but damn close to it!
I haven't posted in a few days and as you read on, you'll see why.
Friday afternoon at work I was asked to go to Los Angeles on Sunday morning for a few days. To me, that's a big deal since I live in Florida. So much to do, so little time. First and foremost was the animals. Besides the puppy/satan, I also have another dog, 2 cats, and a saltwater fishtank. I didn't want to leave the puppy at home in his crate all day long since the dogwalker I use only comes over a few times a day, so Robin, our wonderful receptionist (or are they called Communication Directors now?) offered to take him. Bless you, bless you, bless you. She had only seen photos of him when I first got him back in February, so the image in her head was a tiny cute puppy. When I showed up at her house on Saturday to drop him off, her husband, Scott, came out with a puzzled look on his face. I immediately though, oh s#$t, she didn't tell him they were taking care of a puppy. He only thought that Corky was going to be much smaller. Whew, I can handle that!
Anyway, dropped Cork off, and when I got back to the house all was weirdly quiet. And relaxing. And the cats were actually walking on the floor instead of jumping from counter to counter. And it was NICE. Now I can relate to mommies who are jumping for joy when their kids finally head off for school. So after I luxuriated in the serenity for a while, I frantically started to do laundry, sort out all my horrible clothes to take to hip-hopping LA, decided to go shopping, and of course when you're in a rush and really need something, there's nothing to be found. So i had to make do with what i've got on hand...very country mouse in the city.
Flew out here Sunday morning, got my rental car with Neverlost (thank you Hertz for inventing this thing), and am staying at the Mondrian where I got an upgraded room! Wait until my boss hears about this. Whoo hoo.
Oh yeah, I'm writing this post at 4:30 am (LA time) because I'm wide awake. Can't wait to be a zombie tonight.....
Monday, April 30, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
It's better (and safer) on top!!
Somedays I am the teacher, somedays I'm the teachee. On Wednesdays after work, I go to the barn and take a lesson from Tricia, and on Saturdays I give lessons to all the little kids.
Anyways, I get to the barn yesterday and on the board it says I'm riding Hershey. OH MY GOD. I'd never ridden him before, but have heard the horror stories...
A little back-history on Hershey. He's been in the barn for a while, owned by someone that I never saw. Apparently the owner hadn't paid board in, like, forever, so the barn basically repossesed the horse and now he's one of the advanced lesson horses. With an attitude. Major.
The horse is possessed. He will lunge out at you, teeth bared, ears pinned back and if you're within reach, you WILL lose an arm. Or a finger. Or at least a chunk of skin. So getting him out of his stall is the first hurdle. On cross-ties he figets, stomps his feet, grits his teeth and when I tightend his girth right before I got on, he nearly took a leaf off of the hibiscus tattoo on my back...are you getting the picture that he's just not pleasant to be around??
Well, let me tell you, what a dream ride I had! A lovely floaty trot gave way to an equitation lovers canter. Over fences I would have won the Maclay class. We could not have had a prettier ride. No attitude, totally willing to leave long or at the base, kept his pace perfectly. The only problem I had was actually my fault - I'm not good at asking for flying lead changes, and we wobbled a bit on those. I was in love with this horse!!!
Get back to the barn, take his bridle off, and as I'm reaching for his halter (yes, I know, I should have had it in my hands already), Hershey grabs the fleshy back of my arm with those big ass teeth of his. Sweet Jesus did that hurt, which explains the title of this post - Hershey is safer to be on top of rather than next to.
Anyways, I get to the barn yesterday and on the board it says I'm riding Hershey. OH MY GOD. I'd never ridden him before, but have heard the horror stories...
A little back-history on Hershey. He's been in the barn for a while, owned by someone that I never saw. Apparently the owner hadn't paid board in, like, forever, so the barn basically repossesed the horse and now he's one of the advanced lesson horses. With an attitude. Major.
The horse is possessed. He will lunge out at you, teeth bared, ears pinned back and if you're within reach, you WILL lose an arm. Or a finger. Or at least a chunk of skin. So getting him out of his stall is the first hurdle. On cross-ties he figets, stomps his feet, grits his teeth and when I tightend his girth right before I got on, he nearly took a leaf off of the hibiscus tattoo on my back...are you getting the picture that he's just not pleasant to be around??
Well, let me tell you, what a dream ride I had! A lovely floaty trot gave way to an equitation lovers canter. Over fences I would have won the Maclay class. We could not have had a prettier ride. No attitude, totally willing to leave long or at the base, kept his pace perfectly. The only problem I had was actually my fault - I'm not good at asking for flying lead changes, and we wobbled a bit on those. I was in love with this horse!!!
Get back to the barn, take his bridle off, and as I'm reaching for his halter (yes, I know, I should have had it in my hands already), Hershey grabs the fleshy back of my arm with those big ass teeth of his. Sweet Jesus did that hurt, which explains the title of this post - Hershey is safer to be on top of rather than next to.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Seek and Destroy
Ten years ago this May I purchased the love of my life, Twainheart's Havana Daydreaming, or as I call him, Mellanby. A beautiful Beagle. And with my non-professional trainer status, I have to admit, he turned out pretty ok.
Jump to February of this year. Enter Twainheart's Nantucket Sleigh Ride, aka Corky. Again, an absolutely stunner of a Beagle. Honestly, no bias here, Corky is a spectacular looking pup, with special talents that our Commander in Chief should know about.
George, I've got a pup that will be able to find your weapons of mass destruction. No lie, this dog can become Stretch Armstrong (remember that rubber man from when we were kids?), find something that intrests him (usually something he's not supposed to have makes it even funner!), and completely annihilate it in seconds. Puppy teeth like a piranah and I've got the puncture wounds to prove it. Woe to the couch that one of his toys have rolled under - you're history. Shreds of fabric hang off my sofa like the sails of a ghost ship! Kongs, Greenies, and especially squeaky toys are no match for this little dynamo - up high, down low, in cabinets, he'll seek....and then destroy.
And then when all is safe in the world, or at least my tiny living room, he'll curl up in the tiniest of balls on my lap and fall completely asleep, dreaming of his next adventure.
Jump to February of this year. Enter Twainheart's Nantucket Sleigh Ride, aka Corky. Again, an absolutely stunner of a Beagle. Honestly, no bias here, Corky is a spectacular looking pup, with special talents that our Commander in Chief should know about.
George, I've got a pup that will be able to find your weapons of mass destruction. No lie, this dog can become Stretch Armstrong (remember that rubber man from when we were kids?), find something that intrests him (usually something he's not supposed to have makes it even funner!), and completely annihilate it in seconds. Puppy teeth like a piranah and I've got the puncture wounds to prove it. Woe to the couch that one of his toys have rolled under - you're history. Shreds of fabric hang off my sofa like the sails of a ghost ship! Kongs, Greenies, and especially squeaky toys are no match for this little dynamo - up high, down low, in cabinets, he'll seek....and then destroy.
And then when all is safe in the world, or at least my tiny living room, he'll curl up in the tiniest of balls on my lap and fall completely asleep, dreaming of his next adventure.
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