Month: February 2005

The average rainfall in SoCal has surpassed Seattle this year, which has cut into my riding.  I don’t have to worry about my horse (oh I love saying that!) because he’s in full training and the trainer has to worry about whether he gets hand walked or some kind of exercise.  In fact, I believe that she prefers that I don’t worry about it at all.  This is a very different sort of horse care than I’m used to as I’m more of a do-it-yourselfer.  Since I’ve been with this particular trainer I haven’t really been allowed to do it myself.  When I arrive at the barn for my lesson, my horse is groomed to a shine, the shavings are out of his tail, and he’s tacked.  All I have to do is check the girth and get on.  It sounds like I’m complaining because I’m spoiled.  I guess I am.  For me, the main pleasures of owning a horse is the caretaking, including the grooming, hand walking, even feeding and mucking.  I’m not going to be able to afford full training forever so I guess I should enjoy it while I can.

After we move this summer and after the stalls and fences are up to par, I’m likely going to have to keep the schedule of my do-it-yourselfer friend who gets up at 4:30 a.m. to feed and turn out then gets ready for work, drives for nearly an hour to arrive by 7:00.  She’s off by 3:30, home around 4:30 and has a few hours in the afternoon, early evening to muck, groom, fiddle, ride.  That sounds like an ideal schedule to me.  I don’t mind getting up before the tweety birds, in the cold and rain, for the right reasons.  Horse care is the right reason.  Still, I’ll try to be more grateful for what I have right now.  Frankly it’s hard to get used to being spoiled.  I keep thinking I’m neglecting my horse.  Absolutely wrong.  I’ll enjoy it and focus on getting done with my grad degree so I can graduate and move.

By the way, I got two letters in the mail, letting me know that I am qualified for two jobs I applied for recently.  One is a lab job for the biology department at my alma mater.  That’s the one I want.  They still have to interview.  I hope I’m on that list, near the top!

Do anything special for Valentine’s Day?  Since I have to work late tonight, my thoughtful spouse took me out to lunch at the Napa Valley Grille in Westwood Village.  I even had champagne and dessert, which isn’t making for a productive afternoon.  Oh well… it was a very sweet gesture and I am very pleased he thought of it.

A reader sent me an email about my post on SpongeBob.  Since he did not leave a public comment I am not going to describe his email except that I thought his view was very thoughtful and I appreciated his taking the time to explain the so-called "other side".  One of his questions in particular made me feel like I needed to explain myself better.  His question was whether or not I wanted my children to be exposed to things I thought were immoral.  I responded that I didn’t feel like I could control those kinds of things because there is just so much information (good and bad) out there.  I want to raise thoughtful children who can make good decisions, be contributing citizens, and be forever curious and non-judgmental.  I should hope that if they find themselves judging that they seek more information before being critical or even worse, excluding anyone who needs understanding and acceptance.  Isn’t that the example Jesus gives us? 

I am going into a bit more detail here than I did in my email, mostly because I have thought about his email for much of the day.  However, my view has not changed.  I doubt his has either but I hope our dialogue has helped us reach across party lines, so to speak.

I still have not received my horse’s papers.  The heck with it.  He’s paid for and in my possession.  His barn name is Clipper.  I keep trying to call him something else, so he may end up with a different barn name eventually.

I’ve been waiting and waiting to post about how much I am enjoying my new horse but I wanted to make the official announcement after I had received the papers.  Those are delayed in the mail for some reason so I’m not going to offer very much detail.  I tried out the horse early in January then had him shipped to the stable for a one week trial period.  That week went very well, I had him vetted and made an offer.  The offer was accepted, the cashier’s check sent.  I should’ve received the papers a week ago but undoubtedly the mail sorter machine decided to shred that envelope instead of a pesky bill.  Have you ever had that happen?  Once I waited and waited for a rather large check to arrive in the mail.  It came a little late in one of those USPS plastic baggies that holds damaged goods.  Enough of it was ripped up that I had to ask for the check to be re-issued and mailed again.  Why don’t those machines shred bills?

Anyway I will say that after shopping since July and having my trainer reject numerous prospects I am happy that she found this particular horse.  I would’ve bought the very first one but he obviously wasn’t suited for me.  I just don’t have good common sense once I form an emotional attachment.  After that experience, I approached each horse much more skeptically.  It saved a lot of heart ache in the end.  Once I get the papers, I will post a picture.  For now you just get to know that I am a horse owner again after 14 years of not being one.  My paycheck seems more paltry than ever but I’m very happy.