Conclusion of Texas

Oh what a cluster ____.

So my friend A that had Echo in Texas basically pressured me as of Dec 27th about moving Echo back to Kentucky. Things just kept getting worse and I started requesting shipping quotes New Years Eve. 

Friday (1/3/14) - I get a text asking if I can take Echo back this weekend for half price shipping. Shipper would be leaving tomorrow (Saturday) and is watching the weather to determine best time to leave. I texted my barn owner where Dakota is and made sure there was a stall open and gave the ok that Echo could come home this weekend. 

Saturday (1/4/14) - 

4:30pm - I get text asking what blanket I want on her in trailer. I make silly assumption this means she's leaving very soon. 

7:00pm - I get a very rushed texted asking if I'm by my computer (I'm at barn taking care of Dakota) asking if I can sign the shipping contract or shipper won't put her on. Ummm why couldn't this be done Friday more promptly? Did I mention my phone was dead so I never saw this text?

9:30pm - Thank god for tech savvy phones that allow you to sign documents when your phone comes alive and you see worried text and you freak out. 

11:30pm - Told the shipper should be there at any moment. At that point I just want to sleep. A sends me pictures of Echo all wrapped and ready to go and pictures of my stuff packed and ready to load. 

Sunday (1/5/14) - 

12:54am - Finally a text from A saying she's loaded and homeward bound. 

11:17am - Report they're in Little Rock Arkansas. 

4:02pm - Shipper reports they're stuck in traffic in Nashville Tennessee. 

7:00 - I can't stand sitting home longer and I go to the barn to at least take care of Dakota. 

8:02 - Shipper reports they're in Elizabethtown Kentucky. Finally they're at least in the correct state. 

9:08 - A text me (not the shipper which adds to my level of annoyance) - that they had to put the truck in 4 wheel drive and it started driving funny so a mechanic was heading out to look at it. Meanwhile the arctic blast crap was starting to hit full on and it was becoming icy.

10:00pm - Truck is fixed but the shipper wraps the horses up and and waits the storm out for the night because of the wind and road conditions.

11:00pm - I'm finally told this and head home from the barn.

Monday (1/6/14) - 

1:30am - After talking to A some more, I finally go to bed. Not much else I can do at that point. She's instructed the shipper to contact me as soon as she gets back on the road since the shipper stays in better contact with her than me. 

8:30am - I text A asking for any updates because I haven't heard from anyone. Neither has she. Every time from the start of the trip, if I call the shipper she does not answer.

10:30am - I get a text from the shipper that is jumbled and makes zero sense.  I'm irritated. After some back and forth with her she straightens her texting out and says she will be to the farm in 20 minutes. I find out she's been in contact with A all along and no one passed it along to me. I quickly get going for the morning and call the barn to tell someone she might show up before me. 

11:38am - George (barn manager) calls to tell me she's there and in her stall. 

I finally get there 5-10 minutes later to find the shipper sitting at the end of the drive. I had to give her a saddle to take back to Texas to A, which was back up at the barn and the shipper assumed it was in my car so I had to go up to the barn and come back to end of drive with the saddle. I finally got to go in barn and greet Echo who was poorly dressed in blankets but safely in one piece. The shipper also forgot to unload one of my blankets - A claims she'll snatch it when she sees her back in Texas - I have my doubts. 

Echo is just settling in for a few days in her stall until its safer conditions for the horses to go outside. Negative wind chills = not good for any of us!