Monday, June 23, 2008

Spruce Meadows Skyliner


This week at Spruce was the Prix de Nations.  I was riding for the NorCal team.  There are four members on the team but we were one short so we adopted a SoCal person for the day. It was a good thing too 'cause she was one of the top riders for our team.  The top four teams come back, do the course again, then jump off. 
Walking the course for the 1.30 meter Prix de Nation in Spruce Meadows Meadows on the Green felt intimidating, yet exhilarating.  The first jump was a yellow triple bar.  After two more fences making you do a U-turn you came upon this red triple combination made up of rails with white horizontal stripes that looked like a sea of rails.  Then you jumped a white wall that was so bright it you needed sun glasses.  If that didn't seem like enough optical illusions there was a green and yellow one stride with green boxes set on the outside under the first element and then green boxes set together in the middle in the second element. You couldn't tell where the bottom was. 
There were 17 teams on at the 1.30 level. I went 11th, being the lead rider for the team. I had two rails, but considering the first rider stopped out, meaning she was eliminated and the second rider had 3 rails and no one had gone clean, I was still proud.  The other members of my team did okay.  One girl stopped out herself, but the other two, the SoCal one included, went clean.  With the eliminated score dropped we had 8 faults.  
The exciting part was waiting for the scores. Each team would go and we would count up their totals.  Until the bitter end were in the top four.  I ran back to the barn to pull a sleeping Stella out of her stall to get up to the ring.   As Stella and I walk up to the ring I see Lindsay holding a 6th place ribbon.  We just missed the final 4. As I walk back to the barn the adrenaline leaves my body.  After counting faults and cheering and watching with baited breath and waiting, I wonder if I had it in me, if we, if the team could go and do it all again.  If we did, would we be able to fix out mistakes without losing the challenging parts we did so well?

Here we are, the whole NorCal team. All the teams, meter 1.10, 1.20 and 1.30 placed in the top 6 teams. Go Girls! These are our sponsor jackets.  We got jackets, hunt coats, hats, tank tops, saddle pads, and ear covers for the horses.  Thanks, it was a good time had by all!

Here's where you can see some pictures from the first week. 

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Why I Work For Myself

I have just gotten back from a meeting for the tutoring company I work for.  It all came about because I wanted to know what format we were going to used to tutor this summer, because I've heard several different things from several different people. The meeting started at 1pm with two center directors, two educational directors, the owner and myself.  
The meeting ended at 3pm.  What did we accomplish? Nothing.  I have been told the same stuff I knew.  I have a slightly better idea about what the end goal is, but not clue how to get there.  The owner wants SO much he can't put his finger on what needs to get done now.  None of the center directors know much or do much for the tutoring program we were meeting about.  The educational directors write lessons, but they don't ever teach them.  I am the only one who writes lessons and teaches them.  They also pointed out that I'm also the only person who teaches my lessons.  There for, they might be a bit too focused for my teaching style.  
I don't know.  It all felt like a waste of time.  I felt like I was the only one organized and with an idea of what I wanted from the program.  AHHHHH!!!!! doesn't everyone one know my way is best... god! 

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Amy's Wedding

A women that I ride horses with got married this weekend.  We are all very excited for her.  She's an amazing women and deserves to be super happy.  One another note, the barn has chosen to buy Susan, the women who takes all the horse pictures, a new fancy camera.  She was testing it out at the wedding.  Here are a few of the pictures she took. 

Here's Dan & Amy

Yes, we are probably making snarky comments

Here we are at cocktail hour. Me, Apple Jacks, Ms. J and her boyfriend

Waiting for food, please note the look on Apple Jacks face.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Undercurrent

Here's another picture of my mom's horse.  At home we call him Uri.  For a show name we picked Undercurrent.  Our, my, tradition is to keep with the Dutch tradition.  They name their horses based on the year they are born.  First letter tells you what year they were born.  Tsunami was born in 2000, Undercurrent was born in 2001.   I'll make sure I don't buy a horse born in 2004... that would have to start with X.  That would be harder then U was.  

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

I guess Normal is relative

Last night there was a 3.9 earthquake in Vallejo.  Nothing major happened.  Things shook, people freaked out, and some stuff fell off shelves.  Of course it was on the news ENDLESSLY 'cause really, how often do they have "something" to really talk about. 
Well, Vallejo is about 30 miles from where I live, so I thought nothing of it.  Whatever, it's California, earthquakes happen.  I was getting read for bed and looked into the corner of my closet and there was this.  (Now, i still haven't found the cored to my camera so this is taken with my phone.  To see better you might want to squint.) This is a crack in my well.  This is a new wall, kind of.  It's sheetrock over the original adobe brick.  My guess, the brick moved and the sheetrock didn't... leading to a nice crack in the plaster and paint of my wall.  
Do I get to count this as earthquake damage?

Monday, June 02, 2008

You know My house is NORMAL again when...

you stand at the edge of the lawn to see momma and two spotted baby deer looking up at you with wide eyes and big ears.  Ah, suburban nature!