Halloween...80´s Style!!!

Hey! Hey! It´s that time of year again.... Tomorrow is the annual TOWN (Texas Outdoor Women Network - Rockport) Halloween Party - 80´s REWIND!!!

If any of you are in the area (or reasonable driving distance) YOU SHOULD BE THERE!! There is a $5 cover and proceeds go to our annual SCHOLARSHIP FUND!!

Last year 3 of my girlfriends and I dressed up as the NINJA TURTLES!! So I was fairly new to the TOWN group and (apparently) didn´t pay attention at the meetings and didn´t realize there was a prize for the best costume....

My friend Kacie (over at Pistols and Cupcakes or Rowdy Maui) and I had already went into full brainstorming and recruitment mode. We went back and forth between several different groups and settled on the Ninja Turtles. I have a friend Shannon (go check her work out at http://www.shannonbuckphotography.com/) from back close to home looking for something to do. Let´s just say she called me at the PERFECT time! So we had our 3rd turtle.

Then...I had recently met a new friend (a little FIRECRACKER of a chick that likes to hunt and stab ferral hogs for fun - it´s a real epidemic folks.) Check out her and her husband´s website here. Her name is Krystal. My Mother and Sister-in-law watched the little ones and off we went. Krystal and I acutally got our husbands to dress up with us as Splinter (the Rat) and Shredder (the bad guy). Let´s just say....they will probably NEVER dress up with us again (hence the reason you will not see a picture of them :)).

You Know you´re diggin´ our turkey pans!

Little Miss Kacie also met her LOVER BOY there - which happens to be one of our friends from back home. Still together....tomorrow night makes one year since the day they met. :))

Here they are the night we went out dancin´ to CELEBRATE our WIN!!

So we have our turtles and Kacie and I have TONS of fun shopping for the needed supplies. I am SO glad my dear friend Kacie and her AWESOME Momma know how to sew! They did their thing, we got to the party right on time, and MAN were people looking at us. A little intimidating....

Do I look intimidated ;)?

So...to make this long story short. We wound up winning. Now, by this time we had heard through the grapevine that there was a prize, but we thought maybe a gift certificate to Poor Man´s Country Club (the place where the party is held - click HERE for website). Little did we know we just won ourselves $200 cash AND a SASH :).

Shannon, Kacie, Me, and Krystal with our $$$$!

Well...everyone had SO much fun last year that they decided to do an 80´s Party REWIND this year.

SO................we have to TOP last years. We think we´ve done it. We lost one turtle....Mrs. Krystal :(. She had to go out of town for work BUT we have a new recruit and she´s a crafty little thing herself. She´s my JUNK-O-RAMA Prom goin´ friend Ms. Lindsey!

Me and Lindsey at the Party Last Year!

Stay tuned for PICS to see what we came up with!! It´s time to BUCK UP BABY!! We´ve gotta step it up to get the win. We´ll see if we pull it off. Until next time.....TURTLE POWER!!

Auction School Day 8: Sayin´ Our Goodbyes...

I just wanna say out the gate - that I got a 93 on the final test for Mr. Moon!! That doesn´t make me licensed. I still have to fill out all the forms and schedule a test with the state, but it makes me feel a little better :).

Me accepting my certificate on the ACTUAL last day of class.

Me "pretend" accepting for a pretty picture :).

Day 8 was a pretty bittersweet day. BELIEVE ME! I was MORE than ready to go home and see my Sugarbritches and Sweet Baby Kylee. When Mr. Moon told us how he was honored to have met us and will be followin´ up on us AND there if we ever had any questions it kinda got me a little teary-eyed. Not only that, but me and Sam became pretty good buddies and Nachadoches is a pretty good ways away. I made some really GREAT friends and met some REALLY AWESOME people and really do feel SO VERY BLESSED!

I know I´ll see some of them again and hope to see them all, but if I don´t I wish them THE VERY BEST in whatever makes them happy!! Call me if you need an auctioneer! If I´m able...I´ll be there.

Before I went off to school, I was hoping that I would get a little more guidance on "WHAT" I was going to do next. Well...what I really learned was that I am better than what I thought I was and really have unlimited possibilites and have no reason to really limit myself. I´m pretty anxious and excited to see what happens next.

So I hit the road for the close to 3 hour drive to Walhalla (only to drive 3 more back to Rockport on Sunday).

Pretty sky...idn´t it? :)

As if I hadn´t had enough auctioning after a whole week of it, I decided to stop into a horse sale in Giddings on my way home. I didn´t stay long, but long enough to get you all a video. I didn´t show the horse actually getting sold. The bidding didn´t reach the "reserve" or price that the seller wanted to sell it for, but he wound up coming to an agreement with the buyer. If you´ve never been to a horse auction and you´re wonderin´ why they switched riders - the owner wanted to show that the horse was broke and gentle. That sweet little girl can probably ride better than most grown folks, but it showed the audience that the horse was "kid-broke."

So I get to my in-laws and what do I see.... Kylee Jo dressed in duds only a Daddy can put together :).

Basketball shorts, T-Shirt, and Backwards Cap....none of it matching :), but still CUTE as a button!

We talked and visited for a little while and then got ready to go to the Fall Festival at RTC! Kylee had a ball in her Cowgirl costume!! Her cousins (Kelsey, Kaben, Bryan, and Kinsey) were there and she just had a time playin´ all those little games. She sat and had her face painted, but she wasn´t too crazy about it.

Right before we left she climbed on her pony and went for a ride :)!

Kylee with her girl cousins - Kinsey (bumble bee) and Kelsey (cowgirl).

She sat and let her paint it, but wasn´t too happy about it...with her little pouty lip. It was supposed to be a horseshoe, but it kinda looked more like a pink and brown rainbow.  

Well folks...wish me luck on my state exam!! I´m gonna have to BUCK UP and study hard!! I´m serious....start stretchin´ those arms and wigglin´ those fingers b/c I´ll be at an auction near you pretty stinkin´ soon!

Auction School Day 7: Quizzes and MORE Bid Calling

I´m super sorry for the delay in posting. My computer froze up at the hotel, then I met up with a friend that lives in Waco, and by the time I got back I needed to study for the final test Mr. Moon gave us. I started this blog, so I´m just going to leave it the way I typed it that day.

Hey! Hey! Everyone!! This Auction Class is coming to an end pretty fast here - which is a little overwhelming when you think about it. Now....I´ve learned all that any person can teach me about the laws, rules, regulations, codes, complaints, convictions, etc. It´s up to me to (first pass Mr. Moon´s test tomorrow) and the state exam - within the next week or so..... Then....once I pass that (I´m gonna study real hard and cross my fingers) I need to figure out how I´m gonna make all of this apply. You better believe it folks....IT´S TIME TO BUCK UP BABY!!!

We took a boo koo of quizzes and did more bid-calling. I posted a video of the last little bit of bid calling I did. I posted a couple of videos of some other classmates also. I´m the first and last video, my friend Samantha is the 2nd, Kevin from the Houston area is #3, Mr. Moon is after him, next is Randy (Antique fella from Missouri City).

Samantha and I were talking this morning, on the way to class, about just the way things happen in life. We would never know each other if it wasn´t for this. I don´t know if you guys have ever experienced anything like this, but when I got to class there were SEVERAL people that I felt like I knew from somewhere or we crossed paths somehow...it´s strange. I´m being serious about it. It was like you have this INSTANT connection with people and you don´t know´m from Adam. I´m thinkin´ A LOT of it has to do with the simple fact that we are all trying to be part of the Auction industry somehow, but (PERSONALLY) I think it´s a "God Thing" like Mike would call it. We are all placed in each other´s lives for a reason. Some of these folks are really going to help me along the way...whatever I decide to do - whether it be sharing their knowledge of antiques, the auction business, hiring me to call bids every so often, helping me run an auction, or just being a phone call away when I have a question about something. I do feel VERY blessed to have taken this class.

I also had the chance to meet up with my good friend Joe Wade (originally from Giddings). We used to run around dance halls together and have just stayed good friends over the years. Talk about some OLD memories. It took us a little while to figure out how we even met each other - originally. We reminisced about old times (over a couple of  "Big Os" (Margarita glass full of beer (it´s a Waco thing))) and got caught up on the goins on of us and our families.

Hangin´ Out @ George´s.

Well folks....another post is coming soon!! Thanks for stickin´ with me!

Auction School Day 6: The State has More Codes Than Morse! - Mr. Moon

Well let´s just say we talked about codes, codes, laws, rules, codes and more laws today. Did you know that "you can be an auctioneer and a coyote trapper-all at the same time?" Yes the state has someone that is in charge of catching coyotes. You also have to have a special permit to sell chickens (amongst other things), CAN NOT POSSESS AN EAGLE FEATHER UNLESS YOU ARE A CARD CARRYING NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN - and then you still can´t sell it, you can´t sell a stuffed turkey mount, selling mobile and manufactured homes have SO many guidelines (when it comes to an auction) that it makes my head hurt thinkin´ about it, and that there are a TON of rules regarding the selling of firearms, livestock, wild and exotic animals, birds, boats, military memorabilia, real estate, alcohol, food, and pretty much anything you can think of.... We learned about all of that AND MORE today.



Bubba gets a little short of breath sometimes and Mr. Moon thought if he held his diaphragm it would help. The sight is pretty humorous. I´m not sure why he thinks it helps...maybe he just felt like huggin´ somebody.

We also did MORE bid calling. Today the people that don´t have a chant started using filler words. For some it helped them get into more of a rhythm and for some it was hard because it was like re-training your brain to think a certain way. They also started actually catching bids. It truly is AMAZING to see the progress of everyone. It just takes lots and lots of practice.

The first video is of a pretty sharp fella named Kevin. He´s going to be in the Canton area. He´s a really nice guy and has a lot of knowledge. I look forward to maybe gettin´ a chance to work with him in the future.

The next video is Krueger. He has a really unique style. It´s almost like he´s rapping. From Day 1 he really put his personality into it and made it fun. Super nice, down to Earth guy (with a pretty AWESOME Momma)! I think his bidders are really going to enjoy listening to him...once he gets his chant down pat.

I remember when Uncle Mele told me I was going to help him at that auction in Plum. I practiced when I drove, when I was at the computer by myself, when I was around family (so I could get their input), recorded my chant into my phone, so I could play it back and hear myself...EVERY CHANCE I GOT. I still want to BE ABLE to chant a little faster than what I do now. That doesn´t mean that I´m going to always go that fast. I just want to be able to sell EVERYTHING and you have to be a little faster for some auctions than others. The only way I´ll get there is practice.

I do have more videos of bid calling today. We also had picture day today and Mr. Moon´s granddaughter Misty came in and got some shots of us.

The sun was in our eyes pretty bad, but here we are.



Here we´re just goofin´ off a little bit.

Well folks...I´m missin´ my baby and my husband. Samantha´s hubby and sweet little baby June came here yesterday for the rest of the week. That little girl is a DOLL! She´s 8 months. It´s kinda got me thinking about baby #2...

When I wrote my blogs last night, I had left my notebook in the car that has all of Mr. Moon´s quotes in it that I jot down during class. Here´s a few. If you hear me say them...you know where they came from.

"I´d rather be lucky than good. "
"We scattered that stuff out like a wild woman´s wash."
Someone asked him if his dog bit and he said: "I don´t know, but he´s got teeth."
"The only guarantee I´ll give you is if you drop it and break it - you´ll have 2 pieces."
"Bull Feathers!"
"The height of stupidity!"
"Well...you´ll wear out a Mercedes-Benz lookin´ for one of these." - Quote from his good auctioneer friend from Abilene that passed.
and maybe my favorite....
"I have no peers. I´m an auctioneer!"

Well..I¨ve learned a lot and have met a bunch of really AWESOME people. I may be tired and missin´ by family, but "I have no FEARS. I´m an auctioneer!" BUCK UP BABY and say a prayer for that sweet little baby of mine that is FINALLY missing me a little bit tonight.

GOD BLESS!!

Auction School Day 5: Opening Statements and a Dead Battery :(

So...I get up this chilly morning and walk out the door a little before 7:40 to go to class. I get in my car and what happens? The car won´t crank. I turn the key and click...click...click...click. Samantha was still there, so I had a way to get there.

Then we get there and Mr. Moon asks (amongst other things) if we practiced our opening statement. The answer to that was a big ole´ NEGATIVE. Luckily Bubba had it together and gave the rest of us a little time to write one up. You guys probably don´t realize it, but an auctioneer has to say A LOT right before an auction starts. I mean when I wrote it out it was over a page.... You´ve gotta do it though to cover yourself.

We did MORE bid calling today also. I have a video of Chad. He was SO nervous the first day. He´s come a long way and gets more and more comfortable up there.

If any of you guys have seen me when I auction...you know that I "dance" up there. I kind of rock from side to side. Well..."Big Bad John" (Mr. Moon gave him that name as we all broke into song) moves a lot when he gets up there. He does his bid calling really well and kind of walks around the whole time he´s doing it. Mr. Moon thought he´d stand by him to see if he could stand still.

Well folks...I´m tired and that´s about it for tonight. BUCK UP BABY! We have to dress up for some reason tomorrow. Hopefully my car starts.

Auction School Day 4: Runnin´ an Auction and the Table

Okay....so we didn´t ACTUALLY "run" the table, but me and Samantha did end the night with like a 5-0 record playing pool last night.

Me and Samantha havin´ some margaritas!

Yesterday (Day 4) and Today (Day 5) seem to be the most mentally straining days for me. I´m not sure if its the amount of information that is being drilled into us or what, but I´m just SO tired.

Yesterday we learned a lot about setting up different kinds of auctions and the type of help you´ll need to run one and the different qualities each person has to have. For example: most auctions whether they are Estate Auctions, Equipment Auctions, Consignment Auctions, etc - you will need 1...maybe 2 auctioneers, a clerk (and a good one), 2 cashiers, 2 ringmen, and you could need toters to run items to people and help them load up mechandise. It is also a good idea to have a back up to many of those positions.

We also did some more bid calling. I´ve added a few videos of classmates, so you guys can get an idea of what our days are full of. Mr. Moon has us going up by different increments all the time. Chance (first video) has so much energy. She is just entertaining when she gets up there. Chuck (second video) used to sell at a car auction. This guys if FAST. The next video is Randy. He´s an antique guy from the Houston area. He´s got his own style and is really good at incorporating different filler words.

Well...yesterday was also a classmates birthday. Me and Samantha (new friend from Nachadoches) and the two gold and silver fellas - Blondie (Chad) and Birthday Boy (Justin), and the rad guitar-playing auctioneer Mike went to this little steakhouse, ate good and had a few drinks. I don´t think I´ve laughed that hard the whole trip. Then we went to this little bar\pool hall type place and me and Sam wrecked shop :). Blondie MIGHT have scratched on the 8 ball two of the 5 times we won, but A WIN´S A WIN!

Birthday Boy...

The birthday party :).

I really am spent and a day behind, so you´ll get to read a couple of blogs this time. BUCK UP BABY!!

Auction School Day 3: More Learnin´ and Bid Callin´

Today, we´ve been learning about a few of the different kind of auctions...along with more laws, laws, and MORE LAWS!

I´m really learning a lot and not JUST from the teacher. I´m learning from each and every one of the other students too. I mean...I am just eatin´ this stuff up. Each person in that class knows somethin´ that I don´t know. All I´ve gotta do is listen to´m. I KNOW I can get a whole lot better than what I am.

This is really going to be a kinda short blog, but I do want to share this video I took today. This fella has been sittin´ in the front row takin´ videos of everybody else, so I decided to take his too. I  like the rhythm he has. He used to auction, then got out of it for a little while, and is now gettin´ back into it. He used to be an Antiques guy. I tried to get more pictures, but Bubba wouldn´t let me take a picture of him - workin´ on his breathing. In fact he told me he was gonna get after me, if I ddin´t put it down :).

Well...I´m off to get me a CHICKEN FRIED STEAK with Samantha and Mr. Moon. It´s at some little hole in the wall a little oustide of town. You guys...stay with me. I know this blog is pretty short, but I promise I´ll make´m more interesting! My head hurts from thinkin´ so much!! I know what you´re SCREAMIN´ at me...BUCK UP BABY! You gotta entertain us. Well let me tell you....I´m sure I´ll have PLENTY of quotes to entertain you with - after havin´ dinner with Mr. Moon :). I tell you what would be entertaining....is to meet Mr. Moon´s wife. Somebody asked him today if his wife keeps him in line. He said: "His wife gets on´m like a hair on a gorilla." She´s gotta be pretty sharp to keep up those similes he throws out all the time.

Until tomorrow....

Auction School Day 2: Bid Calling

So...My Mom and Kylee just left :(. I´m pretty sad about that. Well...Chance and Pops came in to pick´m up. We had dinner at this nice little steakhouse in Bellmead (had a mural of Gus and Call from Lonesome Dove on the wall) with my new friend Chance (She´s a lady :)). I know my family really liked her...she´s good people!! You don´t even want to know about the commotion we had gettin´ there. Let´s just say we won´t forget it!

Well today we started bid callin´. I COULD HARDLY WAIT!! So Mr. Moon told the few of us that already had a chant (style of auctioneering) that he wasn´t going to make us change it up!! He actually said "I could hold ya´ll at gunpoint and you still wouldn´t change it, so it won´t do me any good to try." We all had to get up there and go up by increments of $1...all the way to $50. I´ve got a little video that I posted from me doing my thing. A few of those stinkin´ class mates of mine were trying to tell me to cut that $1 bid in half (hence the pause and look of nonacceptance I was giving :)). Just like every other auction I have EVER done....I got more positive re-enforcement. I asked Mr. Moon how he thought I did and he said "If I still had an auction house - I´d turn you loose and let you sell." You better believe that made me feel pretty stinkin´ good.

I really am amongst a group of stand-up individuals. Well amongst some of the things we learned today were making sure our contracts covered us in case of things like people abandoning items or buying something with warranties, how to advertise ourselves at certain auctions, red flags to be aware of and safeguard ourselves, etc. We also learned that Mrs. Moon will throw a "hobo fit" if Mr. Moon doesn´t take her bid and let her buy heavy pieces. He doesn´t like to carry anything heavy :).

He also said that you can´t get anywhere in this business sittin´ behind a computer. His exact words were "You can´t be a rock star if you don´t get out there." :) What if...you do both :)? He also told us about his very first auction for a 4-H club. He said there was a lady out there with a camera from the TV station and well..."He was as nervous as a whore in church.". LOL! I guess I must´ve been about that nervous in Plum :).

Oh my goodness! My mind is on overload and it´s only the end of Day 2! Well folks...like Mr. Moon would say you better watch out! Heather´s "comin´ out of the shoot wearin´ a tenny shoe and a boot!" And...like I´d say...BUCK UP BABY!! Get those arms astretchin´! I´ll be at an auction near you soon enough!!

I didn´t take many pics, but I do have a few to share....

Meet Blondie :). He´s the youngest in the class and that gives us no reason to pick on him, but we do :) He was a little nervous gettin´ up there to do his chant at first and Mr. Moon wanted to check his pulse to see how nervous he was...not that, that would make him MORE nervous or anything :)

Do you guys remember be blogging about my friend\cousin-in-law going into labor early a few blogs ago? Well...I´m happy to report that little Baby Andy has arrived weighin´ in at 5lbs. 3oz!! Mommy is in good shape too! God Bless the Noska, Diamond, and Ortiz families!!





Auction School Day 1: Just the Beginning

Well guys...I´m finished with Day 1 of Auction School. I have to say it has been a FULL day. I have met about 20 really cool people (including students, teachers, staff, etc.) The class ranges from people age 22 to 60ish. The students are interested in anything from Antiques, to car auctions, opening up an auction house, helping run an auction house, jewelry and gold buyers...people from all kinds of walks of life and all different ages.

We were able to meet with a Judge\Auctioneer\Lawyer\Doctor Fella. He got his license about a year ago, from the same school and taught us a little bit about the auction industry - dating back to before Christ. I really think I learned more from him about political science than I did with 4 years of college (my minor is Political Science). He went through the evolution of the auction industry and touched on contracts and laws and so on and so forth.

Today we learned A LOT about laws, complaints that people can file against an auction company, how to protect ourselves in that sense, penalties and fines... It was A LOT of info.

You know how it gets. About 2:30ish or so...we were all getting a little drowsy. You can imagine what kinda characters you might find in a room full of auctioneers. Well...I was at a Bachelorette Party a few months back and we decided to keep track of quotes that we said OR someone else said that we thought were random and funny. I AM NOT SHARING THE BACHELORETTE PARTY QUOTES WITH YOU. They might shut my site down, but I did jot a few down from the end of class :).

Mr. Moon...That´s our teacher. I REALLY like him. He knows what he´s talkin´ about, keeps up with all the changes, and has helped LOTS of auctioneers get started. He´s about as plain spoken as you´re gonna find. He´s gonna tell you what he thinks and really...is my kind of people.

Well...he said that his wife always said "You´re the only man I know that can buy high, sell cheap, and stay in business." He´s also the kinda fella that says "winder," "Darlin´," "over ´are," "down ´ner," "wonderin´," and talks about fellas walkin´ in in their cut off overalls :). Somebody told him he made a good point and he said "Sure its a good point. You think I´d give you a bad one?" LOL! I´m tellin´ you. It was so AWESOME!!

I will also tell you a few other things I found interesting and maybe a little bewildering. When we get to our hotel...we´ve got a little paper strap around our toilet seat that said "Sanitized for your protection." Well...that´s nice. I´m VERY glad. I don´t recall ever seeing that BUT okay I´ll roll with it. Over half the class is staying here...so HOPEFULLY I´m not in too much of a dive. Also...the bathroom at the school has a sign posted..."Please flush the toilet." APPARENTLY Waco has some potty problems. I mean...you would think you wouldn´t have to say\ask those things.

We were also able to go to an auction here close to Waco - that one of the Associate Auctioneer´s in the class (Jeff) helps out at. I wound up buying two toy boxes (one for outside and one for inside) for $10 each...both in really good shape and....some Pull Ups...unopened packages of pull ups for less than half of what it would´ve cost me at the store. Not bad... This Jeff guy said somethin´ pretty funny also. He´s got a strong accent. Actually...a lot of people do in class. It´s like a smorgasbord of Texas accents :). Ányways...I don´t remember what he was talkin´ about, but he said..."I´ll bet you dollars to donuts...:)." Don´t be surprised if you hear me say that.

I´m really havin´ a good time and honestly...I´M WHOOPED!! But...once again...my mind is on OVERLOAD and I thought I´d share. Well folks....be sure to BUCK UP and don´t forget to FLUSH THE TOILET!!!

(Sorry no pics. I´ll work on it for tomorrow.)

Dirty Old Sale Barns

I think this blog has let all of you (that want to) learn a little more about me. It´s helped to bring ME back to myself also, which needs to happen to all of us sometimes.

The first weekend of October I was able to stay a little longer and stop by Giddings Livestock for a little while. For those of you that don´t know...that´s the cattle auction that my Uncle is part-owner of. Let me give you all a little background.

Here´s a pic of Giddings Livestock - Sale every Monday.

My Uncle Mele used to haul cattle to several different sale barns in the area and we (me, my sister, and brother) would ride with him every so often.

I´m not exactly sure when, but I would say around the late ´90s, my Uncle started auctioning for Lee County Stockyards in Giddings. There was a girl there that worked in the back...BJ Els. That girl may be pint-sized, but she is tough as nails....Seriously...you kinda have to be to work back there. I mean...that girl stays dirty. She´s a barrel racer, her Daddy´s a welder, well....she just works harder than most men, has done things most men haven´t done and I just took a likin´ to her. So....I started working in the back...when I was in like 6th or 7th grade. I was a HUGE tomboy back then...HUGE! I was literally her shadow back there. I learned a lot....especially how to work...not sit still. So for several summers and any Monday that I didn´t have school...I went and worked at the sale barn.

My first job was working one of the shoot gates (there were 3) that got the cattle into the ring. Then...I eventually worked up to the tub (after BJ left). This is a big chute. It is a round pen-type thing that has different petition gates that moves different pens of cattle into the shoot. This is where you moved cattle into the chutes...right before they went into the ring. I´m not exactly sure when, but I started bringing the cattle up from the alley to put into the pens, that go into the tub, that then go into the shoot. I also helped get bulls and cows and goats and all kinds of livestock into the ring (some were put into the ring separately). I also helped get the baby calves paired up with their mommas before they went into the ring. The momma cows are penned separate from the babies, so they don´t get hurt (moving between the other big cows) and then they are later paired up when they go into the ring. I would literally come home covered in cow crap from head to toe...and then be ready to go back to work the next week.



Here´s a shot of the holding pens at Giddings Livestock from the catwalk.



More Pics and Cows...



Yet another....

Somewhere....probably around my Sophomore year of high school I started worrying about boys a little bit and what people thought of a girl working in the back...punching cattle. Most people think that´s men´s work and honestly...how attractive can a dirty stinky girl be? So I started helping in the office. Mainly entering information into the computer like tag number, buyer, seller, etc. I did that for awhile. Then I got a job working for Citizens National Bank and quit working at the barn for awhile.
Then the two local sale barns Lee County Stockyards and Giddings Livestock merged. They moved the sale to the new facilities at Giddings Livestock. The place I worked at the time La Finca (cool little home interior store with a Mexican type theme - owned my a SUPER COOL lady that inspired me to be a DREAMER) was not open on Mondays, so I started working in the kitchen and waiting tables. Then our family worked the restaurant for awhile (5S Cafe) - until my Daddy had to have a liver transplant and I went off to college.

I found some old pictures (and really wish I could of found some of me at my dirtiest) that I thought I´d share. It was a big, influential part of my life. I NEED to get better at taking pictures of all of this stuff for my blog! Granted...it´s kinda hard thinking about pictures when you have a 2-year old trying to stick her hand in the ring to "pet" the cows, but I need to get on top of this :).

Chance, Mom, Me, and Mandy at the Cafe.

Me and Mayra

Pops, Uncle Fritzie, Craig, and Leonard (my Father-in-Law)

Me and my Mother-In-Law, Lois working at the Cafe.

Mayra (long-time friend) and Mandy (little sister)...A couple of the cooks.

I guess that was a kinda long way to get to my main point, but I have been involved in sale barns FOREVER...and all different areas. I´ve met some really AWESOME, HARD-WORKING, REAL people along the way. Cattle Buyers, Sellers, Work hands of all sorts (young high school kids, older fellas that have been cowboy´n all their lives, alley hands that could care less about those damn cows and are just tryin´ to make some $$, etc.), got-it-together women workin´ in the office and callin´ pens, older fellas just stoppin´ in for coffee and watchin´ their cattle sell... Really....all kinds.

Some of thoe "Got-It-Together" Women and Marty (past part-owner).

More "Got It Together Women" :).

So I got to stop by and see some of my old friends. You don´t realize it, but these people are like family. Here are some examples: Mr. Bill Jones (from Lott, Texas) and Craig Archer (from the San Marcos area) are 2 cattle buyers that I recall knowin´ me when I was punching cattle in the back. Glenn (Cuero area) has managed the alley hands for as long as I can remember...Mr. Albrecht (Giddings-area native) - that has been drinkin´ coffee and watchin´ cows sell since I can remember, of course Uncle Mele and Mr. Rick Sodek. I mean...there were so many. In that same breath...there are so many that have passed on - that I wish I could´ve seen. They were characters that you just can´t forget and God Bless their souls.
I don´t know what it is about those Dirty Old Salebarns.... It just felt right for me to walk in there and be there. It´s kinda funny b/c...even though I grew up around them, it is always a little intimidating to walk into a room (predominantly full of men). Not only that, but it had been YEARS since some of these people have seen me. I walked in with Pops and we went and sat in the bleachers with little Kylee. It didn´t do much good trying to sneak in,considering that Uncle Mele called us out on the mike as soon as we sat down and everyone turned to look at us :). Before you knew it I was sittin´ down with the cattle buyers right in front of the ring and they were even playing with Kylee (who was tryin´ her derndest to get right up to the sale ring). It was kinda like we picked up right where we left off.

Look at all those people!

Anyways...I think the sale barn is where I learned to LOVE PEOPLE...all kinds of people and appreciate them.

As far as auctioning at one goes...it will take me a little while to get familiar with the market and maybe get enough speed to keep those cattle buyers happy.

It is memories like this that make me realize how truly blessed I have been in my life. There aren´t too many people that have the opportunities that I´ve had. I guess I´ve come a long way from punchin´ cows and cow crap. So...a marriage, a sweet little baby girl, an Associate and Bachelors Degree, an(almost) 5-year TV Ad Sales Career, and several years later, I have decided to get my Auctioneer License. Is it a bad thing that I kinda wouldn´t mind bein´ covered in cow crap again?

Praisin´, Figurin´, and Just Plain Doin´!

Hey Everyone! My mind is on overload (What´s new...right?) Well...I´m waiting on some pics for JG Prom before I blog about that, but I have LOTS of other stuff to talk about, so I´ll start with...

Praisin´

I want to give a little more PRAISE to the LEDBETTER VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT. I know I mentioned how much they HAD IT TOGETHER, but folks....it is probably the smoothest run fundraising auction I have ever been to and a part of. There was no runnin´ around getting the bidders names or anything like that...we had them on a list - so when they called out their bidder number, we looked it up on our cheat sheet, gave them a big thank you like they DESERVED, and rolled on with the next item. You don´t really realize how much time it saves and how much better an auction flows until you do another. They had carbon tickets (3 layers). I got one to read and pass on to the lady recording it (Mrs. Read), one stayed on the item, and the other went to the buyer after they settled up (like a receipt). Whatever committee was working the auction - YOU ROCKED IT! BTW- Ya´ll really impressed Uncle Melvin too... He´s still talking about it.

Thank you - Mrs. Deborah Lancaster for the pictures!!

Here I am...doin´ my thing!

Uncle Mele...doin´ his thing!

Tommy - doin´ his modeling thing :) J/K...

I also want to do a little praisin´ (self plug fixing to occur) for Cable Advertising. I mentioned in a previous blog that an Auction House (general merchandise consignment auction) here in town decided to advertise on TV. We didn´t see a lot of new faces, but keep in mind that Sea Fair (a big annual festival in the area) and a 4-H Fundraiser, Auction, and Dance - were all going on the same evening. We did see several though, and those few people helped raise the bids a little bit (to make an item bring a little closer to what its actually worth) and still had everyone walking away with some pretty sweet deals. For example: It seems a little silly for a gooseneck hookup to go for $22 (what we bought one for a few weeks ago) when they are worth over $300. We picked up another one at this past auction for right under $100 - which was still a pretty sweet deal. Of course we would´ve liked to get it a little cheaper, but from a business standpoint - you have to keep the consigner happy also. The advertising started just a few days before the auction - so they´re just gettin´ started. Just imagine what a little more time will do.

Figurin´

I´ve been doin´ some figurin´ and I guess I´m gonna ride this auction train until it quits chug-a-luggin. I know that what I´m fixin´ to type applies to all sorts that are starting a new venture or discover a talent or something like that...so I hope you can identify. I have helped out at 6 fundraising auctions (actually auctioneering) and worked at 3 more or so...just kind of observin´ and spotting and what not. I have gone through these phases. (See below)

1 - YAY!! People think I´m good!
2 - Am I really doing this? What if those people were just being nice?
3- Hmmm...I guess I´m all right at this auctioneering stuff.
4- Can I really make this work? Should I REALLY pursue it?
5- I´ve still got a lot to learn...
6- Ok. Seriously... no one is holding these people at gunpoint. There is no reason for people to tell you you´re pretty good at what you´re doin´ if you´re not.
7- How can I get my license faster?
8- What can I do once I get it?
9- What kind of auctioning do I really want to do?

So...with all that figurin´ I´ve been doing....I´m left with more figurin´. One thing I´ve determined is.... I figure I´m pretty good at this auctioneering stuff and I ought to listen to the people that have heard me and BUCK UP BABY and go for it!! You can´t be scared! If you don´t try you don´t know and then you´ll be tryin´ to figure what could have been. I´m hoping Auction School and Uncle Mele can help me with this other figurin´.

I´ve also been figurin´ that ELMER (the buck I´ve been hunting) has gotten smart and likes to show up at the feeder late, late nights and early mornings (when its still dark). So...what am I going to do about that? Hunt that SON-OF-A-GUN wherever I figure he might cross. Actually...we all are. He needs to be culled and somebody needs to get him. I´m also figurin´ that this bow hunting is some pretty INTENSE stuff and I DIG IT!!

DOIN´

So this is what I´m DOIN´.... I´m going to auction school at the end of this week, completing the 8-day (10 hour day) course, and then scheduling a time to take my licensing exam with the state! WATCH OUT!!

 I also just helped Uncle Mele at an auction for the BURTON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT. I really appreciate those nice people allowing me to talk real fast and help them raise some $$$. While we were auctioneering they got called out on a fire and they all had to light out of there. WE ALL NEED TO THANK A FIREFIGHTER! If there is one thing these wildfires should´ve taught us...its that - YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT COULD BE YOUR HOUSE ON FIRE! Fires don´t discriminate and these volunteers do what they can to keep us all safe and put those fires out as soon as possible. All of this $$$ we´ve been raisin´ is going to help keep US safe. Remember that when you´re THROWIN´ your hand up to bid on something at the next VFD fundraiser your at.

Scary stuff...

The auction went very well and EVEN MORE people are telling me to KEEP IT UP, so that´s what I´m doin´!

I was also very glad to be able to visit with Mr. Hodde a little while. He used to be at GIDDINGS LIVESTOCK every Monday - when I worked there and I just really enjoyed his company. He might´ve slowed down a little bit, since last time I´ve seen him, but he´s still just as good a company as ever! I hope he got to hear me sell a few items. He told me to tell Uncle Mele to get off that mike, so he could hear me - but I think he still got to.

BUCK UP BABY!! Throw those hands up and BUY something at the next auction you go to! Don´t be scared :)! Take care!

Hunting Elmer

Ok. So. This is my first year to hunt with my bow. I´ve had it for 3 years and remember cussin´ my husband after he talked me into buying it b/c we had to drop some cash on it.

Now...by no means...am I this life-long hunter. My WONDERFUL, AMAZING, Husband (Kyle) that puts up with me and all my randomness, got me into it when we started dating (a little over 9 years ago). I shot my first buck with him on his parents´ place. It was a 9pt 3 1/2 year old buck scoring 120 Net - Low Fence.

My very first deer :). Kyle looks so proud :)).

Everybody says that you get the jitters when that buck walks out. Well...the first time, I didn´t have time to get them. It all happened so fast. I wish I had that video Kyle videoed that day. I may have to try and find it. It was HILARIOUS!!

So...last year. My brother-in-law (Chris) told me I could shoot myself  a buck. It wasn´t any big monster buck, but a nice tall 8 pointer that was probably around 4 and a half, BUT I had to shoot it with a muzzle loader. Never shot one of those, but I was gonna give it a go and borrowed one from a friend - Cordes. So I was sitting probably 20 feet up in a tree stand and he walks out.



There he is... He looked better last year - when we had more rain.

  Now mind you...I told my WONDERFUL husband that we should shoot the gun first. Also keep in mind that our good friend Kyle Cordes (that has been around guns all his life) told us he shot it and it was on. Sigh...

Ok. So I´m sitting there. I move my leg a little and the deer hears "something", but he doesn´t make me. He looks like he´s fixing to walk away and I was saying to myself  "Please come back, please come back"...and he doubles back. Starts eating corn and gives me a PERFECT broadside shot. I´m steady. My hearts beating, but I´m not shaking. I pull the trigger, see the cloud of powder, and NO DEER.

I´m thinking to myself. I saw NOTHING but deer in my cross hairs...nothing. I wasn´t shaking. I could have thrown a rock at it and hit it. There´s no way I could have missed it. The shell casing is right where the deer was, but no blood. Anyways...we look for this deer for what seemed like FOREVER.

Then...before we took the gun back to our friend Cordes, I asked my husband to shoot the gun. So guess what. It was a little over a FOOT low. So....I shot right underneath the deer. He came out unscathed and I will NEVER forget how I should have gone with my gut and made sure it was sighted in!! Grrr....

Ok...So My husband and his brothers are pretty strict about hunting whitetail and managing a property, so we can harvest nice trophy bucks or cull out bucks that won´t be trophies. They could go on for days about the importance of genetics and letting a deer get to its full potential.

My husband Kyle with his big buck deer :).

The brother-in-law Chris with his big buck deer. (He´s single ladies :))

Kyle´s oldest brother Kory and his buck - with Little Miss Kylee.

Well...Elmer (The buck I missed and yes...I´ve named him) is back. They have game cameras set up all over the place. He visits the protein feeder regularly. So about 2 months ago I decided I´m going to hunt with my bow. So I started practicing.

The arrows are a little high, but that´s b/c Kyle wouldn´t adjust the sites until I shot like that at least 3 or 4 times consistently.

Then we got it dialed in.

More practicing...

Opening morning was Saturday. The stand where the deer was coming to regularly was sitting in the wrong direction for the wind, so I couldn´t sit there for the first hunt. I was 20 yards or less from the deer and they would´ve been able to make me for sure. So I sat in the same blind where I missed him with the muzzle loader. The wind was better there. I saw some does and a nubbin´ buck and decided to get down close to 10AM. When I´m about 1/2 way down the ladder I look down the alley towards the feeders and I see ELMER. (There was a limb in my way from the stand.)

So...I try to climb back up in stealth mode, but I´m sure they already heard "something" rustling around in the bushes (He was with a doe). Anyways...he never came out, but Chris (brother-in-law) went and cut the limb after that :).

I hunted every hunt, except the evening hunt when I went to Ledbetter for an auction. I saw one big doe almost every hunt (Dolly - I named her too.) One morning hunt I saw two bucks right before it got light. I think one was a small 7 pointer (not a shooter). That´s the only one I had a shot at. There was another buck and I think it was ELMER, but they both ran away when the feeder went off and never came back.

Elmer and the other 7-pointer I think I saw that morning.

So maybe I´ll get´m. Maybe I won´t. We´ll see and I´ll keep you all posted.

One thing I know for sure is that hunting with a bow is a much different experience than hunting with a rifle. Talk about ADRENALINE! When you hear a deer walking out and you think it could be that shooter your heart gets to beating. It´s an EXPERIENCE! In fact...I think I prefer it now. Everything has to be PERFECT. It´s true hunting. If anything is off, the wind, the distance of the deer, any noise or movement, the position of the deer, when you can pull back so other deer don´t see you...It´s a lot to think about.

You get A LOT of alone time with yourself and nature while you´re sittin´ up there and I kept going through scenarios in my head. My biggest worry is the deer seeing me when I draw my bow back, but I had to keep tellin´ myself. BUCK UP BABY!! You can do it. Quit cryin´ about it and get it done. Wish me luck folks!! I´m not sure when I´ll get back down there, but I´m doin´ my best.