Good Man Part Two: A Day in the Life Gone Awry

Warning: Graphic photos and content ahead.

Monday
11:45am: Shortly after we arrive at Shiloh West I notice Paul throwing loose bits of hay into Ellie's stall. We catch up with a couple friend of ours for a few minutes and as I start to get Ellie ready to go Paul remarks that the chlorine in the pool yesterday must have really dried out his skin- he was feeling itchy.

12:30pm: I noticed a little redness in his face and he wandered off to the bathroom to investigate.

2pm: Fast forward to our arrival home- where he remarks that he thinks he might have been allergic to something at the barn and has a few red bumps on his face.

3pm: I ignore him, classic hypochondriac symptoms, and we go furniture shopping at West Elm.

9:45pm: Getting ready for bed Paul mentions that this rash has moved down his arms and thighs. I suggest poison ivy.

10pm-12am: I wake up on random occasions to see Paul's reading light and/or get cat cuddles.

12:30am: Paul wakes me up to tell me the reaction is getting worse, he's going to a Walgreens to get Benadryl, and that he was going to sleep on the couch.

1:17am: I hear a car door slam, but no garage door, so get up to investigate. See Paul return home through the front door and he stays downstairs to sleep on the couch.

1:20am: "Thank God," I think selfishly. I have to be up at 3am for a flight.

1:25-3am: Sleep, but have dreams related to being responsible, which must mean I was hoping to get the rash as well to get out of travel. Feel slightly itchy.

7:35am: Land in Las Vegas and am greeted by this....

Jesus. This always happens. Inevitably I say "no biggie" and Paul ends up with a staph infection or something, Wish I was kidding.
Topical and oral steroids and he'll be back to normal in 2-3 weeks. The Doc said it was an allergic reaction to some combination of airborne things- a combination that may or may not ever occur again.
So. That happened. And now Paul may never go to the barn again. Frankly- I wouldn't blame him!

Good Man

Why Paul decided to join me on my two barn pilgrimage on President's Day is beyond me. He hasn't seen Wilbur since he's come home so it was great to see them catch up. Now Paul knows where Wilbur lives so I can send him on after work missions out to Brown Ranch.

Ellie seemed to recognize her audience and strutted her stuff! Also love the weight on her- the "gastro stuff" seems to be helping!

A Day in the Life....

Tracy from Fly on Over did a great post detailing a "day in her life" and then did something awesome by turning it into a blog hop! Because really? Who doesn't want a sneak peek into how others fit everything in!

I chose to chronicle today's events because this schedule will soon become the norm every Tuesday and Thursday. Enjoy!

5:20: Alarm goes off and I hop *slowly* out of bed, grab a quick shower, snag my prepacked bag, and zoom out the door

5:50: Swing through Peet's for a much needed coffee

6:22: Arrive at the barn and sit in front of the barn bathroom space heater mustering up the energy to get Ellie out. While I'm in there one of the guys turns on the arena lights and begins dragging.

6:55: Ellie is tacked up and I am ON! Emma arrives just in time for my 7am lesson. Ellie is in forward form again and we have fun trotting and cantering around (minus a few bucks). Love them spurs!

7:30: Jump off, get Ellie put away, and tack cleaned.

8: Thank Emma- what a great way to start the day! Jump in my car and alternate between analyzing my lesson, listening to talk radio, and being stressed about work.

8:35: Arrive at the office, switch out tall boots for Toms in the parking lot, and decide that breeches instead of jeans would suffice for work attire.
Spend a moment feeling sad about the clutter in my trunk and vowing to wash saddle pads.

9-12:10: Meetings. Unexpected meetings, meetings that run long, meetings that I am running late to. All the meetings.

12:15: Realize that I am a bit jittery from all my coffee. Coworker and I divide and conquer- I go to Chipotle and she makes a Target run (*cough* Valentine's stuff *cough*). My youngest sister confirmed on the phone tonight that I am basically the worst person ever.

On my way out the door I run into our CEO. As we chat about the biz for a moment, she gives me a once over, and I immediately rethink my decision to wear the breeches. Too late!

12:33: Back at my desk to tackle all of the stuff! One of those days where there is so much to do yet nothing seems to get done!

1:30: Take a moment to visit with my "cube dog" Zoe!

2:15: A friend stops by my desk to tell me she's horse shopping. We huddle to look at videos and discuss.

4:30: Some visitors poke their heads in. They must be getting rid of samples because I end up with some loot! Is it free? I'll take it!
I also took the opportunity to open a package that arrived while I was out of town- some new show attire...now I have to do a little showing right?

5:35: I look up from my work pile and realize that I'm going to be late to the gym if I don't skedaddle!

5:40-6:20: Race towards home (and by race I mean slowly crawl), swearing intermittently at other drivers while mumbling to myself about work.

6:22: Run inside, change, leave for gym.

6:37: Cannot. find. a. place. to. park. Late for class. Feeling equal parts annoyed and tired. Decide to go to the grocery (originally planned for after gym) to pick up salad, blue cheese crumbles, and pears.

7: Pull into home (again), leave everything in the car, and go for a walk. I just wanted to get moving! Tomorrow is a new day and I will go to the gym! It's been so hard to go on the random days that I've been home. MUST get back to schedule!

7:30-9: Do catbox, put away new things, wrap Valentine's gift, start blog, fix salads, prep for tomorrow.

9-9:30: Paul gets home from swimming, we start dinner, and I insist on watching an old episode of Top Chef.

9:45: In bed rereading "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

10: Hit publish on this blog and lights out! That's a wrap on this day!

Brisk Trot

I stepped off the plane today into drop-dead gorgeous California weather. I don't know if it was the chill in Bozeman or the stale airport air that made the weather seem so extraordinary, but it was that perfect temperature for breeches and a tee shirt.

Straight from the airport to a prescheduled lesson on Ellie- Emma taught me today in our covered outdoor ring (the big outdoor is still too muddy from the weekends rain).
When Emma came out I relayed that in the, about 4, times I've ridden Ellie since the first of the year we've 1. stuck with our tried and true walk trot exercise, 2. the head tossing has gone away, 3. she is like molasses and without constant, nagging leg she peters out step after step.
And then I remind her again that I've only ridden four times in the past month and a half.

Now Emma has a British accent. So it's pretty hilarious that after I finish my diatribe she looks at Ellie and says in British baby talk- "Ellie- you're a liar. Stop lying to your Mum." Apparently they do not have the "slow as molasses" problem in their working relationship.

With that we get to work and planned to add in some trot to canter short transitions in the same vein as our walk to trot transitions. And true to form I'm huffing and puffing away trying to keep Ellie going forward.
Bless Emma's heart- she stops me and takes my spurs, which had been resting low on my boot to avoid accidental, leg fatigue poking and adjusts them up. "Give her a good poke and make her carry herself," she says.
Sure enough, that inch adjustment was just what I needed to get her engaged. So off we went- performing leg yields, circles, and canter transitions.
Additionally we worked on taking more of a feel of her mouth and getting her to engage the back end while staying soft in the front.
A productive lesson on a much more forward horse.

Snapchat courtesy of Lexi

Montana

Just a quick spin through Montana!

Apparently this is the Bozeman version of an economy car!

Roost- awesome lunch of, what else?, fried chicken and sweet tea!

If I lived by a Murdoch's I would never shop anywhere else!

Would not be complete without a chick sighting!