Just a Quick Update

Wow, I just realized that it's been a while since I posted. I actually don't have much to resport on horse related. I did ride Possum Thursday last week. It was a long hard ride and we had to work through a lot of our challenges, like half halting in lines, not throwing his head up to avoid contact so that he can continue to the next jump. His hind end is almost completely better which is good. He is a lot stronger in corners to the left and keeping his hind lead nicely. By the end of the ride we were both hot and sweaty but atleast he was listening a little better and we had accomplished something, It may have only been a small something, but it was in the positive and that's all I care about.

Friday I went to the barn with every intention of riding. It was later in the evening, about 5:30p but it was still well into the high eighties for temps. I was all dressed in boots and breeches. Most everyone at the barn was sitting in the middle of the outdoor arena taking a break from painting jumps. They have been making and painting jumps lately and they look really nice! So I started chatting with them, and then someone else arrived. Then before I knew it I had a beer in my hand and was still shooting the shit. The sun was starting to slip below the tree line and it was then that I knew I wasn't going to get my ride in. Plus Possum was leisurely eating from a round bale and I don't think he minded not getting a ride in. It actually was a great night. I needed to laugh as much as I did. We sipped beers and told stories and before long it was 10p! I stopped drinking but continued chatting. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and you could see all of the stars. The temp was perfect and you could hear coyotes howling in the fields. It was after midnight when the last of us got in our cars and went home. The dogs were long asleep by this time and I had to wake them up to get in the car to go home. It was one of those summer nights that you get once or twice a year that everything was just really good about it and you get to hang with good people. It was one of this summer's highlights.

Saturday dawned hot and steamy, into the 90's. My roomie and I took the motorycle and went to lunch and then went to a friends house to swim in her popol for a few hours. Then it was game time! The big softball game that we have been practicing for, the police versus the fire department. I was playing for the police side. It was a charity game to benefit a local sexual assault center. I drank tons of water but still was sweating like crazy. The game was a blast and we ended up winning 12-5. I was a little disapointed with my hitting. I only got one really good clean hit and the last were little tings off the bat that resulted in pop-ups, one that was caught and one that was dropped on an error. After the game it was kinda bittersweet that we wouldn't have any more practices, I love practicing and doing drills, almost as much as playing in the games themselves. Afterwards we went to a local pub for some drinks and apps. Afterwards we then went to a friends house where there was 4 of us and we sat in the hot tub and sipped beers and basically stayed up all night talking and hanging out.

Sunday I was exhausted. I only got about 2 hrs of sleep and then my roomie and I grabbed lunch and then went home and showered and then went to my parents camp on a lake with the dogs and went swimming. We had a mini cookout and the water was so nice that no one wanted to get out. My dogs aren't much for swimmers, but my roomie's German Shepherd loves the water and she was even diving off the dock and going crazy. Here is a pic of the lake the camp is on.

After a few hrs we went home to chill. I took a 2 hr nap with the dogs in the ac and I have to admit that it was heaven to just relax. Later I went to a friends house to watch a move and then came home and went to bed. I don't think I could have packed anything else into this weekend if I even tried. Ofcourse I havn't heard from Nick and I don't expect to. I have erased his number from my phone and am hoping that after a while that it erases from my mind as well. I'm doing OK and just trying to move on. STaying busy helps and keeping myself surrounded with positive and good people is great. Am thinking of riding tonight after work, but as it stands right now the temp is 94 degrees and if it doesn't cool off significiently I might have to skip it again. It's supposed to aleast be less humid by Thursday so I should be able to get in a few days of good rides.