Monday, December 28, 2009

The Ride is the Reward

I am looking for a horse to lease. *sigh* Here we go again! Over and over again I've gone through the pros and cons in my head... weighing the benifits of ownerships against the problems with free leasing, the cost of lessons vs. the issues of sharing a horse in a semi-lease agreement... and have come to back time and again to the same conclusion...

At this stage of my life the responsibility of horse ownership- both the time, money, stress and attention is too great of a commitment to take on given that I need to focus on advancing my education, career and other interests.

Which leaves me with leasons or leasing...

And...

Lessons do not afford me enough time on a horse for the cost.

Free leasing isnt much less of a commitment than ownerships.

Semi-Leasing (shared riding) often leads to schedule/overuse issues.

Which leaves me with my own idea of leasing. It's simple. Straight forward. And hopelessly unobtainable.

To find some person who keeps their horse in above average condition, at an excellent facility with an indoor and close to trails, who never has times to ride, is opinionated about training methods/handling, and reasonable to deal and who just happens to own a nice, broke, sound, no-nonsense horse that they'd like to have ridden by a complete stranger (where, when and how she prefers and on her schedule.) Oh, and within a half hour drive of my house...

I want to ...

Drive to barn, groom, tack, ride, put away and drive home. End of story. I'll pay a flat monthly rate- consistent, predictable, and non-obligatory for the privilege and leave the for the owner to worry about the rest. Like a gym membership.

Thanks.

*hangs head in defeat*

To make matters worse...

I feel so selfish for admitting that as I've never owned a horse for the sole objective of riding- ever. In fact, I've looked down on people who seem to care nothing of their horses but of the use and enjoyment that can be derived from them... those who don't even know how to saddle their own horse, let alone care, feed or train one.

And yet still, I want to use a horse!


Bleh!

The choices all suck!

To own a horse is to be consumed- with the constant worry over their health and safety, of farrier appointments, worming, vetting,and the inevitable and unexpected financial costs... For me it is to stress over the where/who/what/when dynamics of boarding, of where to buy hay, or find a decent farrier. It is spending $180 on iron shoes instead of those Jessica Simpson silver pumps, buying Big D blankets instead of a fabulous purple Guess pea coat, and covering the cost of a vet bill that would have paid for a trip to New York city. It is sacrificing and reaping the reward... it is living a way of life I miss every. single. day but one that comes at a price I'm no longer willing to pay- not until I can afford both the school, the pea coat, the pumps and the hay, blankets and board.

To lease is to have to bite your tongue, to refrain from training, to mind your own business- just shut up and ride. To lease is to always remember that the horse you are riding is not your own and to respect the owners wishes. To doing things their way and having to always stress over just what their way is. Leasing is not being able to discipline, to not ride as long or as often as you see fit...

Leasing is like driving your mother-in-laws car... you have to remember just how the seat was petitioned, to park at the back of the lot, to wash it before you drive it back, to not drink or eat for fear of dropping a crumb and to expect that, no matter how consciencious you were, if there is even the smallest scratch to paint that she didnt notice before you left, you will be held to blame! And there will be hell to pay!

That is leasing a horse.

I just want to ride.

I dont want to lease. Or to buy. But I want horses in my life.

And to make things worse, I feel guilty for it. Maybe because for me having horses has always been about the my emotional attachment to an individual, my deep rooted commitment to providing for their mental and physical well being and to the process of developing a better animal. Riding has always been, for me, a byproduct of horse ownership- a reward for having succeeded in meeting my horses needs.



I do not ride my horse if he has not been fed. If he is sore. If he is wet or cold. If he is in need of shoeing. I do not ride my horse if his condition or the condition of his environment is poor. I do not ride if his stall needs cleaned, if hay needs hauled out or a fence needs fixing. I do not ride if I do not have time to put him away dry, cool,and clean. The responsibility of providing for my horse has always has come before the ride. The ride has always been the reward.



More on this next post....

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Christmas Crack

As a horse(less) crazy little girl there was only one thing I REALLY wished for every Christmas... My dreams of Christmas morning looked something like this...
(I found this picture on google images and just had to share!)
I hope you all are ready for Christmas and able to enjoy this evening with friends and family! I've had a very busy week (who hasn't?) but have finally made my way up to my sister's house to celebrate the holidays and am finally able to sit back and enjoy (well... stand up and cook I guess I should say, but you know what I mean...)

Last night my sister gave me some Christmas Crack. Ever heard of it? This sinfully delicious substance is aptly named- it is highly, highly addictive! And unfortunately easy to make (I say unfortunately because this is a recipe you'll wish would take hours and hours so that it wouldn't be quite so tempting to whip up!) Here is the recipe.

Christmas Crack

one cup butter
one cup brown sugar
one cup chocolate chips
one cup butterscotch chips
soda crackers


-Preheat oven to 400 F

-Lay out evenly soda crackers on a baking sheet.
-Melt one cup of butter and one cup of brown sugar on the stove, make sure it is completely melted and hot.
-Pour over soda crackers.
-Put in oven for approx. 2 minutes till bubbling a bit.
-Turn off oven.
-Mix together one cup of chocolate chips and one cup of butterscotch chips.
-Evenly sprinkle the cracker/butter/sugar with the mixture of chocolate chips and butterscotch chips.
-Put back in oven for a minute till the chips get soft.
-Pull out and with a spatula evenly spread out chocolate.
-Put in freezer overnight.
-Crack into pieces.

Serve cold!

Merry Christmas!!!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

RIP Brittany Murphy

Just a quick note to say how sad I am to hear of Brittany Murphy's passing today. I loved her in Girl Interrupted, Clueless, and especially in Riding in Cars with Boys. I dont watch King of the Hill but I know a lot of folks loved her as Luanne, with her unique voice and expression. Poor thing, she was just cute as a button. Hope she is "rollin' with the homies" in a better place.

Here is one of my favorite Brittnay Muphy scenes... from Riding in Cars with Boys where her and Drew Berrymore are discussing how to tell her parents that she is pregnant...

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Driving Stick


I am sorry my posts have been hit and miss this past week or so... I've been a little busy... a lot busy in fact... you see, I kinda lost my mind a little... No, not Christmas shopping... though shopping was involved. And before anyone jumps to conclusions, no, I did not buy a horse... well... actually I kind of did, I bought 120 horses....

I bought a Honda!

Civic that is!

I have spent most of all my computer time lost in the infinite universe of craigslist and used car sites and then traveling around looking at cars. I wanted something that was super good on gas, very clean (inside and out), had good resale value and build quality and that was high on the practicality scale (though maybe not so hot on the sex appeal scale.... but not ugly either.) I need a car that could get me from point a to point be as safely, reliably and cheaply as possible.... In the end a 2003, four door, five speed, Honda civic fit the bill nicely. I got it home late last night and spent this afternoon driving around town trying to remember how to drive a stick shift again, (stop start on hills, keep first gear smooth in parking lots and over speed bumps etc....) It's coming back to me now but wasnt without a few hickups.

Anyways, my question of the day is...

Do you know how to drive a five speed? If so, when did you learn?

My Poppie had my sister driving his 5spd truck down logging roads by the time we could reach the pedals! Okay... to tell you the truth we might have ventured out on to the streets before we were legal too... it's a bit of a family tradition:)

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Tom Hanks

On this snowy Sunday afternoon DB and I found ourselves snuggled up in front of the TV watching 'You've Got Mail' for the four-hundred-and-eighty-forth time...well, maybe not that much but it's a near thing... and you know what? I'll probably watch again in the next year and find it just as charming.

Here is one of my favorite scenes from 'You've Got Mail' where Meg Ryan asks "What is it with men and The Godfather?" DB is a total Godfather fan so I could relate to the banter that fallows...



I've never really thought of myself as a huge Tom Hanks fan as he is the kind of asexual, uncontroversial, and unassuming stars who, while universally known and loved, is far from creating tabloid fodder or fan club groupies... Instead, he consistently and brilliantly chooses moves that you can count on to be at the very least interesting, and at best, an Oscar winning classic.

DB and I were thinking back at his most notable roles and marveling at just how rich, diverse and iconic of characters he has played over the years.... in fact, I literally grew up watching Tom Hanks movies! When I was a little girl I remember swimming around my Granny's pool pretending to be a mermaid like Daryl Hannah in Splash.
Or sitting in front of the TV, with my big sister and I in matching pyjamas, singing "Down Down Baby" (From "Big", remember that one? Shimmy Shimmy Cocoa Pop, shimmy shimmy rocks... here is Tom Hanks doing it in an interview...


and watching 'Turner and Hooch', 'The Money Pit', or 'Joe vs. The Volcano'....

Later in life I came to appreciate movies like Philadelphia, Cast Away (WILSON!!!!!) and the Green Mile.... and of course, the great 'Forest Gump'....


It is amazing how he can bring a bit of himself to each role but still create characters that are so vastly different... I mean, you couldn't get two people any less alike than the crude drunk Jimmy Dugan (A League of Their Own) and the reserved lawyer Andrew Beckett (Philadelphia) and yet, they are both so very Tom Hanks!

And dont forget he produced some great movies too! Like Momma Mia, Where the Wild Things Are and My Big Fat Greek Wedding!

Here is IMDB's list of Tom Hanks movies.

Which is your favorite?

Angels & Demons (2009) .... Robert Langdon
The Great Buck Howard (2008) .... Mr. Gable
Charlie Wilson's War (2007) .... Charlie Wilson
The Da Vinci Code (2006) .... Dr. Robert Langdon
Cars (2006) (voice) .... Woody Car
Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D (2005) (voice) .... Narrator
The Polar Express (2004) .... Hero Boy / Father / Conductor / Hobo / Scrooge / Santa Claus
... aka The Polar Express: An IMAX 3D Experience (USA: IMAX version)
Elvis Has Left the Building (2004) .... Mailbox Elvis
The Terminal (2004) .... Viktor Navorski
The Ladykillers (2004) .... Professor G.H. Dorr
"Freedom: A History of Us" .... Abraham Lincoln / ... (7 episodes, 2003)
- A Fatal Contradiction (2003) TV episode .... Abraham Lincoln
- A War to End Slavery (2003) TV episode .... Abraham Lincoln
- Independence (2003) TV episode .... Paul Revere
- Liberty for All (2003) TV episode .... Daniel Boone
- Wake Up America (2003) TV episode .... Reporter
(2 more)
Catch Me If You Can (2002) .... Carl Hanratty
Road to Perdition (2002) .... Michael Sullivan
"Band of Brothers" (2001) TV mini-series .... British officer (unknown episodes)
Cast Away (2000) .... Chuck Noland


The Green Mile (1999) .... Paul Edgecomb
... aka Stephen King's The Green Mile (USA: complete title)
Toy Story 2 (1999) (voice) .... Woody
... aka Toy Story 2 in 3-D (USA: promotional title)
Toy Story 2 (1999) (VG) (voice) .... Woody
You've Got Mail (1998) .... Joe Fox
Saving Private Ryan (1998) .... Capt. John H. Miller
"From the Earth to the Moon" .... Jean-Luc Despont (1 episode, 1998)
- Le voyage dans la lune (1998) TV episode .... Jean-Luc Despont
That Thing You Do! (1996) .... Mr. White
Toy Story Activity Center (1996) (VG) (voice) .... Woody
Toy Story (1995) (voice) .... Woody
... aka Toy Story in 3-D (USA: promotional title)
Apollo 13 (1995) .... Jim Lovell
... aka Apollo 13: The IMAX Experience (USA: IMAX version)
Forrest Gump (1994) .... Forrest Gump
Vault of Horror I (1994) (TV)
Philadelphia (1993) .... Andrew Beckett
"Fallen Angels" .... Trouble Boy #1 (1 episode, 1993)
- I'll Be Waiting (1993) TV episode .... Trouble Boy #1
Sleepless in Seattle (1993) .... Sam Baldwin
A League of Their Own (1992) .... Jimmy Dugan
"Tales from the Crypt" .... Baxter (1 episode, 1992)
... aka HBO's Tales from the Crypt
- None But the Lonely Heart (1992) TV episode .... Baxter
Radio Flyer (1992) (uncredited) .... Older Mike
The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) .... Sherman McCoy
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) .... Joe Banks


Turner & Hooch (1989) .... Det. Scott Turner
The 'burbs (1989) .... Ray Peterson
Punchline (1988) .... Steven Gold
Big (1988) .... Josh Baskin
Dragnet (1987) .... Pep Streebeck
Every Time We Say Goodbye (1986) .... David Bradley
Nothing in Common (1986) .... David Basner
The Money Pit (1986) .... Walter Fielding, Jr.
Volunteers (1985) .... Lawrence Whatley Bourne III
The Man with One Red Shoe (1985) .... Richard Harlan Drew
Bachelor Party (1984) .... Rick Gassko
Splash (1984) .... Allen Bauer

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Winning Mares and the Unwanted

Well, here they are.... the winning mares of the bunch...


That bottle of peroxide paid off for #28! She scored a number of votes for her flashy flaxen mane....


Number 2 got a lot of action despite a crooked blaze and hairy ears- proving that there is beauty in her imperfections....



#21 stood out if for no other reason than appearing indifferent to the madness around her....Why does she remind me of Eeyore?

#4 for hit the mark with her fancy silver number and cute perky ears....



Now I have to include #21 even though she didnt get enough votes to qualify for the top four simply because a face like this cant be ignored.... and I'm the boss... of this blog, anyways...


But what of those that didn't receive a single vote?... those poor, sad, helpless mares who cried "Pick me! Pick me!" but failed to find a single taker... For each lonely soul who pleaded with their big, soft doey eyes.... as if trying to say, "I am a good girl... I'll be sweet and love you too... just give me a chance... I'll give you my heart forever...."
Let us take a moment to look on the forgotten faces of the unclaimed mares...

Look at that eye... pleading for a soft word of comfort....

A gentle stroke on a downy muzzle....


A soothing rub to calm her frayed nerves....

Just look in to those deep, dark, soulful eyes....

And tell me she is not begging for love... for someone to whisper "Shhhh... easy there mare... goood girl."
But she will never hear those words...
Because she was among the forgotten ones.
She will remain unclaimed, unloved, unwanted....
And that, my friends, is why I do not go to auctions....
Bleeding- freakin'- heart:)

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Which Mare Is Yours?



I am sorry I havent yet been able to finish my last post in the Girl Friend Talk series... I know you all must be on the edge of your seat, just dyin' to read what's comin' next...


*crickets*


And so I hope you wont mind that I decided to play a little game instead....


You see Ree over at the Pioneerwoman.com posted this picture a few days ago of these mustang mares being brought in for weaning. I am in love with this photo! I have it as my screen saver right now and cant help but stop nearly every time I see it in order to pick out a new favorite mare... which is never easy because I could make a case for each and every single one of them.

Which got me to thinkin'.... wouldnt it be fun to see which mare all of you'd pick... which one jumps off the screen to say "Pick me! Pick me!"
And so I tried to number as many horses as I could (the ones that had a face) to make it easier.

My favorite (at the moment) is #5... There is something quiet in her posture, like she is aware of everything, but not stressed... interested but cautious and while she's willing to go with the flow for now, she's also not sold on the whole idea either. I'd bet that mare would have something to say about the situation... oh yes sir, she most certainly would.

Which hip number are you taking home?

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Bonnie Raitt and Kittens




Okay, so this has nothing to do with Girl Friend Talk... but I simply must post this video. I am sure many of you have seen it but I just love, love, love it. Simple things amuse simple minds right?



And what is with the Bonnie Raitt song? Just 'cause I love it too.... and I kind of look like her in this video... okay not really... but my hair does.... only darker.... now if only I had a gee-tar and that voice I'd not be so embarrassed about the hair thing. Oh! And those lyrics... "If dreams were thunder and lightening were desire, this old house would have burnt down a long time ago..." Ahhh...yah! Like, how cool is that? Excuse me... I'm having a moment here.... Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is on TV... I'll blame it on that. Any move that can be that freakin' good when Johnny Depp looks that freakin' ugly get's my vote.

I'll go now.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Girl Friend Talk- Breaking Up Is Hard To Do!

When I first thought of discussing the dynamics of female friendships I wondered what kind of response would follow as it is, for some, a touchy subject. I'm grateful to those who took the time to comment with your own stories and also sad to hear that so many of you have had your trust broken by a dear friend.... though, I must say, I am not surprised. Almost all the women I know have suffered the loss of their "best friend" due to a breakdown of trust, character, or some other transgression (just to use Tiger's term) at some point in their life.


Men and women, as best as I can see, operate much differently. Men seem better able to deal with an argument- they get mad, tell each other where to go and then five minutes later they're drinking beer and all is forgiven and forgotten. The same argument a man can get passed in a few minutes can take weeks (if ever) for two women hash out. Even the best of friendships have been destroyed by petty she-said-she-said gossip, misunderstandings or a single hurtful word. Why is that?

I am going to go ahead and make some generalizations here- such as that I believe women can be very catty, over emotional, over sensitive to insult (real or perceived) and tend to hold a grudge. And that the strongest of friendships can fall apart over that which, in any other friendship of lesser consequence, would have been excused without a thought. Or is it that we are blind to the faults of our closest friend and therefor devastated when that illusion of absolute trust is shattered by but the smallest breach of faith. Is trust the issue? How many of us are guilty of claiming to be entirely trustworthy but still pass on tidbits of information to another friend (who is, of course, also entirely trustworthy if told in the strictest of confidence)? Or bitch about one friend to another?


Much like in a divorce, it is rare to find two individuals who can agree on where the fault lies in the break up of a friendship. Most often both feel that they are the wronged party. Women like to play the victim which leaves little room for taking responsibility and therefor finding resolution or forgiveness. Also, as with divorcees, many end up disenfranchised with the very idea of every putting that much trust in in friendship again. No matter the cause, the breakdown of a good friendship can be utterly devastating.


Fragile, precarious, and subject to irreparable harm- the trust we place in our closest girl friend may seem to some a great leap of faith. I can understand how many feel the risk of putting themselves in such a position again- unguarded and entirely vulnerable- is to great a risk for the reward.... Once bitten, twice shy...Whereas others have chosen to take the chance in hopes of gaining a true friend.

Which brings me to the next post in this series... the subject of casual friendships vs. BFFs.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Girl Friend Talk- Part 1

The topic of girl friends (friends who are girls) is as broad ranging of a subject as any known to man- the dymanic between a woman and her closest friend is often as, or more, complicated than your average marriage. I wouldnt dare try to speak generally about a topic as close to my heart or as deeply routed in our female psychee as this and so I'll be breaking this up into a series of posts I'll call "Girl Friend Talk".


I was inspired to write this series of posts because I have a very, very dear friend Barb, who I usually talk to every day, sometimes more.... She is the kind of friend who knows me better than I know myself, the kind that offers unquestionable support and a swift kick in the ass when needed....the one I know I can trust with every secret, insecurity and heartache. She is my go-to-gal and confidant- the Thelma to my Louise.

The past few weeks we havent been able to chat as much as usual as we've both been unusually busy. That little missing piece of my day is an unwelcome hole, an absense that makes me realize just how much joy our daily chatter brought to my life. I am sure that things will go back to normal soon but I couldn't help but worry this evening, as another day passed without our usual chat, that there may come a time where we will naturally drift apart- A change of schedule, a big move or perhaps a new friend to takes over that role of prominence in her life. Sometimes one friend drifts away before the other is willing to let go and jealousy, hurt feelings and bitterness can result. I've had that happen a time or two. I think I've always been more insecure in my friendships than I have have been with men and relationships. I've lost a few girl friends over the years, which is never easy for anyone but particularly difficult when, by nature, one is as fiercely loyal as I am. I trust in the strength of Barb and I's friendship, that I will always be blessed enough to count her as one of my closest friends and ally. I write this by way of example, to show that even a friendship as time, tested and true as ours is not immune to the oversensitive, insecure, dynamic and diverse layers that make up a friendship between two women.

And I know she'll kill me for posting this...but I will anyways! I can just hear her voice callin' me up to say, "Are you crazy! I call you all the damn time but you're never home!" and then I'll say, "I called you twice yesterday!" and then she'll counter with "Whatever! I called you three times the day before!" and it will go on from there...

Anyways...

Lets start by gaining a consensus-

Do you have a girl friend whom you consider your "best friend"?

Do you have one girl friend who you see or talk too most often? If so, how often do you speak to her or see her?

I've always disliked the term "best friend" because it is so exclusive... it is the kind of word that as an insecure girl I learned to dread as the cliquey, catty, groups in school perpetually dumping one and other (or me) for their next "best friend"...

...and I think anyone I love has an inherent value that is both without measure or class.


Next post in this series will be about friendships that have gone awry- titled, "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do".