The total and utter disregard

I am absolutely sickened by what I had to retrieve today. I went to retrieve my winter horse blankets that I had borrowed to someone. I had the foresight to ask the sherriff's dept to accompany me. When we arrived I was told my blankets were already to go, but, it took at least 20 very uncomfortable minutes with this person making unnecessary comments the entire time. I find I am short 4 blankets, no surpise here I guess. But, the total destroyed state of one of my Weatherbeetas, well, it just makes me sick to my stomach. How, can ANYONE justify this?

There is simply NO excuse for caring for someone else's things like this!!!!! So, if you want to know who I borrowed these blankets to, just ask, I will be glad to tell. See you in court!!!

Time to clear the air

I don't really know or care if anyone reads this, but, it is time for me to get this off my chest.
The whole sordid story began last October ( I think) when blog I rarely frequent posted about a "horse rescue" close to my home. Since I felt I had a good idea about what goes on here in my own small corner of the horsey world ( perhaps an arrogant thought, but, it was my own), I was surprised to hear about this via an Internet blog. So I posted that I knew nothing about a horse rescue in the area and was surprised to find one online actually asking total strangers for money to pay electricity bills and phone bills. That in itself to me seemed strange. But, the drama continued, and became increasingly strange. I was accused of being a total flake, and that strangers to me on the Internet knew ALL about me. That weirded me out and also infuriated me, I have always tried to be the best person I can be, and play it straight with people, perhaps in some person's eyes that equated me with being a total flake, I don't know. I am known for telling it like it is, and being honest in my business dealings with people. I digress, this person posted their phone number and so I called them to ask if it would be acceptable to come and view their facility to put to rest all the ugly rumors. I was told the "board" decided not to allow this, I was ok with that, no worries. I also shared with this person ( during a very long, long phone conversation) resources right here in the county that might be able to help them out. I also, in the course of several conversations ( by phone) invited this person to the horse group meeting I hold each winter ( an opportunity to network fellow horse lovers, as well as educate with new/old innovations), AND offered borrow them my older horse blankets. I had found out that they had several young and old stock that would benefit by the loan of my blankets, I felt good about doing this.
In January, I got was speaking to this person ( on the phone again), and they sounded really stressed out. Found out they were almost out of hay ( feeding almost 20 horses takes a lot of hay) and they couldn't purchase more hay until their bill with that hay guy got paid up. I happened at that exact moment to have $600 in my hand, so, I offered to loan it to this person so they could get more hay. I was promised to be repaid when they got their taxes back ( I guess they neglected to mention which year...). Although, I don't have money to spare, I lent it to them knowing I was helping the horses, and thought it was a good thing. You have to understand as a single parent, (with no child support to speak of), there are times in my life when I don't know how I am going to get the gas to drive back and forth to work. The Lord always provides though, I have to trust this ( hard concept).
I was berated by many people for doing this, many of them knowing this person and their history, I chose to ignore this sage advice, and continued thinking I was doing the right thing by the horses. At the same time, I often wondered, how this person could continually be on the Internet how they were paying those bills if their horses didn't have hay to eat... I knew those horses needed food, and so I offered to donate what ground feed I had for them to feed their sr horses with. I had a garbage can filled with Equine SR. ( 3 bags worth), and a garbage can filled with sweet feed ( also, 3 bags worth), plus some beet pulp, they came over and took it all, once again, I knew I was doing something good for the horses.
I waited until March, for some payment on the $600 loan, nothing seemed forthcoming. Disaster struck, my run in shed tipped over in a strong wind and I knew I would have to hire someone to right it again. I called this person and begged them for some repayment of that $600 loan. By the end of the week, the SO was bringing over $300. I was glad I had some of my loan back.
Months went by with no more indication of repayment, so, in June I proposed a deal, if they would help me fix my fence, they could work off the $300 still owed on the loan. Now, my idea of them helping me fix my fence was to show them what needed fixing and provide the supplies. Apparently, this person was waiting for me to help them with the actual work or something. So, nothing ever happened regarding stringing new wire on my fence. But, they needed hay hauled, and asked if I could haul their trailer for them and they would pay me for gas. I hauled hay twice, once with my little 2 horse trailer, and once with their huge stock trailer. Neither time, was gas money offered.
I was injured in a riding accident in July, haven't worked since, ( hoping to go back this month), but, I had purchased hay in the beginning of July, to feed my " time out" paddock boys. After my injury, a friend on mine offered to take some of my horses off my hands so I wouldn't have to continue to line up people to come and feed hay to those horses stuck on the dry lot. So, I had some hay that I was no longer feeding, well, who would call and ask if they could purchase hay from me? I told them they could purchase they hay for what I paid for it. They would be there the following evening and bring supper. So, suppertime rolls around and no sign of this person, we waited until after 8:00 and still no word from them, so I prepared my 11 yr old son something to eat. Then, about 8:45 a phone call, a belt on their car had broken, but, they were on their way. I tried to let them know a meal was unnecessary, but, this person stated they hadn't eaten either, and they were going to bring a meal over. I was tired and just wanted to go to bed ( recovering from a major injury is exhausting, especially when there is painful OT/PT involved).
It was past 10:00 when they finally appeared, I know they would not have come over had they not been desperate for hay. Got some hay loaded into their car and then waited for the meal to be done, so, it is going on 11:00 I am really tired and just ache for my bed, don't wish to cleanup the meal, can't wait for company to leave so I can crash. I am promised a check for the hay they are purchasing, but, they neglect to leave one that night. when I am at PT/OT the next day, they come for the rest of the hay they have agreed to purchase ( 10 bales total), again, neglect to leave a check. By this time, I am aware of how this person conveniently "forgets" to pay for items, esp when it is friends. I have noticed how it is ALWAYS someone else's fault no matter what goes on in their life. I have seen how they are treated by total strangers in their own neighborhood ( rather scary actually), and am putting 2 plus 2 together. So, I track this person down to the sales barn the next night determined to at least get a check for the hay purchased from me. At this point I haven't worked in almost a month, and any money is welcomed and needed, which is why I agreed to sell them 10 bales of hay. Got a check, and watched as they purchased several stacks of hay with no way of hauling it other than relying on the goodness of other people to haul it for them. I had earlier stated I could not haul hay for them as it was too far out of my way, and my vehicle was not in condition to haul heavy loads.
I promised not to cash said check until they told me it was ok to do so, ( I was told " it is easier for me to bring you the cash than for you to deposit this check"). So, I waited to cash it, in the meantime, I sent out an email plea for my friends to come out and help me with a job that this person had already agreed to do in repayment of the $300 debt still owed. This person replied immediately, that they would be there The morning the fencing was planned. That morning rolled around, and this person didn't show, not so much as a phone call. Then, the next day, hours after everyone had finished, her SO and child came over, there was no more work to do. Last week, I brought the check this person wrote, to the bank to verify funds, hmmm "ACCT CLOSED". My guess is this person knew the account was closed prior to writing any check to me, which is why they would have rather brought me cash than have me deposit that check.
I have had it with the excuses, and the lies, and the cryptic remarks on their blog regarding stuff that goes on in their lives. I can only warn anyone who befriends this person, beware. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." " no good deed goes unpunished". So, I guess I consider myself fortunate, this person has only gotten away with $324.00 of my money, it could have been so much worse.
So, now, I am a little poorer, a lot wiser, and less trusting and willing to help out the next guy who might be in need. I don't forget easily, and forgiveness is not something that I hold in me right now. Perhaps someday, but, not now, Karma, that is all I can say, someday, karma will come and bite you right where it needs to. I know jail doesn't faze you, and neither does losing something dear to you, so what does it take for a person like this to feel remorse?? To understand you don't take advantage of friends, ( which is probably why they don't really have any good friends nearby). You lost one of those right here, so no more cryptic remarks , let the truth be known, admit you owe me money deal with it. Go out and get a real job, work at attending said job so you don't get terminated, bring home a paycheck so YOU can pay for your own horses, stop acquiring horses, live with in your means and be honest, that is what is required of you in this world, then you won't have to make up "Internet stalkers" and "people coming to your house" and "people driving past your house slowly" jeez, I bet folks around here have much better things to do than what you are cryptically insinuating they are doing. Get a life!