Endings and Beginnings

One more step to go and all the legal entanglements of Green Bean Endurance will be complete.  It has been necessary and still brings me a sense of loss, but it just had to be.  I will officially close out the bank account and all will be in the capable hands of Deb Moe.   It has grown substantially this year, and I know first hand the hours of work involved to keep it running and up to date.  My own commitment was easily 10-20 hours a week, which I found doable working a 32 hour job, but with my current job?  NO. WAY. IN. HELL.  It takes some woman power to get the job done, that's for sure. Wore my official Green Bean Endurance jacket today to longe the horse, covered it in white hairs, and turned it into my "work coat."  I'm getting there ♥  it's hard, but trying to give it the perspective and place it should have rather than to wrap my happiness around "that one thing."

So on I move.   Several other projects on the horizon.  We are still waiting on the approval to get our permit for the CMO.  We have all our ducks in a row, and I'd really love to have that permit nailed down so I can get awards purchased, t-shirts ordered, etc. We are gonna have us a TANGO!  So many have said they'd come, and many I count as good friends...Marti, Jeanie, Lida and her gal pals, many of the CMO folks from other rides.  Praying for a permit and good weather (and maybe a little liquid sedation) *LOL*  It will be a good and happy time.  I'm actually excited about setting a ride up, which is an entirely new skill set for me.  I've also never done "timing" so that will be interesting.  CMO's have staggered starts not unlike CTR, but a more laid back structure.  Riders go out in about 5-15 minute intervals so every body isn't congregating on the same station at the same time.  Another interesting factoid about CMO is that as long as you stay "on trail" you can decide how you will go after the station markers.   For instance there are 10 stations out there and and let's suppose they are on 4 different trails.  One person might head out on trail A  and someone else may decide they can time it faster using another route.  So it involves trail savvy, map reading, compass reading, and as much speed as you can apply to it, without blowing by an important landmark (which would cause you to eat time back tracking). No ribbons to point the way on this one.

While I'm at it...want to thank Two Horse Tack for the donated item to the IN/IL CMO banquet held this weekend.  It was raffled off and will benefit the group at large.  Which sure helps!

The truck search continues.  I've been working extra hours in preparation in case I find the right vehicle.  I'm torn between buying a new F150 and switching to a 2 horse bumper pull to lighten the load, or staying with the steel grey monolith and purchasing a heavy duty truck, but if I do, I won't be able to choke down anything low mileage.  So would need to go diesel.    Everyone is telling me that diesel is awful to repair cost-wise.   But I am just done with this being land-locked with the horses.  So over it!   Our current truck has about 90,000 miles on it and all we get done is "fixing it." I truly believe that truck was rolled over and going for a second spin on the odometer when we bought it. This past two weeks we've had two repairs, and we still have not got the vibration out of the front end.  We had a front end alignment, balancing, and new shocks.  It is a GMC Sierra and the body on those trucks are like rusty tin cans.  I can push on the bed over the fender wells and big chunks of truck fall out.  Every truck that model I've seen has severe rust problems.  Apparently they cut corners on under coating and paint.    We've put two water pumps on, two fuel pumps, belts, worked on the radiator, brakes, rotors, some work I am not even sure of regarding the suspension of the truck and I kid you not there is a part hanging down under the rear that I'm unable to identify.  Time for a truck ☺

And somewhere...a part of me, really wants this in the worst nonsensical way...it could even make me change tack colors.