for us.  I hope for the first one.  I’m just telling you that there is already a couple of chapters of a book being written.  

     It is really rare that the Dragon Lady can trump any of my stories.  You see, she quit retirement last week (quitter) and  started a new job last week that is tied to the oilfield.  I don’t want to go into depth on her job either.  But she came home with job related stories from today that involve: recovering meth addict, original teeth, doggie door, pet duck, guineas in the house, spastic, basset hound, hyper, gunshot…wait a second, honey, did you say “pet duck?”  

     All I know, is that it is hard to compete with a pet duck.  

      How does this all relate to the goat world?  It’s actually simple.  

1–If you want the top of the line stuff, then you better order a year in advance.

2–Hay, mechanics, good/cheap goats–get all of them that you can get your hands on.  You will always wish that you had more of them.  

3–The harder you work, the more success you will have, no matter the endeavor that you are chasing.  

4–It’s hard to find good people that want to work and when you find them, take care of them.  

5–You can question the cost but the more you pay, the fewer questions you have to ask as they will answer themselves.  

Which leads to this question?  Is it about the money?  

No and No.  But, yes.  WTF?

      I’m a little different than some, but I like the wal-mart deal.  I would rather make a little on every sale and keep you as a repeat customer.  No, I don’t need to make a pile on every sale (goats or equipment).  Move inventory and don’t pay interest.  No, for me, it isn’t about making a pile of money.  However, if Western or the Dragon Lady ever kicks me to the curb, then you will see me cashing a check. 

      And the other NO?  Because you better make some money, it is about paying people what they are worth.  If you deal with somebody that makes things better, pay them.  A top shelf mechanic is almost priceless.  A good employee is cheaper to over-pay than to hire several half-asses to try to replace that one good one and spend the time to find a good replacement.  You can’t make money, in any business, without good ones.  If you are showing, then you need good ones.   And good ones will normally cost you.  In other words, it is possible to spend more in order to make more.  Goats or jobs….it applies to both.

     Is it about the money?  For me?  The answer is no.  I wish I made some money with these goats, but I really just want to break even.  Sometimes, you have to pay it forward and help somebody out.  Like a boomerang, you hope that the goodness will come back.  It’s gotten to the point where I now ask Tammy about a stupid stunt and she agrees.  Doesn’t say much for her intelligience if she agrees with me.  

     Yes, it has to be about the money.  Everybody’s hobby, past-time, addiction is going to cost money.  A person needs to know, ahead of time, what it will cost them.

     A lot of these posts are proof that I like a good story.  Some of them make some readers go “Wait, is that SOB talking about me?”  Some of these deals make some scared of me even though they haven’t met me.  Some posts make my parents wonder what went wrong.  I can tell you this much.  It is hard to write this crap and keep it clean.  Much like a movie, the real thing is always better.

       Wait.  For real?  A pet duck that chases the basset hound?    

     This day is off and running.  Looks like Milligan made the same tourist spot to visit Crush and the great wall.  

     Stopped in at Seelke’s yesterday.  Saw the bred does that they are going to sell next week.  Looks like there will be some good opportunities to buy really good females carrying Rumour Has It kids.  This will be a stellar way to buy some top shelf genetics that will have a short turnaround time.  Buy in October, kid in December, sell in March.  Profit.  Why would they sell these?  They have too many goats on too small an area and too little time to take care of them all.  Combined with keeping replacement doe kids, something has to go.

      I feel their pain.  I have a lot of days where I think about breeding all of my does and selling them all.  But instead, I am just trying to get half ass organized to have a sale in the next two weeks.  I am going to sell about 10 wethers (mostly Joe Dirts), 2 buck prospects (1 really good, 1 DAMN good) and a handful of bred does.  I’m going to clip and photo on Sunday.  Then, it will be up to oklahomashowgoats.com to get the info up and sell them.

      So, last Wednesday evening our crew loaded up at the fairgrounds and headed west out of Tulsa then back to the south.  We followed the hand drawn directions given to us by the person whose house we were headed to…Ernie Tannehill.  We drove past the country club, then turned down the drive to Ernie’s house.  It is a really nice house that sits on about 7 acres.  Add 3 or 4 barns & sheds to house about 50 does and you have Ernie’s new goat operation.  There was a small crowd enjoying the hospitality.  There was a Texan and a Kansan goat giant present.  Throw in some low rent Okies and you had a good grew.

     Ernie has raised sheep for years, but is now venturing into the goat game.  We were there to see his buck purchase.  “Crush” is his new buck.  I had not seen Crush since he was weaned towards the end of May.  This buck has grown out really well.  That is if you like a lot of base width, big bone, hog ass, big back and a cool look.  He is sired by I-40.  Crush was worth the trip out there.

     As we walked out the north side of the barns to look at does, you realize that there is a wall on the west side of the property.  When I say wall, I’m talking 20 feet tall and a 100 hundred yards long kind of wall.  As you stand there and look up towards the top of the wall all you can see over the top is the twin spires of Ernie’s neighbors 4 million dollar house.  All this wall needs to be complete is a drawbridge, a moat and some gators in the moat.  What did this wall cost?

      Ernie has lived there longer than his neighbors, which means that he and his livestock are grandfathered in.  The neighbor doesn’t like Big Ern or his sheep and goats.  He doesn’t want to see them or hear them.  Of course, the neighbor tried to buy Ernie out, but Ernie wasn’t in a selling mood.  High rent district–low rent attitude.  Classic!

     Anyway, look for some really good goats to be raised in the shadow of the great wall.  If you are in the Tulsa area, put Ernie’s place on your stop of things to see.  You will see good goats, a massive wall and Ernie is fun to talk to (I promise you, he will talk and talk.)  

      Beings how there were no Rumour Has It wethers shown at Tulsa and only one doe (which won a class), you would think that there wouldn’t be many rumours.  Well, I was WRONG!!

      in my first hour of being in the gossip barn, excuse me, I meant doe barn;  the first big rumour that I heard was that the judge cancelled and Glen Martin was now the doe judge.  I’m border-line retarded but even I know that Glen wouldn’t judge that show considering his ties to the Pfeiffer Family.  That deal wouldn’t work for anybody.   

     The next big rumour–that 2 wethers tested positive.  RUSM?!  They hadn’t had time to run tests.  And if they had run any tests, it would have been on the grand & reserve.  Basically, the tests hadn’t been run, yet.  And there better not be any wether goats testing positive.  We don’t need that kind of crap in the goat barn.  Keep that stuff in the sheep barn.

     Actually, now that I think about it, there were two wethers that tested POSITIVE–positive for GREATNESS!!  Darcy Peach’s champion in division 6.  He placed 3rd at the Lone Star Elite in 2012 & was res. div. 1 at the tough as nails Woodward District in 2013, then 3rd in class at OYE.  Now, that is a resume until you compare him to Bree Taylor’s “Babe”, which was 2nd at the Lone Star.  Grand at Woodward and 3rd at OYE.   Throw in the fact that “Babe” is a 3 TIME county grand champion and you need a title belt with an entourage headed to the ring.  Add in a wheel chair and a set of dentures for the senior citzen(s).  Long resumes, lots of wins, go out with a banner, that equals greatness in my books.  And I am positive about that.  

      This show wasn’t any different than any other.  A show was held.  Rumours spread.  And the truth will always follow.  

Truths to be told:  Joe Dirt is for real.  Rumours are true.  Rainman just keeps sticking to the truth and stacking the wins.  There is a big wall west of Tulsa.  The doe barn is good for rumours, half truths and a whole lot of BS.  

I’m back here at the Tulsa State Fair. I dulled some clipper blades on a couple of does, then headed back to the hotel. This hotel is on the fairgrounds, which saves me from any possible driving violations. It is a bit of a hike from the doe barn to the hotel. I earned a 3 mile hike merit badge today. That and I should get an award for PATIENCE. Yes, I normally lack this, but the last 2 miles to the hotel took me 58 minutes, while listening to OSU try to give a game away to K-state. Upon leaving the barn, I decided to take a “short” cut through the midway. I enjoy this kind of deal–fly solo into a moving mob of people. I can spend hours, by myself in a crowd, easily entertained. This is what I learned. 1– a lot of people have tattoos. 2–Chevelle is a pretty good band-live. 3–I have better teeth than most on the midway. 4–$30 will buy you 2 blue moon beers and a spicy brat with sauerkraut, curry ketchup & brown mustard. 5–a person needs to speak 3 or 4 languages in today’s society. I only speak American & dipshit. 6–the weather was perfect for a Saturday night on the midway. Back in my teaching days, I had a student or two that liked to cruise the midway and practice livestock evaluation. We would look for Miss Skank OKlahoma. There were rules–1–she had to have at least one visible tattoo. 2–She had to be using a tobacco product. 3–she had to either be drinking a beer or carrying a stuffed animal-or both. 4–proof of eating something fried or dipped. 5–at least A tooth. There were lots of candidates out tonight. That and the spicy brat was dang sure spicy. Couple that with the curry ketchup, sauerkraut, mustard & some barley & hops and that should make for a delightful, gutteral combination.