A Prayer and then some Drill

Well, here are a couple of pics from Drill practice. This is the shot of me giving my fan section the thumbs up and the all go. At this point all I want is for her to behave and act nice. I prayed for Jesus to give me the patience to take whatever happened in stride and not get discouraged if she was naughty. I really did this I am not joking.

Yes, she is wearing her Super Sonic Speed Hot Pink Cheetah Wraps. Sha Zam. They however were not working that night for some reason. They were more like Super Slow This is so beneath me Hot Pink Cheetah Wraps.

I am not sure what this maneuver was exactly. However , she had her ears forward and was moving off my leg and seat. She can spin on a dime when she wants, or she can take a country mile to turn if she is so inclined. I truly believe once she gets into the groove of it, she'll enjoy it. It's a challenge, and for a horse like her it's what keeps her happy and sane.

Oh we ROCKED IT! Yes we did!!! For a first time horse and rider, we did great. She had her " you are in my 5 foot personal space bubble" issues at first but settled down after awhile. I can't put into words how smart she is, someday I'll post a video of it. :)

We are going to RULE....

The Chiro came out this morning and she was a bit off, but mostly shoulder area from her fall.

She is also a saddle fitter and she proceeded to tell me that my new saddle in pinching the crap-ola out of her and pounding her withers and it is the answer to my mystery of her sudden change of behavior. From relaxed and willing, turn and burn at the canter, ears forward sweet girl, to cranky, shifty, bucking and rearing big B. The coolest thing about Star is that she tells me if she has an issue. There is no guess and then KABAM you are a lawn dart. She gives plenty of warning, and if I don't listen she yells louder. I love that about her.

So off to shop for a new saddle!

I hope Clinton and Stacey don't come watch.

So I semi-joined this Drill team. It's not official but it sure sounds and seems like its going to be a lot of fun.I really don't want to just do shows, so I thought this might be the ticket.
So, I was cruising the Internet looking at outfits, I've seen some FUGLY outfits on competition drill teams, and just wanted to check what other were wearing.

WHITE???

White would last for like 5 minutes around grass eating and drooling, dust sneezing horses with their Diet drink, chili dog eating owners.
Not to say that I don't think it looks awesome, but I would never be clean. Those chaps? Love them...We have a man on our team.. so not so much...
These women are top ranked in US...


GOLD ??? Hell no.. With matching hat bands? You've got to be kidding. This just screams.. look at all my fat rolls. Can you imagine if I put gold streamers and Twinkle on Sis?
Her expression would be one of .. What the Eff? I was supposed to being doing dressage n stuff.
Where's Jewel my Union rep?


Pink. I love pink... But is our token Guy/Coach tough enough to wear pink???? hmmmmm


Well, I have more looking to do as we are having a team meeting on Monday to work out the particulars and drink beer.. :) yee haw!
I think I may have to throw this in the hat...

ELVIS....

Kudos to these gals. They go out in SUMMER HEAT, in those outfits to entertain crowds and raise money for charity. They deserve props big time...

Awards

Sweet! I got a couple.... I loved being so graciously tagged.
First:
Gttyup
She gave me the Lemonade stand one... Thanks!




Punchy
gave me the Muckboot one.. Love it!


I may have missed one I am not sure! I just wanted to give a shout out to those cool gals who were kind enough to send them my way. I'm not going to re-tag this time, but I will as soon as my days slow down at work.. ha ha ha
Love ya sisters...
Sorry I have been so remiss in posting, I am in a funk... I have literally injured myself to the point of tears, pain killers and ice packs THREE TIMES in the last two weeks. My mare started this bucking issue that has left me sore and frustrated. ughh... I'm such a whiner!
BUT! I did semi-join a competition Drill team, and will post pics of star and I's first practice as soon as BBFF downloads them for me from her camera. !!!
It was so fun, but boy do I see much more sore thighs and bee-hind in my future!
Ta !
HUGS TO ALL MY BLOGGER PEEPS!

We had a visitor!

I was so excited when I got the call when my friend T asked if she could come over and ride with me yesterday. She has Paisley at home without an arena and I board at a place where there are only three riders. Score for both of us.

Aren't they a cute pair? She is our blanket lady. She does the best job for the money in our area.

If anyone wants her name and # email me.

This is me on Paisley, I have never ridden her. Well, I was awful... No not awful.. HORRENDOUS. Poor Paisley what a good girl she was for having to deal with my serious lack of thigh ans seat control.

I was very sore from the previous days bucking, and then I hit my girlie parts on her pommel and well I started laughing and couldn't stop her. It was terrible. I was trying to ride without stirrups because I am a good 4 inches taller than T and being in her stirrups was like being a jockey.

So next time she offers to take down the stirrups I'll let her.

Good Lord in heaven it was just horrific. But I do have to say, I am totally getting a Barrel saddle if I continue to do drill. I may get one anyway.

Paisley and her Mamma working circles around me. I have to tell you my blogger peeps that is is the " other woman" in my life. Her soft brown eyes, brown hair, she is my husbands mistress. He makes no secret about it either his love and affection for her. How can I compete with that? If we are on the same drill team someday how is that going to work? Will he be able to love just me? I doubt it.
With a butt like that, how can I compete...

Well, it's simple... I am getting Shawn his own horse, so he won't oogle over Paisley anymore.

He is the same Overo like her but black and not chestnut. T is lucky that when Paisley was for sale a few years back we didn't have the cash-ola to buy her. It was so nice to ride with someone who can give me pointers and tips on dealing with that stock horse/paint mind and body. What I am going through T and P have been there done that as well. I feel so much better today knowing that I have HOPE!

Yeah I know I hate her, she's skinny, cute, nice, funny and well easy to hate.

Thanks T for coming over and helping Star and I on getting that canter better. See you tomorrow!

How to Vacuum a horse in 12 easy steps

Step 1: Find the nastiest dirtiest horse in the barn. Eenie Meenie Miney STAR... CHECK

Step 2: Tie her to single tie, not cross ties. Will stand like a statue in single tie. CHECK





Step 3: Go get Shop Vac, realize cord is too short, search for 10 minutes for ext. cord. Realize all I had to do was move horse to the right where plug in are. DUH.... See above Stars back? Yeah, I'm brilliant like that. CHECK CHECK

Step4: Stop what you are doing, smoke break, and call Blanket Lady and tell her you will be giving her disgusting stable blanket tomorrow. CHECK.



Step5: Attach new smaller attachment thingy. Realize it may still suck itself to her butt. Dammit. CHECK

Step 6: Considering another smoke break, this is a lot of work so far. Press on. CHECK


Step 7: Turn on Vac and start at the super scratchy spots. Watch mares eyes roll back and lip move. Wipe the white stiff hairs out of my lip gloss for the umpteenth time. CHECK.

Step 8: Take Potty break and hurry because it's cold in the porta-john in the dark. CHECK

Step 9: Work down to the withers, back and hiney. See the dirt rolling itself into the hose. Kick self for not buying the vac sooner. CHECK


Step10: Under NO circumstances allow vac to suck itself to the flank or soft underbelly. This is mandatory if you want to make the Shop Vac remains your mares friend. One sucky suck to the flank and well, you paint the picture. CHECK




Step 11: Vacuum yourself occasionally as this process will cause stiff hairs to fly around and cling to you like Velcro. Forgo the lip gloss or chap stick this will cause nothing but grief. Wearing Black is also not a good idea if you have a white horse. Once again my brilliance is really shining through here. CHECK

Step 12: Sit back smugly as you have just sucked 5 pounds of hair and dirt into the vac and it took all of about 5 minutes. AWESOME... Revel in the fact you spent 30 bucks, plus 5 for the new attachment thingy and mare almost looked well... relaxed afterwards. She luuuurves herself some Shop Vac! I hope you found this helpful.!

Where did my week go?

Wha???? It's Friday??? I haven't accomplished a darn thing! All I have concentrated on is work and when I get home I am so tired I can't turn my brain on anymore. Most of you know I work for a boss who is the Spawn of Satan and well it's draining.

So on that note: I still need to:

1. Finish shopping for Lisa and Kristina for the give away. When I fell out of Shawn's truck and tweaked my knee, it took the wind out of my sails to do power shopping. ha ha ha
2. Pick a book for Book Club.. This was harder than I thought it was going to be.
3. Keep a movie date promise with a friend who needs a movie date with a friend who keeps her promises.
4. Ride my horse a lot before Mondays Drill team Practice. Don't want a Freshy Fresh mare whom will most likely have a melt down and embarrass me and I'll be asked to leave. ;)
5. Clean the house. This is a very low priority, but still nagging at me.


But on a side note: I rode Miss Star last night for the first time in a week due to my knee. She was sassy and stiff, her usual. But the funniest thing was she HATES her bell boots. She will buck in place like a little kid having a tantrum, GET THEM OFF GET THEM OFF.
She was lazy one minute and wanting to turn and burn the next. Cadence is not her strong point. So, we are working on that :) OH CRAP Another thing on my list... ugh...

So Lisa and Kristina boxes will go out Saturday come HE** or High Water.

Good Book Anyone?

I am going to the MECCA of Bookstores tonight and would love a recommendation for our Book Club book for February and March. I am hosting March , so I want to look smart and everything.

I hate self -help books and we have put a ban on them. :)

Other than that..

Tell me what you have read and why you loved it!

for Pete's sake

Friday: Went to running store and got fitted for cool new running shooz.

Saturday: was to be the start of me running/training to prepare for the Shamrock Run in March. I did well for a non- athlete type. Walked 5 ran 5, walked 10 ran 10, etc.. I was so proud of myself!

Sunday: Fell out of hubby's big truck, my pant leg got caught on the seat tracks and tweaked my knee. Ouch, pain pain pain. Ice and Ibuprofen for rest of afternoon.

Monday: Bruise , hot poker pain and general swelling

Tuesday: Will have to start over and frankly I am not excited about it.

My clumsiness is well known, this is not a surprise. The fact I stay on top of my horse is well..
surprising.
Good Times.

Man Down!

In neighboring a town called Troutdale, they often have gale force winds. My BF Denise lives in a fully restored 1917 Craftsman. I got a call this morning from her telling me to hurry over a tree fell on her house. In that driveway inlet section was her hubby's car. It missed it by two feet. It also missed her son Joey's room, under where that first dormer is. Thank you Heavenly Father for keeping them safe.

This is the front of the root ball section, it is bigger than it looks, that is my car parked next to it.

IT took of their entire front porch section. Luckily it didn't breach the interior of the house. But boy is that going to be expensive to restore. AGAIN...........

This is Shawn on the backside of the root ball. He is 6 feet tall to give you a sense of the size.

Here is a close up of the porch. The window on the left is where Joey's head would have been at 10 pm last night ! He wasn't home thank goodness!

So now to the scary part. WE have a tree in our front yard that is waxing and waning. We have the same tree service as BF's coming out to our house when they are done there, to come take a look at it.IT literally popped me off my feet as I was walking onto the driveway. We have moved our vehicles, the Love Shack and the boys are staying elsewhere because it would fall directly on their wing of the house if it does fall tonight. SO stay tuned. I may be posting pics of my house soon!

What a gorgeous day

Shawn and I drove the two hours to Eugene yesterday to visit friends and go to dinner. We had not seen them since early November!
Her is Mr. P talking to our eldest in Oklahoma who has recently joined the Army reserve.
You know.. making sure he didn't let the recruiters BS him or take advantage.

This is our poor mans picnic basket. Yogi would have liked it WT or not!
I need to go buy one, but I always take ALOT of food and accessories, so most traditional ones are way too small! So we had Tuna, chips. carrots, apples and drinks. Plates, silverware, towel for table, cups you know all the usual. I absolutely love picnics. Any excuse for a picnic I am there!
Shawn and I prefer to take our own food when we travel, so I have got it down pat how to pack " the picnic box". ha ha.
Sometimes I don't have time to fix our lunch, but for the most part I really do try and take a

" box-o-food" when we go for day trips, or on the way to the condo since its like 4 hours in the car. I have a plug in cooler, but it is HUGE, that for when we have the kiddos with us! That plug in cooler is the best gift we have ever recieved. We use it all the time..
Yep, this is me, no make up.. I am wearing my western shirt with the Black and White bucking broncs all over it. My Homage to Star :)

We play a fun game of " I would look good in that" ..

This was my pick of the day. MEOW.............

OK, Mr. P is so nice. When we got to our spot I had to first thing run to the potty. It was a jaunt I tell ya when you really have to go! When I got back Shawn had already set the table, dished up our plates, and was ready to eat. Wasn't that nice? We were both getting " hangry" Hungry + Angry = hangry. He was patiently waiting for me to return. I don't think we even said much during lunch as it was a LATE lunch...

Here is a close up of what a happy tummy looks like :)

This was really funny. At our friends house, the kids had made these BIRD feeders out of milk cartons, p-butter, bird seed etc. All of a sudden I look outside and see nothing but a milk carton going up the tree. weird.... Then we realize that the squirrel had snagged it and took off with it, and was hoping for one last bit of p-butter. He worked that carton for like 30 minutes, just hoping for one little scrap.

We always bring the kiddos candy, gifts etc.. This time it was just candy. They always go right to Shawn to get them open. Shawn always has to do a taste test for " safety purposes" first.

Jack was like " Ok Uncle Shawn" so sweet. But I knew better.. So I yanked it out of his hands and gave it back to Jack. Bad Bad Uncle Shawn.
Uncle Shawn will you open dis for me? Lucky for Jack, Shawn doesn't like Skittles...

Here is Jack he is 4. He says that A LOT.
He is such a ham ,loves to play cars and Rally X video games. He is all about go go go.

This is Beth. She's been on my blog before. Her Dad cut her some bangs, they are awful. It must have been an issue because I didn't much more info about it than that ;) ha ha.
She loves anything Disney Princess. A year and a half ago, they didn't speak English, had no clue about the Wonderful World Of Disney, video games, Skittles, M n M's. My what along way they have come! She now is a horse fanatic, thanks to you know who..... :)

We took the kids to the G- parents and went out for adults only dinner. It was nice to have dinner company as it is usually just Shawn and I alone. What a long day, but the weather was so nice and the kids are so happy to see us! It's probably the candy....

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!!!

It was all very scientific.

Step 1. Print out names and spread around in horsey dirty area.

Step 2. divide and put some in each hand.

Step 3. Get mare out of stall.

Step4: Wait for BBFF to show up to take pics.

Let the mare pick the starter hand.

OK big girl.. Pick a hand ..

Right hand? Re shuffle and pick hands again

We did this until the last name was...........................................

LISA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rapunzel at http://laughingorcaranch.blogspot.com/

You go girl!

WOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!


and as it worked out we had a 2nd place runner up.

Kristina! From http://adamandkristinapulsipher.blogspot.com/

You are now automatically entered for the next one and will receive a fun consolation gift.

In the event that Lisa can't fulfill her duties as Prize Princess Numero Uno. You will have to step in.

So ladies email me your addresses and I will get out the prizes ASAP.
This was so fun, I may do it more often than 100 posts !!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered this was so fun!

Toxic Wine and my epic hangover

Well, I asked some Vino Aficionado's about my sudden deathly onset of illness last Saturday night.
One asked me if the wine I was drinking smelled or tasted funny. I said Yeah , tasted funky and tasted kinda slimy, but I don't drink Red's that much so I thought nothing of it, and only had enough for 1 large glass.

OMG....... It was spoiled. that funky taste and smell meant bad bad bad vino.

I poisoned myself on what you could call red wine vinegar with a twist of harmful stomach hurling bacteria.

It will be years before I drink Red Wine again, or get the smell out of my car.

I still don't eat Blue Cheese for this same exact reason............. That's a whole other story!

100th Post and a GIVE AWAY!

I mistyped ladies......... Drawing is tonight. Sorry BBFF.
I am going to let Star pick tonight ;) Stay tuned!



TICK TICK TICK.....
TOMORROW IS THE DRAWING..... YOU KNOW YOU DONT WANNA MISS YOUR CHANCE!



OK Blogger Peeps hold on to your saddlebags. This is going to be awesome.
This is my 100Th POST ! yipeeeeeeee.

Now I am going to do a killer give -away which is a secret, but will most likely include something horsey, sweet, something from Goodwill and of course Lip Gloss. I am going to call it
" What Star would buy if she got a hold of my Credit Card"

Now if you want to be part of my 100Th post extravaganza and Give-AWAY, post a comment and tell me how incredibly fabulous you think Star and I are and I'll put your name in a hat. If you are especially kind I will maybe put it in twice. ;)

Oh and the drawing will be held Thursday... FYI :)

Rough Night

Last night was also a kick off for Shawn and I as well, so not to bne outdone by MS JP2. I got a gussied up, put on my cutest jeans and hooker boots, pearls sort of and make-up.

This was me after about four too many glasses of wine. I have decided that my drinking days are O.V.E.R. I just can't go through another hangover.

I can't post the Karaoke pics or the other random pics of the party as the folks attending were public figures and I don't have permission. But I do have to say, it was a hoot, lots of fun and a great venue. But my bucket list now has... No more drinking.... I am in misery today.

waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Mares..........

OK, so is it only me or do I have the nastiest grosses dirty P.I.G. mare on EARTH?
She is never clean, not in one spot, she always smells, she is ga- ross 99 percent of the time.
OK so now she is in heat. Double ga-ross.
So on Sunday she will get a super scrub spa day forelock to tail.

I am usually way more OCD about keeping her clean, but the sub zero temps and snow and wind have kept me from that. I literally can't take it one more weekend like that. I am supposed to be having lessons and I am so embarrassed to have anyone ride her or see me ride her in that condition.

So, the heat thing.. Our barn has a total horn dog of a young stallion. Horn dog with a capitol HD .
He tries so hard to be a good boy, but those mares are irresistible ya know. So my mare who is not normally mare-ish, or squirty, has now become a **** cough*** whore ***cough****.
So I had to work her double night before last just get her wandering eye back on to the task at hand. Last night was better, but she is definitely not interested in "learnin" so she gets to learn by running :) HA !

With that said, I wont see her until Sunday Spa day, so hopefully the worst of it will be over so when I scrub her bee-hind/nether region she doesn't nicker and whinny and roll her eyes back and ask for a ciggy and a martini after....

Goals for 2009 and BEYOND !

Here is my bucket list for 2009.

1. Go to church more and get in touch with my relationship with Our Lord and Saviour.

2. Make hard decisions about my horse situation and re-evaluate my dreams.

3. Do more non-horsey things with Shawn , take a valued interest in what he likes to do.

4. Get my house painted inside and out. Actually pick a color for the outside and stick with it.

5. Get back to the gym and back on a diet and lose that last 35.

6. Find a new job.

7. Sell all my crap on EBAY, have a huge garage sale, de clutter my life. This will be Shawns hardest. :)

8. Remember I am only human and can not be in control of everything. This will be Jp's hardest.

9. Take my TSFL business to the level of financial freedom.

10. Year of No Fear. Ride that darn horse, and stop thinking about it so much and just do it. Every ride doesn't have to be perfect or a lesson or some training session, just enjoy being in the saddle for Pete's sake!

I am a doof

I went to go see my Uncle John today to exchange gifts and visit. Well, I was in such a hurry I grabbed the wrong gift and when he opened it I was so embarrassed. The last two of our Christmas Gifts were wrapped in the same paper about the same size, but two totally different gifts.
John opened a book. oops. That is not right................ So I emphatically apologized and felt bad for opening mine. But it is such a cool gift ! It was such a neat surprise.



HE bought me one of those Atomic clocks, with the moon phases, inside and outside temps.
Love it! It updates every 4 seconds. We put the outside reader dealie out on our gazebo where the Weather station dealie sits too. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr it is sure cold outside. 33 degrees !!

So tomorrow night after work I am going back over to Johns and give him the correct gift. ugh..

I am such a doof ! I was glad to see him and visit. He is coming to my house for brunch next month, his favorite is Salmon so that is what will be on the menu. I am so glad the holidays are over, kids back to school and back on a diet. ha ha ha

The Blue Barrel and Yellow Hula Hoop of Death

Why is it that the infamous Blue barrels that Parelli thinks are a must have item to be a world class horse whisperer bring about such fear in my horse?
Let's not forget the Hula Hoops those are certainly a cause immediate triggers of panic and flee mechanisms in the mares psyche. These toys are the Barn Owners toys ( cones, hula hoops, you name it). She is a PP follower and I am not, but I try to mix things up a bit to stave off boredom of WTC in circles. The stuff is usually strewn all over the arena, so she has to get used to it sometime right? The Hula Hoop is going to be our biggest hurdle. How lame. You would think it was a python.

So, I couldn't get her to jump over the barrels more than once, but not ever again after that. She would however kick them with her legs like a soccer ball. Okay I'll take that. My Arabian Mare Blu would have LOVED this fun game, she would have jumped those barrels with eagerness, ears forward, tail set high, legs neatly tucked under and then come down the other side prancing and full of herself. With the Hula Hoop on her neck for giggles.
I miss that horse on days like this. But what alerted Star outside the open arena for like 2 minutes would have set Blu on a tailspin of losing focus and spent energy on being a " watcher" not a listener all day. So, it's a give and take.

Star is not a big spooker, but she will spook at the stupidest stuff and then give not a head/ear turn at something I would have bet MONEY ON she would just freak out about. like the SHOP VAC! Not even a 2nd glance. So frustrating.She is also not a big lick and chewer. It takes a long time and a lot of work for her to start. My Arabian mare, literally about 10 minutes and she was joining up. Stock vs. Arab. Gotta love m.
I am just frustrated at the moment, we/I/ME am stuck with what I want to do with this horse. Showing isnt a big favorite of mine, but I'll figure it out somehow. I want to do endurance but stock horses arent endurance horses. I love her, but I am not an arena girl.
suggestions?

The infamous hat

In previous posts I made mention of my hat. Here is the photo proof.
BBFF calls it my Ratatouille Chef/Amish hat. I had no idea of how I looked. I think it wasn't so bad, as the way I am supposed to wear it? Makes me look like a .........


FELON................. Ma am we pulled you over for riding your horse while drinking a 40 ouncer through the Golf Course at midnight. Or maybe a longshoreman?
Plus I have a ginormous head. If I roll it up it doesn't stay on and it doesn't cover my ears.
sigh...............

So there is the big explanation of my hat and my most current mug shots.
Happy New years Blogger Peeps!