Good night at work last night. The boss was gone so everyone was pretty laid back. Had one little problem is all. One of the employees was skipped when overtime was offered for the weekend. The boss forgot to tell him. Now I'm gonna have to file another grievance against my boss. It's a legitimate grievance and I shouldn't have any problems winning it but I'll have to put up with the boss being very pissed off at me for a few days. He hates to pay out overtime money for time not worked.But it's his responsibility to make sure no one is over looked when the over time is offered. The only thing that bothers me about it is it's for a non-union employee.

In our plant if one person in an area is offered overtime we're all offered it,no seniority rights there. This is a policy negotiated with the company by the union. Our union has a good working relationship with the company and has negotiated us some great benefits and good wages. I know that it's everyones own choice if they want to belong to the union or not what bothers me about it is those people that want union representation but don't want to pay the same dues I do for the right to have it. It is my job to represent all employees union or not but I do get a little frustrated at people who use the union to their advantage but won't support it. I guess I feel if you don't want to pay the union dues don't ask for it's help all the time.

Probably not a popular opinion but it's mine.Pie

Reading mamamiah's blog and seeing where she said she loved chicken livers reminded me of the first time I had to put my hand up a chickens butt. Why you ask did Pie have her hand in a chickens butt in the first place?

Actually it wasn't directly in the chickens butt, but in an opening cut right in front of it's butt close enough to be it's butt.

Chicken lovers and animal rights activists may want to stop reading here. PETA has no place on a farm when you butcher chickens. Butchering chickens is a hot, bloody, dirty, time consuming job. It ain't for the weak at heart believe me if you've never done it.

My family raised and butchered chickens long before I was a twinkle in my daddy's eye. When your born into it and raised around it it doesn't seem gross or mean or strange to you.
Chickens are so darn cute when their babies. So fluffy and yellow little peeps running around under the heat lamps you have to keep them under. But they don't stay that way very long. When they start to get their real feathers they come in in stages and they are sparse and really kind of ugly until they are all filled in. They are smelly, poop all over the place,dirty birds when they are grown.And the roosters will try to peck up if you get to close.

They have a fairly short "growing' time.Usually 2&1/2 or 3 months and their ready to butcher. This was a family affair when it occurred except for Dad,I can't remember why he didn't help. probably because He was Dad and had better things to do but Grandma and Granddad were always there. First You have to boil big metal buckets of water we'd have 3 or 4 buckets boiled up. Then you have to decapitate the chicken, Mom always used a rake handle. She would hold the chickens by the legs push it's head on the ground maneuver the rake handle over it's neck put her feet on either side of it's neck stepping down on the handle,pull up on the bird and pop it's head off.It was a really quick movement.Most people use a hatchet on a stump but Mom thought this was quicker and easier. Then as she pulled up on the bird popping the head off she'd give it a toss in the yard. If you were any where near it you ran away FAST. Headless chickens flap about for several long seconds sending blood flying everywhere.

After the chicken stopped moving you dipped them in the boiling water,plunging them up and down several times. We then would hang them on the clothes line with some wire and start plucking away. As a kid this is your main job. If the bird had been dunked just the right amount of time the feathers came out easily if not you had to struggle to get them out. It is stinky dirty work I'm telling you.And Mom always ended up getting the pin feathers out for us.

After they are plucked you have to cut them up or we did anyway so they were ready to fry up when you wanted one. Some people would get the innards cleaned out and freeze them whole. First we made a cut from breast bone to butt. Then and this is where I had my hand in the chickens butt,You stick your hand in(OH it's YUCKY ) and start pulling out the heart,lungs,livers,gizzards and well you get the picture.The first time I had to do it It freaked me out. The innards are still warm and ohhhh it feels nasty.

After that you cut off the wings then the legs and thighs then the breasts and separate them from the back. We always saved the gizzards hearts and livers to fry up too. The necks and backs Mom would add to broth for flavoring while boiling and then take them out.

Then wrap them in freezer paper or sometimes Mom would save the half gallon cardboard milk containers,sanitize them with hot water and pack the chicken parts in them with some cold water seal them and freeze them that way.

It sounds pretty disgusting to some I suppose but like I said it's all in how your raised. We butchered chickens because we needed to to help feed our large family. And as I got older I didn't mind it so much because I loved spending the time with my Mom and sisters. I haven't raised or butchered chickens in several years. But maybe next year I'll get some more. Anybody wanna come over for fried chicken?

I am so so happy right now!! I have been looking for YEARS for an old Eddy Arnold Christmas album my family and I used to listen to every year. It just wasn't Christmas at our house with out that music playing in the back ground. It was put out in the late 50's early 60's I think.

My Mom and Dad loved that album. I did too, I wore it out. My sweetheart of a daughter found it for me finally after we have been searching for it for years.

Do any of you remember this album? It has "Will Santa come to shanty town" on it and" C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S". Also "Christmas can't be far away" It made me feel like Mom was still with me at Christmas when I played it. It would bring back so many happy memories.

It has been several years since I've gotten to listen to it. It's gonna be a good Christmas for me this year. It truly is one of the best gifts I could have gotten, this little bit of the past.Pie

So it seems as though I'm not addicted or if I am I'm in good company:)And the gal formerly known as schnauzer lover has a new nickname Pup! So if you see a comment on your blog from puppy you'll know it's from our friend. So kids I'm just gonna do what feels good as Ice says and damn the dust bunnies! Hubby gets hungry? There's left overs in the fridge. Laundry needs done? Haven't you ever heard of the grunge style? NO not really I will remain a responsible adult.I really will. I promise. Just as soon as I read one more blog...........

Can you become addicted to blogging? I'm serious, can you? Cause I really like it...alot. I like having an outlet for writing my poems,stories or just everyday stuff. But I REALLY like looking in on all of you. I would think I was some sort of a voyeur but it doesn't make me horney just happy. I will be.. oh say cleaning my house or dusting and I'll walk by the computer and think well I'd better take a quick peek and see what Diesels up to, see if there's any new entries. And while I'm here I'd better check on Scratch and Prank.... Ok just a quick read at Wally and Schnauzer Lover's(We've got to get that girl a shorter nickname).Then I gotta get Topaz's joke of the day. Well then I have to pop over and see if Equus has added anything new. Then over to Ice's blog and polarB's. Can't log off till I see how mamamiahs doing. And coloconnect who's blog I love,check it out if you haven't yet. Hate to go with out looking at lalepops see if there's any new drawings.I must see about TT and Nancelia before I go too. And so it goes. There are more must reads then I can write down here. My house is getting dusty kids. My floors needs vacuumed too. Isn't the first step acknowledging there may be a problem? .....