A Farewell to Amish

Well, the barn is done and it looks awesome!  The husband had to go back to the city before construction was supposed to be completed.  He was heartbroken.  The last day he was here, I got to go with him to drop all the guys off.   I wasn't sure if I wanted to cry or burst into laughter with the awkward farewells.  It really was sad.  I mean, it wasn't like the husband could invite the guys over to poker night or to watch the game on TV.  Unless we come up with some more cash to fund another building project, there is really no reason for them to hang out together again.  

Dropping Eldin off was the worst.  I could tell he was as sad as the husband to say goodbye.  Talk about your pathetic endings to a summer romance. There were hopeful promises of seeing each other again.   It was like something out of a bad Nicholas Sparks book.  Wait, is that redundant? 

I may have to get the husband a new puppy just to cheer him up;)

They slowly finished unpacking Eldin's tools when I see a lightbulb go off in the husband's head.  "I need you to take me fishing one day and show me some of your tricks."

Eldin had begged off of work one day to go fishing with his brother who showed up in town unannounced.  He caught a couple of nice bass which he of course bragged about the next day. I could see the smile forming on Eldin's face.  "Oh yeah.  Sure!  That'd be good."

We headed home but not before a stop at the cattle auction with Phillip.  Phillip has hopes of becoming an organic dairy farmer and is always on the lookout for Jersey calves.  I read in the crazy Welshman's book that they are the best milk producers . Eldin is constantly ribbing Phillip about the Jersey cows.  He of course thinks  Holsteins are far superior.  They kid around a lot like this What's the best type of chicken; cow; horse and what is the best grain to feed them.  It is kind of like how English guys give each other shit about why the Yankees are great and the Red Sox suck and vice versa.

We get to the auction and all that are left are itty bitty bulls.  Oh my god!  They are so cute! They have all obviously been taken from their mothers way too soon and the littlest guy is all skin and bones. They are selling him for $5.  I give the husband a pleading look as I pet the sad little thing.  He pretends to not see me.

There is one guy who is looking them all over.  Phillip informs us that he is buying them all for veal.  The husband thinks this might be a good business for us.  Talk about your popcorn bowl moments.  If the boys were hysterical over the death of a couple of chickens, can you imagine how they'd feel about these beautiful little bulls going off to the slaughterhouse?  "Mom, where are all the cows?" "Oh, they are on their way to be turned into veal."

We have talked about where meat comes from and that it is actually better to raise and kill your own than to buy it from one of the evil factory farms.  They have even filmed our neighbor disemboweling a pig which they deemed, "Awesome."   I just don't think we are ready to do the whole meat thing yet.  I know.  I am a hypocrite. BTW, sorry to all the parents out there whose unsuspecting  7 year olds thought they were going to watch a Youtube video about how to make a lego Southpark character but actually saw a pig being sliced opened.  Not really sure how that mixup happened.  The video has been taken down.

On the way home the husband is beaming.  He has a kick-ass barn for a very reasonable price and a new set of friends.   He also informs me that he told the guys I was going to make them lunch on their last day of work.

You would think I was cooking for the President.  I spend the next three days planning what to make.  I want it to be something they may never have had before but nothing  too weird that they wouldn't eat it. I settle on lasagna because pretty much everyone likes it.  They eat the whole thing along with the blueberry cobbler. I am not sure how they manage to avoid the bathroom (they will use the indoor plumbing to take a poop), but they did.

At the end of the day I go out to see the finished barn.  I am blown away.  I thank them for everything and tell them how wonderful it was to meet them.  There is no response of, "Gee, it was great meeting you and you are the best cook ever.  Can you come teach cooking classes to our women?" No, they all take the opportunity to sing the praises of the husband.  "We really loved meeting the husband."  "He is the nicest guy we have ever worked with."  Blah Blah Blah.  Since I am the one people usually like, I sulk a little.

Eldin informs me that there are a couple of things they have left to do and wants to know when the husband is coming back up.  I see where this is going.  I tell him Wednesday.  Perfect.  They have a job the next day but can come back on Wednesday to finish up.  I call the husband to tell him.  He is very flattered by the praise.

Eldin and Ernie come back on Wednesday to put in the ladder up to the hayloft and do a couple of other things.  The husband asks me if I can drive the guys to their other job because he has a work call.

On the way there Eldin sighs and starts to wonder out loud, "So, I don't know when he wants to go fishing? The weather might be good this weekend."

I ask, "Do you want me to have him come get you on Saturday?"

Eldin:"I don't know. Do you think he really wants to go?"

Really?  I have to play matchmaker for my husband and his new Amish friend?

Me:  "OK, I will have him come pick you up on Saturday.  I know he really wants to go fishing and so does Prince."

Eldin: "Tell him I will call him tonight from my neighbor's phone so we can set it up."

They go fishing that Saturday at 5am.  An hour Prince has not seen since his nursing days. Eldin is the only one who catches anything.  All is good though because this just means they all need to go again.