If you could only see my list of things to do right now. I'm a big fan of listing; I make a list every day, mostly carrying over the unfinished tasks of the day before and adding new ones as they come up. That way, I don't get bogged down with all the thoughts of what I should be doing, and my brain can focus on other stuff, like, "I wonder what everyone from last year's
Maker Nights at
Cube are up to," or, "whose dumb idea was it to train for a 10K in the middle of summer, anyway?" At any rate, I can't believe how long it's been since I posted here. Sorry about that! I do have a lot to report, I guess. I forget that not everyone works on their family's farm making cheese...sometimes I'm jolted with the realization that this life we're living is pretty interesting, and
maybe people like to read about it. :)
So, first on my list is BLOG. Check.
Ha, only kidding. Maybe I'll do a roundup of topics like I did when I was milking and hopefully check back in to elaborate on them. Let's see...
1. We're SO close to expanding! We're (I'm) getting the paperwork together as we speak. It's a huge loan application that's just about finished. Man, sometimes I feel like I've had a crash Masters in Business course. Words just pour from my mouth like, "fully amortized" or "I backed those numbers out to account for interest." What?! But it's all so worth it. That's mostly why I haven't been online, to chat or blog or the like. My head's been buried in projections, financial statements and aging room plans. Bleah.
2. I have summer help! My 15-year-old brother's got plenty to do in the cheeseplant while he's out of school for the summer. He acts like he hates it, but to me, these summers look like the sort of scenes in movies where the lead character recounts the summers past that made him the man he is today. Tom's great in there; and while I try not to be too much of a hardass, I want him to learn responsibility and pride in his heritage. And also that "Huh" is not an appropriate response when being addressed. We'll get there.
3. Looks like we'll be on TV again! We filmed last week with a crew from KVIE's
California Heartland. I think it'll be on RFD like
California Country, but I don't know for sure. This year, it's in Hi-Def! Woo!
4. Attended the first meeting this year for the
Passport Weekend. I get so jazzed about this event! It's looking like maybe Pedrozo Cheese and
Massa Rice will join forces or at least open a little early so passporters can start on the West Side and then enjoy the rest of their days in the heart of Butte County, where most of the other farms are located. We'll keep you posted.
5. Speaking of Massa, I can honestly say that I've had a hand in building their home...so if it falls down, sorry about Greg and Raquel! :) Actually, last month they hosted a bale-raising, very similar to a barn raising, only this was to let people get in on the action adding onto their home, constructed of rice straw bales. It was SO much fun. I hammered in a few nails (was actually mocked by the contractor, but that's ok. I do hammer like a girl!) and learned how the bales are fitted to be the walls of the building. It's amazing, really.
I'd been hoping our new aging room could be a rice straw bale building, but timing and logistics sort of dictated that we have a traditional building this time. But maybe when the time comes to refurbish the old barn, we can just salvage the wood and build a straw bale barn in its place! I know, I know, one thing at a time.
6. My cousin Josh is getting married next weekend; the first of 13 cousins to officially tie the knot. That's a big deal in itself, but the cool thing is that he asked me for cheese for his reception long enough ago that I was able to make him some personalized Tipsy Cow in some 2002 Cabernet from
Van Ruiten Winery in Lodi, which plays a special little part in their courtship. Awww!
7. Yes, I'm training for a 10k. I'd put on a few (ahem) pounds when I started helping dad milk, and I've noticed a little sluggishness in my step these days. So, why not, right? Today I ran 4 miles without stopping, and when I was done I felt like I could have gone more! It's all in the pacing. Only took me 26 years to figure that out. It's really all because of my
very cool aunt, who never ceases to inspire me. :)
Well, I guess 7's as good a number to quit than any. I have other, much BIGGER news, but I'll let it have its own post. Hope all is well with everyone!