Cattle Show Marathon

Where the heck have I been? 

Good question, friends, good question.

Tonight, is not the night to go into details. I just did a Jillian Micheals' tape and my worn out legs are making my think funny. However, it's not fair to keep everything a secret forever.

So, follow closely...

Basically, since my last post (over a month ago), I went to Grand Island, NE, to watch my little bro get a maroon jacket, hopped in the car and celebrated a wedding, hopped back in the car and went to Milwaukee to drink bad Miller Light and be spoiled by my favorite company, sent my husband road tripping to Kentucky, somehow managed to do enough laundry in the two short days he was gone to pack for my trip to Louisville for the NJAS, got distracted from any type of work once our bull won grand champion, drove 13 long hours home to get back in the car to go to a county fair (we are die-hards), got overly obsessed with decorating for a baby shower the next week, then had a "normal" week that involved breaking calves, judging practices and clipping cattle, which brings us to the best week of the summer, AKA the Dakota County Fair and lake week where I watched my baby brother show at his last county fair, drank too much of that darn beer garden beer and got necessary sun on my shoulders from a day of REAL vacation in the water.

Hello, longest run on sentence in the world.

And now I am here, catching up on life in general and savoring a #singlegirl night as April at A.Liz Adventures calls it. Mine included the Kardashians, working out and Reeses Pieces cereal.

And tomorrow? Tomorrow, I will be crossing my fingers & toes and waiting for a call from my husband about the Iowa State Fair Angus Bull Show.

Short & sweet: We have been all about #bannerchasing lately.

By the way, just in case you aren't on Twitter (follow me: @jamielmay) #bannerchasing is my new favorite hashtag. It's total Twitter lingo for the show jocks, sorry if you aren't on that bandwagon and sorry if I am inappropriately using hash tags in normal writing. Like I said, Jillian is making me loopy.

And if isn't over yet. 

Last week, was week 1 of 4 of our month-long fair stunt. This week is Iowa State Fair and Steele County Fair, next week is MN 4-H Show and the following is MN Open Class. 

Life is good? Yes.

By the way, before I leave you, one small request. Go check out the video my little brother put together about why he shows cattle and vote for it to help him win a $500 scholarship. Click here to watch the video and vote. 

The video with the most votes win, so we need your help -- plus, I think you will really like it. It helps explain our crazy life and why we turn on the cooler for our cattle before the air conditioner in our house in the summer. :)

Until next time (which will hopefully be sooner than later),

Summer = Cattle Shows

For most people, summer means relaxing at the lake, barbequing with friends, ect. You know...activities that involve a cold beverage and a potential suntan. Bliss, right?

But for Marko & I, summer equals cattle shows. It kind of makes me laugh how accustomed our friends our to us being MIA nearly every Saturday from June to August.

OK, I'll admit, it's not every Saturday. In fact, I have an empty Saturday in my planner as early as next week, but I promise you, this summer I will be spending a lot of time on the wash rack and a lot of quality time with my husband behind the wheel of a truck hauling a trailer. But really, we don't mind. This is our thing.

Do I have to get sappy and remind you that our love story started at a cattle show?

We kicked off our "show season" last weekend at a two-day show in Preston, MN. Two days means double the work and double the fun. :)

Saturday morning started at 4 am. Besides a quick freakout when a classic case of miscommunication resulted in us almost losing the back end of the Jeep (not a scratch, thank goodness) and a mild setback waking up our third wheel, the commute went pretty well.

 As soon as we got there, though, it was go, go, go, go, go, go...do I need to continue? The point is, we were busy. And I was a sweaty, hot mess, but folks, you don't go to a cattle show to look pretty.

Meet our little brothers - Jason & Matt. Jason had the Reserve Champion Angus Heifer on Day 2; Matt had the Reserve Champion Angus Heifer on Day 1. They are old pros at this showing thing.

Jason is showing a Style daughter this summer for Mark & I. You might have seen some pictures of her on the blog before – she's my wedding present from Mark. Yes, my husband gave me a heifer for a wedding present. Yes, I gave him a decanter. Yes, it wasn't a fair gift exchange. Don't remind me.

Matt is showing a Saugahatchee heifer our of our donor cow Molly. Jason & Matt's heifers are half-sisters and I promise you they couldn't be more different. Scarface (notice the birthmark on her face) is tiny, big-bodied, and a baby to work with. #1 (creative name huh?) is maternal, extended and crrrazzy. But in the end, we are pretty confident they are going to be really good cows and that is what matters. They are also both half-sibs to these calves I posted about before.

{Jason}

{Matt}

Saturday took forever. Let me slow it down and say it in Sandlot style...FOORREEVVERR.

I snapped this picture at 9:30 pm when the kids were just finishing up the judging contest portion of the show. At 10 pm when it finally wrapped up, we piled in the truck to grab some food...to find the only place open in town was the Casey's gas station. Jackpot!

 And then, we got up at 6 am and started it again all over again on Sunday.

And of course, we are doing it all again this Saturday and Sunday. :)

XOXO,

Mission Accomplished

Approximately two months ago I wrote The Final To Do List.  At that point, the list seemed daunting and slightly unrealistic but you know me, I dream big.

Today, I can proudly say I checked nearly everything off my list and I am still proud of the two that got left standing.  Check it out below:

• Build a website because my diploma is depending on it.  
• Purfeerst Farms is a proud new owner of a website designed by j.may designs.  Check it out--it is a pretty good start!  I want to keep improving so let me know if you want to be a practice site!
• Complete a major research project on social media.
• This was one was a bit tough, but I finished it on time and got a big old A on the paper.  Want to know what I found?  Twitter isn't as popular as all of us new media junkies think.  Weird huh?
• Dominate the Royal & Louisville. Talk three 49's in one day.
• This is my one of my unaccomplished goals. I admit, I am disappointed for a second and then I remember the scores I did talk and totally forget it.  49,48 and 47 in cattle is pretty good too.
• Have way to much fun. Become a Chubs regular.
• Check and check.  I think I am the only person that graduated Summa Cum Laude from a bar and a college.
• Get wild and maybe end up at the Northern. 
• It wasn't wild, but I did join a certain professor and friends there for lunch.
• Officially end a job in order to start a new one.
• I am almost through my first full week at BEEF and haven't been an employee of BWW for nearly two.  It could have a possibility of being sad if Mark hadn't made me eat there 3 times since.  It's kind of exciting to not have to ask if you want ranch or bleu cheese anymore. :)
• Clean, pack and move...away from my Fargo.
• It was long, dreary and dirty...but we did it.  After 4 great years, I am no longer a resident of 1502 Dakota Drive.  I am definitely going to miss it.  Especially my own heater, my own bathroom and everything not packed in boxes...but so far home has been good, plus my car is always warm in the morning and I never make supper!  
• Make sure the tradition of the Christmas Dinner lives on.
• I didn't think it was going to be possible and I did hit peak stress, but oh man, the tradition continued.  It was so great!  Everyone was back, the apartment was packed and the food was delicious.  I am not guaranteeing it is going to be the same next year, but we went out with a bang.
• Have one last Bison day.
• School is for fools, especially when you don't have it on MWF.  I had a fair share of Bison days! :)
• Make this an agvocate blog. 
• I am trying and I promise it will get better.
• Become ALUMNI ready and buy new NDSU clothes.
• YES!  I bought the treasured NDSU sweatshirt...you know the one that is the most expensive clothing item in the store and you know you are going to wear it for the rest of your life?  The NDSU sweatshirt?  Yup...it's mine. :)  Best Christmas present I bought myself and now the BISON are as evident in my closet as they are in my heart!
• Figure out how I am going to live with my parents.
• We are managing.  It has been so crazy so far, I haven't had time to go insane!
• Convince my boyfriend to marry me so I don't have to live with my parents.
• WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  I did it!  This is the only goal I was positive I couldn't check off my list and I did it.  Somehow I must have done something extra right that night, because finally he decided he wanted to make me his wife.  I promise you there will be more details to follow.
• Tell everyone how important they are to me...twice.
• If I somehow missed you, this is for you--I couldn't and wouldn't be the person I am today without everyone who helped me get through NDSU, life and every exciting thing I have ever done.  Thank you. 
• Don't mess up the GPA you worked hard (????) for.
• I didn't and it was worth it.  The president says extra nice things to you when he shakes your hand when you are one of few that managed to graduate Summa Cum Laude.  "Impressive, Outstanding Work, So proud of you!"
• Give about 2 million sets of reasons.
• You could ask B. Williams to verify this, but it might have been 2 million and 1.
• Buy a really good heifer.
• Maybe the owner of the heifer I fell in love with is reading this and wants to cut me a deal.  Otherwise, it is a complete fail.  O well, I needed a New Year's resolution!

I am pretty happy with how far I have came in two months--life has changed drastically and I am definitely excited to see where it is headed!  Watch for more posts soon! 

my.life.is.loopy.

The past 72 hours have been crazy.

I have successfully spent time with my family, Mark's family and the whole town of Randolph.  I have rushed down water slides and rode on a lazy river.  I have conquered the flu.  And by conquer I mean just barely survived...good luck if you catch that bug..it's nasty. I have driven to Fargo in white-out conditions going a mere 30-mph on Interstate 94.  I have built a website.  Yes, a real one.  I have worked one of my last shifts at BWW.

And I have basically gone loopy.  No joke.

So, can you blame me when today (at 3 in the afternoon) I decided to go to the liquor store and buy Bailey's to put in my coffee?  It seemed to make perfect sense; but it would because I seriously have the most illogical thoughts right now.

Plus, Teddy gave me 10% off at Chubs Pub.  Yes...that only equals tax but I was easily fooled.

I wish I could say that "I just need to graduate!" but if my brain's current state continues with me post-NDSU, I am going to be in trouble.

And this is the end because I was going to write more...but I lost my focus.  Go figure?

Hopefully tomorrow will be a more productive day where I clean my apartment, rebuild the website I built yesterday, do homework, etc.  I doubt it but one can always hope.

Headed East & Down

My bags are packed.

My jeans are starched.

My homework is done.

My wedding card is sent.

My boots are polished.

My prayers are said.

And half of my 2 million sets are given--the other half will be given this week.

I am off to Louisville...I am nervous...but I a mainly excited.  No matter what happens next Monday, I am so happy with the decision I made last fall.  Imagine where I would be if I hadn't decided to be on this team...?  Here goes everything...wish me luck! :)

Life ain't always beautiful...

Sometimes it just lets you down.  

I am sure those lyrics aren't right.  But if you know anything about me, you know I don't know the words to any song and I don't really care to either.

Today, those words fit best so they get to stay.  It's their lucky day.

And it hasn't really been mine.  

But through good and bad, this blog and I have to stick together.  So here's your disclaimer--I have no crazy good news; I haven't won a thousand dollars because a cow pooped on my square, I haven't flown to Puerto Rico lately and my room is not clean.  But just the same, I have been making it and learning something new everyday.  Here it goes...

We returned home from out trip to the American Royal and took a lot from our day in Kansas City.  As a team, we had some highs and some lows.  As an individual, I had some highs and lows.  Which brings me to LESSON #1: Every moment is important.  Every class counts.  Every steer needs to be evaluated.  Every score adds up.  I had a decent day at the Royal, especially in the room.  I had dropped 24 points on 7 sets.  I reaped the benefits in the sheep division as 3rd High Individual.  My eighth score hurt me...a lot.  I was one of the last set's of the day...and I lied my butt off.  My reasons taker put up his feet, looked away and pretty much marked his card as soon as I said my placing.  I promise you--I will not be taking a single set, class or animal for granted at Louisville.  

After the Royal, I also got to experience LESSON #2.   People you love are going to hurt you.  It's up to you how you overcome it.  It isn't an option to push family, friends or boyfriends out of your life just because they make you mad and  I knew I had no choice but to forgive, move on and hope for better...but those things are easier said to done.  Sometimes only time can heal an open wound.

Back in Fargo this week, I learned one of the best lessons yet...LESSON #3: Your job is to make your boss's job easier.  A wise friend from Angus told me this before I left that summer, but I never really realized how true it is before this month.  BWW (Buffalo Wild Wings) has been crazy lately.  A new store opened, the old store was completely renovated, a million (maybe more) new cashiers have frantically become waitress in quest for a full staff and our manager has literally spent days on end at the store.  

Now I have worked hard for BWW the last 2 years, but in return I have took full advantage of all the flexibility they gave me in scheduling.  They have treated me well and I have got Christmas, Easter, summers and every cow show in between off--and I have never felt bad about it...until lately.  Literally, I can't convince myself to take an unneeded day off to prepare for Louisville, because I do NOT want to give my manager or my co-workers any more stress.  And regardless of how terrible the moral at BWWs might be right now,  I am proud that I work for a company and a manager I respect that much.


Finally, LESSON #4: Love can never work without work.  Time isn't a bond that guarantees forever.  Forever only happens if you work at forever...and if you don't it can slip away.  Life can change people and the only way that friends/relationships/couples don't have to change is to realize that people change. Accept it and make the best of it.  Make it work.   


Okay.  That's all I have friends.  Sorry it isn't uplifting, advocating or funny...but hopefully meaningful just the same. 


P.S.  Thanks for reading.  You don't know how much it means to get a comment or a reply.  :)

It's Time

A goal is simply a dream with a deadline.

I leave for Kansas City tomorrow at 6 am.  Louisville is three short weeks away. Mr. Napoleon Hill hit it right on the head--it's time to make this dream a reality.  Wish me luck...talk to you soon. :)

The Final To Do List

ATTENTION: In approximately one month, I will begin my career, my future and everything I have been waiting for.  It will kind of be a big day in my life.

Basically, I say a prayer everyday that it will be everything I dream about.   However, I am certain in will be.  Why?  Because we make our own destiny and I truly have nothing standing in my way.

Well...except a few goals I need to accomplish between now and then.  They include:

• Build a website because my diploma is depending on it.
• Complete a major research project on social media.
• Dominate the Royal & Louisville. Talk three 49's in one day.
• Have way to much fun. Become a Chubs regular.
• Get wild and maybe end up at the Northern.
• Officially end a job in order to start a new one.
• Clean, pack and move...away from my Fargo.
• Make sure the tradition of the Christmas Dinner lives on.
• Have one last Bison day.
• Make this an agvocate blog.
• Become ALUMNI ready and buy new NDSU clothes.
• Figure out how I am going to live with my parents.
• Convince my boyfriend to marry me so I don't have to live with my parents.
• Tell everyone how important they are to me...twice.
• Don't mess up the GPA you worked hard (????) for.
• Give about 2 million sets of reasons.
• Buy a really good heifer.

It's all totally doable.  I just need to get focused and do it.  It all starts now.

So I cleaned my room, bought myself some coffee and delicious creamer and put on my productive clothes...and then I paid off my credit card!  One step closer to becoming an adult :)  A trip to France is expensive people!  And now...I need to go work on that GPA thing.  Next week is going to be crazy...Kansas City here we come!  I will be back soon--I have a feeling a lot of procrastinating will take place in the next two days!

Crazy Beautiful Life

My life has been a race lately.

No actually, my life has been a marathon.

You see a race has an end in sight...these past ten days have been nothing but a major test of my endurance.  A 26.3 mile run across the country which included two flights, four long drives, two twelve and eights, hundreds of new faces and a once brand new judging notebook filled with classes.

And...it only took me twelve days to complete.  Do you think this means I can cross "run a marathon" off my bucket list?  Probably not.  :)

However, this blog is not about how busy I have been (I complain about that much to much!) but instead about how truly blessed I am. 

The last few days have been great reminders of what truly is important in life and how valuable each new moment is--and that every once in a while, I need to stop and take a water break and remember how great my life is.

I may be busy...but here is the thing, I am busy looking at really good livestock, traveling with some amazing friends, getting to learn every last thing possible before I graduate, traveling to Puerto Rico, listening to truly motivating stories and giving my life a reason.  And my hectic life is filled with people I absolutely love.  If it wasn't great enough to spend a weekend in paradise with so many people passionate about the beef industry, but then I get to come home to my happy family and a beautiful roommate.  What more could a girl ask for??

Yes, sleep would be nice.  But I did get some of that last night cuddled up to my favorite boy...so I should be set in that category for a week or so now too :)

So how is that for a little perspective?  I may have not slept in the same bed for more than 2 nights in a row for the last 12 days but  I am blessed to be healthy, have a great family to come home to, a very good looking boyfriend that picks me up every time I fly home and a month just as full to look forward to!  Oh and another positive...I haven't got bed bugs, yet! They say with my lifestyle, this could be a problem...yuck.

Here is the thing, tonight before I go to bed I am going to say my prayers for Kyle and everyone else out there who really needs a break and then I am going to thank god for each and every one of you that have made my crazy life...a crazy beautiful life. 

So why don't you stop and think about life in a new perspective.  You could be 17 again facing all those new life challenges or sitting by a hospital bed praying for someone you love or feeling totally alone...but I bet your not.  I bet you are surrounded by a overwhelming support group that gets you through your day...so take a little time to appreciate them and enjoy each new moment you are given.

"Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.”  --Storm Jameson

I Place This Class of Crossbred Market Hogs 3421.

I actually placed that class of crossbred market hogs wrong.


And it wasn't the only class that I placed wrong that day that I still had to march into the reasons room and tell the officials why I felt the need to disagree with them so strongly.  On that particular Crossbred Market Hogs class, I simple busted it (which in the judging world means you messed up only 3 of 4 of them and didn't kill yourself but basically took yourself out of the top ten) and managed not to sound like too much of a fool in the reasons room.  I unfortunately can't say for one of my sets.

I was pretty disappointed in myself and I didn't really know what to think.

It only took a day and I decided that I needed to sound like a fool this weekend at the National Barrow Show.  Why?  I needed a reminder on why I am doing this and how hard I still need to work.  I didn't stick around for another semester for nothing.  Not only do I want another piece of hardware, but I want to know I did the best I could and be proud of myself.  I was not too proud Monday afternoon when I walked out of my last set thinking I talked really well...only too find out I simple busted every single class I so confidently just got done explaining.

Here is the thing...I have been so blessed in my past 22 years and have not experienced a devastating amount of hardships.  I haven't got declined from many jobs, have an amazing boyfriend, have won my fair share of awards and somehow I have consistently done well in school.  I think sometimes when life gets that good we just start to expect it to stay that good...without doing the work needed.

Whether it is a steer, paper, judging class or job....you can't succeed without a little determination and a lot of hard work.  I learned it the hard way this weekend and I am hoping I can save you from the trouble as well.  I strongly encourage you to take a moment while your reading this and think about something you could work just a little bit harder at--and then do it.
 

Some people dream of success... while others wake up and work hard at it.        -Unknown

You can take my word I will be prepared when we hit the road to Kansas.  :)

I'm Back...Again.

Long time, no blog.

Have you noticed the trend?

You know, "the wait a really long time between each post so you can start each post with 'long time no see/talk/blog'" trend?  If not, you obviously aren't one of my loyal eight followers that read my random and sporadic thoughts on life.

Sorry again!  I have a good excuse this time and it is that my roommates and I are way to cheap to get internet (yet) and I have no connection to the outside world except through my Blackberry.  It makes it pretty rough to blog, Facebook creep and stay on top of my two online classes and it makes me spend most of my nights in the IACC...which is where I currently am sitting.  Room 114 to be precise. 

So while I am here I will give you a quick update on life and then, after this I promise weekly blogs will solve this problem of disconnect! :)


1.  I moved back to Fargo on August 14th.  I started judging practice on August 15th and my life has been crazy every since.  If you think I am joking, ask my roommates.  I see them for maybe 20 minutes each day.  I run from work to judging to meetings to homework and then do it all again the next day.  It's really not too bad.  It's saving me from having to many late nights at Chubs mainly.

2.  And just saying the word Chubs makes me miss last year and the girls and everything about my senior year.  I feel old.  I know I am not and I know in approximately 4 months I will feel extremely young and inexperienced, but for now, when I load in a car with a bunch of minors to go to a house party, I feel antique.  And then I feel even older than antique when those younguns (like Kelcey Holm) ask me if I feel old.  Here is my plea--to my old friends that always made me feel young--COME BACK.  I miss you terribly.  I miss Mary Berg, especially, after this crummy judging weekend.  I miss apartment 13.  I miss my crazy Montana friend.  NDSU misses you too.  

3.  BWangs (Buffalo Wild Wings) is taking over my days.  I know this isn't a profitable job for me at this time, but it will make due until my real job begins.

4.  Which brings me to my biggest news yet--I am a future full-time employee of BEEF Magazine. Seriously, it's amazing.  My goal was to have a job before I came back this semester and I do.  How is that possible in this economy with soooo many good applicants?  I don't know, but I am smiling ear to ear. :)  

5.  My favorite time of the year came and went and it was just as good as always.  The MN State Fair is (by far hands down no use arguing with me) the best twelve days of summer.  And it didn't let me down in 2010. Jason and Matt both had an excellent year.  Matt was Reserve Supreme Breeding Heifer and Jason sold his steer on the Purple Ribbon Auction and was Reserve Senior Showman.  I was pretty proud of them both!  Check out the MN State Fair 4-H website for more pictures.

Jason with his Middleweight Friction Steer at MN State Fair 4-H Show.

 

Matt with his Saugahatchee x Lutton Angus Heifer at MN State Fair 4-H Show.  

6.  I started my final judging season this weekend at the National Barrow Show and well, it can only go up from here!  :)

Alright that's all I got for now folks.  Please look for motivating, exciting and sarcastic posts in the near future.  My mind is filled with things to say.  Enjoy your week!  Friday is closer than you think....