That was a request from Thomas this weekend. Of course, my face was a picture of confusion, as I had no idea what he was talking about. I asked him who he meant. And he further explained he wanted to be the guy dressed in black, with the sword. Oh, I said, "you mean ZORO!!!!"
That's my boy.....
Monday, October 20, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Honey, can you come to the corner of .....
That phone call changed my whole morning. The kids have the day off and I had been moving at my own pace. Checking out all my favorite blogs while enjoying a second cup of coffee that was in a mug rather than a travel cup. That's when the phone rang and the voice at the other end required my assistance.
The truck claimed that it had 10 miles 'til empty, but when he came around the corner it burped. Well, he might have said chugged, but I like the word burped better. Anyway, not wishing for major issues with the diesel engine, (something about junk in the filter), he shut it down, rolled to the side of the road and waited for me.
Of course, there is more to rescuing a stranded hubby than just bringing him home. We had to go to the gas station and get a can of fuel for the disabled vehicle. And since he was there, and the truck we were in was a little low on fuel, he filled that up as well. And he didn't get just one can of fuel but rather FIVE. Back to the truck we went, where he proceeded to put all FIVE cans of fuel in. (Why go back to the station again, just get it done on the side of the road!!) Of course what happens to a person who has had two cups of coffee??? She needs to use the facilities. And believe me a corn field was not on my map, so the last few minutes of waiting was spent doing a jig on the side of the road.
Home safe and sound, I thought my assistance was no longer needed. Not so fast, it seemed he could use my help getting the lift loaded on a trailer. I didn't figure it would involve much more than guiding a little to hitch up. Ha!!!! He needed to use a come-along to get the thing on the trailer. He was nice enough to offer me the option of driving the lift up the ramp or work the come-along. I picked run the come-along. I was fine until the lift started going off the ramps and seemed about to fall off. Hubby decided to change plans and backed up to a ditch and it went on much easier.
I finally got back to the house three hours later, totally off schedule and not sure what to do first. Guess I will head up to the storage building and get another coat of paint on the front.
The truck claimed that it had 10 miles 'til empty, but when he came around the corner it burped. Well, he might have said chugged, but I like the word burped better. Anyway, not wishing for major issues with the diesel engine, (something about junk in the filter), he shut it down, rolled to the side of the road and waited for me.
Of course, there is more to rescuing a stranded hubby than just bringing him home. We had to go to the gas station and get a can of fuel for the disabled vehicle. And since he was there, and the truck we were in was a little low on fuel, he filled that up as well. And he didn't get just one can of fuel but rather FIVE. Back to the truck we went, where he proceeded to put all FIVE cans of fuel in. (Why go back to the station again, just get it done on the side of the road!!) Of course what happens to a person who has had two cups of coffee??? She needs to use the facilities. And believe me a corn field was not on my map, so the last few minutes of waiting was spent doing a jig on the side of the road.
Home safe and sound, I thought my assistance was no longer needed. Not so fast, it seemed he could use my help getting the lift loaded on a trailer. I didn't figure it would involve much more than guiding a little to hitch up. Ha!!!! He needed to use a come-along to get the thing on the trailer. He was nice enough to offer me the option of driving the lift up the ramp or work the come-along. I picked run the come-along. I was fine until the lift started going off the ramps and seemed about to fall off. Hubby decided to change plans and backed up to a ditch and it went on much easier.
I finally got back to the house three hours later, totally off schedule and not sure what to do first. Guess I will head up to the storage building and get another coat of paint on the front.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Grand National Wrap-up
Wrap up for me anyway. The show continues through Saturday, but I headed back home to the real world last evening. 
Storm looked beautiful. She really had no problems in the ring. Her rail work was impeccable. Her required "back four steps" wasn't so pretty and she came out of the ring seventh in a class of 14. My initial reaction was total disappointment. I was pretty bummed. There were tears, phone calls home and then a pep talk from my trainer. Trainer Mike reminded me why the mare was there. It was to sell her. Proof of this was the couple that came to our stalls within an hour of her class, wanting to talk to Trainer Mike about her. They are coming back this afternoon to see her work and possibly ride her.
These are four the many stall set-ups. They are truly a home away from home. There are couches, coffee tables and TV hookups with video feed from the show rings. All the comforts of home in the middle of a horse barn. Ours was a little less fancy, but still more than we would do for a regular show.
Of course, I forgot to take a picture of it, but trust me it looked pretty nice.
Storm looked beautiful. She really had no problems in the ring. Her rail work was impeccable. Her required "back four steps" wasn't so pretty and she came out of the ring seventh in a class of 14. My initial reaction was total disappointment. I was pretty bummed. There were tears, phone calls home and then a pep talk from my trainer. Trainer Mike reminded me why the mare was there. It was to sell her. Proof of this was the couple that came to our stalls within an hour of her class, wanting to talk to Trainer Mike about her. They are coming back this afternoon to see her work and possibly ride her. We were busy all afternoon with classes. Then it was time to bid farewell to Oklahoma. I headed to the airport and winged my way back to Michigan. I have decided that flying isn't so awful. Especially when you are in a Dramamine induced stupor.
My own pillow felt pretty good last night and this morning I am back in the swing of my family. I have a house that needs cleaned.....and of course a few classes at Nationals to watch via the Internet.
Here are some pictures I wanted to share:
These are four the many stall set-ups. They are truly a home away from home. There are couches, coffee tables and TV hookups with video feed from the show rings. All the comforts of home in the middle of a horse barn. Ours was a little less fancy, but still more than we would do for a regular show.
Of course, I forgot to take a picture of it, but trust me it looked pretty nice.Monday, October 6, 2008
A view from the ingate
Hello from Oklahoma City. I am anxiously waiting 9am when the show gets started. Storm goes in the second class of the morning and then I can relax and enjoy my last day here. I have had the chance to see her work a couple times and she has improved each day.
Mike Wahl Performance Horses has had a great show so far. One of Mike's students was Reserve Grand National Champion in 14-17 Showmanship, with another student in 3rd place in the 10-13 year old Showmanship class. Yesterday, a rider won her 11 year old western pleasure class and Mike's awesome gelding Lance was second in a huge, 22 horse western pleasure class.
Here is a picture I took last night looking down the ramp into the coliseum. There are actually 3 rings going most of the time. This is the ring Storm will be showing in this morning.
It is hard to really get a sense of how big this ring is from the picture. Notice the banners hanging from the rafters. Each one lists a former champion, the class they won and the year they received it. Pretty impressive to a person who spends hours pouring over the morgan magazines.
More stories and pictures when I get home.
Mike Wahl Performance Horses has had a great show so far. One of Mike's students was Reserve Grand National Champion in 14-17 Showmanship, with another student in 3rd place in the 10-13 year old Showmanship class. Yesterday, a rider won her 11 year old western pleasure class and Mike's awesome gelding Lance was second in a huge, 22 horse western pleasure class.
Here is a picture I took last night looking down the ramp into the coliseum. There are actually 3 rings going most of the time. This is the ring Storm will be showing in this morning.
It is hard to really get a sense of how big this ring is from the picture. Notice the banners hanging from the rafters. Each one lists a former champion, the class they won and the year they received it. Pretty impressive to a person who spends hours pouring over the morgan magazines.
More stories and pictures when I get home.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Oklahoma......
Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain. You know the song. I am headed to Oklahoma in just a few short hours. Not sure if the wind sweeps through the streets in Oklahoma City, or if I will have much time to notice anyway. The Grand National and World Championship Morgan Horse Show starts today and I am going to watch our three-year old mare go in the Western Pleasure mares class on Monday. Neat bit of trivia. The first Grand National was held at the Detroit state fairgrounds in 1973, and my parents went to it. So here I am 35 years later going to my first Grand National. Of course, it would be much easier if it were still held in Detroit!
Once I get through the plane ride, I will be ready to enjoy myself. I have only flown twice in my life, and the last time was in 1991. Unlike my dad, the world traveler, I have no experience and am a bit apprehensive about the whole thing. It doesn't help that I have an issue with motion sickness. So I will hit the Dramamine and hope for the best.
Hopefully I will be able to update my blog at some point over the weekend, but don't guarantee anything. I will be back Monday night, so it is a very quick trip.
Once I get through the plane ride, I will be ready to enjoy myself. I have only flown twice in my life, and the last time was in 1991. Unlike my dad, the world traveler, I have no experience and am a bit apprehensive about the whole thing. It doesn't help that I have an issue with motion sickness. So I will hit the Dramamine and hope for the best.
Hopefully I will be able to update my blog at some point over the weekend, but don't guarantee anything. I will be back Monday night, so it is a very quick trip.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Normal feels good
As the week has progressed, life is feeling more normal each day. Laundry is caught up, thanks to spending a couple hours in the laundromat on Monday morning. That was a huge load off my mind. I managed to take care of nine loads, which would have taken all week, if I had tried to finish it at home.
School days are typical now too. That helps the kids get back on a schedule as well. We also are back into music lessons. We still need to get back into the habit of practicing. That will come.
The best thing is that we are sitting down as a family each night for a real supper. Summer gets crazy with late meals that aren't always the most balanced. Now I have time to plan a menu and figure on a time to get it on the table. Our supper table is a important place to gather each night. As a kid, I remember discussions of how our days went, what was coming up and what concerned my parents and my brother. I want that same routine for my kids. A place where anything can be discussed and that our ears are always open to what interests our kids. Yes, normal is feeling really good.
School days are typical now too. That helps the kids get back on a schedule as well. We also are back into music lessons. We still need to get back into the habit of practicing. That will come.
The best thing is that we are sitting down as a family each night for a real supper. Summer gets crazy with late meals that aren't always the most balanced. Now I have time to plan a menu and figure on a time to get it on the table. Our supper table is a important place to gather each night. As a kid, I remember discussions of how our days went, what was coming up and what concerned my parents and my brother. I want that same routine for my kids. A place where anything can be discussed and that our ears are always open to what interests our kids. Yes, normal is feeling really good.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Mom, What's an inmate????
That question came from Thomas early in fair week. I explained that an inmate was a person who had done something wrong and were spending time in jail. The reason behind the question was that he had seen a group of men around the fairgrounds cleaning and hauling trash. They wore bright orange shirts with the words "inmate labor" printed on the front.
A day or so later, he asked me "how much money does an inmate get for working here". I told him I didn't think they got paid. I explained that part of their punishment was that they worked for little, if any money. Being a kid who spends his allowance before he gets it, I could tell that that fact didn't sit real well with him.
Today, on our way to school, we had to wait for a flock of turkeys to get out of the road. He jokingly said, "boy, if I had a machine gun, I could have got them all". My reply was, "shooting turkeys with a machine gun will get you a shirt with the word INMATE on the back of it."
A day or so later, he asked me "how much money does an inmate get for working here". I told him I didn't think they got paid. I explained that part of their punishment was that they worked for little, if any money. Being a kid who spends his allowance before he gets it, I could tell that that fact didn't sit real well with him.
Today, on our way to school, we had to wait for a flock of turkeys to get out of the road. He jokingly said, "boy, if I had a machine gun, I could have got them all". My reply was, "shooting turkeys with a machine gun will get you a shirt with the word INMATE on the back of it."
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