High Five Four Friday

1. My life was potentially threatened on Tuesday night. If you call threatened a tornado type cloud that you can't tell if it's spinning and your probably 15 miles away from it. But still facts are facts and I was in danger. Kinda.

2. Instant oatmeal has to be the greatest thing in the world and yes I do make it in a styrofoam coffee cup and eat it with a plastic spoon because I am to lazy to take a real bowl back to the break room. Don't judge me.

3. It wouldn't be right not to post a picture of my furbaby whom I love dearly. Last weekend when our families were in town, Stella insisted on guarding the cattleman's nephew when he went to bed.

4. There are approximately 33 hours until the Cowboys/Longhorns game and lets all pray the cowboys win because my house wont be very fun if they don't. I'd appreciate your sympathy.

And Finally a few words of advice for #5

5. I've been kind of a hot mess lately, oh hey that's generally how I roll. But with a big yes ma'am to madame Taylor the lipstick and wine will be flowing around 5:30 pm, see you there!

Get the daily

How is everyone doing? I am fantastic, really enjoying this nice cool weather and RAIN. Yep the wet kind. Also, I am pretty sure I saw a tornado the other day on my way home from work, how fitting Tornado Aly spots a... tornado.

But I couldn't tell if it was spinning. And it definitely was not smoke it WAS apart of the cloud mass. 

In other news I'm pretty sure I've gained 8 lbs in the last week with family around see this post about how we eat. Which brings me to my announcement today: I am going to run in a half marathon!! Why you ask? 

Because I can. And I'm a tubby, but that's besides the point.

I am whipping my sorry butt into shape to take care of the body I was given. It's the respectful thing to do given all the people who will never be able to do such a thing. So while I am young wild and free I have a few athletic things I would like to accomplish.

- Run a 10K

- Run a 1/2 Marathon

- Run a Marathon

- Participate in a Triathlon

- Blow your socks off at a cross fit competition!

Think of it as my fitness bucket list. More details on the races to come and an FYI this isn't 100% completely random I have been running a little since Feb 2012, nothing serious just 3 or 4 miles a few times a week. I find it to be a fantastic stress relief. But, it's time to button down the hatch and get on with the gettin on!

I really want to run in the Tulsa Route 66 half in Novemeber but I haven't discussed it with the cattleman. Sooo be vewry vewry twiet I'm hunting a long weekend with a little side of running shoes.

What do you think about running a half marathon?

I'm pushy in the kitchen and thankful for Tuesday.

Family.

Such a simple word, with a powerful impact. When you leave home to begin a different life 1000 miles away you realize what that word means:

- Love
- Friendship
- Support
- Laughter
- Tears
- Respect
- Irreplaceable
- BBQ

I don't know about your family but mine, we eat. Most people plan their trips and visits around what they are going to see or where they are going to go but we plan ours around what we are going to make and who needs to visit the grocery.

Cooking is such a strong bond with my family and the Cattleman's family. What better way to get reacquainted than to push each other around the kitchen and mix a few creations your dying for everyone else to try since you've seen them last?

This past weekend parts of both of our family's came up for a visit to do none other than enter a BBQ contest. SO MUCH FUN.

We laughed, we played, we mixed a few adult beverages and stayed up way to late but had more fun than you can shake a stick at!

This being our first official contest we had high, but realistic hopes because frankly our smoked BBQ is awesome but we weren't sure we had the contest part down yet. And wouldn't you know it, we took second in both categories for ribs and beef tenderloin!!

All the boys did such a great job! That's our custom built smoker that the cattleman and cattleman dad fashioned.

So this Tuesday, friends, I am thankful for BBQ. Specifically St. Louis style ribs.

Thankful Tuesday: Motivation = Inspiration

The surest way not to fail is to determine to succeed.

Richard Brinsley Sheridan  

It's been a while since I have posted for Thankful Tuesday's, but let me assure you there are things day in and day out that deserve more praise and thanks than I could ever write about. Today I would like to spend some discussing motivation and what has led me to the journey I am currently mapping.

If you would have told me in the spring of 2010 that I would be moving to BFE Kansas and starting the most important stepping stone to my career, an irreplaceable experience most could only dream of, I would have quite literally laughed. In your face to be exact. 

You see although I always had every intention of a career in the agriculture industry I was raised in a society that deemed agriculture as dead, that there was no room for some random girl to make a livin. Honest.  But, let me also tell you that these things were said with love and my best interest in their hearts. The people involved did not view agriculture as it's whole, and the variety of paths you could choose and neither did I. But, determined not to let my dreams die I did not settle and kept pressing on.

I may have gone about this backwards, not going to go college right out of high school, but how do you in your right mind rack up that kind of debt having no idea what you wanted to do only who you wanted to be? Unlike the majority of my peer group I opted out of being riddled with debt (and am actually on my way to being completely debt free) by working and then figuring out exactly what type of education I wanted to spend MY money on!

I started out at the very bottom, a harvest time scale girl. Amazingly I LOVED this job and every harvest a part of me wishes I could be back out there chatting up the locals as they delivered their hard earned grains. My love for this position translated into above average work ethic and job satisfaction so the company I was with decided to take me on full time at the main mill, which for Ohio is a pretty good sized operation. But, with this move I lost my motivation when I was trapped in an office all day never seeing anyone besides my co-workers and the glare of a computer screen. I wanted something more than to be a pencil pushing number cruncher. I wanted a career not a job. I wanted to be apart of something bigger than me and to know that at the end of the day the team I was working with was effecting peoples lives positively in the form of agriculture!  

I stuck it out though, and gleaned as much knowledge as they were willing to give me. Unfortunately some company's have no desire to grow certain positions, all they want is for you to come to work each day follow the rules and go home. You know that's fine if that's what your looking for but at that point in my life I was yearning for more. 

One day I was having an issue contacting one of our DDG (dried distillers grains) trucking company's and went to google the main office number when God intervened. I happened to click on a link with the exact name I was looking for but it was different, it was a Agriculture job placement agency based out of Kansas City. I immediately got out of the site in fear of my manager somehow finding out I was on a job hunting site even if it was by complete accident (or divine intervention as I like to see it.) All week long it tugged and tugged at me I looked at the site again, none of the job listings seemed like they would be a fit for me. I sucked it up and spent the next weekend perfecting my job resume for a what the heck all they can do is tell me no, and sent it in.  

 With strong prayer, faith and a stroke of good luck I stumbled upon my current company where I was offered a job as a risk manager. Yep me. A lil ole farmers daughter from southwest Ohio and they wanted ME. :) makes me smile and happy all over just remembering that call!

I guess the point is I was motivated by all the negative commentary on my life decisions that other people thought would get me no where. If I wouldn't have followed that yearning God placed in my soul from the time I was a very young girl I would have missed the inspiration to reach out and discover a world I had no idea existed. If your reading this don't give up on your dreams there is a reason your passionate about certain things and sometimes all you have to do is let go and enjoy the ride.

I know that this kind of jumped all over the place and there are so many other amazing details to this story that I left out, but I guess you'll have to wait for my book in ohhhh say 20ish years, you know once I've taken the cattle industry by storm.

I am thankful for the career path I have been given through hard work and determination to prove that my dreams WILL become reality.

Love to you all,

It's the most wonderful time of the, week! H54F!

That's right it's lunchtime on Friday, my most favorite lunchtime of the week besides Saturdays and Sunday's.

I've got big plans this weekend too, I am going to run a 10K tomorrow as long as my pointer toe (yes that is the scientific name) is feeling up to the challenge, I apparently pulled a tendon while blasting my previous 5k record out of the water last night. That's right I shaved and entire 2 min off my time! I blame it on actually sleeping and eating a balanced meal, apparently I'm growing up. Then in the afternoon the Cattleman and I are going to Fall Fest and Art in the park! Two awesome festivals on one day. I can hardly contain myself. Keep watch on instagram (alypen3060)  for updates through my activities. Annnd THEN on Sunday we will be practicing on beef tenderloins for our big upcoming BBQ Smoke Competition on Sept 22 our team name is Smoke Break teehee!

I wish all of your lives were as exciting as mine.

Let's get down to the dirty of why we are here, it's High 5 4 Fridays where I tell you my most favorite parts of the last few day's.

1. Buckeyes football fans have been voted the No. 1 fans in the NCAA. That would be THE Ohio State University and we are kind of a big deal. :)

The script Ohio was also voted No. 1 for best game day traditions last year, not that I'm bragging or anything.

2. I found this little number from Ranch House Designs and popped it onto my background because the truth is what it is.

3. This isn't really new but I feel it's such an awesome radio station app that everyone needs to get it because it's totes def my fav. It's The Red-Dirt Rebel out of Lubbock, Texas your one stop shop for all things Red Dirt.

4. I've got some made cat dance moves! Shout out to my friends Shawana and Mike for such a fabulous wedding! I'm glad I could dance the night away in your honor.

I'm not really sure what we are doing here but if I had to guess it's The Wobble and we look fantastic. The cattleman only enters a dance floor on two occasions 1. I drag him 2. If they play Ludacris...

5. I'm glad it's finally fall and am going to celebrate with all things pumpkin, cabbage and hard cider. I'd love for you to join!

So what's your favorite pumpkin treat?

Guess who's back, back again Aly's back, tell a friend

Now this looks like a job for me 
So everybody just follow me (@AgriQueen)
'Cause we need a little controversy 
'Cause it feels so empty without me

How's that for a throw back? You're welcome.

Ok so after a horrendously long absence I have a case of blog fever tugging at my shirt tail. I wish I could be one of those consistent weekly update kinda people but lets get fureal here that probably isn't going to happen in the near future. 

Just thought I'd break that to you. Don't be upset I value each and everyone of you  but as a full time employee, full time student, runner of the houser and mother to these adorable faces

I just can't get it done.

How I compensate: Numerous quick shout outs on Twitter and Facebook keep my bases covered most day's of the year. (Follow me on Twitter @AgriQueen) Oh, and for those of you out there in my shoes trying to convince your cattleman dearest that the new iPad is the latest accessory to match your black cayman Rios well it may work but from experience, a month and $700 bucks later ummm I still don't get tho job done. I even have one of these handy bluetooth keyboards!

On the agenda my Dad is coming to town next week with my Aunt!! I can't wait to spend time with them to show where I work and live, it's going to be great! We will eat tons food, watch football and skip happily down the yellow brick road.

OOk so after all that rambling out being gone... I just wanted to let you know I have a couple of exciting posts coming up in this next week! Also, if you remember a post from last year (Fall Delivery) we are getting geared up to bring in more of these calves in October I'll keep you up on the down low probably mostly on instagram  (alypen3060) I take really exciting pictures *wink*wink*

Until next time peace out girl scouts.