New year---same crap

Oh does that sound like a pessimistic person?
Well, I am not really trying to be but...if you are interested in owning an Irish Dexter keep reading. I warn you though the story is long but it does come to the point of owning an Irish Dexter.

About 6 months ago because of the drought we asked my mother and father in law if they would consider coming and taking our 2 pregnant Irish Dexters and our Irish dexter bull to stay on their 52 acres. See they already had 2 heifers and a bull of their own, and though they didn't really need another bull they were interested in expanding their herd.
I told them, since at the time all our money was being spent on hay, that if there was a female calf born they could keep it as their payment for help because of course I wasn't trying to take advantage of them and I knew that the animals would require transport and time. If by some unfortunate event it was both bull calves we could sell them or eat them and we would compensate them financially because as THEY said: they didn't need any more males.
So, to get to the point they agreed that they would be HAPPY to keep our cows for about a year until the drought broke. Fine. All good right?

Recently my husband got a new job and because of this ( and some other good things I can't speak of yet) we need to reduce or even dispose of all our animals. Sad yes but it is for the potential achievement of an 18 year goal coming to fruition so who can turn their back on that right? Right.
Anyway sheep, cows and probably eventually our Guinea hog sow and all our chickens will be going. My goal is total dispersement by the end of the summer of 2008 at the latest--- with some going now to help us finish the remodel of our home for potential sale.
So to get to a point with this long story, we decided to ask the in laws if they would like to buy our whole herd of cows for a substantially reduced price. However....they thought our price was too high AND until we could take our cows back (they needed to keep them until the two calves were weaned they said) they were going to de horn our 3 year old cow (telling us the night before they were to do it---which we stopped) AND they wanted both bull calves by said cows for their payment AND we needed to come quickly and pick up the older bull which they didn't want and so were reducing our already discounted price by more than we paid for him (and they know what we paid for him by the way). In other words, though I tried to avoid all this initially by trying to hash out all the aspects of who would pay for what before they picked them up----they now felt that they had done us SUCH a great favor that we should 1. Give them both calves and 2. sell them both heifers for a very reduced price AND pretty much immediately come and get the bull. They also went on to say that our cows were a major inconvenience and that they were keeping them from taking ANY vacations (but their 3 cows and 4 horses weren't at all I guess). This was as they hung up the phone on my husband.

So, the next day I called them and apologized (trying of course to smooth feelings) for not realizing that the cows were such a hassle. I told them if they had told us we would have made arrangements in a new york minute to have them off and gone.*I offered a number of times to sell the one cow with horns because they did have some hassle with her but they ALWAYS told me NO!*
I then went on to tell them that "hey---I have a buyer who will pay twice and a half what you are offering us but she needs to work out getting them shipped so we can quickly get them off your property" I said that if the shipping fell through that I would just go down my list of other prospects and find each cow a home FAST. So they wouldn't be hassled any longer.
They told me that I had this all wrong and those calves were theirs as payment and I could NOT remove the two females from their property until they said the calves were ready to be weaned.
"I beg to differ---those our my cows and I have the papers" "I will gladly sell them and then you can send me a bill for their care and transport which I will pay and you can use it to buy a new young female Irish dexter to expand your herd with since that was your original goal correct?"
"yes---and we had to put it off to care for your animals. We did that as a favor to you since you are family"
"Well, then surely you don't want either of those two bull calves and this will work out for the better anyway"
"You owe us those two calves"
"Look---I need some money now and I will pay you compensation for your time and trouble---but I AM selling MY cows quickly so take them for the price I offered or I will have a buyer pick them up soon."
"hold on"

Then: "If we pay the price will you send the papers?"
"of course---and you can do what you will with them"
"Fine---I will send you a check and now that you have put the cows between us we are finished"

So. I have (again hahahahha) ruined my husband's relationship with his mother and father. The first time was when I married him. Though they did eventually forgive him after two years when my son, their first grandchild, was born and treated me well after that and I them in return. By the way---don't leave a comment about how I shouldn't feel bad because truthfully I don't.Why? See, my MIL doesn't speak to her only other son either. Why you ask? Because his wife allowed her mother more time with her new child (their first and it took ten years to conceive her because of problems) than my MIL got to spend with the new baby. So after the baby's 5th week (yes you read correctly) of life my mother in law quit speaking to them. The child is now over two. Of course during most of those initial 5 weeks my MIL was "sick" with whatever new ailment she comes up with at the time and she told them not to bring the baby over nor could she come there.
By the way, she also doesn't speak to: Her sister, her brother, her other brother, her mother (and she's now dead), her nieces or nephews, any friend I have ever met (all now long since having done something horrible to her that she can't speak of, nor will she ever speak to them again) and she is hard pressed to "allow" her husband to interact with his family anymore (all of whom she speaks badly off except my FIL's mother). It gets worse year after year after year. It wasn't always this bad---but never was it completely good either. The woman obviously has issues that need to be addressed by drugs AND a shrink.

Anyway---here's the Irish Dexter deal.
IF I do not get the check within three weeks and because I stopped the other sale my buyer falls through and you happen to be somewhere close to East Texas were you could pick up two 3 year old heifers with month old bull calves and a dun colored Irish Dexter bull (2 years old) I will make you the deal of the century. Seriously A Super Deal. Unfortunately I will cut my nose off to spite my face---because of all this no talky talky crap. I would eat the dam things before they will steal them for cheap from me irregardless of the help that I fully acknowledge they gave. We do have other family there so I can get the cows off the property, get the health certificate and move them two houses down to await pickup.
Interested? Get on my contact list at my email address which is alandtc (at---but use the swirly thing) catt.com

And hey! Have a super great New Year's week everyone. Even though we have had this minor "glitch" life is good and we are loved :-)