Thursday, November 22, 2012

No holiday is complete without a major appliance failing!

My parents and kiddo #2 are visiting for Thanksgiving - kiddo #1 is half a country away at school, and we're missing her very much today. My Dad, who was never a Boy Scout but is nonetheless always prepared for just about anything, decided to bring his trusty toolkit with him. (Yes, we have an entire workshop full of tools. No, they weren't enough for my Dad.) It's a good thing he did, because just about as soon as my Mom got in the kitchen, the garbage disposal failed fantastically, spewing nasty water everywhere.

I should note that several Thanksgivings ago at our old house, our garbage disposal failed after my Mom put cantaloupe peels through it. So we have a long-standing family history of appliances dying on major holidays. It's kind of like things breaking when my hubby leaves - you just sort of expect it!

 Good thing my Dad brought his toolkit, eh?

And here's my Dad, my Hubby, and Kiddo #2 fixing things. Kiddo #2 got to put some of his new-found electrical engineering skills to use when he dissected the old disposal.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving with their family and friends. I'm thankful for my wonderful family, especially my husband, who not only gets up a 6 a.m. with me every day to feed, throw hay to the horses, and fill water buckets, but doesn't cringe too much when he sees Saga's vet bills on the credit card statement. I'm thankful that my parents are both in good health and came to visit us, and that both our kiddos are happy with the latest stage in their lives, as bona fide college students, and are making their own way in the world as mostly-responsible adults. I'm also very thankful for my very amazing extended family from all over the world - Australia, France, Germany, Maine, Idaho, North Carolina, Washington DC, and Dallas, Texas. We've been in touch with them today and it's great to hear from all of them, each celebrating this day in their own way.

I hope everyone out there in blogland is having a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving with their family and friends!

8 comments:

  1. We have the same Thanksgiving tradition. The garbage disposal died on Thanksgiving Day when someone put potato peels down it.

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    1. Terry, oh no! I guess at least I'm in good company, lol!

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  2. I clogged the garbage disposal with potato peels yesterday....

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    1. EB, I think we may have to start a club for those of us who have killed garbage disposals on the holidays! So far it's you, me, and Terry. Anybody else out there?

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    2. Hurray for dads with tools!!

      There was a plumber interviewed on the news Thanksgiving evening who stated that the day after Thanksgiving was plumbers busiest day of the year.

      He mentioned garbage disposal incidents as the number one call, as well as the usual suspects... ;D

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    3. CFS, I guess we're in good company if everyone else out there is killing their disposals on Thanksgiving! LOL!

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  3. Happy belated Thanksgiving Day!
    I was reading your previous posts about Saga and don't think you should feel bad about having two broken horses etc Having been around many top sports horses I think the competition riders have two main ways of keeping them in one piece: 1) the horses have VERY good constitution (strong joints, bone structure). I don't say conformation on purpose because some top horses have less than top conformation but often their faults come with a lot of general body quality. It's not easy to get this. 2) Modern Vet medicine...
    The amount of horses who continue to compete looking "sound-as-pounds-and-wow-why-is-my-horse-so-crippled" are on/after variety of injections and interventions. Some, if you saw them first thing in the morning before warm up, you would wonder how on earth they jump 1.60m tracks or event at advanced level...

    Of course I am sure there are many situations where very good management coupled with very good genes makes a happy, healthy sports horse.
    On the whole though, there are many more who struggle and I really don't think you should feel guilty of having a horse with problems as you are helping him so much.

    If I ever look for a horse for myself again I know that the functional conformation and constitution are going to be at the very top of my list...

    P.S. Good luck with the appliances ;) Very jealous of your family time!

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    1. Wiola, it's interesting what you say about top competition horses. I've never been around them, so I have no idea what goes into keeping them in top shape. At the barns I've been in, regular joint injections (like, just one joint, or rather pair of joints) and maybe some Adequan or feed-through supplements are about as far as anyone goes. For all I know the top horses are getting injections in all their joints every few months, are on Bute except when competeing, use Surpass all the time... I just really have no idea what it takes. All I see are horses that look brilliant jumping the moon. Sigh.

      And I know what you mean about horses that have a good constitution. That is definitely something I will be looking for in my next horse. Something with solid bone, big feet, a short back, and a good hind end. Did you know those are hard to find???

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