Thursday, January 30, 2014

Deep meaningful conversation tag

Before I forget again go check out this stupendous contest (I want every color)! Dandyism
Taylor over at The California College Student (awesome life blog: food, makeup, personal growth) tagged me in this and I love it.  Instead of the usual insipid favorite color, favorite place lists (don't get me wrong I think those are tons of fun too) this really makes you dig deep and think.  Thanks Taylor!
Picture from today, the sun came out!!!!!

1. How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?
Wow, this depends on the day.  At what age are you supposed to rock the pop tunes and play dress up with your horse (cause I do that)?  At what age do you act as a sounding board for people well into mid-life (cause I do that)?  I'm a conglomeration of 13 and 33.

2. If happiness was the national currency what work would make you rich?
I would continue to train horses (forget biology and the medical field).  I would make Double Shot Training legit.  If it was making me rich then I could train some really nice horses, but mostly I would stick with the toughies.  Those horses that have made others throw their hands up.  Those horses that just need some time.  I won't be able to fix them all (eg. Gunner), but to have the unhurried chance would be bliss.

3. What is one thing that you have not done that you really want to do, what's holding you back?
Hmmm, in the equine world or elsewhere?  I want to go to cooking school.  I want to write a novel.  I want to compete advanced. I want to do a FEI dressage musical.  So many dreams.  Fear of failure doesn't hold me back here (but can be a challenge to over come in the day to day grind).  Mostly the money/time challenge gets in the way.  So I will continue to hone my cooking skills at home.  I've promised myself to write a novel when school is done.  The horses are a daily step step progression towards the big goals.

4. If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself how long would you allow this person to stay your friend?
Sometimes I tell myself I'm awesome, but sometimes (I've really been struggling with this recently) I tell my self things about being stupid and a failure.  That person would never even get to be my friend.  I finally recognized this in myself and I am actively working to change my thinking.

5. What is the one thing you would most like to change in the world?
I wish that each and every person could be raised to dream, to be in a position to dream, to build castles in the clouds.

6. If the average human lifespan was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
I would stop waiting and worrying.  If I want to do it I would do it, and I wouldn't let thoughts about what other people think affect my decision.  I'm already rather impulsive and independent, but it would jump up several levels.  'Release the crazy cat/horse/nerd lady'

7. You are having lunch with three people you respect and admire.  They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not realizing that she/he is your friend.  The criticism is distasteful and unjustified, what do you do?
Like a fish swimming upstream I would start to bring up all the good parts about her/him, I would offer different points of view to what they are saying.  There are two sides to every coin.  I've found that the best way to change people's thinking without making them defensive is to redirect.  You let the more positive thoughts seem like their idea, suddenly the smack talk usually ends.

8. Would you rather be a worried genius or joyful simpleton?
Uhhhmmm can I choose joyful genius?

9. Would you rather lose all your old memories or never be able to create new ones?
The past has so much in it, but the future holds so much possibility.  Most certainly the future, I like remembering, but after just one day the memories will start adding up again.  I don't want to be stuck on the same reel of life over and over and over.

10. What would you do differently if you knew no one would judge you?
Go to public places in my riding clothes (I do that).
Laugh loudly (I do that).
Wear insane color combos (I do that).
Smile broadly (I do that).
Share my excitement (I do that).
Share my fears, worries, pain (I don't do that).  Well, I guess that is my answer.  If I would just let go of the bad stuff, let it out, wear it on my sleeve, I would prevent it festering in dark hidden places.  So yes I will continue to think positive, but I will also let those close to me know how I'm feeling.

So those are the questions.  I'm supposed to tag a few of you to answer the questions yourself, but I would love to hear all your responses.  Heck just think through them, it was a fun exercise!

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Woot woot

I am officially in every class I need this semester, which means that I applied for graduation.  I was literally skipping around campus.  No worries about people thinking I'm crazy, because I'm already 'that girl' who wears riding clothes.  Hey, I figure if people can come in scrubs from work I can come in breeches from work.  In case you are thinking that it is a small campus so it is easy to be 'that girl' nope, we have about 20,000 students.

Its a good thing I had some fun and exciting news because this is what the weather gave us this morning:

The hot fence coated in ice
Liquid ice was falling from the sky, and it froze to everything it touched.  The joys of rain at 32F.  Then in typical Idaho fashion the weather couldn't make up its mind about what to do.  It rained/snowed/sleeted all at the same time!  BLECK!
View from my front door
 Oh Idaho.

Also on the exciting news front, this blog hit the 45 followers and 10,000 page views mark!  Thanks guys, I never really planned on getting there.  I'm not in a position to do any sort of contest etc, but I will keep the thought around and when it works I will do one.

So I've been so tired of the grey that I haven't even taken pictures of my ponies for a few days.  One can only look at so many muddy, icy, ungroomed pictures of my horses.  So here are a couple from this fall that my mom took that I never posted:
I think I spotted a hole, but check out her hind end engagement!

A nice sunny afternoon:)

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Un-bucket list

I've seen this flitting around and thought I would do one since it is still foggy!
In-case any of you haven't seen it, an un-bucket list is a list of things that you have done.  A way to be positive and thankful about your life.
1. Ride a stallion
2. Ride in the mountains
3. Ride 50 miles in one day
Peppy Le Pu, the Arabian stallion that taught me to ride*
4. Start a horse (actually many horses)
Roanie pony, the first horse I backed (I was 11)*
5. Earn the nick name 'velcro butt' (referring to ability to not fall off)
6. Do dressage flying changes
7. Catch ride
8. Run preliminary
Drop into water

Giant house

9. Ride on the east coast circuit (Events)
Novice at the Fork

10. Gallop racehorses (at more than one track)
Cowboy*

11. Clean stalls for the Oconners and Donna Smith (NZL rider)
Riding over to O'town*

12. Train and sell OTTBs
Yes I have a cast on. *

First OTTB
13. Teach (and get paid) lessons
14. Successfully retrain problem horses
15. Win at first level
16. Show client horses
Tino, now living at a fancy barn in California with his new owner*

Gotta love a halfie!**

17. Paddock racehorses
*

18. Win at novice
Heart horse
19. Have the most amazing horse friends (I know totally sappy, but I really do!)
20. Pony racehorses
Whee!**

21. Gallop in the foothills

22. Be a scribe on a test for Buck Davidson at Plantation
I also rode my first training there!

23. Ride down a road

24. Watch a foal be born
25. Get back on after falls
26. Fight tooth and nail for confidence
27. Compete through 3'6" Jumpers

28. Compete pony against adults in 3'
This was 2'6" think how big 3' looked for him!*

29. New years brunch at the Oconners
O'town is in the trees. 99% sure this is the water jump in the training videos on EN last week

30. Win award for finishing on lowest dressage score at a USEA event
Loved her so much*

31. Win JR event rider of the year for Idaho (lets not talk about how long ago that was)
Won this nice vest
32. Ride musical freestyles
Nanananana Batman!*
33. Participate in ICP training

Darren Chiacchia explains to me*
34. Be in Jimmy Wofford's cross country book
Doing the correct thing no less


Ok so I started in a semi-chronological order, then I gave up.
This list is making me want to do an un-bucket list of injuries, call me morbid.
*Thanks to my mom for photographing my entire life!
**Thanks to Alyssa for pictures as well!

Humdrum Saturday/Sunday and some recipes

Not much going on here.  I'm really making headway with a few of my goals that a mentioned a few posts ago.  I'm eating better, keeping my house cleaner, and keeping the inside of my head a more positive place.  While still stressful, life is looking up.  I think I will squeeze under the wire for school, thank goodness (and thank goodness for parents that are able to help).  It can be so easy to be drug down into the muck and mire of daily life and sometimes we need to take a breath and remember how blessed we are.  I'm working on a fun post for Monday with lots of cool pictures.  Here are some random pictures from this week.
Popovers
1 cup flour
.5 tsp Salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 TBLS melted butter
Cooking Spray
1 tsp veg. oil
Wisk together milk and eggs, let sit for 30 minutes
Pre-heat oven to 375 F
Spray nine muffin spots with spray and also brush with oil, heat pan for 5 minutes
Wisk in four and salt and melted butter, pour into heated pan
Bake for ~40 minutes or until puffy and golden brown
Red filly, so much chrome!

Rio and her crazy mane

Polenta and eggs
Boil three cups of salted water. Add 1 cup polenta and a dab of butter, stir stir stir.  When very thick add cheese stir in and remove from heat.  Poach two eggs, keep the yolks runny, ~4 minutes.  Serve up a dollop of polenta place two eggs over top and spoon on a little pesto.  Mix together and enjoy.
Yummy chicken
Cut raw chicken (about three breasts) into bite size pieces.  Heat some coconut oil (or olive oil) in grill pan and add chicken.  Add about 2 cloves chopped garlic, a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and soy sauce and a few squeezes of honey.  Cook, enjoy.  This is good served over rice or pasta tossed with a little more browned garlic and red pepper flakes.  Top with toasted sesame seeds.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Throwing it back

I had to laugh.  I complained about a race owner not paying for three months yesterday morning and less than an hour after posting the owner called Eugene and apologized and sent a check, it should be here soon.  So as the saying goes I threw something out there and it got thrown right on back.  Now if the half pad would get thrown back;)

I continue to move forward on the school front.

The next thing I need to move forward on is getting CPR certified so that I can get hired at the hospital.  What!? A regular paycheck!?

*News alert here, Hawley Bennet-Awad is coming to clinic here in May!!!!!  Diva is totally going to be there!

Can't wait to get dressed up, maybe Diva will refrain from sneezing!
And because I still have no new riding pictures or video, lets dream about riding on the beach:

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

What am I dreaming about?

Well I guess what I'm really dreaming about is actually getting registered for school this semester. #moneywoes   Sorry couldn't help the hashtag, it just fit.  I mean seriously school, I should be graduating in May, give me some slack.

Ok, so onward to happier topics, sort of.  We are back to not reaching above thirty during the day and that means that our still wet arenas are like giant sandy ice blocks.  Normally near thirty temps will induce the arena to melt a bit, but we have no sun.  Not kidding here, it is foggy still, and no I'm not calling it mist.  Hella depressing all a y'all.  Combine that with a main client who hasn't paid and has quit answering the phone and grandma in the hospital for almost pneumonia and I'm trying to shuffle backwards away from a meltdown as fast as I can.

Opps, sorry that wasn't any happier, for reals though this is what I'm dreaming about:

What? How did that get in there?

Ok, this is it, I think my fingers have been taken over by lack of sleep!  The piece of tack I am currently lusting after is this: https://ogilvyequestrian.com/customize.php?id=12 OMG, I ride a horse that has one, I want one the size of my mattress!
So because I have no new riding pictures I'm going to list the amazing imaginary things that I could do with one.
1. Sleep on one, it would magically heal my arthritis
2. Use one on Mojito, he would magically win novice by fall
3. Use one on Gunner, he would magically become a reliable jumper
4. Use one on Diva, she would just keep being awesome
5. Sit on one in the car, my tail bone wouldn't hurt
6. Everything would be magical!
Black with pink piping, burgundy trim, and my initials please;)

Monday, January 20, 2014

Foggy but smiling

Saturday afternoon was still foggy, but the sprinklerbandit and I ventured out for horse riding adventures.  Hugging a horse is good for the soul.
I love this guy so much
We took turns taking pictures of each other, I always get a laugh that the pictures I take are on her blog and the pictures she takes are on my blog.  Speaking of pictures she took, check out how cool the 100 acres looked:
Sunshine and fog battle it out
If there wasn't a house between those two hills I would totally ride off into the mist
Mist sounds so much more romantic than fog.
So while needing some laughs the last few days I've been overdosing on YouTube Jimmy Kimmel videos, the funny thing is I managed to glean a great quote!

"Its not the time in your life, its the life in your time" ~Bruce Springsteen.

How awesome is that?

So at the end of last week Mojito got worked on by the chiropractor.  Finally.  The session lasted over an hour, and by the end Mojito was moving like a new horse.  Between the teeth last fall and the body work now he is finally ready to be ridden.  And ride him I did.  I tried my Pessoa on him, and it didn't fit in the least.  So I tried my Stubben next and it actually fit great, woohoo!  I stuck on his bridle and off we went.  It was amazing, he walked forward with his head down with no balking.  A few times he would tense, sort of like a horse would pre-spook, but I think it was just his way of assessing how he felt.  It would last for a second and then he would relax and drop his head further while stretching out his walk stride.
Pets

More pets

Sleeping on the job

Quiet moment


 Seriously this horse is amazing, it was below freezing and he hasn't been ridden in months and I didn't lunge or anything and we just walked around on a soft rein like we do it everyday!
Lets pretend he is bigger than 15.2 for my leg to still not come any lower
I can't wait to see what he can do!
So like I said, foggy...

and smiling