Relationship fact

We are going to have gorgeous blue eyed children.

Koala

When I die, I better come back as an actual koala. After dealing with insomnia for the last 20-something years, I freaking DESERVE to spend my life sleeping for an average of 18 hours a day. In a tree. That would be awesome.

In other news, the Tylenol PM I just took means that I'll probably sleep in until noon. Merry Christmas.

My parents, playing with FaceTime on their iPhones while sitting in the living room together:

Dad: I'm going to hang up now!
Mom: Okay, I can't wait!

It's definitely Christmas hahaha

Late Night Thoughts

This is going to sound over the top, but whatever: I'm so lucky to have found someone who is not only the kindest and most thoughtful boyfriend but also the best friend I could ever ask for.

You really can't beat someone who makes you laugh every day, especially if he also happens to be super handsome and romantic - really, I won the boyfriend lottery over here. I am so lucky.

Also: I'm exhausted. I cannot sleep and I haven't even been napping lately (I wish I had!) so it's 3:30 in the morning & instead of curled up asleep I am writing a blog post from my iPhone and reading mindy kaling's book, trying to figure out when I got so old.

(ANSWER: last week, when I turned 26.)

Anyway, there is a point to all of this. I've spent 90% of my life focusing on the future instead of living in the present. I was never really, truly happy with my life & was always imagining the ways it would be better in a few years. But right now, in this moment - even with my super bad hair day and the fact that I want to cry from exhaustion - I wouldn't trade it.

For the first time ever, I feel like I'm exactly where I am supposed to be - I'm finally getting it right.


Although let's be honest, I still think about the future in a romanticized way - I can't wait to live in a land with no homework - I don't want to fast-forward through this, not anymore, and I think that's a pretty cool thing.

Everything's Better With a W

Woody on the creepy hostess at breakfast this morning: "I think she's an animatronic"


I smile more with him in my life than I ever did before

Vague

This is the kind of night I should blog about, because it has been so outrageous, but the story is not appropriate to share with the Internet. Or my mother.

But between the broken chair, And the blood from impaling my leg on one of its pointy pieces - it looks like a freaking crime scene in here. Plus I think my boyfriend's back is broken, I know the dogs think we are crazy, and I could really use some sleep.

Christmas break, right?

right.

I turn 26 on Friday - yikes.

I just finished up the hardest semester of college I've ever had - and preparing for next one to be worse.

I need about 3 months of rest and not the one I am getting - but I will take it gladly.

The plumbing in the house has been broken for like 6 weeks now and it has only added to the frustration of the end of the semester.

That's about it, really.

Tis The Season

FINALLY... It's December and no one will judge me for my Yuletide enthusiasm!




This is the "tree" on the great lawn in the middle of campus. YAY CHRISTMAS!

Enjoy this

Whatever Pre-school Flula works for, that is where Woody and I will send our future children.

Rusty

When I said that my relationship with Woody was the most serious I have ever been in, I wasn't kidding.

We adopted a dog on Wednesday. His name is Rusty (now... It was Doumar.) anyway we love him to pieces and he is a sweet, playful little Scottie mix.

I love my two boys more than I can express in words - and we are one happy little family.

Soundworks

You guys, my dad is totally famous. They rocked this show last night!

St Patrick

I jumped Patrick for the first time yesterday! It was awesome, he was perfect. I am so thrilled. Here he is with one of the barn kids. Photo credit to Miss Elizabeth Brennan! She took this for me and sent it to me in a text today.

I can just see him in 10 years carting my kids around in leadline :)

Detective Fact

I figure out who the bad guy is on the Law & Order shows 100% of the time.

This is my claim to fame and makes me believe that I would make an excellent real life, crime-solving detective.

the best day

I am really just updating this blog to put it on record that today was one of the very best days of my life. It's not that anything specific happened, really, but from the moment I woke up, everything just went, well... perfectly.

Love from my man and a cheeseburger for lunch, free hot chocolate given out on campus on a cold day, and my classes went well.
Made a wish at 11:11 on 11/11/11
The best Pop Culture lecture we've had all semester - and there have been a lot of good ones - but this one on advertising topped them all. It was fantastic, and hilarious.
Called my boyfriend after class to let him know that I was thinking of him.
5 minutes later ran into him unexpectedly on campus and it completely made my afternoon because I wasn't expecting to see him again for awhile - he drove me to my car and we talked for a few minutes before he had to go in for work.
I got a kiss goodbye and then didn't run into traffic on my way to Richmond
Snuggles from my doggies

And now I'm waiting for W to get off of work and come to Richmond for the night, watching SVU on Netflix, all cozy in bed and happy.

I wish every day could be like this.  <3

House Arrest

You know, I was staring at my blog earlier this morning and wishing I had something interesting to write about, and I have to say that will be the last time those words ever cross my brain. Be careful what you wish for, and all that.

I let Woody take my car to campus today, mostly so there would be more sleep this morning, but my car has a parking decal and his doesn't so it made sense for him to take it when he wasn't going to ride his bike. So I gave him the keys to my car and kissed him goodbye and wished him good luck on his test and then rolled over and went back to sleep.

Cut scene... couple hours later... I've eaten lunch and noticed a few things:
1. The trash is full
2. I am almost out of diet soda
3. Mac and cheese is the greatest lunch of all time (OF ALL TIME)

Anyway, I decided to take the trash out because I make an excellent little housewife. I went to the door to get my keys - wait, not there. Hmm. You see, I live an old house which locks and unlocks from the inside only with the use of a key. And I had given my keys to boyfriend so that he didn't have to bike to school this morning. Then I remembered that W had left me his keys today in case I needed to drive anywhere. Most excellent, I thought, crisis averted! I grabbed his keys and realized he had left me JUST the keys to his car, and none of his other keys which does make sense I guess, since I don't really need the keys to his place or anything - but it was another escape route I didn't have. I frantically checked all of the doors - all of which require a key to lock and unlock from inside - all of which are locked.

You guys, I am LOCKED IN.

I realize that I have one final option: I could climb through a window and hunt down the last key which is hidden outside somewhere. For use in case of emergency. This totally and completely qualifies as a case of emergency, you know. I talk myself down from this option because the windows in this house are really hard to open and also, I don't want to frighten the neighbors.

Recap:
My key: with Woody
Spare key #1: with Woody
Spare key #2: Outside where I can't get to it


I sent him a text message informing him of this situation, he calls me not 10 minutes later (he should be in class, you know) and was like, "How is your house?" and after I laugh and tell him it is excellent he offers to come set me free. Glad to know that humor comes first on his priority list, because it certainly does on mine, and he makes me laugh more than anyone I've ever known.

So here I am, stuck in the house with a full trash can and several hours until my knight in shining armor rides home to my rescue. I wish I could end this story with, "and then I checked the door and it was never locked in the first place and I was free at last from house arrest," but sadly that just isn't the case. Not every story gets to have a happy ending, you know.

Kitchen

Woody and I started working on the kitchen this weekend. I have the most fun doing projects around the house with him- I think because it makes me feel domestic, and grown up, and we bond over it.

We started going through the cabinets and getting rid of old food. Things that had expired in 2005, you know. We found a jar of pickles from 1983. I'm not kidding, it was disgusting. We go rid of all of this old stuff and then laid on the kitchen floor together before we made dinner. We aren't nearly finished yet- not even halfway- but it is a lot of progress.

Life is excellent.

Bed observation

If I can comfortably share my twin bed with a 6'4" man, you would think that a double bed would be enough space for me and the 20 pound cockapoo to take a nap, but you would be wrong.

Magic Words

So W had a debate this morning in one of his classes and had to defend marketing towards children. He has been preparing for this for awhile now and I asked him to text me when it was over to let me know how it went - I have been up today "working on a paper" (Those are air quotes.)

Well fine, those are just regular quotes, but I made air quotes when I typed that.

My point is, I share personal conversations on my blog when they amuse me.

W: Debate went well! We successfully paved a way for companies to brainwash children! Yay!
L: Yay! I'm so proud of you and our future children would like you to bring home that toy from tv that all the other hypothetical kids have
W: Umm... They will not know what a tv is.... Just sit them on a pony


Um, guys? Yeah. . . 

<3

Boring Post

 Because we are adorable, mostly.

I have a paper due this week and I really am struggling with it - have been all semester. Due Thursday at midnight.

I attempted to get work done on it today but instead ended up studying for a test that I have tomorrow in Pop Culture for like 3 hours - so at least I was productive. But Thursday is going to be a REALLY long day. Chances of me getting much more work done before then are not great, to be honest. Maybe a little bit tomorrow night on this paper - at least I have some sources since he made us find them first?

Oh, and regarding Pop Culture - best class ever. On this test material includes: comic books and super heroes, the Beatles, Elvis, and I Love Lucy. It's okay- I know you're jealous. Also my paper on baseball for this class needs to be started - there are like 5 weeks left in this semester and they are going to be rough rough rough.

Other things I accomplished today: researching pug rescues in the area (there are none) and taking an accidental, 3.5 hour nap. It was glorious but I was really happy to have been accomplishing something with my time other than sleeping so I guess that is bittersweet.

Merry Halloween

A few weeks ago, the Halloween decorations started going up. One of the families who lives on Warwick between my house and campus put up these giant, horrifying inflatable jackolanterns. I told W about how much they bothered me when he took me over to his place and his roommates' pumpkin was sitting uncarved in the corner.

And I don't remember how exactly happened, but ultimately Woody made the following suggestion: "Why don't you carve a Christmas tree into one?"

I think he was joking, I really think that at first he was joking, but I thought it was the best idea I had ever heard. I asked if we could wear Santa hats while we did it. He got as excited as I did about it. We had an adventure finding pumpkins and had the best time carving them. The result is the best pair of pumpkins you will ever see.

And yes, we wore Santa hats.




This is my Christmas tree pumpkin. I made a promise that most of the pictures would not make it to the internet, so this is the only one you get to see unless you come to my house and ask for the rest.

Pumpkin Theory

You should know, first of all, that this story happened long enough ago that I don't remember it - all I know is what my mother has told me.

When I was very young - preschool, I believe, but certainly no older than kindergarten - my class went on a field trip to the pumpkin patch for Halloween. We were supposed to spend all afternoon selecting a pumpkin but I hopped off the hayride, looked around at pumpkins for about five minutes, and found the best pumpkin at the entire pumpkin patch. My mother asked me if I wanted to look at the rest of the pumpkins before choosing and my response was the five year old version of "why? I've already found the best one, let's not waste time."

I'm bad at metaphors - I'm really quite horrible with them, but the connection I'm trying to make here is to my love life. My relationship with Woody is already the most serious I've ever been in. I am thrilled about this and I've never been happier; he is the kindest and most thoughtful person I've ever known and I feel so lucky to have him in my life.

Let me be clear: I'm not calling my boyfriend a pumpkin, that is way too Cinderella and implies he will be gone by midnight. I do keep telling him I feel like I am living a fairy tale, though. From our very first night together there has been adventure & laughter and I knew right away that this was special.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is this: I've always been pretty good at knowing what I like and what I want. I think there is something to be said for knowing when something is right and letting your heart dictate how you feel.

And this feels like the best thing that has ever happened to me, like the start of the biggest adventure of my life.

Drawn to Scale

Yesterday, my boyfriend:

• Took me to see Moneyball in the afternoon
• Came back over to watch the Rangers in the World Series
• Told me wonderful, romantic things that I am still smiling about this morning
• Challenged a teenage mutant ninja cockroach to a duel in my kitchen (& won!)

The following image is drawn to scale* and entirely reflects the happenings of last night:

MY HERO

Yes, in my self portraits I nearly always resemble Medusa. Actually if I ever have to dress up for Halloween again I am TOTALLY going as Medusa because I have the crazy snake-like hair to pull it off.

And I am also certain that my art skills are leaving you all wowed. That's a cockroach, by the way. See his evil glare and hairy legs? Don't be fooled by his cute antennae; they were supposed to be malicious but now he resembles a grumpy teddy bear instead of the mastermind of doom who was hiding in my kitchen when I went downstairs to get us beers during the baseball game. But - Woody to the rescue! He agreed that it was the largest cockroach ever (he probably moved here from New York City) and then we found the old fly swatter, and W took him out in one punch. If I had been alone this would have been a battle that lasted at least an hour! I was thoroughly impressed and then threw my arms around him and declared him my hero. It's really for more reasons than the bug, but you know. 

Also accurate? The size of the fly swatter. It is comically large and claims to be from Texas.

Also we are officially out of beer and this is a crisis considering Game 5 of the World Series is tonight and my W is coming over after I have an obscenely long day in class. I'm looking forward to it more than you can know.


*Size of cockroach may be slightly exaggerated.

Completely Cut Off

I spent a great deal of this week cut off from the outside world. Voluntarily, I'll add.

Starting Monday night and through this morning, for the most part, my phone was turned off and my computer was unplugged, the TV was off and I didn't even miss it.

Try it sometime, when it isn't forced upon you due to power outage and inclement weather - when you're with someone you care about and you can talk and spend hours together. You won't even miss the technology, it's liberating.



(Now you know he's special because I've never said anything even remotely similar to that before in my life.)

Adventures in Baking

This story ends with me saying this: "You know, I kept experimenting with the size of my balls, but nothing helped."

If that didn't get your attention, just walk away now.

I need to back up just a little. Woody went to my house in NN yesterday to fix the problem with my internet connection (that I had made worse when I myself tried to fix it on Thursday night, this is why I shouldn't live alone) even though I was riding horses all weekend and not around. I felt like he was always doing these super sweet things for me and I really wanted to do something to show him how much I appreciate him - so I thought about it for awhile. I mean, we just started dating so some really big gesture is probably not the most appropriate, but I just wanted to do something special, because seriously you guys, seriously - he is amazing.

I made the decision to make him some cookies. I'm not sure if you know this, but given my past escapades in the kitchen - which include but are not limited to, attempting to use a plastic pot to boil water (this ended very messily) and even more recently, melting the wiring on my toaster because it was on the stove when I turned it on and I didn't notice - I should really never be left unsupervised in the kitchen. Uh yeah, let's call that Reason #2 that I should not be living alone, because let's face it, one of these days I am going to burn the house down while making a grilled cheese sandwich. Anyway, I asked mom to supervise because as one of my professors accused me last week, I am "always the voice the caution." However Mom was sort of stressed out and I was like "Nevermind, you go relax, I've got this."

Ladies and gentlemen, this is our first lesson of the night. Under no circumstances when I say the words "I've got this" should you leave me to my own devices; I can now guarantee you with 100% certainty that no, I most certainly do not "got this." By speaking these words I have just jinxed myself and you should probably remove any sharp or flammable objects from my general area.

I am not really sure where things went wrong, exactly. Cooking is easy, right? There's a list of things and you do them in that order and then you have created food. I'm good at lists; write something down in a list for me and I can not only get it accomplished but I will kick it's little listy butt. Not to mention, I have made these exact cookies more times than I can count and they have always, always been perfect. I'm out of practice, sure, but there is really no explanation for what happened tonight. It was just - wrong. It was clear from the beginning - the cookies were not ever flattening out into cookie-ness, instead they remained like mountainous blobs of dough. They didn't ever darken in the middle no matter how long I left them in there - some of them were burned on the edges and still really tall and poofy in the middle. We tried a few of them. They were not moist and delicious and chocolately-chippy treats, they were large, awkward and dry and didn't really taste like anything. They had the consistency of cake. I tried everything - leaving them in for longer or shorter lengths of time, adjusting the size of my balls of dough, but every time it was the same. I had my mom look at them and her ultimate decision was that a) either I had left out an ingredient in the initial mixing-the-dough stage, or b) something was up with the oven. (This is about the time when I made the comment about the size of my balls.) Anyway, this is a really new oven and as an equestrian I have to blame everything on rider error. Well in this case, baker error. It's not the oven's fault - I messed up the cookies that I was going to make to give to my sweet, sweet boyfriend.

And yet even after realizing these were not up to my standards I kept going, getting increasingly frustrated and disappointed as each little batch of cookies that came out of the oven had the same issues as the ones before. I managed to burn my finger in the middle of this and at that point just wanted to give up on them. And then one cookie came out that made this whole night so incredibly awesome that instead of going to sleep write now I felt the need to blog about it. And I promise you that I pulled it out of the oven looking this way, I did absolutely nothing to make it take this shape:

It's a heart. It's a chocolate chip cookie in the shape of a heart. For my boyfriend. It probably tastes terrible (the rest of them do, they are not fit for public consumption) but look at it. I could not have planned a more perfect cookie. I'm going to give it to him but I'm going to warn him that he probably shouldn't eat it.

October

October has, historically, been two things for me, very reliably:

1. Romantically fantasic
2. Academically horrible

This year is no exception, it seems.

I have made the decision to drop one of my classes so that I am no longer in 18 credits, and that class is Latin - I can retake it next semester. I am speaking with my advisor this week to finalize everything but I have already notified my Latin professor of my intentions. I am really sad about this because Latin is one of my favorite classes and my absolute favorite subject - but logically it made the most sense to drop, because I can retake it next semester and because technically I do not need it to graduate.

Also, since late September I have been spending a lot of time with a really amazing guy, he is the sweetest, most romantic guy I have ever met and we have so much fun together. Tonight - after he took me to dinner and we watched part of the Rangers game - we had a talk and made things "official" and all that :) He is seriously amazing and I am so happy.

So that's what has been going on with me for the last few weeks. :)

True Life

Sometimes I really do not understand how I get myself into these situations.

The cable guy came today to hook up the cable in my room. If this story already sounds a little bit like my experience with the AC installer guys, you have a keen grasp on what it means to be Libby. He did install cable in my bedroom, so success there.

As he was leaving he was all, "that's it!" so I asked him if I owed him anything. For his cable man services. And he looks at me, and he says,

"Well... What do you WANT to owe me?"
I swear to god he winked.

Why? Why, of all the super powers that the gods could have bestowed upon me, did I end up with "creep magnet"? Who was it that thought, "you know what this woman needs? A superhuman capability to attract the real "winners" - yeah, that'll be a laugh! Who's got popcorn? We are sending the cable guy to her place this morning!"

Sometimes I like to imagine that someone, somewhere is getting as much amusement out of my life as I am.

That being said it is certainly not all bad these days. In fact, on the contrary, things are going so well that I hardly know what to do with myself. Sure, I am beginning to think there is a chemical in my basement that turns regular crickets into teenage mutant ninja crickets, but I'm learning to deal with that. And school is going relatively well, I've gotten a few assignments back and I'm happy with them, I'm having a great time with my friends and seriously, right now I'm not sure things could get any better.

Also, there is a boy. :)

Goooooooooal

I wasn't going to post about this but then I decided I would because it is a big deal to me and damn it, I look good.

This week I officially hit my target weight and have lost 50 lbs in the last year.

This is a picture of me, from this time last year (almost to the day, actually, it is from October 2.)This set of pictures made me cry originally because I never felt fat until I saw them:

Here is a picture of me from just over two weeks ago, because I haven't showered yet today and I've spent all day studying for a midterm tonight:

A few people have expressed concern for my health and one of my friends keeps instructing me to "eat a cheeseburger," but the truth is that I look better, I feel better, and I've been told that my ass is "bangin' " (which is a compliment, Mom).

Also: smaller portions, exercise, and a lot of good luck.

He's back

Don't worry, not talking about the mosquito.

I'm not one to boss people around or tell them how to spend their time on the internet, but seriously, follow this guy on Youtube and your life will improve 100 fold.
SO FUNNY. And he raises such good questions. You've all asked them before, I promise.

Revelations

This has been an important year in college for me, and maybe the reason it has taken me so long to graduate is because I needed to figure some of this stuff out on my own. But I'm finally getting it. I'm re-examining my priorities and I'm coming to different conclusions and you know what? I'm still happy. And I'm starting to think that maybe I've had it wrong all this time, and it has taken getting to know new people this semester to show me that.

You do come to college for an education but it really isn't the things you learn in the classroom that matter.

Sometimes you just have to destroy your carpet at midnight with a guy you hardly know, or learn to waltz to a renaissance violin piece instead of working on an assignment, or go out to do shots at midnight the night before you have two tests to figure all of that out.

Oh, Bugger

I went all summer without having a single issue with mosquitos, and yet now that it is officially fall I find myself haunted by two, or else one especially clever one. Given my propensity for attracting the most diabolical and evil insects, I have not ruled out that the same creature has simply been following me from my house to my car and pretending to live in both.

I have never met a bug (or two) more adept at avoiding death. This coming from the girl who just last week starved a cricket to death because he refused to stand still to be squished. I have a friend who grew up in Zanzibar who tells me the secret to mosquitos is patience, but a couple more bites and everyone will be afraid to talk to me because I will look like I have the chicken pox.

Last night the one in my room bit my face. My face! And then it flew away when I tried to swat it, in a little zigzag pattern, as if mocking me. The one in my car must be living in it's natural habitat, I swear it matches the interior perfectly for camouflage. Do Mosquitos need anything except human blood to survive? This one is going to start laying eggs any day now and pretty soon there will be a whole band of evil genius mosquitos living in my car and feeding upon the victims who enter it.

I hate to sound like I'm paranoid or think there is a bug conspiracy, but seriously, these are some tricksy insects. You've all been warned.

What the what

I was making a shopping list on my phone today, and I opened up the Notes app where I usually like to keep my shopping list. And I found this gem waiting for me:

Dated August 24, 4:03 am.

1. Girl Power
2. Experience.
3. Foreign Policy
4. Bladder control
5. Naps

This, apparently, is the kind of thing my mind comes up with when it is sleep deprived. I can't tell you how much I wish I had labeled this particular list because I'd really, really like to know what this is a list of. I'd also like to know especially what numbers 3&4 have to do with each other. If you have any insight into this situation please leave a message in the comments.

I will also be turning the sleep-deprived version of myself over to the authorities because she is CLEARLY up to no good.

Why I Love "He's Just Not That Into You"

Yeah, I'm blogging at midnight on a Saturday. Also: Spoilers.

This movie is really genius. On a whole bunch of levels, I think, because even though it has a cast full of stars - seriously A+ actors and actresses - the main character is a girl who is just hopeless in romance. I don't mean that she is a hopeless romantic - I mean that the girl is seriously incapable of dating. And currently in my life I feel the exact same way, and I know so many other young women who can relate to this character. She goes out on dates with guys that won't call her back, that only want sex, that really just don't like her, and the whole time she agonizes over why they don't call her back. She tries too hard and looks desperate. She seriously borders on stalking some of these dudes in her enthusiasm. The other characters in the movie are equally important, really, because they tackle relationship topics like cheating and breakups and engagements and divorce. There is no heartbreak situation that this movie does not cover, it shows the promise and excitement of new love and the heartbreak of a decaying relationship. But Ginnifer is my favorite.

But aside from the character played my Ginnifer Goodwin, Justin Long's character is my favorite. Because he provides some insight into men, really, and I wish that people could just be that honest. One of the ongoing themes in the movies is that women have been misled from childhood to believe that men are interested in you when they mistreat you, and Justin Long's character is all no - he just doesn't like you. Move on. It makes me wish that I had a friend like that who was completely honest about guys in my life because I have such trouble reading them. Does he just want to be friends? Is he interested in a relationship? Justin Long would know. Do any of you have his number? I feel like he could really help me out here.

I'm a very honest and upfront person because I don't want to lead anyone on, and I don't like wasting my time. So I wear my heart on my sleeve and if you ask me a question about how I feel you will get an honest answer. The problem I've found is that men don't really think the same way, and I've discussed this before. They expect you to just know what they're thinking magically and not actually have to tell you, "hey, I like you" or "hey, you're a good friend but that's all I want" - we are just expected to know. Women, on the other hand, like to drop subtle hints. Men do not "get" these hints.

I really think the world would be a better place if we all just adopted my system of telling people how you feel.

Anyway. I think my favorite part of the movie is the end, not because it is a sappy happy ending - which is actually my least favorite thing about the movie, because it sort of doesn't sit right with the whole theme of the movie, in my opinion, but I guess for it to be a RomCom it has to be happy at the end. For everyone. And it isn't realistic and it sort of reinforces all of the stereotypes that the movie just spent an hour and a half attempting to break. But when GiGi is narrating at the end of the credits she says this, and this I believe:

"Or maybe the happy ending is just this, knowing after all the unreturned phone calls, broken-hearts, through the blunders and misread signals, through all the pain and embarrassment you never gave up hope. "

This explains everything about why I refuse to actually get bitter about all of the guys who don't call back and don't actually want anything serious, and all of the guys who act like they are interested but then blow you off, and why I will in all liklihood continue to misread signals and put myself out there just to get rejected and disappointed all over again. Because I genuinely believe that some day I will find someone who makes it all worth it and I am going to appreciate the hell out of that man for however long he is in my life.

My new boyfriend.

I kind of love this guy.

That Just* Happened 3.0

In class today we were discussing our favorite areas of study. Our professor went around the room asking us for information and then giving input.

Libby: Ancient roman history, military specialization.
Falk: Have you had class with Dr. Hyland?
Libby: Every semester. Love him.
Falk: He's married.
Libby: Sigh.

*at approximately 3:15 PM today

Church

It's Sunday and I spent all morning in my own personal house of worship.

It was beautiful and I was happy to be there with the horses and it made me thankful to be alive.

Truly, I ask the big questions.

On my Ritz cracker box: "Open for fun'

How much fun can you have with a cracker, really?

I Heart Hemingway

"You know that fiction, prose rather, is possibly the roughest trade of all in writing. You do not have the reference, the old important reference. You have the sheet of blank paper, the pencil, and the obligation to invent truer than things can be true. You have to take what is not palpable and make it completely palpable and also have it seem normal and so that it can become a part of experience of the person who reads it." -Hemingway

Happy September

Eventful

My first week of classes went a little like this:

Earthquake
Hurricane
Loss of power
Loss of water
5 day weekend

I don't think I've ever had such an exciting first week back in class. Mostly these things were not pleasant to deal with, although the earthquake was pretty funny - Phoebe took off running and I thought the shelves above my bed were going to fall on my head. It was actually located near Richmond but apparently people as far north as NYC felt it - it was just a gentle rumble here in Newport News.

Campus evacuated for the hurricane and I spent the weekend in Richmond because we have a generator there. Which of course worked for about 24 hours and then had some sort of issue which meant not only did we not have power, we didn't have water, either. I felt completely cut off from the outside world - like, no internet or tv and my cell phone didn't have a signal. It was like living in the stone age. I couldn't even look up the Cubs scores, let alone watch a game. First world problems, right?

Had a really great night on Monday hanging out with Tricia and Derick and Scott, got my email on a 3G network and found out classes would be starting again today. So last night I drove here with Pheebs and went to dinner with Jen, came back and went for a jog, and the power was on. Awesome!

Classes are going fine although I did add a 6th class, Communism's Collapse, which is a 400 level class and Brittany and Rob are in it - plus I think Alex is trying to transfer in to it. It's once a week which I hate, but at least it is good company and it should, in theory, make next semester easier.

That Just Happened v2.0

Sometimes things happen to me and I feel the need to tell everyone, right away. Usually this happens when I am nowhere near a computer because let's face it, you have to get out in the real world for interesting stuff to happen to you. However, today... something happened which will make a great story for the ages. FOR THE AGES.


I need to back up and reference my best friend's bachelorette party. For the most part, this is the night that shall never be discussed publicly, but there's something you need to know about this night. For our expedition across DC in a party bus, we were each given a penis straw. That's right. A straw which, at the top, resembles a penis. So that when you drink - well, it's a dirty straw. It's supposed to be funny, of course, but there you have it. Oh - and they came in lots of bright colors.

Mine was blue.


Somehow at the end of the night mine ended up at the bottom of my purse and has lived there ever since. I kept forgetting to take it out, because how often do you think to yourself, "I really need to take that penis out of my purse"? Not very often, unless you lead a very interesting life. So every so often I would reach in for a pen or tampon and out would come the penis straw, I would giggle and remember that night in June fondly and return the penis back to its home.


Last weekend I was hanging out with said best friend, the topic of the penis straws came up (I mean, why wouldn't it) and I reached into my purse and wanted to show her how I still had it. But alas! The penis was gone. I was pretty sad about it actually because you don't get a lot of souvenirs from a night like that - you get a hell of a hangover, but not many keepsakes. So we lamented the loss of the penis and then went about our night.


Fast forward to today. I had a few gentlemen (and I use that term in an effort to be polite) here to install air conditioning units so that my house would no longer resemble an oven. Great success! But then I reached into my purse to pull out my check book to pay for it, and as I opened my check book out fell the penis straw.


I felt a combination of joy and humiliation, for finding my long lost phallic straw and for finding it in front of a guy who had more fingers than teeth. I quickly just dumped the straw back into my purse and pretended it didn't happen - but it was too late. Guys, you should have seen the look this guy gave me. It was a combination of surprise, amusement, and a little bit of "how YOU doin'?" - I was completely mortified.


And that, my friends, just happened.

What a difference 8 years makes

When you start your freshman year of college, you have everything bought and packed WAY ahead of time, and you are excited about moving in and your clothes are folded in suitcases and clean and you have check lists to make sure you don't forget anything.


When you start your eighth year of college, you just sort of throw everything together the night before you leave, clean or not, shove things into a few bags where they will fit, and hope you managed to remember all of the necessities, like a camera cord and your computer charger and shoes. And then you hope for the best.


I am so unprepared for classes to start on Monday that it's sort of humorous. I did manage to buy my textbooks - big accomplishment. I remembered tonight that it would probably be a good idea to bring my back pack, though, so that shows you where my head is. I don't have my sheets or anything and I should probably clean out my car before I try to pack it tomorrow.


Here's to beginning what is hopefully my last year of undergrad!

Wellington Horses

Found my camera cord and got the last of my pictures off my phone. This is the statue that is at the top of the Wellington Arch in London, England.

To summarize

I'm sort of excited for the semester to start, which is a nice feeling, because this summer has just got to end sometime, right?

I went down to Newport News for the night and went to dinner with Brittany last night, went to lunch with Jen today (from England trip - adore her). I've spent god knows how many hours texting Dan about everything from demonic dogs to real actual heavy topics like love and sex and relationships. That boy gets me through some tough times. I've reconnected with a few old friends here in Richmond which has been fun and I'm finally feeling really and truly happy again. It will still be a long time before I commit to anyone or anything, you know, but I'm better. I'm so much better.

My classes this semester should be enjoyable - three professors I've had and love, and two I've heard good things about. Plus the classes are all topics I actually care about studying - history and classics. That's it. And perhaps the best and most important part is that my schedule is awesome. 12-4 on MWF and 5:30-6:45 on TR. This gives me plenty of time to ride and relax and get homework done and I'm considering getting some sort of job as well.

Watched Bull Durham for the first time and it is one of my favorite movies ever.

For awhile today I felt like writing something that was deep and meaningful, but then the Cubs blew a big lead by giving up a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth and now I am just annoyed.

To summarize:
I'm happy
The Cubs still suck
Basically everything has returned to normal

Life

Patrick has a torn tendon, he will be out for at least 90 days.

2011 is the year that will not stop shitting on my head.

Healing

I wrote today for the first time in awhile. After finally finishing the paper that was due, I had just been sort of struck by the impulse to write, but without the time to do so. Mondays are nice because they are a day to myself, the barn is closed and I am home alone with the dogs.

I started by reading the first few chapters of the Norwood story that I started years ago, editing dialogue as I went but for the most part really pleased with my work. Since it had been so long since I touched it, I felt like I was able to read it with fresh eyes, and when I reached the end, I wanted more. So I kept going. I wrote for hours, lost in the story and the characters and away from the troubles of this world. It was cleansing and empowering and just what I needed.

Having finally recovered from a stomach virus that hit me as soon as I touched back down in the states, the last few days have found me dealing with some sort of head cold. Can't I just feel good for an extended period of time? The lack of energy that comes with feeling bad is not good for my mental state, since it leaves me with too much time to sit and think about the past. Or worry over the future.

But today was good. I was alone, I dealt with it, and I feel better. And I have missed writing, I have missed it so much. The neatest thing is that I can take the experiences I've had - like going to England and seeing the old cathedral at Bury St. Edmunds - and apply it to my story, because in the story there is a city in ruins and now I have actually seen something I can compare it to. Likewise, I've studied significantly more history from the same time as my story takes place than when I started, which helps with the small details of every day life as well as things such as warfare and religion.

I feel more prepared now and more inspired to get this story written. It's been in me for years, the characters and the land and the plot, and I feel like right now - in this moment - I can finally get it on paper and make it a reality. And who knows, maybe one day I can look back at this experience and say that going through this is what finally allowed me to turn my dream of becoming a published author into reality.

Proudest moment of my life

Get it? Get it?


(Real post coming, promise. I got home from England, almost died from the flu, and leave for a horse show this week.)

Two More Days!

Our flight home from England is in less than 48 hours; it has been a long & crazy two weeks. Lots of drama and lots of new friends, but it has been an emotional week - realizing how much I am still dealing with my breakup from David.

I took this picture at what's left of the old cathedral in Bury St. Edmunds. I feel like it's inspirational and very relevant to my life right now - I feel like I am full of dark and twisty drama right now but I know things are going to get better. Brighter.

'Ello

Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University

In the last few days we've visited the Parker Library at Corpus Christi College, walked around Canterbury, and visited the white cliffs of Dover where I almost lost my shoes in the English Channel. It's definitely been memorable. As we conclude our first week here, we've made great friends with each other and gotten to meet some very interesting Englishmen. We've spoken with a Chief Magistrate and the head of the police (I can't remember his title) from Cambridge, and the librarian from Cambridge's Parker Library was a very funny and intelligent woman. No to mention all the crazies we've run into at the pubs - when I have more time I will have to write about the man in the cape who "opened" Taylor's mind.

The whole group is going to dinner tonight at a restaurant I can see from my bedroom window called the Cookhouse. Every night I've been enjoying the music they play so we are hoping the food will be good as well.

Got a 10/10 on my first paper - have to write the second one tonight once we get back from dinner.

That's all for now :)

New motto

On an electrical post in Cambridgeshire.

Punting on the River Cam

Brittany solved my camera problem. Expect regular updates/pictures while I am gone.

England

I'm in England! I am having a great time. We went punting on the river Cam and have been to a few pubs around town, as well as a little bit of shopping, a bus tour, and a lot of walking around the town. It is a gorgeous place!

I have taken over 200 pictures but sadly I do not have a phone cord for my camera. I was hoping to post periodic pictures here when I didn't have time to update, but unfortunately that won't be happening! I also managed to break my camera - I dropped it and now the lens won't close. Thankfully it is still taking pictures, though.

I'm in Cambridge for the next week and then we go to London. We have lots of tours and interesting lectures planned so I am really looking forward to the rest of the trip. I've already made some great friends and I am hoping to get to know the rest of the group more, too. Everyone is really nice and we are having a great time!

Domino

Domino's award winning course at Deep Run! Photo by Jenna Leigh Teti.

Equestrian Fact

"If you have it, it is for life. It is a disease for which there is no cure... When I can't ride anymore, I shall still keep horses as long as I can hobble about with a bucket and wheelbarrow. When I can't hobble, I shall roll my wheelchair out to the fence of the field where my horses graze, and watch them." -Monica Dickens

Re: That Ankle Injury

I mentioned this briefly in a previous post, but I've got a bum ankle. It's one of those things that I didn't really understand as it happened. It went like this: breaking in new tall boots at A show lead to blisters. Blisters meant I wore flip flops around at the horse show because I couldn't wear anything that covered my heels. Simultaneously I rode more this week than I had in awhile, not to mention walked a lot more as well.

My left leg got really sore - really, really sore. I started moving slower by Thursday at the show, I was noticing that I really couldn't keep up with other people and that my leg was HURTING. But it wasn't until Saturday night that my ankle swelled up to twice its normal size. I'm not kidding you - I had cankle. I make that singular because my right leg remained absolutely normal, while my ankle bone on the left lost any and all definition. It got even more painful to walk.

Sunday I actually had to skip the show to get it checked out. Here were the 3 biggest theories:
Gout
Infection
Sprain
(The x-rays they took were clean)

Gout, really? Well I have a family history of it, and I guess the way it swelled made this what the doctor suspected, but he started me on anti-biotics which really have done a lot for the swelling. But I am still in mega-pain. I am supposed to be resting this ankle for the rest of the week - that is pretty much impossible for me right now, because I need to stay busy. So I spent the day limping around the barn and helping unpack from the show, which is not ideal. I missed a dose of my anti-biotic (which I have to take 4x daily) and I definitely overworked it. I'm a lot more sore now than I was this morning.

When my shoulder was messed up I was ready to replace it with a robo-arm, and I'm about at that point with this ankle, because it is really slowing me down. When I am in a bad place emotionally, I just need to ride. I can't ride when my ankle is swollen and it hurts to walk, because I can't even fit my foot in my boot right now. Plus I need to let these blisters heal. So basically I am wearing my ladybug clogs and not really touching the horses because I don't have any real foot protection. Not exactly what I had in mind, you know?

Also, I went to the barn today in the first place to watch my trainer ride my horse - he got last week off because he didn't go to the show. It was a nice vacation for him, but he ended up throwing a shoe last week anyway. We got it fixed after a few days. But this morning we went to pull him out of his stall and he had thrown another one. And it was right there - in his stall. Do you know how hard it is for a horse to throw a hind shoe in his stall? Patrick has talent - he's really special. And I mean that in the "short bus" way.

I'm going to re-cap my week for you:
-Dumped by boyfriend
-Horse shit on my head
-Messed up my ankle
-Horse refuses proper footwear

I have to laugh about it, it is too ridiculous.

Facebook confession

If you post something on Facebook, and I "like" it, and then a bunch of people start commenting on it and I can't be online for 5 minutes without getting a notification that someone else commented on your post, I'm going to "unlike" it. That's just annoying.

Roller Coaster Ride

Getting dumped right after one of your best friends gets married really sucks, I'm going to be honest. But my week turned out a lot better than it seems like it would have, especially when I add in the fact that on Thursday a horse shit on my head and today I spent the morning getting x-rayed and tested for infection and gout. What a life I lead.

But this week has had some highs, too. As I mentioned before, I attended my first A rated show. I had an absolute blast! I rode Domino, my trainer's little horse, and I could not have asked for a better mount. He is only 6 years old, so still green, but he was an absolute saint. He had never been to an A show either, which for my non-horsey riders, involves packing up a bunch of horses and driving them to a new property, where the horses don't get turned out at all and have to live in temporary stalls under what looks like a circus tent. I should have gotten a picture of this set up, but it is a far cry from the 5 star resort that Domino and Patrick both call home.

Dom took everything in stride (no pun) and just put on a brave face. We moved the horses on Tuesday and started showing Wednesday. He did a division with Amy on Tuesday and was nearly perfect, but a few small mistakes kept him out of the ribbons in the really big classes. On Thursday I rode him in Pleasure Horse and we ended up with two fourth place ribbons out of HUGE classes! I was so thrilled. Pleasure is all about making it look fun and easy, and Domino was perfect. He did everything I asked and I could not have been happier. He also did another jumping division with Amy that day, but was less well behaved - which is okay in a baby. You don't expect a toddler to be on his best behavior all the time, right?

Friday was Domino's last show day and I did another division on him. We actually got a 7th in an over fences class - 7 of our 8 jumps were absolutely perfect, but we chipped into the judges line when I couldn't see a distance. Three strides out I knew it was trouble and I just let Domino do his thing - but we jumped out of the line fine and ended up with a ribbon. That's a BIG mistake - and the course had felt so flawless until then - I feel like we could have won if I hadn't done that. But Domino did everything I asked of him and I could not be happier! Plus I had never won a 7th place ribbon before. It is purple!

I could not have been more proud of him, even if it was a blue ribbon!

I'm going to be able to half-lease him by working at the barn, which is great because it lets me jump and get some more riding experience. Patrick is jumping well with Amy over bigger, more solid fences - he jumped the roll top! And I think his form is going to be excellent, but he still isn't in a place for me to be able to do that with him. He has come such a long way, though! He is turning into a really nice horse.

I'm trying to stay busy and I'm trying to stay positive. And I'm thankful for the good friends and the good horses that will get me through this.

Junebug

I love the month of June!

I am so busy this year, though. If you don't hear from me again for the rest of the month, here's why:

I spent all weekend at Tricia's bachelorette party which was pretty amazing
Next weekend is her wedding and once again I will be far too busy to update about anything

The week after that I am doing Deep Run and I am SO EXCITED! My debut on the A circuit and I will be competing with Domino - and all the time NOT spent at wedding festivities until then will be spent preparing for that. So yeah - busy busy busy. But loving my summer!

Sweet sweet summer

I am sitting at the kitchen table, sipping on a Coke Zero and about to head to the barn. I have spent nearly every day at the barn for the last two weeks and as a result, my summer has been so fantastic. I've ridden several different horses, from school horse Grady, an appaloosa that I love, to fancy show horse Newport, who I also love - and of course Patrick! I've been bathing horses and washing legs and pulling manes and getting sun and spending time with the animals I love. Perfecto.

Sleep Confession

When I can't sleep, which is often, I put on a movie. The background noise helps clear my head until my Trazodone (read: miracle drug) kicks in and I can go to sleep. But some nights instead of sleeping I get really in to what I'm watching and end up staying awake much later than I wanted to. Plus side: at least I'm entertained.

Highway Confession

Sometimes I am overcome with the desire to get into 2-point over speed bumps.

True story.

Also: don't try it, you will end up nearly going cross-country in your car.

(Somewhat true story.)

Thunder

With summer comes thunderstorms, which, if you spend your summer at a barn the way I do, will mess up your day. Thankfully Patrick lives at an indoor barn, so even though the outdoor ring was flooded and unrideable today, I spent over an hour playing with him and staying dry.

He is pretty much the best horse ever. He is a total sweetheart and lets me hang all over him. I groomed him and he loved the attention, and when I was kneeling to work on his legs, he lowered his head to see what I was doing, just to be close to me.

Any time you get a new horse, there is an adjustment period as you get to know each other, because no two horses are the same. And you're used to something else, and the horse doesn't know you or trust you, and you don't trust the horse yet, either. Especially a green one who doesn't understand how to use his legs properly as he canters around the ring. It can be really frustrating as you work out the kinks in your partnership. The last time I rode Patrick wasn't pretty - I was starting to feel sick and sore from what may or may not have been lyme disease, and he hadn't had much exercise lately so he was fast and acting like a bit of a brat. It was a really frustrating ride. It's enough to make anyone doubt, even if just for a second, whether they made the right decision.

But a day like today makes it all better - to be able to hang out with him alone and uninterrupted in his stall on a rainy, nasty day, was just what I needed. He let me pull ticks off of him and I gave him some treats, we hugged on each other and bonded. Having a young horse is a lot of work but it really is worth it, especially when they have an attitude like Patrick - he is kind and wants to please. He is going to be an amazing horse one day and we are going to be an incredible team.

Fashion Confession

If it was socially acceptable to wear pajamas everywhere, I would. I mean, cute ones, but still, definitely pajamas. Lounge pants, t shirt, flip flops in the summer. Lounge pants, hoodie, and boots in the winter. That's what I'm talking about.

I really just don't CARE about fashion. I'd rather be comfortable. I'm not trying to impress anyone, and most of the styles of clothing that are in these days just don't look right on me. I'm not built like most girls - I have big bones. I don't mean that in the way that fat people mean it when they are just too lazy to exercise, either. I have mother-effing linebacker shoulders. I'm not a petite little flower that can't play rough; I've got curves in all the right places but I could probably kick your ass, too. You don't spend all your time with 1200 lb animals who have walnuts for brains and not learn a thing or two about defending your personal space.

They make clothes for skinny people and they make clothes for big people, but they really don't make clothes for people like me. And yes, clothes come in my size, but they were not designed for someone my size. If I get a shirt small enough to fit me well around my stomach, my boobs stretch it out or pop out altogether. If I get a shirt that fits through the bust, I have no shape whatsoever because it is way too baggy around the middle. And they never, ever fit through my shoulders.

Dresses do NOT fit me. And lucky for me (that's sarcasm for those of you following along) it is wedding season, and for whatever reason every couple I know has decided this is the year to get married. This requires the purchasing of multiple fancy outfits and as I've already discussed, that is a) not my personal style and b) very unlikely to fit me. I've been putting it off as long as possible because it's really, really not fun.

You know what I like to shop for? Jeans. I know exactly which brands fit me the right way and what size to get. No stress and no frustration, just cute jeans. You know what I like to buy even more than jeans? T shirts with baseball players' names and numbers on the back. Next on my list is CJ Wilson from the Rangers, and I bet he has no trouble buying clothes that fit him, if you know what I mean.

Here is a picture of me in one of my favorite outfits of all time:

Okay, you caught me. I have no attachment whatsoever to that pair of khakis, I am fairly certain they used to be work pants and are covered in bleach. I'm not THAT sloppy. But I do love the hoodie, especially to ride in, especially on trail rides, because it so fantastically colorful. And oh so comfortable. As far as comfortable is concerned, you just can't beat a hoodie. It's like wearing a hug.

Not everything I own is tie-dyed, either. I adore polo shirts and have a lot of fun with cute sweaters. But select any day of the year at random and you are going to find me dressed in jeans, wearing a t-shirt I picked up on some trip, and comfortable footwear. Because at the end of the day, if I can't wear it to the barn, I really just can't wear it.

Princess Phoebe

I love my dog.

I know that everyone says that, but I'm pretty sure my obsession with Phoebe is not altogether healthy. She is my princess. I love her like a human and I buy her presents regularly, the dog has more toys than most children do. David loves her, too. I'm pretty sure that there are some nights when he comes over just to see the dog, because he sits down, she jumps in his lap, and never gets up. And the whole time he was giving her a deep tissue massage - I'm not joking. No wonder he's her favorite.

The dog snores. If I hadn't seen her do it, I wouldn't believe the noise was coming from her, but she regularly wakes me up in the middle of the night because of it. I'm a light sleeper anyway, and I am pretty mean when I get woken up in the middle of the night because sleep is so hard to come by. Anyway, she snores as loud as my six-foot-four father. Really. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night due to loud snores and get out of bed to go to the other room to wake up Dad and tell him to knock it off, only to discover that the horrific noise stops as soon as I sit up.

She's a twenty pound dog! I don't understand. If Joey snored it would make sense to me, because he is old and fat and huge. But Phoebe is so little and so... princess. But it's true. And I don't know what to do about it. She sleeps in my bed every night, or on the floor in her own little dog bed which is right next to mine, and I can't sleep if she isn't with me. But I don't think they make tiny little Phoebe sized APAP machines. I don't think those anti-snoring nasal strips are designed for doggie use. And I'm not sure a sleep clinic would accept a cockapoo client, even if she was a princess.

Fact (III).

My saddle pad is better than yours, just admit it already.

Summertime :)

So the semester from hell is finally OVER and I made it through alive and with grades that I am pretty proud of!

Archeology A
American History A
Writing Seminar B+
Latin 102 B
Tudor Stuart Britain B

I don't know how I managed that, but I am pretty thrilled.

Now commences the summer of: riding, reading, baseball, and hanging out with friends.
Tonight I am going to a Richmond Squirrels game with David, Emily, and Max, and I am really excited!

Tomorrow I am going to go watch Lauren ride my horse again. He's coming along really well, although he is still working on consistency, and needs to be ridden every day to be on his best behavior. But his canter transitions are much improved and he's started jumping a little!

This is Lauren on him last week, doesn't he look handsome?

Patch

I spent all weekend in bed with Brittany's Plague (it's a real disease) and I didn't get to go see my horse. I'm most likely staying here next weekend and will not be going home to see him then, either. I miss his face :(

One week

I know I haven't posted anything worth mentioning in weeks but in my defense, I've had lots of papers and now I'm sick. But I have less than one week left of class, finals start Friday, and then I will be home for what is promising to be one of the best summers ever.

Baseball, beer and horses, that's all I need - oh and the trip to England, that won't suck, either.

New life goal

Cubs Fantasy Camp: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/fan_forum/fantasy_camp.jsp?tcid=tw-chc-misc120

In my mind, I am the cutest one out there and then I win the game :D

Fact: Too expensive for me to ever be able to go :(

Life, etc.

Here are some updates about my life in no particular order:

1. My fantasy team (Team Pony, woohoo!) lost to David's in the first week and I am heartbroken, I feel as though my first foray into the world of baseball management has been a complete failure. My players are awesome - Mark Texeira had a great opening week and Starlin Castro is the man - but my pitching suffered and Dave's players were just better. Tonight I dropped Chipper Jones in favor of a little dude on Arizona called Bloomquist. My reasons were threefold: 1) Chipper was sucking and Bloomquist was being awesome; 2) He is a Diamondback and that's essentially the same thing as being a Slytherin which means he's a ruthless son-of-a-bitch, and 3) His name is Bloomquist, which I find amusing.


2. My horse is coming along wonderfully in his training, I rode him twice this last weekend and he was absolutely incredible. I have such high hopes for him and can't wait until the semester is over and I can spend all summer riding him and playing with him. Also, I think I'll be able to work some shifts at the barn this summer so that would be nice also.


3. This was the first Monday in a very long time which did not suck, I spent it with my friends Brittany, Molly and Dan and it involved a trip to the mall, riding around in gorgeous weather with the top down on the mustang, and Plaza Azteca. It was fun and just what I needed.


4. I have two papers left to write this semester. Two! Remember when I was complaining about how many papers I had to write? I can't believe it is down to just two. Of course, the most important two, but that's alright. One is due this Friday and one is due next Friday. One is mostly done and the other I have outlined and a nice general idea of where it is headed. Other than those and a Latin quiz on Wednesday, my semester is coming to a nice close. I can't wait for summer.


5. My petition to have my 2004 catalog reinstated was approved. This is pretty much the best news I've had all semester and I found out this morning, which is partially what made today so awesome. I don't know if I've blogged about it before - the last few weeks have been so crazy and emotional that instead of being whiny on the internet, I've tried to focus my attention elsewhere. Anyway, during registration it became apparent that none of my classes from freshman year counted anymore and there was this whole stressful mess which has, thankfully, been resolved in my favor. This means I can graduate in a reasonable amount of time & not be an undergrad student into my 30s. (A recurring nightmare of mine, I assure you.)


6. Summer break begins May 1. This is just over two weeks away and I couldn't be happier that this semester is coming to a close and I can be back at HOME with my boyfriend, my horse, and my dog. I'll miss my good friends here at school but I am so ready for a break. Also, England trip, baseball, horses, and sleep.


7. Lists are simply better when they have an odd number of items.

Baseball v Religion

Every time the Cubs blow a lead, God kills a puppy.

Just kidding.

But I do become a little bit more of a Rangers fan.

Fact

I'm having the best weekend ever, all I've done is sleep and watch baseball.

Destin II

I can't wait for his field to be grassy instead of muddy, it is already so picturesque but it will be so much more gorgeous with leaves on the trees and a green ground. I am sure Lauren is looking forward to it as well so that she doesn't have to clean off such a dirty horse every day!

Bravo Charlie

This horse, BC, aka Bravo Charlie, is one that we used to compete against back in the day when we were doing children's hunters. He is a really sweet guy and now he lives at the same barn with Patrick and Destin. I recognized him under all this mud and hair and couldn't believe it was the same horse, but I am so happy to know that he has a happy retirement home. They love him there! He actually lives with Destin and they are good friends. I love happy endings.

Proof That I'm Still Here

Man, I'm busy. This week is no exception, and it's shaping up to be one of those weeks from Hell where you can't even see yourself surviving through the end of it, so when I make it to the weekend I will be A) relieved, B) exhausted, and C) drunk. (Probably.)

Seriously, though, this past weekend was nice. Saturday I got to see Amy ride Sir Patrick and then I got on him, and the difference between where he was when he got to Nunnally Lane and now is amazing. He is a great, great horse and I adore him already - but he is super smart, and he learns quickly. It's already like riding a completely different horse because of the things he has learned and picked up already. He is really good with his leads now and his canter transitions, the last two weeks he had been kind of snarky about picking up the canter. He is also not dragging me around the huge outdoor ring and I expect he'll be more tolerant of other horses in the ring, too- not that he was bad before, but he thought every one of them was his new very best friend and he always wanted to stop for a chat when we passed another horse. I think this was mainly because he didn't have much experience with other horses in the ring, and he's a friendly guy.

Sunday night I had my first fantasy baseball draft and boy, that was FUN! I managed to get all of the players I wanted, too, so that was an added bonus. It stressed me out a lot though because I didn't know what to expect and then there was a clock that was counting down the time and it was very nerve wracking. I am really excited to see how this works and I think it is going to make baseball watching even more fun this summer, because when I can't watch a Cubs game I will have players on other teams that I want to see play, too! David is helping me work through learning it and I think it will be awesome :)

Hey look over here

My friend Tricia took some awesome pictures of Patrick so if you want to see a few of them you should go check out her blog: Spoke

St. Patrick's Day

I was going to stop posting pictures of my horse for a little while, but really, his name is Patrick and it is Saint Patrick's day, what did you expect?

This horse licks like a dog. It's not normal. It's endearing and sweet, I've never once met another horse that does it. He licks your hands, he licks your clothes, he licks his friends. Usually horses will nibble, but he doesn't use his teeth. He was standing next to Destin the other day and just kept licking him - all over his neck and shoulder, lick lick lick. Weirdest thing I've ever seen a horse do.

He's lucky he's super cute.

Ides of March

I realized this morning, after posting the picture of Destin, that of my 7 posts this month, 5 of them had been pictures and all of the pictures had been of horses. The quality of my blog has been going steadily downhill. Sorry, readers.

I was right, though. This week, and last week, have been a lot better and my attitude towards school has improved. I'm happier. Life is good right now. I have a ridiculous amount of work to do so it is probably a good thing that Patrick is living back home in Richmond, where Lauren can ride him - she is better with young horses than I am, anyway, and it keeps me more focused than I would be if he was here. Plus, I got to have a really awesome ride on Sly for my lesson today and that was fun. It was nice to ride a horse that jumps and has a good right turn. Lauren rode Patrick today and let me know he was quiet and a good boy - that is excellent news! It was the first time she had gotten on him and I am really glad she enjoyed riding him because she is going to be his main rider for the next 6 weeks.

Otherwise things are going alright. I did absolutely horribly on my last Latin quiz - like, I legit almost failed. This isn't one of my, "think I failed but got an A" things, I actually got a 60% on the quiz, which is the lowest possible passing grade. Yikes. But I didn't really study that much and so I am not surprised. And I'm not really that disappointed with it, to be honest - I mean, yeah, I am not having a great semester as far as my grades go but just getting through it in one piece has become my main priority. I think that's okay.

My sanity and happiness really need to start coming first - that's the real thing I've figured out this semester. And not always, I'm not saying I shirk off all responsibility, but some things just aren't as important.

Destin

This is my friend's new horse, Destin! Well, part of him, anyway. He's a baby <3

Patrick

Patrick and his little friend, Dragon.

A Horse By Any Other Name

A little over 48 hours ago I introduced the world to the new man in my life: a tall red head named... well, that's the problem, isn't it?

I started picking out names for my future children years ago. I wish that I was exaggerating, I really do, but I already have a short list for both genders and while my husband's input is important, he gets the final say when he pushes a seven pound baby out of HIS vagina. But choosing a name for this horse is different - I thought I had something picked out and then a friend asked if I didn't want to get to know him better before I decided.

This has been very frustrating! I know, I know - #whitegirlproblems. (Google it.) But I cannot pick a damn name for the horse. I have been thinking about it for over a week and he comes home in less than two days, and I just can't decide. Nothing seems to be absolutely perfect and suit him just right - and some people have told me just to leave his barn name as Bound, but I just don't like that very much!

Captain, Trusty, Woody, Doc, Buddy, Patrick, Weasley, Socket, Socks, the list just goes on. I'm leaning towards Patrick at this point for a handful of reasons, but I just don't know. I'd really like to have a name chosen by the time he arrives on Saturday so that I don't have to keep calling him "Horse" because that is an even worse name for them than "Bound!"

Sup?

Bound for Gold

03/08/11

<3

Touch Wood

This has quite possibly been the best spring break of my life; my calm before the storm has turned out to be exactly what I needed. I've spent the week hanging out with Lauren, Tricia and David as well as riding the most precious horse ever. Lots of sleep, entirely too many hours in the car, and a lot of fun.

I am incredibly thankful for this week! I can't believe it is over already.

Tomorrow I'm driving to and from Newport News, and then Tuesday I will be driving to and from Nova, and Wednesday morning I will go back to school. That's like 15 hours of driving in two days- insane! But worth it, and couldn't be for a better reason.

No- I'm not ready to talk about the reason! You'll have to trust me on this one ;)

Chrome

Don't you just love a chestnut with lots of chrome?

Baby Ponies

I would like to have them all, please.

About to Break

I haven't updated this post in awhile because things have been so busy at school and there hasn't been enough to say; just more of the same. I'd like to point out that I am currently failing the trifecta of New Year's Resolutions I made for myself: lose the rest of the weight, stress less, and make the Dean's List. My grades and my sanity are both slipping through my fingers (although my weight is holding steady and not moving in either direction.)

Thankfully though I am writing this on the eve of spring break, the glorious halfway point of the semester. Except, that it isn't. While it is week 7 of the 14 weeks of class, I am not nearly halfway through with the workload. I have written 3 of 9 papers, I've taken midterms in only 3 of my 5 classes. In Latin and Hist358, I actually have another test before the final as well.

I'm not trying to complain, my point is this: Spring break is only the calm before the storm.

I intend to spend the next 9 days sleeping, relaxing, hanging out with my boyfriend and my dogs, and doing absolutely no schoolwork. This is probably the least productive decision, but I need a break. I don't really get a vacation, exactly, since I'm just going to be here in Powhatan, but this week had better be glorious. If I'm lucky I might even get to ride a horse or two :)

Soul Punk

I have loved
I have lost
I have made my way but also paid the cost
Though I wouldn't trade the lesson
The impression I wish to leave is
Never never never trust big hype

Patrick Stump has always sung the soundtrack to my life; you need to check out his new EP, Truant Wave, which is available on iTunes and my new favorite thing to listen to.

Kivey Shades

Lauren and I have been good friends since we were 8 years old and we rode Carter the pony at the Level Green Schooling Show. She is the one person who I have remained close to, from childhood through present. We went to different schools and to colleges on opposite ends of the state, but I spoke to her every single day and she has seen me through every boyfriend, every horse, and everything else. She's the one person who knows absolutely everything there is to know about me and loves me anyway - she's my Kivey and there's nothing better than that.

We have been talking a lot lately about how our tastes differ in horses, and when she showed me a picture of some sunglasses she wanted to buy I had a funny thought. Lauren and I usually agree about most things - the important things, I mean, we get into arguments like we are practicing for the debate team, but we solve them in the same way, with logic and facts - but on the really important things we always agree. Horses and men and food. That's the trifecta.

We have different tastes. We've never fallen for the same guy, ever, because we are attracted to guys on different ends of the spectrum. But I know what kind of guy is right for her and she knows what kind of guy is right for me, so that whenever I start dating someone new, meeting my Kivey is more stressful than meeting my parents. We love the same restaurants but order different things. But we can always agree on where to eat because we have the same standards. And with the horses, again, we expect the same level of quality but appreciate different aspects of a horse's actual personality. Lauren prefers something that is going to be faster on his feet and I'd rather have a slow horse that you really have to push to get moving.


When Lauren sent me the link to the sunglasses she prefaced it with - "for me, not you" - because she knew I wouldn't wear them. But for her I thought they were really cute, she likes the Oakley brand (and so do I!) but the shape of them was flattering for her and the colors were a good choice for her as well. They're attractive and practical and sporty, just like Lauren.
This morning I drove back to campus with my Coach sunglasses - that were not actually the pair I wanted - because the pair I wanted was SO big that they literally could not put my lens Rx in them due to how bad my eyesight is. So my Coach glasses are actually the understudy to the huge, movie star glasses I love. They're cute, loud and completely impractical - a lot like me.

You are what you wear.

So basically what I'm saying is that you should put a lot of thought into the sunglasses you buy because you never know who might be over-analyzing it on her blog.

Horse Hunters

One of my favorite shows right now is House Hunters, where they follow people around as they look at 3 different houses and then they buy one. David and I turn it into a game and whoever correctly guesses which house they buy, wins.

When you're in the market for a new horse you look at way more than three horses. I'm sure it is the same with houses, too, but I don't have any experience in that area. But being in the market for a new horse is exciting, frustrating, and exhausting.

This weekend I was supposed to go see a gorgeous gray mare in northern Virginia but their riding ring was frozen - for non-horsey people, it's really just what it sounds like, the ground was too hard to ride on because of the weather. But the plan had been to go with a friend to see horses for her as well, anyway, and that still worked out. The one pictured above is the one we really liked for her. He's a two year old and really fancy.

Anyway I'm ready to pitch my pilot to animal planet. "Horse Hunters." They can follow me around on the weekends with cameras (because the camera loves me. Well really, I love attention.) as I look at horses for sale and finally find one - who knows how long that'll take!

Although over spring break I am going to see a horse that I am really excited about, who lives in Florida. I got to meet his "family" this weekend, coincidentally - he has pretty famous lines in the show hunter ring, and the stallions happen to live in VA, and we just happened to go ride at that barn on our trip. It was really cool. I met his grandsire, Art Deco, and his sire, State of the Art, as well as his uncle Hall of Fame who is also pretty famous! They are all gorgeous pinto warmbloods who are awesome movers and have excellent jumping form.

It was 100 times cooler than meeting people celebrities, because when most pre-teens were reading fashion magazines I was reading Practical Horseman and looking at pictures of these stallions and wishing I could have one of their babies. It was so awesome to see them in person.

Here is SOTA, the sire of the horse that I am most excited to meet in two weeks:

So cool. It was a really awesome weekend - and just what I needed after an incredibly obnoxious week on campus.