Probably not a very good idea...

So, during lunchtime I went to a party supply store about 3 miles north of my office to look for Mardi Gras stuff to incorporate into a bento box lunch on Tuesday.  I didn't find anything I really wanted to spend money on for just one day and it was all too theme-y for other uses.  Anyway, Party City is in a strip mall and it was super crowded, which is normal for a Friday afternoon.  Or really any afternoon during lunch since there's several food places in the center.  Anyway, I was trying to find the store and when I drove around the building, the first thing I see is...

That truck and trailer is taking up at least 5 parking spaces RIGHT BY the businesses.  Wow.  I wouldn't care so much about it being there if it was parked further back so it didn't interfere with other traffic.  As far as I could tell, there were no horses in the trailer.  I then went inside the party store and when I came back out I noticed this one...

Now, at least this one is parked in such a way that it doesn't interfere with the flow of traffic nor does it take up any parking spaces.  It did, however, contain a horse.  Bad Idea #2.  The temperature is probably at least 75 to 80 degrees right now, which means the interior of the trailer is likely over 100 degrees.  The side windows were down, but still...that's really a bad idea to leave your horse in the trailer.  I was at the shopping center for at least 10 minutes, if not 15, so these two vehicle owners weren't just a "quick run in/run out" type thing.  There was a pet supply store near the party store and they "may" have been in there, but they could also very likely have been in one of the restaurants.  I felt bad for the horse that was stuck inside the 2nd trailer.  Not only because he was forced to be in a trailer for who knows how long on a pretty warm day, but if you look, you'll see where the vehicle came from...Alaska.  Who trailers ONE horse from Alaska to Arizona for a show?  If they are here for the rodeo this weekend, are the points that important that you MUST participate?  They might be stragglers from the Arabian show that ended Sunday, but again, one horse?  I can't imagine trailering a single horse all that way for a show, but then again, I've never been on the show circuit so I don't know the mentality.  Another possibility is that the Alaska trailer, they just moved here, but...I don't know.  I just wish they hadn't had a horse in it.  If they're here for the rodeo, why not leave your trailer at the nearby show grounds then come back and get your lunch or whatever?    Oh well.  Something interesting about the trailer is that it comes from a dealer in Texas.  hahaha.  You don't really go through Texas to get from Alaska to Arizona or vice versa.  Maybe they bought it secondhand from someone.  Who knows?

I'm glad it's Friday.  It's supposed to rain tomorrow, but we shall see.  It was only supposed to be 76 today and I think we've passed that so I'll believe the rain when I see it.  I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Bonne Fete

Although with a name like Bonne Fete (Happy Birthday in French), he would be better as a special for the Big Easy Bash with their Mardi Gras theme than Breyerfest, but boy am I glad he's not.  This is a definite MUST HAVE that I will HAVE to find a pick-up for.  Are you ready?  Are you sure?  Okay.  Hold onto your hat...

I LOVE this one.  I MUST HAVE this one!  But since I'm not going to Breyerfest I must now find someone to do a pick-up for me.  It shouldn't be too hard since there's always ads on MHB and MH$P from people offering to do pick-ups, but considering the paint job on this guy, he's going to be popular.  AAAAA.  I MUST have this horse.  Wow. 

Now that I look at him, though, I wonder if he's supposed to be Silver Bay and that's why he's part of Breyerfest and their Silver Anniversary.  I can't see too much of the mane, but the tail makes it look like he can be a Silver Bay.  It doesn't matter, though.  I must have him!  Oh, did I say that already?  hahaha.

I went to Blab to see if anyone was talking about him and was about to start a thread about him when I decided to check the one about BF exclusive models and saw that they were.  Boy am I glad I looked.  I always feel bad for the people who start a thread about something and someone tells them there's already another one on the same or similar subject.  Like, the bread about the exclusive model thread and someone else started one about a specific model.  Another person said they were already talking about the model on the other thread.  I just want to say "So what?"  The new thread was about a specific model, not all of them.  Oh well.  Anyway, back to this new SR tent special...apparently some people think the mold looks wonky.  I don't know the specifics behind it.  To me the Big Easy Bash one looks wonky, but that's only because of the face markings.  I don't think Bonne Fete looks all that wonky, but I may be blinded by the cool paint job.  I have hopefully found someone to do a pick-up for me, but we'll see.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  She said she did pick-ups for someone in Oregon last year and asked her for a list of her three favorites.  Well, this is really the only one I want so then what?  I dunno.

Yesterday we had pet drama going on and my mom asked if I could get off work early to help her take care of it.  She asked that I call her and let her know so she could make the vet appointment.  Well, when I called to let her know I'd be home an hour early like she'd asked me to, she asked if I'd gotten my brother's text.  I said no and she said that he'd made the appointment for 10am so I didn't need to come home early after-all.  Well, I'd already gotten the time off so I decided to go do an afternoon horse hunt.  All the times I've seen them it's been earlier in the day...before 10am...but figured it wouldn't hurt to try later in the day.  Besides, I needed time to myself and wasn't ready to go home and face Curley being gone.  After 15 years it's not easy.  Well, I didn't see any horses, but I didn't really expect to.  I was bummed for sure, but I try to look at it this way...if I don't see them every time I go looking it makes me appreciate them more when I do see them.  I don't want to take for granted that they're always there to see whenever I want.  It would be nice if they were, but I'm glad they aren't.

Well, I hope everyone has a great weekend!

No Me Winnie...

So, on Saturday I posted about the new Greek Goddess model Breyer was giving away to Collector's Club members. A beautiful blue/grey appaloosa named Hera. I entered every day there was to enter, which was only 4 days, then waited (im)patiently for an email saying I'd won the chance to buy her. I'd even managed to get a couple of people to enter for me as well. They were supposed to contact the winners today and nobody seemed to be getting emails. I had the internet turned on on my phone so I'd see when the email came in, but I wasn't getting anything. Then I saw I had an email and immediately went to look at it, only to be told it was from Amazon. So I went to Blab to see if anyone had gotten notification yet and saw that some people were getting "buy now" when they were logged into their account. Immediately I went to my account, but...I got the dreaded "sorry, this contest is now closed" bar. So I went back to Blab to comismerate with my fellow losers. Someone posted that they got the bar, too, but the purchase to buy was on the CC home page so I quickly "ran" back to the CC page, but there was no option to buy. I'm bummed, sure, and there's still a chance one of my other two people (one has already said they didn't win) who offered to enter for me will win, but if not, that's okay, too. Wow, there's a lot of commas there, huh? hahaha. Anyway, if I am unlucky all the way around, that's okay and I won't try for her on the secondary market. My wallet will be happy for that. And at least one Blabber who congas the mold won so I'm super glad for that.

Oh well. Anyway, my weekend was good. I had a 4 day weekend and went horse hunting on Friday. I did see a small herd in a different spot than I have before, but there was too much brush where they were and by the time I got turned around, I couldn't find them so they must've went deeper into the desert. Bummer, for sure, but that's okay. Every day I DON'T see them while out looking makes me appreciate when I do get to see them. I decided not to do anything on Monday and just hung out with my mom. I got nothing done over the weekend that I would've liked to, but that's nothing new. hahahaha.

Happy Tuesday!

**eta** There's already one ad up on MH$P for sale and while it's not at a huge mark-up, they're definitely taking advantage of those who want the model.

Hera...first model in Breyer's new Greek Goddess series...

So, I was without decent internet service yesterday.  And by 'decent' I meant something bigger than a small-ish cell phone (I have a Motorola Defy XT) so I didn't get into my email until about 4:30, I think.  I was surprised to see one from Breyer about a new series.  Last year it was Greek Gods and this year it's Goddesses.  So I went to the website and...omg...

What's not to like about this gal?  The coloring is very nice and the mold is pretty neat, too.  I don't have any on this mold, but you don't have to conga every model nor only buy models you conga, right?  So I'm entering daily for her and I have two people on Blab entering for me, too.  The Greek God series from 2013 weren't really all that exciting and I wasn't too disappointed to not win any of them and the one I did win wasn't for me, but the Goddess series is off to a good start and I really hope it's a sign of the models to come in the Goddess series.  I wonder, though, about the Big Cat series.  They had the first one last year and nothing since.  Not that I mind, but I'm curious.

Now I'd like to vent a little.  Each Saturday my mom and I make a menu for the coming week for dinner.  We try to make something all three of us like and we often try to get my brother's input.  Tonight we were doing our weekly menu and trying to get his input and he goes off about how we're eating foods with too much fat in it and he needs to change his eating habits.  Blah blah blah.  Well, beer has a lot of calories and he drinks a LOT of beer.  So again, I ask what he'd like for dinner that is less fatty and he says he doesn't know.  Really?  I just don't know what to do with him sometimes.  And for the record, we don't eat tons of stuff that is considered fatty, but we can't have chicken 7 days a week.  And it's up to him to not drink tons of soda, gallons of beer and snack the moment he walks in the door.  <sigh>. Oh well.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Straaaaaange Bird...

Here in Arizona, as in many other parts of the country (and possibly the world), we have Woodpeckers.  The most common one is called a Gila Woodpecker

I've seen and photographed them in my backyard, but mostly I hear them.  That rapid-fire sound of them repeatedly banging their head against something in an effort, I believe, to find something to eat.  Usually they beat their heads against things that make sense...like trees.  Trees will yield a tasty morsel.  Light poles won't.  Buildings certainly won't.  So why do they insist on pecking the outside of a building that is not made of wood by any stretch of imagination?

It wouldn't be so bad if we could actually see the culprit, but this one is sneaky.  This one is pecking away in a spot where you can't see by looking out one of the windows because there's a wall for an office and the windows are designed in such a way that you can't see in that particular spot, as shown in the above photo.  That's a picture of my building and actually the corner where my cubicle is.  We're on the 3rd floor and the encircled area is just above us.  The pecking noise has stopped for the moment, but I have no doubt it will return.  It's distracting because then we "have" to go over to the windows and see if we can see the bird.  I like birds.  Really, I do.  But I wish the woodpeckers would go peck on the nearby trees instead of the side of our building.  hahaha.

Happy Wednesday!

Another Breyerfest Release...

Last Friday Breyer released a sneak peak of another Breyerfest model...

People over at Blab had fun speculating what it could be, then Chopstix did a little investigative work and superimposed the above image over the images of a couple of possibilities and the most likely one she came up with was the Andalusian Stallion aka "Andy" for short

She said there were a couple of spots she couldn't get to line up perfectly, but this mold was the closest.  Many people were happy at the prospect of a glossy, dappled Andy while others weren't too crazy about it.  I was in the second group.  I had hoped it would be a mold I liked, but...Breyer can't please everyone all the time.

Well, the full picture has been released and a wild round of applause go to Chopstix.  The model is, in fact, on the Andy mold.  This is Jubilee...

They're calling him a silver bay, but I'm not sure I see that.  Definitely not in how white his mane and tail are, but the body color is quite scrumptious!  Hopefully there'll be some models coming down the pipeline that I actually want or I may not even bother trying to find a pick-up person.  I don't know that I like Champagne Toast enough to get him.  It's still early, though, and they haven't even released the single-day stablemates yet.  That's something I'm looking forward to.  I'm also anxiously awaiting last year's 4 to be released in regular colors, especially Chrome and Dungaree.  I almost bought the new color crazy set at the Doll House on Saturday

The colors are a lot more vibrant in person.  Especially the blue and pink.  But I decided not to.  I also had the opportunity to pick up the chalky version of the Appy Performance Horse with the Native markings, but I decided not to do that either.  Oh well.  hahaha.

Anyway, I'd better get to work.  I have tons to do.  My brother started his first non-training day at GoDaddy today and while I wish he'd found a different place to work, I hope he likes this job and enjoys it.  Initially he was trained to take in-bound calls from customers and try to help them with their website, but on Saturday he said he and another guy might be part of a special team who make outbound calls to people to see if they like their new website and see if there's anything they need.  Either way, I'm really hoping it works out for him...even if I have to bite my tongue every time he sings the praises of the owner.

Cars...

So, late last week the "check engine soon" light came on in my 1998 Ford Taurus. I have a somewhat faulty sensor that makes the light come on for a few days (or a week) and then it goes away and there's nothing actually wrong with my car. But I have actually had problems in the past with the car and since it's been almost a year since the light was last on, I was worried that something was wrong with the car. I know I have an oil leak and apparently now I have a trasnmission leak, too, but I only paid about $5,500 for the car and have probably put more than that in repairs over the past 5 years so I know I'm driving on borrowed time. On Saturday I checked the "vitals" on my car and put more oil in it and some 50/50 anti-freeze and hoped that would do it. I then started thinking that maybe it was time to get a "new" car. I had already decided to save my tax refunds and put it towards a down-payment, but had hoped I could add to it rather than that amount being it so I started looking at different online car places. I found a Nissan Versa at DriveTime for a decent amount of money and low mileage, but I'm not sure I could afford the payments they were asking, if I was reading it right. Then I went to the website for where I got my current car and found a couple. But then, I found THE one. It's at the dealership where I got my current car. I have never found one on the secondary market because nobody seems to sell them. Then again, I've never really looked.

I have liked the Pontiak Aztek since it first came out and have always wanted one. I just think they're the neatest-looking SUV out there. This one is a 2005 and the price is pretty decent plus I can afford the monthly payments and still have some money left over each month for plastic poneh fun-ness. The body is in good shape (I had tried to attach a picture of the driver side but my computer is being difficult) The only think I don't like about it is that it has 115,000 miles on it. If I knew for sure I could get a good 3 years out of it, I'd be all over it. But I don't know what kind of shape the engine and other stuff is in or the shelf life of this particular Pontiac. I would so much love to get this vehicle, but the mileage is making me think with my head and not my heart.

On the way to work this morning...the "check engine soon" light went out. YAY? Or uh-oh? I'm going to hope to keep building on the amount I "currently" have earmarked (I've only gotten state back, don't know when federal will show up) and will have a bigger chunk of change and more options for a new car. But I want the Aztek!!!!!!! hahaha. I need to forget I saw it, though, and keep saving money. I know it's the right thing to do.

So, I haven't said lately how much I dislike the weather here. I feel I must today. It's supposed to be 72 today...fine. It's supposed to be 87 by Friday. NOT FINE! It should NOT be almost 90 degrees in mid-February! No! NO! NO! NO! I hate Arizona weather.

My 2 Furry Monsters

Royal and Temecula came into my life almost 8 years ago.  I had adopted them from a no-kill shelter in Phoenix and they helped me through a time when I really needed them.  I'd suffered a tragic loss the day before and wasn't taking it well and these two fluffy nutters brought joy to me again.  Some days I can't believe how much time has passed.  When I first adopted them, they were only about 10 weeks old and were so small but their ears seemed huge.  Especially Temecula's.  I could carry both of them in one hand held against my body and they only took up a tiny portion of one pillow.  Now I need both hands to hold one and one cat can take up both pillows.  hahaha.  And sometimes they do.  hahaha.  Temecula likes to use my head as a pillow.  Royal likes to lick ears.  He also likes to lay on his back as if he's posing for an adult magazine.  Haha.  They will groom each other one moment then fight the next.  Sometimes they drive me absolutely bonkers, but I love their little furry heads that I always forgive them.

Temecula (l) and Royal (r)

Tomorrow the toy store where I buy most of my Breyer's is re-opening.  They have moved to a new location because they outgrew their last place.  This is the 3rd time they've moved because they ran out of room.  Hopefully the Breyer section will be a bit more roomy than their last place because I was always afraid I was going to knock something over.  I haven't decided if I'm going to go in tomorrow to see it or just wait for the main grand opening in April.  Oh, who am I kidding?  I'll probably go.  The last time I was there they were having a huge sale and most of their Breyers had sold already and the owner said they wouldn't be ordering anything until they were ready to move into the new place.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

FINALLY!!!!!!!!

After the botched "effort" to deliver my Stone DAH on Tuesday, I finally was able to take possession of him on Saturday.  Of course, I had to go to the UPS will-call to get him, but he's now with his buddies on the Stone shelf.  I'll have to get a picture of all 7 of them.  There would have been 8 but I PIFed the only Windswept Sleigh Bells to a Blabber in England.

The Short Mane/Tail ISH is definitely my favorite.  This guy is a silver bay with 2013 blaze and the 2012 Equilocity pattern.  As soon as I saw the pattern available I knew I would have to get it.  And while I have no doubt it would've looked smashing in black, I'm glad I ordered it in silver bay and if I hadn't verified that with Stone and had expected black, I don't think I would've sent him back for being the wrong collor.  I really like the colors on this guy and the shading around the muzzle.  Stone had another 30% off sale yesterday during the Super Bowl and I'd been tempted to do an extreme tobiano I have a picture of on my iPad, but discovered I would've only been saving about $20 and so it wasn't really worth it. 

I also...finally...unboxed the model I'd won off eBay and received more than a week ago.  Grey Badger II is on the Stud Spider mold and was available in 1998 only through Quarter Horse Outfitters as a special run of 2,500. 

I was surprised he wasn't numbered, but that's okay.  He's in really great shape for his age and I acquired him as NIB.  I don't think the auction listed him as MIB, but he wasn't mint anyway.  I got him for a great deal, too, so a couple of boo-boos is nothing major to me, especially since I don't show.  The biggest boo-boo is a hoof edge rub which is easily fixed if I decided to photo show him.  He's definitely PSQ, but not LSQ, but again, since I don't show anymore it really isn't a big deal.  Here's a shot of him with his brothers

l-r: grey badger ii, mister mister, banjo, family appy stallion

When I was dusting them off last night to take the picture I noticed Banjo had acquired a big paint rub on his left nostril.  I don't remember that being there before, but I'm sure it was and I just never noticed, although I don't know how I could've missed it.  I got him for, like, $12 at an antique store so I'm not going to complain.

So, it's tax time here in the US.  Last Friday I did mine on the internet and waited for an email telling me the IRS and state had accepted my returns, but yesterday I got emails saying they'd been rejected...either because my PIN was wrong or the Adjusted Gross Income from last year was wrong.  Well, I used the same company this year as last year so the AGI shouldn't be wrong and I figured maybe it was the PIN and went to the IRS website to verify the number.  It was wrong.  So I changed that and re-filed.  A short while later I got an email saying Federal had been accepted and today I got an email saying State had been accepted, so now what?  Now I sit back and wait for my money.  The amount I'm getting back would pay for my trip to Breyerfest perfectly, but I know that as soon as I commit that money to it, something will happen to my car.  So I'm going to do the adult and responsible thing (shudder) and put 99% of it away for a down payment of a new car for when that time comes then take a little bit as "fun money" and buy something for myself.

I had a pretty good weekend.  Went and ran some errands on Saturday and Sunday mom and I did our usual grocery shopping.  SyFy was having a "bad weather" marathon so I spent much of the day watching such movies as Polar Quake and Ice Twisters.  We did watch some of the Super Bowl.  All 3 of us were cheering for Seattle since my brother and I were both "hatched" there so it was nice to see them get their first Super Bowl win.  Most of the commercials, in my opinion, were stupid and meaningless, but I did like the Coke commercial in different languages and, of course, the Budweiser Clydesdale commercial.  I'm glad the puppy got to stay at the farm in the end.  The way his owners kept taking him home and he kept going back to the barn made me sad, so I was happy he finally got to stay.  Yes, I'm the sappy type who cries at commercials.  I admit it.  hahaha.

Well, I'd better get back to work.  Happy Monday, All!