...And what a craptastic week it's been.

[Samantha37]

Vodka and cranberry, please.

Just in a winter funk, no real issues except my back pain is coming back and that is upsetting. Weather is crap and don't feel like going to the barn. I'm really really ready for spring.

[Celeritas]

Well, this is certainly a timely bump...

I am one of those people that cannot shut my brain off, cannot compartmentalize, and cannot just enjoy something simple when everything else in life is sucking. Work sucks, my SO of 5 years and I are in a mega-funk, I am trying to apply to grad school and I'm incredibly behind and I know it yet I choose to continue to screw myself, and I'm depressed as hell (gee, really? :rolleyes:). I need to re-start my medication but my doctor's appointment isn't until next Friday so I still have a week and a half of hell to get through (plus however long it takes for the meds to start working).

So the one thing in my life that should be enjoyable and stress-relieving is riding. But I can't shut my stupid brain off enough to just enjoy it. My lesson last night was horrible. I couldn't stop picking in front of the jumps and just let him go forward, I couldn't commit to any decisions, and was flopping around like a fish. Luckily my saint of a horse puts up with me, but it's so frustrating because I know I can do better, and instead of having a relaxing positive ride I end up even more frustrated and miserable then when we started. UGH! :mad:

Done venting. (Shakes up a Ketel One and Pucker's Appletini)

[867-5309]

Seeing VT Rider's sn made my craptastic week better & my frown go upside down! Yay! Too cold for a blueberry mojito so I'll have some warm sangria...........

[Trevelyan96]

Appletini with a red wine chaser please.

It started out as a triumphant year... first dressage show where I conquered mega riding fears and did OK... woo hoo... lookout March show.

Not so fast... I now have a horse on stall rest for 2 weeks and probably will be in rehab for months.

I hate winter.

[2DogsFarm]

How long is this bar open anyhow?

I'll have coffee with Kahlua - too cold & damp for anything with ice :(
And besides ice only reminds me of my pastures :cry:

I have decided that bears have the right idea.
Hibernation is sounding like a good idea right about now.
Barncat can take care of the barn.
Housecat can preside over the indoors.
I'll be sleeping until Spring arrives.
Setting my alarm for 50F, someone please wake me if it gets here early...

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz:sleepy:

[RomeosGirl]

Too cold for a blueberry mojito

OH, that sounds good.
Not to burst everyone's drinking party, but I'm popping the cork on some champagne here!! (Celebrating the small things!)
It's a long story so get your glasses...
I "re-purchased" my old horse in November. Yeap, this is the second time around for us. Just to back track I had sold him in Aug of 07 so that I could move up in divisions. He was getting older (19 at the time) trainer tells me it would be best to get something younger. So, I trade him in on the "younger" model. Well, fast forward to November... Barn change. New horse is not working out. Major medical bills for him in the past year. Has developed a bucking issue (could be pain, but probably attitude related).
New BO always loved my former horse & had told me in Feb that I should never have sold him. I happen to be searching the internet & come across a description that sounds vaigley(sp?) like my old boy. I email the seller out of curiosity, just saying "wondering if this might be my former horse...". She emails back that it is him! I call BO in Vegas(on vacation) on a Friday night. She calls seller on Monday when she got back & arranges to have him delivered on Wednesday. So, my "once in a lifetime horse" is now back with me & we did our first show last weekend. Ok, it was only long stirrup, but he won the hack on Saturday & did very well the rest of the weekend.
I'm so happy & proud - you can't get the grin off my face:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
Anybody else want some champagne - I'm buying!

[jenm]

RomeosGirl,

What a wonderful story!! I will gladly share a glass of champagne and make a toast to your reunion.

You must post a picture!

After the champagne, I will switch to a Grey Goose Martini with two blue cheese olives. :)

What a great excuse to drink...oh, nevermind...I don't ever need an excuse, hic!

[JUMPERROUND]

Burbon Manhatten. Hate winter, hate snow. Both my horses hate me. I usually can count on one good ride, both were rotten today. I can't stand being inside. I feel like the scene in Midnight Express where the prisoners are walking endlessly around the cistern. I'm trying to ride with a lunatic in the ring who screams at his horse (who is wonderful) for his entire ride. I am sick of other peoples' (company excluded) weirdness. On second thought get me a shot with that drink!

[JulesGirl]

Vodka & diet Coke, please.

Hubby's car was totaled two weeks ago Monday, we'd finished with the insurance faffing about last week, but the cheque still hasn't shown up.

We move on Sunday and all of the "volunteers" who "don't care about the superbowl, we just want to help!" have disappeared.

Another ice storm today, another lost day of barn time. Not that I had time for barn time because of the move, and probably won't until it's over. I haven't seen the inside of the gym in about a week and a half, either - that doesn't make me feel great. I'm supposed to be riding my horse and tuning up a horse my friend is leasing and I find that I have time for neither!

And there's no way to tell if one of my medications is working; this one, I desperately, desperately want to work. :(

[Penthilisea]

Milk for me, no fizzies and no alcohol.
I've been let go from my job and I feel like crud. Wet, cold crud. Wet cold crud who neglects her horses by not visiting them often enough even when they live a mile away.

[Event4Life]

Strongbow please! Or Pimms. Or both.

Got absolutely NOTHING productive done today. OH I did manage to transfer Itunes from my computer to the hard drive, and turn in my Islamic History questions by 5. Wow, what a day. So pissed off at the uni for STILL NOT PUTTING GRADES OUT!!!!! What could possibly be taking THIS LONG?!!!! We took these freaking exams in DECEMBER! AHHH! OH, and riding lessons canceled tomorrow due to our club president organising the sports union ball. Annoying that it had to be flat lessons canceled and not jumping. OH and we managed to lose one of the Mountaineering Club's ice axes last weekend. It had better reappear. And 3 people died in an avalanche close to where we were walking on Saturday (Glencoe), which was really scaty because we saw the RAF rescue helicopter then one of our walks was 3 hours late.

[WorthTheWait95]

Diet Coke w/ Capt'n Morgan's please.

I've had a horrible week. My grandfather passed away last week and I flew home for the funeral which was emotionally exhausting. I missed my whole first week of classes and work due to this which is why I was shocked to learn I have a 15 pg paper that will be my prelim research for a mock undergrad medical conference presentation (poster format at least 30 min in duration) due the monday after next despite having notified all my professors of my impending absence. You think they would have mentioned it or at least put it in the syllabus! I also have two exams next week (pathophysiology and immunology) which I missed 4 lectures each in b/c I was out of town. Playing catch up while working 30 hours a week, attempting to see my horses, writing a 15 pg paper and hopefully maintaining my 3.9 GPA is no fun.

[tazz001]

Oh please, anything with lots of alcohol in it....

I am so tired of winter currently snowing and blowing over a sheet of ice.

I think the transmission on my old Jeep is on it's last legs.

Fat Marcy (mini donk) has a case of the sniffles

Kids are home today and driving me nuts

The pantry is empty (due to kids being home)

I am unemployed and every place I have sent resume to is vetoeing me (and yes I have had resume professionally done

new neighbors who think they can ride their ATV all over my hill...time for a visit from Mrs. Nasty the evil neighbor over the hill.

Hubby has criminal charges against him for kicking a out of towner off during hunting season (City boy who thinks he can go wherever he wants to hunt.....arghhhhh...calls cops and cays untrue things...court battle ensues)

[jaslyn1701]

Large Jack Daniels and small coke please.

1. Flipped off the mare on Sunday. Simple instruction - canter a line over two sets of ground poles. Made the first, on approaching the 2nd, barn dog appears out of the bushes about 20 ft ahead. Mare jumps sideways and backwards all at the same time - I flip off and land flat on my back. Luckily, no damage to me, actually went back and rode the exercise - but at 53 how many of those can I live through?

2. Today is Wednesday - have managed to accomplish virtually nothing at work all week due to unforeseen circumstances - like trial preparation, clients, etc. - but yet the boss continues to talk about what a s_____ load of stuff we have to do. When? How?

[Deuce]

Stoli and tonic with a wedge of lime.

Pipes in my kitchen froze and I woke up yesterday morning to a rather deep puddle in my kitchen & living room... :(

[vacation1]

Ah, a chance to bitch and moan about the week - er, month from hell. Thank you. I would like a nice, big margarita on the rocks, salt. I was laid off at the start of the month - Happy New Year's! Oh, yeah, you're being eliminated. I set out to catch up on all my long-ignored general medical stuff before my medical insurance expires on 1/31. So my January has looked like this:

Sadly took last riding lesson (pre-paid, so I went even though it was the night of the day I got fired and I was not quite alive)

Visit optomotrist for a contact lens exam (complete with that test that blows air into your eye while you flinch madly)

Visit barn to see horses - horses of course retreat to the end of the field and look at me like they've read about people like me. Buggers.

Suffer freak twig accident involving a pointy aspen branch

Visit doctor for a general checkup.

Visit gynecologist for an exam (stirrups, hah)

Call former place of employment to beg them to quit dicking around with my severance forms

Visit dentist for wisdom tooth extraction (holy Christ, that was a mistake)

Visit pharmacist repeatedly for various prescriptions

Call former place of employment to beg them to quit dicking around with my
Cobra forms

Visit doctor again to check that the freak twig accident didn't deafen me

Visit former place of employment to hand-deliver severance release so as to substantially reduce their chances to dick around

Visit vet with dog after unfortunate gorging incident - spend coldest nights of the last 10 years taking dog out every 20 minutes

Step on a very stupid possum while taking dog out at 3AM; scream like banshee, setting back dog's recovery by a full day

Repeatedly observe that my home is unnaturally cold and dark, as is this winter.

So, my "once in a lifetime horse" is now back with me & we did our first show last weekend. Ok, it was only long stirrup, but he won the hack on Saturday & did very well the rest of the weekend.
I'm so happy & proud - you can't get the grin off my face:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
Anybody else want some champagne - I'm buying!

Oh, nice! Congrats!

[Rhyadawn]

Caramel Baileys and coffee please! Too cold for anything else.

Where to start. August 2007 had a house fire, reconstruction is still not finished, therefor my homebased business is still out of order.

Stud I've been working has been off his feed for a few days... not sure whats going on yet.

Prospect buy fell through because of boarding situation. Barn is full, no backup.

Mother and Father are starting to pressure again about the fact that I should be husband hunting.

My laptop is on the fritz and I just want everything to come together and its not. :(

[DressageGeek "Ribbon Ho"]

PIMMS! Yes. Or, because I have no palate and like my drinks sweet, guignollet.

Not too bad. Yes, crappy weather. The wooly worms were so wrong this year. Ice, snow, ice, sleet, snow. COLD throughout.

But thus far, my pony seems to be weathering it okay. I have heat. I am getting a lot of work done. I have a lot of licorice assortment at work that is keeping me going.

So I can't complain. Yet.

[Larksmom]

After thinking i was having a dreadful year, and reading up on this post, maybe I don't have it so bad. I have a VERY low paying job, but I do HAVE a job. Now business is down, and it may go away, but it is at the moment a job. There is even a small measure of satisfaction when dealing with my customers. Finances have been worse than terrible for a year, but that is beginning to clear. If the oncoming light isn't an oncoming train... I have lost a 15 yr old dog, and a 35 yr old horse to old age, and cannot even think of replacement financially. I still have another 15 yr old dog, and two 16 yr old cats, who are siblings. I still have my nearly 80 yr old mom, who like the weebles of old, 'weebles wobble but they don't fall down'. I have no little two footers, or big two footers for that matter. At this age, I guess I'm learning contentment. Health is good in spite of myself, so maybe I need to crawl out and start to live again.
Point me to a horse show somebody....
Oh by the way, weather was beautiful today! About 30 degrees! a heatwave!
I believe I will have a frosty mojito with an umbrella

[tuppysmom]

Make mine Petrone, please. Could I also have something crunchy to nibble?

The horses are all well and sound, so that is good. I guess that we should enter something somewhere. The dogs are all well and the barn cats are all accounted for.

The people are in various stages of ageing, but we're hanging in there. DD had a young horse go bucking bronco on her today and now seems to think she needs a massage. I saw the whole thing and I can say that she made a great ride!!!

We have been on this place since '80. All the appliances were brand new, then. LOL. All of them have decided to give it up this month. The freezer thawed everything and the fridge froze everything. The stove was down to one burner that worked right, so off I went to replace the lot of them at the used appliance store.

I got a deal on some "new to me" stuff. Woohoo. The barn got a new water heater and a used fridge and the house got a new scratch and dent stove today. Don't need a freezer yet, just put the stuff out on the deck!!!

The heater in my 99 Buick quit yesterday when I was on the way to take my elderly mom to the Doc, and I had to go back and get DDs dually. Not what I want to boost mom into. I like old cars, when they start to cost you too much in repairs you just call the old car pick up people and go get another one. They are practically free on craigslist.

We don't have ice storms here for which I am thankful !!

[RomeosGirl]

RomeosGirl,

You must post a picture!

After the champagne, I will switch to a Grey Goose Martini with two blue cheese olives. :)

What a great excuse to drink...oh, nevermind...I don't ever need an excuse, hic!

I think I will join you in the martini with the blue cheese olives (that's one of my fav's)
Don't have a premium membership so can't upload photos directly, but here is a link to the album I have on Webshots:
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/569833346mmGmuL

[suz]

oh thank god somewhere i can really let it all out!
first, i'll take a bottle of your finest merlot--yes, i said a bottle.
monday i asked for a leave of absence from my barista position at starbux java shop. the morale is overwhelmingly negative and everyone is afraid for their jobs anyway--hopefully i'll be a hero so others can take my hours and i can come back someday in the future. no burning bridges if i can help it.
and why did i ask for the leave of absence? because dh started chemo again on monday and i wasn't there with him. i was making frappacinos for 8bucks an hour and listening to twenty year old co-workers complain.
so i left work and flew to the hospital, where he recieved his first shot and lots of meds. by monday eve he was starting to react to the meds, by tuesday he was in the throes of a huge allergic reaction. back to the hospital, another round of meds, home again after four/five hours.
yesterday the pain and swelling was intense, meaning another three hours in the hospital while they decided to discontinue the meds.
last night more intense pain, high fever, coupled with high winds and black ice---so we stayed home and i medicated him up to his eyeballs, while taking his temp and pushing fluids and drugs every few hours.
today i am thinking about also quitting my gym program until he gets through this.
and i've been trying like heck to schedule a trip to the next state to see and pick up this horse who sounds like he's in bad shape and getting worse. he could turn out to be just a rescue, or he does sound like he has the potential to be a fab trail horse for dh. which is great to think he may survive this well enough to have his own horse next summer.
can you imagine the mood swings going from he's so sick and no chemo seems to be working to him telling me he wants his own horse?
plus i ate bags of chips, cake and ahuge choclate bar for dinner and woke up bleeding and with monster cramps.

god i hope they prescribe medical maryjane for him. cause i'm going to bogart it!!!


thankyou for letting me rant and rave, it helps.

[Baroquecoco]

after years of drinking single malt scotch I realize the hillbilly in me really wants jack daniel's. kindly make it a double. on saturday one of our coming two year olds somehow got a black trash bag hung in his mouth. the bag must have blown in from the road. when I first saw him the bag was hanging out the side of his mouth like a kite. he then proceeded to try and out run it since he was sure the devil was chasing him. his pasture is about 15 acres and he tore through the length of it at flank speed. I have never seen a horse run that fast in my life. and I spent some time at the track as a kid. he then crashed into a gate and flippped over the top of it. miraculously has has a concussion but no broken bones. he's been in because of the horrible weather. several of our hounds, being the busy bodies that they are, have dug into his stall and manage to sleep on him, run under his feet, jump on his legs, make a bed out of his hay, etc.....no problem. however, if I toss him a flake of hay or open the stall door he is airborne. grrr! I have exactly eight days of hay left here while a years worth of hay is sitting in a barn 500 miles away, in ny state, that I have no way to get here. the hay is there because we were supposed to move last fall and be there. but the sale of this farm fell through. oh, and this is day three of an ice storm. I would like a second drink now thanks!

[Holly Jeanne]

A screwdriver please. Make that a couple. I've been eating horrible and having to throw out all my food and I could use something healthy so the orange juice would be welcomed.

[*Teddy*]

well im legal in canada but not the states yet.... pina coloda for canada and virgin strawberry daquri fore the states

i am struggling with getting enough hours in my pt job while in school which leaves me broke therefore i havent ridden in months and starting to freak out(i dont handle stress well and horses keep me sane) to the point where im making myself sick

oh did i mention nothing else is going right? snow storm, post office didnt mark i had id when i brought in my student loan and i cant figure where i put my sin card!!! to fax to the gov loan ppl,

[Rhyadawn]

Apple Smirnoff Ice please. And is the kitchen open for nachos??

Renovations that shoudl have been done long ago, my business is in its very starting stages and I had the phone ring off the hook today with rude people asking price per hour then hanging up!! WTF!!!

(I know I posted yesterday, but today sucked)

[SandyHTF]

Lame mare x 2. That about sums it up... oh no wait...

Retirement income... about 50% principal gone in the last 6 months despite "risk averse" investments. Can you say "do you want fries with that?"

The property next to mine owned by the flipper from hell... in her desperation to recoup her money has created a mini-slum. I am beginning to think she is trying to drive my property values down to a point where she can buy my place.

Today's weather apparently was an effin monsoon as I came home from work to flooded pastures. Joy.

I'l have a glass of wine... a nice California cab or Oregon pinot. Barring that, tequila shooters will suit just fine.

[Seriously_Hunter]

I'll take one each of what everyone's having!!! It's been an AWFUL week~
got a raise 2 weeks ago, walk into to work yesterday and they tell me I'm now laid off?! WTF?
Just found out the BF is a lying moron who I can't trust as far as I can throw him (he' pretty big so I can't throw him far, if at all!)
I'm the maid of honor in my cousins wedding in March, and am pretty sure I have to tell her I can't be in it anymore because of the loss of job and the fact that the wedding is across the country which involves flights, hotels, dresses, gifts, etc....
Spent last night sleeping on the bathroom floor cause I was throwing up, had a headache I thought was going to pop my eyeballs out of my head, an ITCHY, horrible rash over my entire body not to mention I wake up this morning (still on the bathroom floor) with 100lbs of Rottweiler sleeping on my feet (she always sleeps with me when I'm upset) and the first day of my period!!
I havent' ridden in months and am having a serious craving for the horsey smell that fixes everything!!!!!! :(:(:(:sadsmile:


hey bartender? keep'em coming~ Im trying to forget the last 4 days even happened ;)

[TKR]

I'll have a nice Chateauneuf-de-Pape (bottle, if it doesn't come by the glass(es). Lost two elderly mares and an elderly dog in December. One mare had been with me for over 27 years (she was almost 31) and crashed on Christmas Eve. Major waterline break during the most freezing days we have had in 20 years (no kidding) -- 2 days without water and nice bill for getting it fixed. Heating and air system also have to be replaced, just not getting it done and worn out -- estimate of $10K!!! I'll have to have a few more bids on that -- certainly can't go there! My SUV needs brakes and some general maintenance. Today I had to take a very elderly cat to the vet because of his shallow respiration, not eating and dehydrated (he's 18-19 years old). He was one of 3 I took in that belonged to my older sister when she passed away. Already lost one to kidney failure. This one had a mass and fluid around his heart, so we said goodbye to him -- it was time and he is much better off, but it's like losing another piece of my sister. My only close relative left (younger sister) went with me to the vet. I know I'm in Alabama, but geez it gets really bitter cold here (for us anyway) and I detest the cold, especially when I'm inside trying to be warm. Then my sister calls to tell me a friend's cat had been run over and killed and so it goes.... maybe open another bottle? Wish we could all get together and lament!
PennyG

[jenm]

I think I will join you in the martini with the blue cheese olives (that's one of my fav's)
Don't have a premium membership so can't upload photos directly, but here is a link to the album I have on Webshots:
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/569833346mmGmuL

Awww...your pictures are fantastic! I think I will have another drink in your honor.

[PhoenixFarm]

Frozen margarita with salt and a double shot of padrone please.

Let's see where to start. Well, Im typing this on my phone lying in bed because I had surgery on Wednesday. Surgery invoving double digit stiches in a very sensitive area, and the phrase "wait for the biopsy results".

Two weeks ago I put down my homebred two year old. He'd had problems since birth, but we seemed to be making headway. Then out of the blue, he couldn't stand. Game over.

I've just had a sale fall through after their vet and our vet had completely opposite views of a set of xrays.

The night before my surgery a nine months along broodie started colicing, and though she's improving, she's not out of the woods yet.

Do I win?

And we need rain!

Silver lining? Business is picking up and my family is healthy.

[Doodlebug1]

Well Pheonix -that does sound truly craptastic and therefore I'd like to share with you my day on Tuesday.

First I'll have a dry white wine...

So, I decided to take my horse (Doodle) who has never been hunting before. A friend would ride Doodle's ultra-reliable mom as a babysitter and I was going to take a friend who lives nearby and her horse that has never travelled in a horsebox (I'm from the UK) before.

Day starts well, I turn the horses out at 6am while I walk dogs, muck out etc. Lovely relaxed start to the day. I move the horsebox so I can load the horses and potter around putting tack in, sorting stuff etc. All good.

Then, I discover my half chaps have a broken zip - cue frantic run around to find something else to wear on my feet/legs.

Get the horses in, braid etc.

Wait for friend who's riding my horse to turn up - she's running late. Load horses, now lost the time I had set aside for calmly loading the horse that hasn't loaded before....

Turn key in ignition. NO START. Despite only starting lorry 4 hours earlier - aaarrrrggghhhh. Find tractor, unload horses, jump start, load horses. Set off. Late.

pick up Sally and her horse that has never been on a horsebox before. He's a star, walks pretty much straight on. Phew.

Arrive at the meet in the horsebox at 11am. Ground very wet. Park with LHS on hard ground. RHS on grass. Unload, get on, go. Catch up with hunt who all met and moved off at 11 when we were just arriving.

First jump, tuck in behind my mare. Doodle slams the brakes on and I fall off :o Only pride damaged; get back on. Doodle then jumps like a star for the next hour.

Somehow lose hounds and all the rest of the field (apart from the 2 people I'm with). Wander around for an hour looking for them. Give up.

Back to lorry. Decide before loading horses I'll just turn around so all wheels on the hard and ramp solid for inexperienced horse. Lorry starts (phew) but gets stuck in the soft ground.

Still in jacket, johds etc, grovel around in mud to try and get stuff under tyres for traction. Get everything filthy but still stuck.

Eventually someone comes to help. We break the tow rope.

Try again. Free at last.

Load, leave and drop Sally off. Get home, unload horses and potter around. Realise I have all of Sally's tack. Ring, she comes and gets it. More pottering cleaning horses, tack, breeches etc. Discover I still have Sally's girth.

Give up.

I'm off hunting tomorrow and hoping I'll have a less craptastic day!

[tradewind]

I will have a margarita, with salt frozen please...

Lets see, I work for someone who is truly mentally ill, has bounced my last two paychecks and is therefore making me as crazy as she is. I have a new job, but it does not start until March and that is a problem for Feb bills to say the least. As if the Jan paycheck problems were not bad enough for that month.

I will have to reduce the amount of lessons, training etc until new job starts and bills catch up.

Instead of snow this winter, the souther PA weather gods have given my little area all ice, so my horses that are at home have been in for 5 days now...Yeah for me...

Actually, make that 2 really strong frozen margaritas with salt please....

[vacation1]

I love this thread, it makes me feel better. Sorry to hear about everyones' troubles, hope 2009 improves!

If the unemployed among us have the funds, and if the sick/caretakers have the time, I highly recommend the Dustin Hoffman/Emma Thompson movie "Last Chance Harvey." I discovered my local theatre has cheap seats on Friday mornings, and got away from it all for two blessed hours. God, I love the movies. :)

[Mariequi]

I love the movies, too. Slumdog Millionaire, Milk, Doubt and The Wrestler are good things I've done for myself lately.

This week has been filled with freezing rain, sleet, rain and snow and more of the same on top of one another. Haven't left the barn since Monday, last day I was able to get to work. Working for previous employer for 2 more weeks on temp project. Haven't had a permanent job in 7 months. Lost pretty much everything. Far from family. Loves my movies, cats and horse, not necessarily in that order. I'm not svelte and haven't been on my horse. No insurance. Thank y'all for being here.

SO, I'd like a tequila w/lime, then a killer pinot noir, dark ale, and a mudslide - exactly in that order. And nothing to eat. I'll fall asleep (or down) faster.

[pinkdiamondracing]

Two shots of "Tres Generaciones" tequila for me with a Smirnoff Ice chaser please.

I live here in Ky where the ice storm has hit us hard.

I work at a clinic which has just gone through major lay-offs (not me yet, but just kinda wonderin where the ax will fall next, as one of my superivsors is one of those who got laid off)

DH is an exercise rider who hasn't been on a horse in two weeks thanks to all the illegals (who can't ride and last month were hot-walking until they could save enough money for helmets and vests and now think they are gallop boys) undercutting the real exercise riders doing the same job for $7 a head, when going rate is $15-20.

I had to get a "new to me" vehicle because my old one was about to cost me more in repairs than it was worth when I bought it two years ago. Insurance on new vehicle went up $100/month as it is a SUV with 4 wheel drive ( which after this last week I am extremely thankful I have), the payment was a bit higher than I wanted to spend, but it came with a 4-year/48,000 mile warranty covering major components.

One dog had to have attitude surgery in his private area, as he was starting dog fights in the house (I was afraid someone was gonna get hurt, they are all herding-type dogs and very tenacious), and he is not taking losing part of his anatomy very well, so he has had to be sedated the last two days, which makes for long days and nights, since he's not coherent enough to go outside unsupervised.

The cat who lives under my house clawed the heater tubing on one side of the house to smithereens, costing us $275 to fix, not to mention raising the power bill to almost double, due to us heating the underside of the house instead of the inside ( no wonder it was so cold on one side of the house all the time)-- he has now been relegated to living in the barn, which he has been not impressed with and has been very vocal about, even though when we moved to this farm that is where he was supposed to live to begin with. He decided under the house was a much cozier place, and proceeded to set up house there, bringing his half-eaten kills there to decompose. (yuk!!):rolleyes:


I think that about covers it-- do you think I could have two Smirnoffs??

[War Admiral]

Two Smirnoffs for Pinkdiamondracing... on da house!

I'll have a frozen strawberry Margarita please - on second thoughts, make it a pitcher (I'll share).

I could... almost... admit defeat today. I won't of course, but I almost could.

I broke a rib 2 weeks ago; it was healing up great until this a.m. when I bashed it w/ the edge of the muck bucket cleaning stalls and knocked it out again. Now it hurts like a mofo; I was nearly crying having to shift gears en route to work.

I'm also exhausted and burnt out. Self-care board and a long commute worked fine when the horse in question was HRH Avery, the King of Broke-To-Death, who could be laid off for months at a time and still be the same horse every time you came to the barn. But the New Kid is a coming 3 y/o who absolutely HAS to be worked Every. Single. Day. Trying to do that plus self-care plus day job plus long commute is leaving me about 6 hours a day to sleep on. Plus my self-care board is now as expensive as full care board would be elsewhere b/c New Kid is underweight and needs to be fed lunch... I need to be looking at places to move horse/self to but how do you do that when you have to be home to feed every night??

On top of all of which, New Kid and I had a major setback yesterday afternoon that is really bumming my life out. Turns out he is one seriously HERDBOUND sumb*tch, and it's like, God, of all the vices you could have sent me, couldn't you have sent me something ELSE for a dadgum change? It's not that I CAN'T do it, I can (been there, done that, got the t-shirt), but I know how hard it is and how much persistence it takes, and it sure makes my enthusiasm for this project drop to way, way less than zero.

And the New Kid doesn't feel like "my" horse yet. He feels like just another PITA 2 y/o that needs to be Dealt With. Of course, as sensitive as ASBs are, after yesterday's dust-up over the herdbound thing, he greeted me this morning with a wary expression like "Yeah, and I'm not real sure about YOU right now, either."

Still grieving. If I could only have my Ave-man back. :cry:

Forgive the pity party; it's been a TRULY craptastic weekend.

[Rhyadawn]

Had to dredge this up. I'll share that pitcher of margaritas.

I interviewed for a clinic space 2 weeks ago. The concensus at the end of the interview was take some time to think about it.

The location is great for me, its 2 blocks from home (where my main clinic space is), medical clinic, great staff and enviroment.

I took 24 hours to think it through, and called back. Left a message with the secretary. She offered to get him (medic staff) out of his treatment, but no that wasn't necessary, I just wanted to have him call back. No problem she said.

As of noon today there was no call back. I had called 2 days after the first call, left a message, and again last monday. Still nothing. I waited by the phone for 2 weeks. NOTHING

So of course the afternoon I decide to go to the farm he calls. I left at 1pm, he called at 1:12pm!!! I got the message when I got home at 6, his office closed at 5.

So I'm calling back tomorrow to see if we can work out something for the space.

Please wish me luck. I really need that drink!

[Horse with No Name]

I'll have (another) one of *those* ie same as the last four glasses pleeeeeasssshh :D

I haven't got anything remotely helpful to say but I do offer my shoulder to those who need it. For me, 2009 thus far has been the best year in a long long time, once I've poured myself another glass I'll go back n catch up with what's happening to my fellow COTHers...

[Horse with No Name]

Jayssssss, just saw the timeline for my posts... can't figure out how to change them but rest assured folks, I am NOT slugging back the vino at 7.56am ... +over+

[kateh]

My turn...rum & coke.

Woke up Monday with sore throat. Sore throat proceeds to horribly painful raw throat and raspy voice.

Go to lesson. Get on cute fuzzy pony (you know what's coming) who proceeds to rocket around the ring. So bad I can't really participate in lesson as I'm busy being a merry go round and riding in circles. Get off, lunge pony. Get on, pony marginally better. Horse switch (IHSA team lesson) to Thigh Master horse. Die. Get to jumping portion. Die. Have worst time jumping than I've had in at least months, come thisclose to falling off not once but twice. Kudos to coach for not screaming at me. Switch to pony, who is actually really fun to jump and happens to be my style of jumper (I love the forward rides to jumps). Switch to TB to finish. Leave barn with rest of lesson group, direct driver to get on highway going the wrong way. Turn around. Get home, still have to finish problem set for class.

Fast forward to 4 AM. Still not asleep as cold from hell has progressed to ear infection. Take Advil and finally fall asleep.

Fast forward to 8:30 AM. Wake up to find ear no better, developed a cough, and no voice.

Did I mention I have a horse show on Sunday? And that my trainer can't make it (not her fault-show rescheduled)? And that it'll be my first IHSA show over fences?

[Rhyadawn]

*sits at the bar, raises eyebrow at cutie bartender* Red wine please

I'm back in school, have 3 tests and 2 papers due this week, and I can't find the motivation to get my ass into gear. And I know that's nothing to whine about, but I have a cold, and I have to work tonight. That is what I'm whining about.

The clinic space bombed, I'm no farther ahead, and I just needed to vent about that.

[DressageGeek "Ribbon Ho"]

Limit me to a Pepsi, please, or maybe just a strong coffee with lots of skim milk and sugar.

I can't complain. I am very, very fortunate compared to you all. I had several deadlines, met them all, and am exhausted, but I know my students had a wonderful time and a great learning experience at the conference, the grant is in and I am very happy and very excited, regardless of what score it receives, I have tenure, I have terrific kids in my lab and the science is going well, my family is pretty much okay, Ted is okay, so really. I can't complain.

Many small things that upset or annoy me, but you put them all in perspective.

So for all of my friends who are going through difficult times: I am so, so sorry. Thank you for being there when it was me, and I will return the favor, and jignling everything that everyone's problem's resolves ASAP, and only for the absolute best.