Today did not start out too badly. Katia came to clean. I love Katia. Without her my house would not function. However, the boys have not started school yet, unlike the rest of the state. (I know, everyone else starts after Labor Day, but here in Colorado August seems like a good idea.) I dragged everyone, dog included, to Panera's for breakfast so we would be out from underfoot and Katia would have a sporting chance against our house's mess.
Later in the morning Laurence, my husband, took Stephen to the orthodontist. I left for my horseback riding lesson and Harrison promised to stay out of Katia's way. I had some stuff I should have done before leaving (laundry, see previous post), but I figured I had plenty of time later that afternoon.
I headed out to the barn and on the way realized that I had only eaten half a bagel with cream cheese and the skinny half at that. And I had forgotten the banana sitting on the counter that I meant to eat at the barn. And lunch would be very late, because my lesson started at noon. Luckily, there is a McDonald's between the house and the barn.
Now I faced a dilemma. Do I stop at McDonald's and get some fries (very bad for my cholesterol, but great from the calories to burn perspective) or just bag it and continue on my way and hope we finish the lesson before I hit rock bottom blood sugar wise? Since I can't stand feeling weak and hungry (and I love McDonald's fries, and, really, this is actually a valid excuse, really) I went for the McDonald's. I parked the car and went into the restaurant.
Fueled up I headed for the barn. Right before I get there, Tracy, (who would also be riding) called and wanted to know if I had passed McDonald's yet because she needed a diet Coke. (Her issue today was not calories, she had a sandwich, but caffeine.) Since I was listening to the "Stuff You Missed in History" podcast and they were discussing famous battle horses (Traveller, Robert E Lee's horse, was originally named Jeff Davis) I told her I'd just go to the one a few blocks up and bring a soda back. No problem, I'm thought, because I was actually a little early.
I got to the barn and had to listen to the end of the podcast because they had just gotten to Caligula's horse, Incittatus, and, really, who could have left before hearing all about that?
I went in the barn and the first thing I'm told was that Raymond, my chestnut (red to you non-horsey people, sorrel to you Western riders), had thrown a front shoe. I could ride Patrick, Norman or Max, all school horses. Now Patrick has short leds and a bumpy ride so he was out. Norman has the biggest jump I've ever seen and requires spurs, a crop and legs of steel to move out of a trot. I don't mind the hard work, but his jump scares me, so I passed on him. This left Max. Lovable, bay colored, warhorse-looking Max. Easy choice.
I saddled Max and then it occurred to me that a perfectly good farrier was shoeing a horse right there on the premises! I went and found Rebecca, my trainer, to check out farrier etiquette (can I ask another farrier to fix my horse's shoe or do I have to call my own?) I got the go ahead, asked the farrier how much to fix a shoe, got my checkbook from the car and then had to stand holding my horse while he had nails pounded into his foot. By then the lesson had started, I had one saddled horse and one being fixed. I debated putting Max back and saddling Ray but figured it would take too long. Ray got fixed and put back in his stall (to his relief) and Max got led to the arena where Desiree and Tracy were already working.
I got on and immediately realized I perhaps should have opted for sluggish, dependable Raymond. The lightest touch and away we went. I thought I sat quietly while I rode, but apparently not. Suffice it to say that for the first half of the lesson we looked drunk while we careened back and forth as I kept overcorrecting with my legs, and lurching forward and back as I kept overcorrecting with my hands and seat. The second half of the lesson consisted of my digging my fingers into his mane every time we approached a jump and saying to myself, "Do not move, do not move, do not move." By the end I was drenched in sweat and thoroughly nerve wracked. Max seemed to have just warmed up.
By the time Max was back in his stall happily munching hay it was after two o'clock. Great, it was late, but I still had plenty of time to go to the grocery store, get home and work on my ToDo List. Except, when I got to the store, which, by the way is almost all the way home, I could not find my wallet. By then it was after three. At least I couldn't find the wallet before I went shopping.
First stop, McDonald's. They didn't have it, which I already knew because I distinctly remembered carrying it back into the car after buying my fries, but how pissed would I have been if I had gone all the way to the barn and then had found it at McDonald's? I got back in the car and after leaving the parking lot I realized I really should have scraped some change together and gotten a soda because I was really thirsty and running on fumes. I didn't have the energy for frustrated rage and had to settle for starving martyr to my stupidity.
I finally made it to the barn and went into the tack room. After moving aside some saddle pads and other debris I found my wallet which I distinctly remember not taking into the barn. Figuring I was already there I went looking for Emily, my favorite horsey teenager, to see if she would ride Raymond since he missed his lesson. Immediately she wanted to know if I was the one who had messed up Max's bridle and left a note signed, Thanks, Max. Of course it was me, I had to switch out the bits earlier because the one the good riders use is large and heavy and gives me the heebie jeebies. My hands are just not good enough to use it without banging his mouth. Then I could not figure out how to put it back onto the bridle correctly. Tracy, at the time, had helpfully pointed out I should have taken a picture of it before dismantling it. Thanks. Anyway, Emily promised to ride Raymond later.
Headed back, now in heavier, going home traffic. Cursed the grocery store as I drove past and eventually reached home, more than two hours after I finished my lesson and too aggravated to deal with anything.
We'll be going out to eat tonight and then I'll watch TV and then I'll go to bed and tomorrow will be better.
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