Finally. A breather.
The computer project from hell is done. Tax season is in full swing and I'm just now getting most of the everyday things of my usual job routine back under control. The horse business will shortly be getting a lot busier to get ready for show season, and E has a new horse coming for a trial period.
The computer project was a very intense job for four-plus months and seemed to consume my every waking moment. It did not go smoothly from the very beginning. At the beginning of October, we ordered fifteen custom-designed computers from IBM at a cost of about $21,000, and we wired them the money to pay the bill. We found out two weeks later that because of a slight difference in the price (sales tax or a substituted option--I never did know exactly what it was), the final total was a bit more ($70) than we had originally wired. Without telling anyone, including our IBM sales contact, the IBM Credit department cancelled the entire $21,000 order because we "didn't pay the final total". I only found out when I called our sales rep to find out the status on the order, and that's when he discovered what had happened. My boss went ballistic, and I can't tell you how many IBM higher-ups I spoke with to get everything corrected. The order had to be re-submitted, and it set the whole project back a month. It was just a nightmare, and that set the tone for the rest of the my time since.
The follow-up with the staff on not only new hardware but a new operating system (Windows 7) has been a learning curve for one and all. Let's just say that not everyone is doing well with this, and one staff member in particular should just retire, and put us all out of our misery. She actually should have retired a long time ago, but this change has brought into sharp relief just how much her skills have degenerated. It's sad, but mostly frustrating, as everyone is stuck dealing with her, and our partners have their heads in the sand about the situation and won't force the issue. Bad for overall morale.
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On the busy but happier side, we are gearing up our horse business. E (the internet scouring queen) found a horse that we went to see last weekend. (The horse in the photo on the left above.) He jumps up to five feet, and has the potential to take her to new heights (no pun intended). We're picking him up this weekend to start a trial for a few months to see if he is truly going to be her next horse for showing. He's really big (17.3 hands which is 5' 11" tall at the shoulder), and has a nice temperament and attitude. He just needs fitness and work. We are cautiously optomistic that he will be able to do the job that E needs him to do.
The other fun job is getting my client's horse (in the photo on the right above) ready for showing for this year. She had a spay operation done in December and is now ready to go back to real work. We love to get ready to show--it's great to have specific goals and dates to work towards. It helps refine your plans and training schedules, and since we live where there is no real winter, we can do this all year long, but spring here (like everywhere else) is when most show circuits get into full swing. We're looking forward to this process and enjoying all the fun that goes along with it.
I am going to try to get back to more regular posting, but can't promise anything, given the craziness of the season. I hope all is well with you and yours.
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