Tra La La Boom Di-Ay

It's hot. It's so, so, SO hot. Yesterday we finally got our first break in almost two weeks from the ridiculous heat and humidity - almost 100 degrees with 85+ percent nasty sweat factor! - and I've literally spent the past two weeks constantly sticky and wet. I've been moving like a slug, dragging my way through the daily heat and moisture, coming home every day and falling into the pool with a beer in hand for a few minutes before I have to get up and do some other busy work. Despite the disgusting weather, I've spent almost every waking moment outside, much as I do every summer, and I've been loving it. Unfortunately it keeps me away from the computer and my blogging duties, but that's all right. After working impossibly hard all day every day, I feel as though I deserve as much relaxation as I can possibly squeeze in to my ridiculously tight schedule. I don't sleep enough, I don't eat well enough, and I am perpetually exhausted, but I'm not quite sure what to do about it. It's very hard to come home at the end of a 10 or 12 hour workday and still have things I want and need to do and get them done before, you know, midnight or 1am... and then wake up at 4:30 in the morning to start all over. I've actually slept past \six daily alarms (on average) for over two weeks now, never actually getting up when I intend to. It's very frustrating for me (and gives me morning headaches), but I do know what honestly needs to be done. I need protein, and I need more sleep. I also need 12 more hours in my day in order to get anything done. I rarely, and that pretty much means never, get everything I need to in a day done.

Vent over. As an overly ambitious 25 year old, I assume that is how life is supposed to be.


In other news, the honey and I went up to Groton House last weekend to watch some XC action:



Which was awesome! But also horribly depressing. Groton House was supposed to be our first event of the year, our big comeback... obviously that didn't happen. But if you are interested in seeing how it might have gone this year, you can check out last year's Groton House dressage, XC, and stadium posts. It was definitely the highlight of the season, and it felt great to go up there again, even if it was just to watch. Aaaah, next year.... next year.


I've also been doing a little bit of general cleaning and organizing this month, mostly fixing up the gigantic messes that are my trailer, locker, and brush box. My trailer took several hours but it is so super organized right now!! Although I suppose from the picture on the left, it still looks ridiculous. Is that a western trail saddle I see?? Maybe! ;) I also managed to score a lucky find on the side of the road one day: a crappy piece of cardboard furniture for free, which I then took and put in my trailer for storage use! See how neatly labeled everything is? I win!


I also spent some time yesterday cleaning out my brush box. Ewwwwww.... what's that I see? Creeping old candy wrappers, spilled liniment and Showsheen creating some sort of weird liquid monster, old needles, and *gasp* ruined cookies!?



All together now: Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!


Aaaaah that's better.


And of course I had to clean out all the brushes. I also realized I have a million old ones in there that I don't use, so I removed all the old uckies and put them in my trailer for backups. Left is the Dream Team.... right are the Losers about to take the Walk of Shame to the horse trailer. So long suckas!!



Trotting is going super well. She's feeling stronger every day, and as of today, we start trotting for 15 minutes, and can finally add huge walking circles to our work. We've spent the past week doing 25 minutes of on the buckle walking warmup, staying on the rail or crossing the diagonal in straight lines only, and walking over poles:




Then at 25 minutes, we pick up the reins and do 15 minutes of connected work, including very tiny bits of lateral work (i.e. small, shallow leg yields only, as per vet instruction), still staying on straight lines only.


Then, we trot for 10 minutes! Same rules still apply, straight lines and crossing the diagonal only. As our arena is so big, I feel comfortable enough trotting through the corners so long as she stays balanced. In the indoor, if you remember, I was circling a lot (it's a lot smaller and has demons at one end), and that probably wasn't very helpful. The outdoor is much easier for rehab work, and keeps her brain fresh.




Yay trot! We then go back to 5 more minutes of connected walk work, then 5 minutes on a loose rein, and call it a day. Total times: 30 minutes on the buckle with poles, 20 minutes connected walk work with small leg yields, 10 minutes trot work. Total collective time: 1 hour. As of today, it will be 15 minutes of trot, so we will be up to 1:05. As of next week when we bump up to 20 minutes, it will be 1:10. Then it's back to the vet for a checkup!


Speaking of all things BAMF, check out my amazingly awesome new helmet:




Love it!! It was a Christmas present that finally just now got ordered. I wasn't sure that the Charles Owen would a) fit my head properly, or b) not look like a mushroom (but I have a small head so it kind of works out), but I am happy to report that everything is snug and great. My old International, the one the company sent me to replace the one that got cracked when Gogo fell on my head in 2007, just didn't quite fit me the way the original IRH did, and I've been wanting a new helmet ever since that time. I finally have it! Hooray!


Gogo also had her feet done on Monday, which deserves a complete post on its own. I meant to write about it here, but I got so caught up in writing around all these other awesome things that I just don't have room! It's a total struggle to maintain good rock-crunchers while on stall rest, but somehow I am making it work. It ain't easy though, that is for sure.

Yay trot! Yay July! Yay life!