CHICKEN LITTLE prepares for her trip over the mountains.

I am such a Chicken Little when it comes to trailering far distances… THE SKY IS FALLING, THE SKY IS FALLING!

OY.

It makes no sense to me because if you were to call me and ask me to help you get some horses in a dire condition who happened to be over a mountain range, I’d hop into my truck and go there.

But, if I am planning something myself – like crossing the Sierra Nevadas to pick up Rojo – I freak out.

OMG! I’m such a Chicken Little! What if the tire explodes and I drive off the freeway and over a cliff? There’s construction and the roads are too narrow (nevermind that big rigs use #80 all the time). There will be snow and I’ll get stuck. My older truck will not make it up the huge hills. The trailer tires will blow. I’ll be caught on the side of the busy freeway and I’ll cause an accident and be killed.

Oy.

OY.

CHICKEN LITTLE GETS ON THE PHONE

Why am I going over the mountains, you ask?

Well… on Saturday I adopted a Prisoner Trained Mustang from the Adoption in Carson City, Nevada. Since I hadn’t planned on adopting a horse, I didn’t bring my trailer on that day when I had my husband and 6 other people with me… 6 other people who could have been there for moral support and who could have saved me in case the sky fell…

Anyway, I need to pick up my new boy and bring him home.

I guess I could call an official horse hauling company, but that is kinda expensive and really silly since I live 3 hours away and have a truck and trailer…

Instead, I’ve called every friend I have and begged them to make the trip with me.

All are too busy except my one retired friend who only perpetuated my fears by saying that she is a ‘white knuckler’ when it comes to trailering horses over the mountain passes. Sheesh. She’s just like me!

WHAT TO DO?

I called Hubby and asked if there was any way that he could come with me.

He said that he cannot. And, to top it off, he is leaving town on Thursday for 10 days.

Yikes. In my mind this news contorts into him being gone when I die on the freeway. So, I decide that I must get this mission accomplished before he leaves.

The ante just got upped. Not only do I have to do this alone… I have to do it VERY SOON.

MY PLAN

My plan is to butch up. I cannot believe how wussie I have become! When did I become so soft? (I think I became this soft just about the same time that I became wussier about riding large, fast, unpredictable horses…. but anyway… .)

My other plan was to re-up my US Rider insurance. Do you know about that (no affiliation)? It is personal hauling insurance so that someone will come to your aid if you break down. They also know you have horses and can deal with all of that in case you have trouble on the road. I’ve never had to call them, but I have paid for the insurance for a few years now. Here is their website link. You can read all about their service.

OK, so I bought some piece of mind with hauler roadside assitance… but what if my US Rider registration doesn’t come in time?

Sheesh. I’m such a worry wart. I’m becoming ridiculous.

A motor plan for haulers (no affiliation)

SUPER PREPAREDNESS

So today, to calm my worry-wart chickenlittleness, I am putting on my cape. I will be SUPER PREPARED TRAILER WOMAN!

Yup. I am checking the air pressure in all of the tires. I’ve had the trailer’s bearings packed and checked. I know all the lights on the rig work. I’ve filled up. I’ve checked the floorboards, I had the oiled changed in my truck and I’ve had a defibillator installed in the cab – OK, just kidding on that part.

I’ve done a dance and thrown salt over my shoulder.

SUPER PREPAREDNESS DIDN’T HELP ME GET ANY SLEEP.

I’m obsessing so much that I woke up at 3:30am creating graphs and charts in my head. I couldn’t go back to sleep so now I’m writing to you as I wait to get an accurate weather report for tomorrow. (It has been raining here which would mean snow there – on the roads and passes.)

Holy Enchilada. I need to earn my Cape and actually believe in it.

Looks good.

I’M STILL NERVOUS

But no matter how prepared I am, I’m still nervous to cross where the Donner’s died.

Some things have nothing to do with my Cape of Preparedness.

You see, I even went so far as to become paranoid that my truck will be stolen when I go to get it this morning. (I had to leave it in town because I took the kids to see Dolphin Tale yesterday and Hubby wanted to take us all to dinner afterwards. Instead of taking two cars, we all piled into his.) Anyway, I’ve now convinced myself that my truck will be gone when I go back this morning to get it.

Yikes. I think I need therapy.

(It has just occurred to me that all of my friends are probably too ‘busy’ to trailer over the mountains with me because the KNOW how I get… <wink>)

TOMORROW IS THE DAY

So, I’ve decided.

If I still have a truck when I go to retrieve it in a few hours, I will leave on Wednesday around 9am – after traffic and while the sun can melt any ice. I will make sure to get more fuel and food before I arrive at the prison. I should arrive at the prison around 12:30. I will successfully load Rojo (thinking positively) and leave Carson City around 1pm. I will be home by 4ish. Safe and sound.

I hope.

CONCLUSION

I am either the worst worrier in the world who has let age and fear dominate my thinking… or I’m actually more experienced now and allow age and fear to make me more prepared… or maybe I’m a little of both and wish I was less of each.

Dunno.

But, I do know that if there was an emergency, I wouldn’t overthink it at all. I’d just do it.

So, tomorrow, as they say in NikeTown… I’m gonna JUST DO IT.