April 30th, 2006

All week long I’ve been seeing signs posted here and there in our neighborhood: APRIL 29 SHEEP SHEARING AT KELSEY CREEK FARM.

Since last week I rode all the way to Eugene and back in order to observe a fence being built, I figured JB owed me a tedious activity this weekend, all the better if it was something that held zero appeal to him.

“We are going to watch sheep being sheared on Sunday,” I informed him. “And you have to go with me! To the sheep farm! Ha ha haaaaa, that’ll teach you, Mr. Fencey Von Fencerton!”

I reminded him on a daily basis (“Sheep! Being shaved! It’s going to be awesome!”) until this morning, when we arrived at the farm and walked past one of the ubiquitous APRIL 29 SHEEP posters.

“I wonder why there’s hardly anyone here,” I said. “Maybe because today is the 30th,” JB replied.

Well, all was not lost–I didn’t get to observe the hot man-on-sheep shearing action, which I had built up in my mind to be something like that dippy Australian guy running around after crocodiles (“Crikey, this one’s a beaut! Just look at the wool on this bugga!”), but the farm was so pretty and rural it was hard to believe we were right smack dab in our Bellevue stomping grounds. Riley rode in the backpack carrier, divvying his attention between the bucolic surroundings and the endless puzzle of the carrier’s straps.

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Bok bok bok bok BUGAWK.

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Taken in the reflection of a window.

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JB, boy, and random horse.

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Nothing can sneak up on the boy, for he has ninjalike hearing. Also, a deeply suspicious nature.

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My turn with Riley. I love the backpack carrier, it’s so much more comfortable than the Bjorn thingamajig.

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Farm relic.

:::

In other weekend news, in the brief periods during which Riley napped, I vacuumed the carpet twice, crammed an entire lemon down our sink disposal in an attempt to rid it of a horrifically foul mystery odor, picked several million sticky seed pod things off Dog, and cycled through about forty loads of laundry. We went to Home Depot twice, bought JB a massive package of socks at Fred Meyer, and visited Half Price Books where I purchased my own weight in used magazines.

It’s funny, sometimes I imagine my younger self being able to somehow observe my life today. “Oh my gah,” she’d say, rolling her eyes (which would be ringed like a panda with fifteen layers of Wet n’ Wild black eyeliner pencil, warmed for the task with a hair dryer) at how boring I’ve become.

“You just don’t understand yet,” I’d tell her. “This life, with all its earthly conventions and humdrum moments, is so happy. You are going to be so happy.”

Then I’d make her watch me putting on pink lipstick, just to blow her fucking mind.

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Sara
17 years ago

Hey! Have you tried the “ice cubes with lemons in the disposal” trick? That’s worked for me. I can’t believe I have this knowledge, but it has helped us in the past. Also, that carrier looks cool — did you get it at REI? We have a frame carrier, but that one looks less cumbersome. Maybe I need one! I’m glad you survived the trip down I-5.

Dillygirl
17 years ago

I have the foul mystery odor in my sink drain too! I tried drano, but it didn’t do the trick. Let me know if the lemon thing works. Also, that farm is so beautiful. It looks like it was a nice day to be outdoors, despite the lack of sheep entertainment.

Jessica
Jessica
17 years ago

Hey, since you missed out on the sheep shearing action, check out these photos my hubby took of a sheep getting sheared at an agricultural fair. The little girl with the mic was the farmer’s daughter, and she was explaining the whole process while it was happening. But not in an Australian accent.

gabby
17 years ago

Baking soda. Pour it down the drains and let it sit there for a little while before grinding up the citrus. Neutralizes and then makes it smell nummy. Seriously.

jonniker
17 years ago

This is the nicest entry ever. It makes me want to run out, have a baby and take him to a phantom sheep shearing with a little Home Depot mixed in for good measure.

Caitlin
Caitlin
17 years ago

“…for he has ninjalike hearing. Also, a deeply suspicious nature.”

That picture almost made me spit out my damn coffee!! Also, am loving the t-shirt-over-long-sleeve-couple look you and JB are sporting–cutey mc cuterstein, as always.

Jessie
17 years ago

I hate phantom smells from the garbage disposal. I don’t know what my husband puts down that thing when I’m not looking, but the result is horrendus. I usually use the lemon trick and it seems to work.

Hope you all had a lot of fun at the farm despite missing the hot shearing action. It sure looks like it was a good time.

ElizabethZ
ElizabethZ
17 years ago

The “ninja” photo is priceless. Thanks for the Monday morning smiles. Great post :)

honeybecke
honeybecke
17 years ago

Awesome pictures of the farm. Looks like such a fun day.

PS> Am I the only one who thinks we need to see a picture of our little (former) goth princess?

Gwen
17 years ago

The ninja picture of Riley is hilarious. Also, if lemon doesn’t work, try used coffee grinds. Seriously.

Shannon
17 years ago

I love the Kelsey Creek area–so beautiful out there! It’s hard to believe it hasn’t been horribly overdeveloped yet.

We definitely need to see some photos of the younger Sundry!

Annie
17 years ago

The Ninja picture is my favorite. “…highly suspicious nature”, hee hee hee.

If the lemons don’t work, baking soda or white vinegar are both good options.

telegirl
telegirl
17 years ago

Puh-leeeeeeease post at least one Goth girl picture! Your last thought was really poignant. It’s amazing how much things change when you get older and your priorities all change. One summer in college when I stayed with my older sister and her husband, they’d come home from a movie at 10:00 and I’d be getting ready to go out. I remember them asking, “How do you do it?!” and me ecstatically replying, “How can you not?!”

I’m in bed by 10:00 now…

Amanda
Amanda
17 years ago

The suspicious smell in your garbage disposal is so much more poignant after watching the latest episode of ‘Big Love’ last night…

Alex
17 years ago

I adore the last bit of this entry. That’s AWESOME.

K
K
17 years ago

Your hair looks so cute in pigtails! Also, I agree with the Let’s-See-Teen-Sundry-Pics request!

K
K
17 years ago

Speaking of teen Sundry, I was trying to track down some some photos I had seen online of Angelina Jolie at 13, to show someone how big her lips were even then. Needless to say, searching something along the lines of “angelina jolie as a young girl” on google is a BAD BAD idea.

Caitlin
Caitlin
17 years ago

I’m commenting again to second the request for sundry-goth photos (though she’s stonewalled us before, folks…). Pretty please?

pippa
17 years ago

How long did it take to soften the eyeliner with the blow dryer? Cuz I totally used a lighter. Then again, that make it extra black, er, burned. And I was a really bad girl who smoked.

angela
17 years ago

i, too, reccommend the ice-cubes-down-the-disposal method.

Jem
Jem
17 years ago

I loved that photo of Riley looking ninja. NINJA AS.

Pleeeeeeeease post a photo of you when you were younger and angry?