Coughed up a lung yet?

That's the way its been for 9 days now. I ran into the flu bug about 2 weeks ago. When I didn't get sick in the first 5 days I thought I was good to go. But oh no - it took 2 weeks to incubate and then whammo - I spent 5 days in bed. Barely making it through chores each day and since.

Let me tell you a well run farm can come to screeching hault in a quick hurry if the primary person (and only person) is sick in bed. And when you come back in after 50 minutes of chores, drenched in sweat, that's sick.

So now I am only dealing with a few after effects. I still get played out, and I am coughing like I want to donate a lung to someone. That's the hardest part - this is the type of coughing that makes every muscle in your body participate whether it wants to or not, including your bladder. Yeppers, depends city!

I hear this flu is sweeping the country. I wouldn't wish on the worst person I know, well maybe as punishment to people who break the law, but anyways - its bad.

So what has happened in two weeks. We know I spent a week flat on my back, barely able to keep up with chores. Today I finally got all but 2 stalls cleaned. Let me tell you - after 8 days without them getting cleaned, that's a lot of poo poo! But I am happy. The mommies are in clean stalls again. I got the barn switched around despite everyone's protests on Saturday.

The first mare up is Sugar and she is all but ready. I am waiting for her milk to drop into her nipples and then it will be hourly watching her. I have the foaling stall ready, camera is up and I have been getting up a couple times a night to check, just to make sure she is okay. She's in great spirits, loves that she gets mommy attention, so the foaling stall is the bomb right now.

The next up is Laptop - she started bagging 10 days ago, so we have about 4-5 weeks left before she foals, which puts her two weeks out from her due date. But that's okay. Sugar and foal will be ready to go their own pen then.

And then Silhouette will come right in around Laptop. Bringing up the rear is Carnation, who isn't due until mid May.

All mares look great. And all stallions think so too! Let me tell you, 4 boys in the barn, gets a little noisy at times. But Smokie was moved over to the east wall, into Sugar's old stall and he likes it. Its right next to the door where the women go in and out. Let me tell you - he often is tied up for an hour or so because I am moving mares around. So he is learning patience.

The girls are doing great. Lady is huge! I need to get pics, because she is not the sweet little filly from last June anymore, she is as impressive as Carnation is.

Cookie politely reminds me not to forget her. I fuss with Lady more because she needs it. But Cookie butts her way into the middle to get her scratches too.

The kids (2-4 year old fillies), are all about getting my attention and seeing if I will come play, its warmer you know. But since I have been sick, I have only been able to pat noses for a few seconds.

Everyone is telling me they are bored to tears. I wish I hadn't gotten sick, there has been some great training days missed. And the clock is ticking down.

So the farm is on a low hum right now. The next two days (which I didn't tell Tulip about yet) will most likely be days the kids have to stay in. And that is a bugger because I will again be behind in stall cleaning, but hey - life keeps going on.

So on the personal front - still looking for work. Let me tell you, appreciate what you have right now. The funniest thing I heard was "Well, we don't need someone with your years of experience." Right - did I just hear you say, you don't need someone with my level and years of experience - that's a first.

So the circle of finance works like this - You have a job, you need someone to fill it. Your company has changed its policy on payment from net 30 to net 60 or net 90 now. You send out the request to people who know people. They contact people who do the work. Great you think - a job finally. Then you find out that you getting paid is now net 90 or net 120. Why you ask? Well because the people who contacted you can't get financing to carry you from any lender. Okay - so can you work for 4 months without getting paid, before we can pay you, because we aren't going to get paid for 90 days.

Right. So the job goes unfulfilled. The work remains. The company fumbles because much needed work isn't getting done.

Anyone got a couple million to float a bunch of people for 4 months? I could put 20-30 people to work for 4 months, easy.