Blech

Yawn

I stretched and rolled out of bed, stumbling to the kitchen and my coffee pot.

Ahh, caffeinated goodness.

I groggily sat at my laptop and called up email, my blogger dashboard, and the first of my daily blog checks while I sipped my coffee.

At the end of the long list of things that I check every morning is the weather. That way, I'm coherent enough to decide what the appropriate amount of clothes is for the day. This time of year that can vary greatly from day to day, since the weather will swing from seventy degrees one day, to freaking cold in the afternoon the next.

Well, doesn't that just take the cake.

You see, when I checked the weather this morning, it told me that it would be wet this afternoon. And that it would be cold. And that it would turn to snow this afternoon.

And today, I had two stalls to clean, one to level out and re-bed, and Monkey's things to move back into his old stall, which we had pulled the mats back on to let the swamp underneath dry out.

I had all of that done by nine this morning, and I was the last one at the barn. I also alternately froze my cookies off and dripped with sweat.

Have I mentioned that I hate winter? And the cold?

Three pairs of socks and my toes were still frozen.

Now, to laundry. Whites are in, colors are next. Soon as one load of whites are out of the dryer I'll change into some warm pj's so that I can wash what I'm wearing now, these jeans have seen three days at the barn and they're getting a little icky.

After I finish my clothes here, it's off to the laundromat to wash my comforter. The dryers here are in no way big enough for my nice fluffy comforter, it wouldn't even all fit in there. That's why I love it so much!

Whoopsie!

The pictures of the buried tractor have arrived! There are better pictures of E digging it out, but lacking his permission to post his face on this blog, I've used only those that don't show it, which is really a shame, my favorite pic out of all of them shows his face, and his expression is what makes it so fantastic. Anyway, here are the pics ya'll have been waiting for!

This baby is stuck!

"Start digging, and keep digging."

"Get in there and dig out the frame, or it's gonna stay right where it is...."

They did manage to get that puppy popped out yesterday morning, and there's a big 'ol hole where it was.




Edit: Upon consulting with E, he gave me permission to post his picture, so here's my favorite one!

E, AKA Digger.

Today I was mixing up the grain for the other horse that I'm taking care of this weekend before feed crew, so it would be ready and I could just put it in the stall after he'd gotten his hay and eaten some of it, and E came by. Showed me his new camera, which is pretty spiffy, and had me take a picture of him on the tractor, since everyone "back home" wonders just what he does all day.

Then, he went on about his business, and so did I. That is, until he came back to the barn.

"Farmgirl, what do you know about heavy equipment?"

"Er... that depends, what's the problem?"

"Well.... I got the tractor stuck in the sand."

"What?"

"I was moving some sand to pile by the rodeo stalls, but someone plowed over by where I get the sand, and the tractor is stuck."

I shook my head and told him after I finished with my feed crew duties I'd come take a look.

"You do realize that I have to get pictures of this, right?"

"Yes, I do realize that, thank you very much."

So I traipsed out after feed crew, and man was he right when he said it was stuck.

The tractor at the barn is just a little one, with a bucket on the front, for all around work. E managed to bury it to the frame.

"I don't think it's coming out, it's stuck."

"Oh, I think you could get it out, but you're gonna have to dig."

So, he dug. Then I dug. Then he dug. I took pictures while he was digging... I'm going to snag them off his myspace as soon as they're up and share them... I laughed my butt off the whole time.

"No, dig more over there. Deeper, and slope it more."

"I'm glad someone is thinking here, I'm just frustrated."

We never did get the tractor out, he's gonna try again tomorrow. With everyone there for class. We discussed it and his new nickname is probably going to be either Sandy or Digger. We also discussed the possible implications of his being the only black guy in the program and someone mis-hearing "Digger" from fifty feet away, which we both found amusing.

I'll update with photos as soon as I can kype them.

Whew!

Had the test today. I have to point something out here... a pattern designed for a large outdoor arena is a bitch to accomplish in a small indoor arena. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing pretty hard today and we performed our test in the indoor, rather than the outdoor.

We also didn't get our scores because there were three people grading us. Sparky got to judge because he has a pinched nerve in his arm, and isn't supposed to do anything with that arm or hand for the rest of the semester (yeah, that's gonna work out real well) plus JJ's wife was judging, as well as Marilyn.

I'm nervous, because no matter what they say about "it's on the rider, not the horse" the horse's performance has an impact. Here's what I did wrong:

1. My first stop wasn't as pretty as I might have liked. Monkey still hasn't mastered the sudden stop from a lope, unless I'm not set properly for it, and he can throw me forward with it, which he thinks is just hilarious. Fortunately he doesn't pull that one often.

2. My circles. We circled to the left, and were supposed to do one big circle, and one little circle. I had one big circle, and one slightly smaller circle.... but they were vaguely circular in shape, which wouldn't have happened even a week ago, so go Monkey!

3. The rollbacks. They sucked. I've been ignoring roll backs in favor of other things that we've been doing, and it showed. Plus, we were supposed to lope out of them, and I haven't gotten Monkey to the lope from a stop point yet, so there was some trotting where there should have been loping.

On the bright side, my 180's were beautimous, Monkey is doing really well with planting that hip and pivoting around it. The lope was nice and steady and relaxed, which makes me happy because I put a lot of hard work into convincing him that he didn't have to go fast all the damn time. The circles were at least as circular as the worst in the rest of the class, which is a major improvement, and I did get a few steps out of him two-tracking. I think I may have gotten counted off for not asking for more, but he's not very good at it yet, and if I keep asking, he gets frustrated because he thinks I'm asking for something else instead, and doesn't know what it is. His stop at the gate was gorgeous, and he backed up nice and soft for me there.

All in all I'm happy with the performance but I'm nervous to see what the scores are.

Monkey's been working pretty hard lately, so I think I'm going to give him a day or two off, let him out in a round pen or the indoor arena if it's clear. Marilyn gave instructions not to train this weekend, which is good because I was going to let Monkey relax anyway.

Oh, and Farmmom? I was wrong, we do get a show. Same time as the colts. So you get to come watch your horse perform after all!

Ugh

Things are, once again, hectic.

Not so much that I have a lot of stuff due, I don't. I just have a lot to do each day. Plus, I'm on feed crew again... but this week is the last of it, I'm done for the semester after next Wednesday morning.

Next Wednesday night, T is coming through on his way home for his 21st birthday... Thursday night we're going out. Saturday afternoon we're headed to Denver, to go to the Coyote Ugly bar.

Also, next Wednesday night, some of the kids from the program are coming over to have a "blow off steam" night. Next week is pretty much full for me, especially considering Saturday morning I have to load up a bunch of people and three horses to go move cows, get them down to where the cows are, get the cows moved from point a to point b, sorted, worked, loaded, from point b to points c and d.

Anyway, next Saturday is a busy day, followed by a long drive and a night on the town, crashing in a hotel room, and driving home on Sunday. Gotta find someone to take care of Monkey for me Sunday. Gotta get Ed to get a key from the rodeo coach so we can leave early Saturday morning. Gotta get my house cleaned up (again... I'm such a pig) before next Wednesday.

On the class work front.. gotta work on my character analysis paper, gotta get started on my final paper for Lit, gotta get started on my business plan, and get my career plan done for business class. Gotta get Monkey to stop being such a brat about things he knows (got a test at the barn tomorrow,) got two horses to take care of and ride this weekend......

Posts may be sparse, for a while...... my apologies.

(P.S. It's cold and windy and rainy outside. It's forecast to be forty degrees tomorrow morning at six, when I have to be at the barn...... I hate winter.)

It's Not Fair

Today, Monkey managed to frustrate me to no end. First, he turned his stall into a swamp, to such an extent that he is now temporarily dwelling in another stall, because his has the mats pulled back, so that the realistic impressions of three great lakes underneath the rubber mats can dry out.

Then, he was a complete jerkoff in class, but that was partly my fault. I didn't put in the extra thirty minutes minimum riding today, because I was waiting for UPS to deliver the books that I had ordered. Still, it was frustrating. He was screwing up things that he knows, which drives me insane when I'm doing everything I can to reward good behavior and correct the bad that he keeps coming up with.

But the worst part of all of it? After being a total butt in class, fighting and behaving badly enough that I had to get harsh with him with the end of the reins, just to keep him from causing someone else an injury, when I finally got enough of a good point out of him to stop, when I got off of him at the barn, he immediately turned his head to me and gave me that big brown eye, with that loving look in it. You horse folks know the one, it's not the one you get when you're holding grain, its the one you get when your buddy comes up to you in the pasture so you can scratch the itchy spots. And he cuddled his head into my chest and relaxed all over.

It's just not fair that he can do that. It's an unfair advantage, in the worst way.

Clearance Sales, How I love Thee (And How I Hate The Cold.)

Tights on clearance at Wally World.

Most of you are now going "Tights? Huh? She's not girly enough to wear tights!"

Allow me to educate you, my friends, and you Manly Men, yes, you, over there shivering like a chihuahua in a room full of Chinese fry cooks, you might want to pay attention to this as well.

Women's pantyhose and tights are not for fashion. Unless you're dumb enough to wear a skirt and nothing else over them, pantyhose and tights are some of the warmest things on earth.

No, really. Worn under jeans, pantyhose will keep you nearly as warm as long johns. Tights will keep you slightly warmer than pantyhose, due to the difference in the fabrics.

Now, if you layer pantyhose, then socks, then long johns, then jeans, well, your legs and feet will be toasty warm when it's chilly out, and your movement won't be restricted any more than it is by just long johns. Double your warmth, same great flexibility.

Tights, again, are even a smidge warmer.

I'm a wimp about the cold. When it hits the fifties, I start layering. I do not like the cold, at all. Ever. Unfortunately I have had some time to learn the methods of keeping one's cookies from freezing off.

And, in the absence of my beloved Carhart coveralls, which just wouldn't work trying to ride, at least not while trying to teach Monkey things, I will use many methods of keeping warm.

Pantyhose/tights (sometimes more than one pair) under long johns, under jeans. A-shirt under thermal shirt, under sweater, under jacket. Layered socks (up to two pairs of anklet socks under thick work socks, inside my insulated boots. Thank you Rockies, for making insulated slip-on cowboy boots.) Now I just have to remember to get my Carhart stocking cap the next time I'm home, and pick up a new pair of insulated work gloves, and I'll be good to go for the really cold times to come.

Don't look at me that way people, nature didn't give me much insulation, so I have to provide it on the outside!

Besides, I can still kick someone's butt in all my layers, if I have to.

Edit: Another thing I've come to love about my synthetic saddle is that it allows the heat from my horse to travel up through the saddle pad and the saddle, so my butt and the insides of my legs are nice and warm. Everyone else is sitting on stiff, cold leather, while my saddle is still flexible, cushioned, and toasty warm.