Making the Choice

Today I've been married to the Yak Judge for five years. A half decade that seems to have flown by more quickly than I ever could have imagined. 

 

And every day for the past five years, I have made a conscious choice: I can either choose to love, respect, work with and conquer the world with this man OR I can find nit-picky things to fuss about, dwell on setbacks and be a crappy wife. I hope that if asked, the Ninja/Yak Judge would say. "She chooses the former [most of the time.]"

 

I'd like to think that both of us have come a long way from the young, naïve kids we were so many years ago. I know that we've learned a helluva lot through trials, failures, successes, new jobs, moving, loss and everyday life.

“I didn't fall in love with you. I walked into love with you, with my eyes wide open, choosing to take every step along the way. I do believe in fate and destiny, but I also believe we are only fated to do the things that we'd choose anyway. And I'd choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I'd find you and I'd choose you”
Kiersten White, The Chaos of Stars

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Wordless Wednesday: Home

We moved into our new ranch property this past weekend - here are  few pictures of our slice of paradise.

 



 

In order from top to bottom: us in front of our new house on closing day, the view from our balcony overlooking the turn out pens, a view of the housed and one of the pastures while I was riding, the horse barn with tack room and stalls, a new pasture to explore with Friday, overlooking a pasture, barn and the house, and the sunrise this morning.

We are thrilled to say the least. God is good.

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

Goodbye Little Trailer on the Prairie

Life has been happening at breakneck speed in our little slice of Heaven. As a blogger I have failed you, dear readers, by not updating y'all regarding our life changes, issues updates or even pictures of my adorable dog. I apologize.

So I shall start at the beginning, because where else could I start? Here's what's going down with our family and if you make it through this update there is a 101 in 1001 checklist at the bottom.


Bye bye Little Trailer on the Prairie - you've been good to us!

1. We're moving.

Yep - after living in Manhattan for almost a decade we are moving to southeast Kansas to the county where I was born and raised. We are in the final stages of purchasing a small ranch property there and are moving tomorrow. As in, 24 hours from now. Unfortunately, we haven't closed yet on the house so we are living with my dad for a few weeks until the house is ready. Brings back memories of summer breaks from college...

2. The Ninja is almost a PhD. He is wrapping up his doctoral dissertation which he will defend in early September. He has accepted a position with a swine technology and nutrition company and will start shortly after his dissertation. Real world, here he comes!

3. For some time now, this blog has addressed more than just agriculture, K-State and rodeo and it's really weighed on me because I haven't felt like I have been adhering to my rules for blogging or giving my goals any justice. However, I realize that blogging is about life and life is made up of more than advocacy - as it turns out, people like to know what is going on in our personal lives! So, going forward, I will continue to post about marriage, agriculture, rodeo, K-State, running, livestock and other topics I find interesting. In fact, in the next few months I'll even have real life ranch updates. The difference between now and the past is not the content, it's how I feel about my content. I am going to stop being ashamed of talking about the ins and outs of my life that aren't agriculture related. I may even change the blog logo and header, who knows!

And now for the 101 in 1001 update, as promised. These days are just flying by and I am needing to jump on it and get some more things accomplished!

To date, I have completed 30 goals and my challenge ends on October 26, 2016. So not halfway done but I also have a lot of goals that are in progress (21 to be exact) so I am confident I can get that number much higher. A few of the goals I have completed since the last update are below.

- Run 3 - half marathons (yes, you read that correctly) 1 - Glass City Half Marathon 4/27/14; 2 - Sioux Falls Half Marathon 9/7/14 (PR! 1:59:02); 3 - Garmin Wickedly Fast Half Marathon 4/18/15 (2:04:05); 4 - Bill Snyder Highway Half 5/23/15 (2:18:01)
I had no idea that I would complete this goal within a year! But am so glad I did - I feel great!
- Learn basic sewing machine skills
- Make a set of curtains using the sewing machine
I made my dad some curtains so that our dogs can't look in the window and give me sad eyes while we are living at his house.
- Travel internationally - Belize 2015
And we are on track to keep this one going because we are going to spend the month of December abroad!
- Organize and clean office so that it's functional for two people
 Just in time for us to leave, ha!

So there you have it - a mini life update on Buzzard and the Ninja. Anyone have any foolproof packing tips to share with me? I loathe packing, especially kitchen items and things that don't have a specific category!

Oh, and just for good measure, here's a picture of my adorable dog.


Vicious Cricket

Until next time,~ Buzzard ~

FroBuzz Goes to the Yak Show

Who else can say they spent their four year anniversary at a yak show?!

The National Western Stock Show just wrapped a few days ago - it's a great experience for anyone who loves livestock, rodeo, fun times and no humidity. Just be sure to bring your chapstick and your party pants.

I hadn't been to the National Western in five years but was stoked to make the trek this year because the Ninja was judging the International Yak Association (IYAK) show. 

This also happened in conjunction with our wedding anniversary, which I talked about last week. So our anniversary weekend was spent strolling through the stockyards, judging the show (him) and taking pictures of yaks during the pen show and the halter show (me).

Yaks are multipurpose animals - they produce fiber and meat. They originally are from Tibet so many of the breeders will sell or feature Tibetan clothing or accessories made from yak fiber. I got to try yak meat while I was there - yakburgers, yak sticks (similar to a pepperoni stick) and yak jerky. All three were delicious and very lean. Yak burgers are 93/7 meaning they are 93% lean and 7% fat - this is the same lean to fat ratio as 93/7 ground beef so if you are looking for a ground beef alternative, here ya go!

A lot of people have asked how a yak is evaluated and at this show they were judged on their fiber and on their conformation and muscling. The Ninja judged on the latter and there was another judge present to judge the crimp of the fiber; it's very similar to wool judging. I know the Ninja put a lot of emphasis on structure and function, which is similar to what he does with other livestock species in market shows.

Champion Senior Showman

Champion Outfitter

One of the yak champs

Congratulating the Reserve Champion female

A yak escaped but never fear, the Ninja is here!

Evaluating the fuzzy yaks!

No caption does this photo justice - just enjoy!

This whole experience was completely outside the realm of anything I had ever experienced before. Yaks aren't an overly common livestock animal in southeastern Kansas, where I grew up. But I learned a lot about yaks, their fiber and yak meat production. All the producers and ranchers we met were super friendly and willing to go out of their way to accommodate us.

If you want to learn more about yak production in the United States, you can visit their website. Next time you're in Denver, go to the yak show during the second weekend of the National Western.  You won't be disappointed!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Four Years of Fighting

Thrilled to be on this journey of a lifetime with the Ninja.
Photo courtesy: LaBrisa Photography

Two [trailer] houses. A totaled car. Burst pipes. Two weddings. Four Ohio State fairs. Two Masters of Science degrees. A shattered crockpot filled with gravy. Zero babies. Most of a PhD in Animal Science.

Believe it or not, we have shoved all of those amazing experiences into 1,460 wedded-days full of celebrating, accepting, loving, fighting, laughing, compromising, competing, stressing, [blatant] honesty and joy. Today, I reflect on one of the most important items in that list: fighting.

Robert Louis Stevenson once said, "Marriage is one long conversation chequered by disputes."

Accurate, Mr. Stevenson.

It's truth time, peeps. Here are the many ways we fight in marriage.

- With each other

This is the obvious one. For those of you who aren't married, take it from me. The arguments don't stop once you say 'I do.' Little things like taking out the garbage can, under the wrong circumstances, yield just as big of an argument as the decision as when to buy a house. God made us all differently, which means that we all have varying opinions and when thrown into a small space with another human, we inevitably will have disagreements. But how you handle these disagreements will be the true test of your relationship. Can you learn to compromise and move on together? Or will you fail to learn from past experiences and let resentment fester? The choice is, as cliché as it sounds, up to you.

Let's not forget, that arguments are a form of communication. And if you aren't communicating, it's going to be hard to plan your life, make decisions, move forward and grow. So it's ok to get in a heated discussion about when the next chapter of your life will start or how many candles you need in your house or what brand of salsa to buy. But let's just try to keep it civil, people. Above the belt and no snarky comments that can seriously cause damage to your relationship. That whole "sticks and stones may break my bones" shtick is a crock of Crisco. Words can, and do, hurt - so be nice and play fair.

- With ourselves.

You might wonder how I fight with myself in my marriage. And, building upon that, how does winning a fight against myself help my marriage?

I'm a competitive person and I like to have the last word. I especially love to have the last word when I'm right and someone else is wrong. All of these compounded together can make me an especially unpleasant person in the heat of an argument. It's a constant struggle for me to beat back my snarky side when I desire to make a point, and instead let the sweeter voice of reason win, hence allowing peace to come to our humble little trailer.

By fighting with my inner demon, and winning, I am making a conscious effort to be the best version of myself that I can be for the sake of my marriage and my personal wellbeing.

- For each other.

This is the most important fight you will have in your marriage. No I am not talking about throwing punches in honor of your betrothed - although I would not hesitate to do so if provoked. I am talking about a spiritual and emotional fight for each other.

There is a huge enemy to your marriage and his name is Satan. The enemy will fight to plant doubts and fears in your marriage. The enemy will make you think that one disagreement is a sign to end your commitment. The enemy will tempt you and your spouse with other men and women, with ideas of "bigger and better." Ignore that bastard, link arms with your spouse, get down on your knees and work together towards a strong marriage that is rooted in faith and prayer. If you don't fight for each other and put each other first, no one is going to do it for you. It's up to you and your partner to find strength in your faith and make the commitment to work through the crappy days and relish the exciting ones.

As I've mentioned before, marriage is far from easy. It's the most challenging, yet most rewarding, endeavor I've ever undertaken and is equally as frightening as it is enthralling. A loving, gratifying marriage is worth fighting for but both people have to be engaged in the fight. I am a firm believer that a few bad fights are the fee you pay for the most exhilarating experience of your life. Suck it up folks, make some sacrifices in order for a lifetime of happiness with the one you love.

Alright, here's where you come in - do you think I'm completely off-base? What are your thoughts on marriage and making it last?

Until next time
~ Buzzard ~

p.s. I want to stress the "zero babies" part of this blog post. The eggo is not preggo. That is all.

The Ninja did not contribute to this blog post but he did review and edit so anything embarrassing has been approved.

Why My Husband is NOT My Best Friend

This is why we can't be friends.

Disclaimer: Before you read on, please keep in mind that my husband, marriage, friends, family, circumstances and life are all different than yours.  Also, I've been married 3.5 years - those of you who have been married 5, 10 ,15 years or more will probably have a different opinion. So, your spouse/significant other might really be your best friend. I'm just sharing my opinion because, honestly, it's my blog. Thanks for reading and laughing along!

You've seen it in your Facebook newsfeed - a young lady's wedding day is rapidly approaching and she's excited to be showered with attention [that was a downside for me, actually], marrying the one her soul has chosen and generally just having a huge party. So, she continues to declare "I can't wait to marry my best friend!" to all her followers.

No offense to anyone who calls their significant other their best friend but I don't now, nor have I ever, referred to the Ninja as my best friend (If you have proof otherwise, please produce it because it has slipped my mind). I just don't think it's realistic. My opinion may change once I've been married for more than 20 years, but right now I just don't use "best friend forever" to describe the Ninja.

Why have I never called him my best friend? Well, that's easy - he isn't.

Yes - he's insanely smart, [bitter]sweet, supportive and caring. Yes - he listens to me gripe about [insert occasional life-frustration], keeps me grounded, walks with me in Christ and buys dinner most of the time. But that doesn't make him my best friend. Allow me to explain...

My best friends knows stuff about me that the Ninja NEVER will [ladies, zip those lips]. There are just some things I am not ever going to feel comfortable talking to my husband about and there are other things that I just don't think are any of his business. Call me crazy if you must but romance and marriage strife, body image/issues and past relationships/ex-boyfriends are just not great date night conversation topics in my humble opinion.

Communication is just one aspect of a relationship. Another important component is behavior and sometimes my husband's behavior makes me want to, quite honestly, hit him in the groin with a baseball bat. Sometimes, I don't really like him even though I love him more than words can say. Truth. Examples of said behavior:

• After ultrasounding sows all day at the hog farm he comes home, shoves his hand in my face and asks if his hand "smells piggy." Yes, it's been up a pig's butt for eight hours.
• On more than one occasion, he has vaporized on me
• He mispronounces Buzzard on purpose
• He drank my last Dr. Pepper - multiple times

My best friends would never do this - especially that Dr. Pepper one. In the words of Bon Qui Qui "I will cut you."

Lastly, I have built stronger-than-steel bonds with several of these women and ALL of them have been in my life before my husband. He's basically playing catch up. Some of the experiences we've had have formed a lifelong bonds and unfortunately very few of them can be listed on this blog but some safe ones are:

 

• Innumerable rodeo road trips
• Jesus holding some cheese
• A spring break trip to Europe with lifelong lady friends

 

• 21st and 23rd birthday parties in Manhattan, Alva and Durant
• Claremore/Hinton rodeo weekend in 200?
• San Antonio 2010
• NWSS 2010
• Cinco de Drinko Mayo
• And even a bunch of memories from middle and high school

It is for all these reasons that the Ninja can never be my best friend. Don't mistake that for not being a friend, period. Of course he's my friend and he will be by my side until the day I die but it takes more than a ring to make someone a best friend.

OK - I'm prepared for your thoughts and criticisms. Those of you who have been married for longer than the Ninja and I have been, did you feel the same way I did at this point? Am I the only woman who is not best friends with her husband? Again, mad props to you if he is your bff in addition to being your soul mate but such is not the story at the Frobuzz Ranchero.

I leave you with a quote that describes the Ninja and I pretty well.

"You're an ass. You can never make up your mind. You always mock me. I never seem to like you. But all at the same time, I am completely & madly in love with you."

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

South of Alaska

How is it Friday already? Seems like I was leaving for vacation just yesterday but time flies when you're having the time of your life! I'll have a full recap of Alaska later but until then here are some photos of the gorgeous last frontier. 

This was taken at Polychrome Pass in Denali National Park. I'm still learning how to make panorama shots look good using an iPhone!

 

The Northwestern glacier in the Northwestern fjord in southern Alaska, near Seward

 

View from Exit Glacier near Seward Alaska

 

Wildlife, glaciers and more to come soon. Have a great weekend!

Until next time, 

~ Buzzard ~

Six Spectacular Reasons to Ignore All Those Stupid “Six Reasons He’s the One for You!” Articles

Three years in the book and I didn't need a Yahoo! article to tell me he was the one

This strays from my regular content, so I apologize to my consistent readers (all five of you). Since our anniversary was yesterday, I've been thinking and praying a lot about marriage and I really can’t keep this in anymore. I don’t know if it’s just my Facebook feed or if it’s a social media pandemic but it seems that a new “Six Reasons He’s the One”-type article pops every day. I take issue with this.

Basing your definition of a successful relationship off a Buzzfeed article may be entertaining but ask the 50% of married couples who end up divorced how entertaining it was that their match enjoyed "telling each other things you've never told anyone else.” Yeah, I bet he really enjoyed hearing about your defaulted loans, that pregnancy scare with an old boyfriend and how you chew up your cat’s food before each feeding. You just gave him the ammo to embarrass you on a whole new level.

So below I break down and provide some truth, in my opinon, to a few ridiculous reasons you should permanently hitch your wagon to someone else for eternity (folks, marriage is for life).

• You laugh together: Seriously – do I need to explain why this isn’t an indicator of your soul mate? People who I’ve laughed with: my beef science professor, my doctor, my mailman – my point? Laughing with someone doesn’t mean they automatically become marriage material – your soul mate might be somber while you’re hysterical. Think, people.
• You’re extremely attracted to him/her: Please see above. Don’t let attraction overshadow compatibility. When you’re both 75, wrinkly and saggy, you’ll be thankful for a smart, intelligent partner that you can converse with daily.
• You respect him/her: Shouldn’t you respect pretty much everyone? If so, that doesn’t really set your potential life-partner apart from everyone else.
• You can imagine a future together: This is one is way too often overused as a reason to marry someone. I imagined a future with a few fellas before I met the Ninja and thank God imaginary is as far as it ever got. They were good guys but building a life is different than imagining one.
• Your intuition tells you he’s the right one: Did your intuition tell you that getting a rainbow unicorn tattoo on your neck was a good idea, too? Sometimes our intuition is off - stick to concrete evidence.
• You don’t have to try to impress him/her – You may love sitting on the couch eating Chinese and watching NCIS, but maybe he is only sitting next to you to please you. Will he suffer through that for 50+ years to keep you happy? Or is it more likely that he'll eventually quit because honestly, there are better things to watch and eat than NCIS and Chinese takeout?

I could go on but I think I’ve made my point. Every marriage and relationship is different, so expecting some article to define perfection (or the illusion of perfection) is asinine. Ready for some real advice?

• Pray, pray, pray – God has a plan for you and hopefully you’re listening to Him.
• Use your head – I feel like this should be common sense but apparently that isn’t too common.
• Don’t rush into marriage – maybe getting engaged after 6 weeks isn’t such a good idea.
• Pay heed to red flags – does he refuse to clean up after himself? Does that infuriate you to the point of a screaming match? Guess what honey, he’s not going to change those habits. If you don’t like picking up paper plates now, you’re really going to hate it in 40 years. From personal experience: I’m still trying to get the Ninja to stop putting dishes on the counter instead of in the sink (because the sink is clearly where you put dirty dishes) and I’ve made no headway in five+ years. It’s not infuriating but it’s annoying and it likely won’t have changed 47 years from now.
• Pray some more - seriously.

Some of those articles have decent advice but the vast majority (that I’ve seen) trigger an eye roll. I’m not a relationship expert but I don’t think you have to be in order to make your own relationship decisions without the use of a Redbook quiz or a Yahoo! shine article.

Really want to know if someone is right for you and your marriage will last? Well, so does everyone else. There’s no 100% guarantee that it will work out. Marriage is a risk but if you commit to it completely and put your whole heart and soul into your marriage and keep your faith in the middle, it will be one of the most rewarding journeys you ever partake in, although it’s also one of the most difficult.

Yes, you read that right. Marriage is hard, in addition to being risky. Sure, the wedding planning and the big day are fantastic and the honeymoon will provide you a lifetime of amazing memories but when you get home that “what now” feeling will wash over you. The first year you live with someone is MISERY (in the words of my good friend, Kylee). Weekends can make or break you! In college, when you had roomies, there was always something going on but now you’re married. What are you going to do when you have no weekend plans? Are you going to complain and whine about it and let boredom breed contempt for your partner? Or are you going to go outside and unload hay, play with the dogs, ride the horses, fix the fence etc etc. Really want to bond with your partner? Clean a bathroom together after the pipes have frozen and waste water has backed up into the tub. Team work makes the dream work, people.

My point is, when you’ve got no big event to plan and it’s just you and him and your daily activities and conversations, you discover amazing things about each other and grow deeper and deeper in love. Brad Paisley sums it up very well.

What do you think? Am I off-base? Does anyone agree with me? Comment below – shout out!

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

p.s. And on a semi-related note – I can’t even address some of the stupid that is flowing from this article. DON’T GET MARRIED BECAUSE TWO PAYCHECKS ARE BETTER THAN ONE.

Wordless Wednesday: A Buzzard and a Ninja - Our Third Anniversary

No mush this year - just two photos that describe our relationship perfectly. 

He shoved cake all over my neck and face right before this was taken

Everything that has made our marriage tough has also made our marriage tougher to break. Bring it on, world.

Always a Little Late

I don't have a great picture for this post,
so here's the newest addition to our family!

Often, I arrive just in time for something - which in my mind means I'm late because I'd like to be everywhere 10 minutes early.

So it doesn't surprise me that I'm posting my my 'Best of Thirteen' post on January 2. Better late than never? Hope so. Here's a roundup of top posts and other fun factoids.

Top Posts of 2013

1. Chipotle: That's Not Natural -- Chipotle is the annoying, ignorant bully at school. They make several appearances this year on the blog, but this was the most read entry of 2013.

2. Is Horse Meat Healthy? Is It Better For Me Than Beef? -- I post about horse slaughter a lot because several people are opposed to eating horsemeat but how much do they really know about it?

3. Slaughter Plants and Rendering Facilities: Different but Mutually Beneficial -- No two facilities are the same.

4. He Loves Me So Much! -- I've been married twice.

5. Chipotle, Hypocrites No More, To Use Antibiotic Treated Beef (Maybe) -- Chipotle is on the list. again.

Top 5 Countries of Readership
1. USA
2. Russia
3. Australia (good on ya!)
4. UK
5. Canada

Google and Facebook (Buzzard's Beat) are still my top two drivers of traffic and some of my favorite and most popular keywords used to find my blog are listed below (these are always fascinating):

• Eating buzzard meat
• How to manipulate a man (they found this post)
• Buzzards
• Hippo Hollow Resort (they found this)
• Temple Grandin
• Turkey Buzzard (thanks Sharita)
• Horse meat
• Fiji

How was your 2013? I'm looking forward to blogging more and utilizing SEO better so that my posts get more views! I've got lots of exciting things in the hopper - so stay tuned!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Wordless Wednesday

The past few days have been very relaxing and my photo stream explains why. These have all been on my Instagram account recently (@brandibuzzard) but if you don't follow me on there (why not?) here's what you missed.

 

 

'

Party in your mouth cookies!

Checking pastures and feeding cattle with my favorite cowboy.

Come and get it!

 

 

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

He Loves Me So Much..

He married me TWICE!

Last night, I posted this picture to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter:

"Pretty low-key Monday night. Just getting remarried...no big deal. #newlyweds"

And my feeds blew up with hilarious comments about not really being married for the first two years, the absence of a marriage license, cake, readers and the comment that inspired this title from Celeste Harned "Poor Frobose, how many times is he gonna hear 'I'm so awesome you married me twice.' Lol." Way to go Celeste, I did literally laugh out loud at that one.

This story is so ridiculous I have to share it - I swear I couldn't make this [insert word for manure] up.

Starting from the beginning...

We got married in January 2011 and moved to Australia a mere three weeks later. Because my passport and travel visa were in Buzzard, and three weeks isn't enough time to change them, I stayed Brandi Buzzard for the entirety of our trip.

Upon returning to the U.S. I embarked upon the crappy path of name change. Fellas, you ought to buy your wives two dozen roses and an old bottle of wine for taking on your name, especially when it's not near as cool as her own. Name change just doesn't happen with the exchanging of vows and rings. There are forms [gasp] and waiting in line [double gasp] and it actually isn't cheap by the time she purchases new checks, a new passport, changes the title of her vehicles, new driver's license (we'll get to that), etc. It's also extremely time consuming  and a massive headache. No wonder so many women decide not to change their names - if I hadn't promised him a long time ago that I would change it, I totally would stay Buzzard instead of becoming Mrs. Ninja.

Anyhow, I've legally been Brandi Lynn Buzzard Mrs. Ninja [Buzzard is my middle name. You didn't think I'd get rid of it completely did you? tsk tsk] for about a year. Social security card, bank accounts, employment records, insurance, credit cards - all of that has been changed. The last thing I needed to do was change my driver's license so I took my new social security card and the 18 forms of ID that the DMV requires into the County Treasurer's Office and waited impatiently for 1.5 hours until it was my turn. 

I was so proud. And so dumb. Proud of myself for having all the proper forms of ID, utility bills, blood sample, tattoo and everything else that is required for a new plastic ID card. And so dumb because I actually believed this was going to be a smooth process. #Idiot. How many times have you gone to the DMV and left with your new card on the first try? NEVER.

The fella starts processing my form and although I can't remember the actual conversation, [this event took place last fall(ish)], he asked why the box on the bottom of my form didn't have a legal name in it. ruh-roh.

*Sidenote: While we were in Australia, the DMV or some higher power, decided that marriage licenses needed a box at the bottom denoting what the legal names of the married individuals will be after the cake is gone and the emotional roller coaster is over. OUR marriage license had no such box. I know this because I had the original and there definitely was no option for that.

I informed the oh-so-delightful employee that my license didn't have that and if he would just process my forms and snap my picture I'd be on my way. Nope - not happening. He told me that I had to have that box filled in since I was not dropping Buzzard and was instead adding it as a middle name. This seems unfathomably stupid to me but I don't make the rules, I just whine about them. He also told me that I could legally change my name by filing a civil court case and making an ad in the paper letting folks know I was changing my name and it would only cost approximately $200. Then I would bring that form back and proceed as planned. 

I felt the need to repeat to him several times that my legal name ALREADY had been changed and that my driver's license is not the Holy Grail of legality in the U.S. How do we keep track of children under the age of 14 without driver's licenses? Holy cow - they must not exist without a driver's license! He wasn't buying it.

I bid him bad good-day and then drug my semi-lifeless body to the County Clerk's office to schedule my pointless court date and began mentally preparing myself for the anguish of telling The Ninja about the whole process. As I stood glumly in the clerk's office, I was met with some good news from the clerk ladies who told me that I could just get remarried and file a new marriage license which would be far cheaper and much less time consuming. HUZZAH!

So, after double-checking several times that this was actually legal, The Ninja and I tied the knot [again] last night and went out for celebratory drinks.

I've had several people ask why they weren't invited and if we did something wrong. We even got an offer for a toaster [yes, please]. There were only 5 of us there - The Ninja, me, our two witnesses ([hanks swine graduate students] and the Judge. We didn't fill the judge in on the background, at this point I just wanted to get it over with and done.

So now I can finish out changing my name - as you may have noticed/read, I've legally been Mrs. Ninja for quite some time and had changed all my social media outlets etc a long time ago. But I can now finish the last few steps that require a driver's license. Halle-freakin'-lujah.

Summary: we have actually been married the entire time. We now have two marriage licenses, two wedding dates and one anniversary [I'm not celebrating this headache]. I am a little disappointed though, The Ninja didn't get me a gift, a flower or whisk me away on another surprise honeymoon to Fiji. Bummer. But at least we're still married and I do love him so there's always that!

The Ninja told me last night that I should try to share this story so that other brides know what a big pain in the butt it is and I agree. It shouldn't be this difficult. If we can legally tie ourselves to someone after a three day wait and $85 and then expect half of their worldly goods if the marriage doesn't work, why is changing the name to reflect the promise so difficult?

I'm shooting to get on Ellen. She's hilarious and like I said, you can't make this stuff up.

Anyone else have any ridiculous post marriage frustration stories to share?

Until next time [with ag related info],

~ Buzzard ~

p.s. If you stop calling me Buzzard, we stop being friends. Capice?

The Mush Continues...

Don't fret - this is the last mushy post of the year (probably). But I just have to share the details on our 2nd anniversary.

THE NINJA KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK.

I woke up on Tuesday morning and was getting dressed and curling my hair and he said, "Make sure you bring something to wear to watch the game" and I immediately thought he wanted to go to Aggieville to watch the Cats. So when I asked him where we were going to park our butts for the game, I was shocked for him to say "Section 1."  I flipped out, y'all. Did my happy dance around the bedroom, jumped on the bed - the whole caboodle. Day officially made. Nobody knows me better than the Ninja. This was the absolute perfect present - I wasn't sure how he was going to swing planning a great date AND working the game in but he totally scored major husband points for catering to sports fanatic Buzzard.

So it makes perfect sense for the rest of the day to drag ooooooooooooon. When 6 pm rolled around and I got these puppies in my hand, I had the biggest possible grin on my face. Cheesin'

 That's my boy - McGruuuuuuuuder

I make the Ninja smile for pictures on special days. He doesn't like it but he obliged when I held up my 2 Years sign for us to take a photo with in the Octagon of Doom. Many of you saw it on Instagram (follow me @brandibuzzard) Tuesday night but here it is again for your viewing pleasure. 

 The other side said "We Are K-State" and had McGruder's number on it which also happens to be the same day as our anniversary. Coincidence?

And just for good measure, here's the one from last year:

Look at that hand-crafted beauty of a sign.

 So the game didn't quite turn out like I had hoped but I was thrilled to see that we can easily hang with KU. McGruder had an off night and KU only had 7 fouls called against them in an entire game but it's over and I"m looking forward to the game this Saturday against Iowa State. 

And just because he is amazing, he got me a dozen roses to boot. I'm not the kind of girl that needs flowers, but I don't know a girl who doesn't appreciate them. And these are sure making my office look and smell very cheery!

Warning: here comes the mush. I've said time and again I'm a very passionate person and the Ninja will attest to that. I can go from passionately happy to passionately ticked in the same hour but I'm of the frame of mind that normality is over-rated. I am so unbelievably blessed to have married a man that appreciates and loves all of me, all of the time. He never reads this blog but maybe he'll see this. Who knows.

I am so grateful for the Ninja's ability to love a red-headed, loud-mouthed, stubborn, quick talking, passionate tomboy. I'm glad he sticks with me although I'm not entirely sure that if I were a horrible chef that he wouldn't leave me. So I guess I'll keep frying and baking to keep him around. Like I said, I don't believe in being average and I found a great old movie quote that pretty much sums up our life together:

"Unless it's mad, passionate, extraordinary love, it's a waste of time. There are too many mediocre things in life, & love should not be one of them."

Until next time (with waaay less mush),

~ Buzzard ~

Above the Shoulders - 101 in 1001

I hope I have your attention.
I haven't done a 101 in 1001 update since October/November so I figure it's about time. I don't do updates very often because I don't want to update you, faithful readers, unless I have actually completed some worthwhile goals. So here they are:

First up, goals in progress:
Run/workout 3x a week for 2 months
Celebrate one of life's little achievements once/month for 12 months (1/12)
Celebrate our 1 and 2 year wedding anniversaries in a unique way
 -- Successfully did the 1st year anniversary uniquely - Ninja took me to the Cottage House Bed & Breakfast in Council Grove and to dinner at the Trail House Museum. Council Grove was a point on the Sante Fe Trail (I think) so the dinner the restaurant was set in the 19th century and had a bunch of cool historical things and facts from that era. We're history nerds and we love it.  For gifts, (first year is paper) he got me Eli Young Band tickets - my favorite! I bought him a bunch of books and a big vintage world map for us to keep track of our world travels and also to pin spots we'd like to visit in the future. He did a great job of spoiling me and it was a lot of fun!

the Ninja and his map

I was pretty excited about those Eli Young Band tickets (they were awesome in concert - you should go sometime).

Watch 5 movies that the Ninja loves that don't interest me (Apocalypse Now, Papillon, X-Men,)
Call /visit my grandparents once/month for 12 months (6/12)
Attend 6 of Kristy’s sporting events/school events/4-H stuff - (Bourbon Co. hog show, Bourbon
     Co. beef show)
Defend my thesis by May 2012 - My defense date is set for April 20!
Promote agriculture at community meeting or conference - 3x (2/3)-- This one I am pretty excited about. My first experience was with the Australiasian Pig Science Association Conference in November in Adelaide, SA, Australia. I was invited to speak about agvocacy in agriculture, specifically in the swine industry. It was only to about 75 people but it was very well received.
-- The second time was just last Thursday at the Berryton, KS Kiwanis Club meeting. I am a speaker for Operation Main Street (I did my training with the Food For Thought in Jan 2011). I haven't heard much feedback from the NPB yet, but I had a blast!

Speaking to the Berryton Kiwanis Club about modern pork production. They were a great audience and I had a blast!

Pay off my small credit cards - Maurices, Victoria's Secret
Purge and donate old clothes from closets at least three times (1- 7/2011, 2 - 1/2012)
Learn how to make Grandma’s fried chicken, chicken n’ noodles and divinity candy
Volunteer once/month at a breadbasket, food pantry or other comm. service 6 times (5/2011 -
        Red Shield Appeal;)
Donate 25,000 grains of free rice through Freerice.com (5110)
Say 'I love you' EVERY day for entirety of 1001 days
Attend church once/month for 12 months (6/12)Read the books from this list
Play golf 3x in the 1001 days (2/3)
 -- This one was a lot of fun too, both times I played while in Australia. Our friend Doug Albright came and visited so during some downtime during an afternoon in Alice Springs we checked out the links. I also played once in Melbourne on a rainy day.

Dougie Phresh and I

Alice Springs' golf course wins award for best scenery - middle of the Australian outback

Now for the fun stuff... goals I've completed since the last update:
Run/workout 3x a week for 1 month -- some of my closest friends can't believe this. Even hubsy and his best friend had an over/under bet on how many times I would work out (hubsy took the over for 5, lucky him)
Have a date night with the Ninja each week for two months
Watch Food Inc. -- this was difficult to do but I felt I must. If I ever find the notes I took, I'll write a summary/opinion post
Fly first class (even if it's only from KC to Dallas) -- this was not on purpose but on a recent flight to D.C. for a job interview (the company paid for the seats) I found myself with uber leg room and at the front of the plane. Success!!

Design and print our Christmas cards for 2011 - this was hard because we had so many great pictures from Australia that I wanted to include but here was the final product.

Clockwise from top left: A day out at Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary in Healesville, VIC, AUS; infront of Uluru/Ayers Rock in the Northern Territory, AUS; goofing around on the Great Barrier Reef before snorkeling; one of our great wedding pictures from Grant Watkins Photography; a romantic/posey moment in front of the Sydney Opera House, Sydney, AUS; scuba diving off the cost of Matamanoa Island, Fiji, during our honeymoon!

Earn someone's respect -- this has been made extremely clear to me over the past few months so thank you to everyone for the kind words.

Drastically change my hair -- if you hadn't picked up on it in the picture from the pork presentation, I cut 6 inches off my hair. It is currently ABOVE MY SHOULDERS. My hair hasn't been this short since I was 13 and growing out the bowl cut I sported from age 9-13 (true story). Here's a better picture for ya. It looks a lot longer here because I'm kind of leaning forward but it's way short. Also, I had no less than 10 people tell me that my Fake Patty's Day shirt (pinch me and I'll punch you) was very fitting to my personality. Go figure.

Goals completed to date: 23 (in less than a year - go me)!
Goals left to complete: 101 minus 23 (I suck at math).
Days left to end of challenge: 663 (I used this website to figure that)

Well, that's all for this update. There will probably be another in June. Or not.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~