http://reasonstobefit.tumblr.com/page/6
Love it. I briefly considered printing some of these out. Perhaps I will later when my motivation is low. Right now I'm on a weight-loss roll, so motivation is not what I'm lacking!!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
One-Week Resolutions
Okay, so I suck at New Year's resolutions. I have some kind of resolution ADD. I stick with them for about, oh, a week. Or less. So I have developed a system of "one-week resolutions" or "two-week resolutions" if I'm feeling particularly ambitious.
These are easier to swallow than an entire year. And really, in weight loss, just like in training horses, sometimes you just have to change your plan. Everyone has bad days. Sometimes you have to do the best you can with what you have.
So my "One-Week Resolution" is to use this cool Calorie Counter app I have on my new Droid. I need to get back in the habit of watching what I eat now that the holidays are over. My other "One-Week Resolution" is to get my dog in the habit of going for a walk in the mornings. My diabolical plan is that if he gets used to the idea, then after my week is over he will continue to bug me every morning. He's very convincing when he wants to be.
My "Two-Week Resolution" is to work my horses more consistently. That is open for interpretation, but in my mind, though I haven't formulated the details, it means that I will work all horses equally. No more focusing on one horse and letting the other 3 sit around. I rode Footloose the other day and realized that I hadn't ridden her in about a month. She's so easy that I tend to put her on the back burner. I don't even know why- she is so much fun to ride. I just feel the need to focus on the more green horses like Stretch.
I'm hoping that after this two-week resolution is over, I will still be motivated to try another two weeks. Then another. I believe that habits are built in increments.
These are easier to swallow than an entire year. And really, in weight loss, just like in training horses, sometimes you just have to change your plan. Everyone has bad days. Sometimes you have to do the best you can with what you have.
So my "One-Week Resolution" is to use this cool Calorie Counter app I have on my new Droid. I need to get back in the habit of watching what I eat now that the holidays are over. My other "One-Week Resolution" is to get my dog in the habit of going for a walk in the mornings. My diabolical plan is that if he gets used to the idea, then after my week is over he will continue to bug me every morning. He's very convincing when he wants to be.
My "Two-Week Resolution" is to work my horses more consistently. That is open for interpretation, but in my mind, though I haven't formulated the details, it means that I will work all horses equally. No more focusing on one horse and letting the other 3 sit around. I rode Footloose the other day and realized that I hadn't ridden her in about a month. She's so easy that I tend to put her on the back burner. I don't even know why- she is so much fun to ride. I just feel the need to focus on the more green horses like Stretch.
I'm hoping that after this two-week resolution is over, I will still be motivated to try another two weeks. Then another. I believe that habits are built in increments.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Pony's new rider is MIA...
So, I know that I mentioned that someone wanted to lease the pony. Awesome, right? Yeah... that was a few weeks ago and I haven't heard squat since.
But really, would it be such a bad thing if I had to hang on to her forever? I adore this pony. I am secretly coveting her as my next dressage project. (Okay, Stretch technically is my "dressage horse," but wouldn't the cute white 13.2h pony be a fun little side project??)
Last night I decided to ride her. She needed to be ridden anyway, and she was such a saint for Potential Buyer that I was... well, I was inspired. The once-crazy Drama pony who once-upon-a-time wouldn't let anyone lead her without, well, drama had somehow transformed into a nice, well-behaved packer.
Okay, I'm not sure that she is truly a packer. The girl who wanted to try her told me that she was roughly an intermediate rider. I think the pony can handle intermediate. I think. At least she wasn't a beginner, right? WRONG. This girl didn't even know how to put a halter on. She did swear up and down that she has ridden before, so against my better judgement I let her climb aboard.
At first the pony was all, "WTF is this? Why is there someone strange on me?" and then she got a wide-eyed look, as if she was telling me, "Ooooh, I see. She is clueless. That means... *gulp*... I have to be in charge??"
The Pony, bless her heart, is very submissive and always low horse on the totem pole. She is highly trainable because of that. She just naturally wants to please whomever is in charge. The person on her was definitely not in charge, and they both looked a little lost.
After a bit of convincing, Drama reluctantly walked forward. Until Possible Buyer became a bit wobbly, and then Drama froze. Good pony. PB wanted to trot at some point during the ride, and Drama soundly said, "Uh, no, notsomuch." (This from the pony whose favorite speed is "go.") I was impressed. This pony does have a sense of self-preservation. She was downright cautious with this rank beginner and was absolutely saintly on a loose rein.
So fast forward to last night (sorry, I de-railed). I decided to ride Ms. Saintly Pony (whom, by the way, can definitely tell when it's me up there because she no longer feels the need to be cautious). It was windy last night. Like, really windy. The type of windy that leaves tree branches scattered across the roads. Why I felt the need to ride my most spooky equine in the middle of a violent wind storm is somewhat beyond me. I've definitely made smarter decisions in my life. But heck, I had a whole new outlook on the pony! She was GOOD! She just packed a beginner around like the girl was instead a Faberge egg balanced precariously on her back! Surely a little wind would be no match for my New and Improved Pony!
Riiiiight.
She was pretty convinced that Chupacabra was trying to get in the barn to eat us both. After several spin-and-bolt attempts (too bad for her I am damn good at riding those out now) I finally got her working on a 20m circle at the far end of the arena- away from the gate and the pony-eating Chupacabra. After she settled down a bit I called it a night and quickly got off, thanking God that I lived to blog about it today.
Reformed pony, my ass.
I still really want to keep her, though.
But really, would it be such a bad thing if I had to hang on to her forever? I adore this pony. I am secretly coveting her as my next dressage project. (Okay, Stretch technically is my "dressage horse," but wouldn't the cute white 13.2h pony be a fun little side project??)
Last night I decided to ride her. She needed to be ridden anyway, and she was such a saint for Potential Buyer that I was... well, I was inspired. The once-crazy Drama pony who once-upon-a-time wouldn't let anyone lead her without, well, drama had somehow transformed into a nice, well-behaved packer.
Okay, I'm not sure that she is truly a packer. The girl who wanted to try her told me that she was roughly an intermediate rider. I think the pony can handle intermediate. I think. At least she wasn't a beginner, right? WRONG. This girl didn't even know how to put a halter on. She did swear up and down that she has ridden before, so against my better judgement I let her climb aboard.
At first the pony was all, "WTF is this? Why is there someone strange on me?" and then she got a wide-eyed look, as if she was telling me, "Ooooh, I see. She is clueless. That means... *gulp*... I have to be in charge??"
The Pony, bless her heart, is very submissive and always low horse on the totem pole. She is highly trainable because of that. She just naturally wants to please whomever is in charge. The person on her was definitely not in charge, and they both looked a little lost.
After a bit of convincing, Drama reluctantly walked forward. Until Possible Buyer became a bit wobbly, and then Drama froze. Good pony. PB wanted to trot at some point during the ride, and Drama soundly said, "Uh, no, notsomuch." (This from the pony whose favorite speed is "go.") I was impressed. This pony does have a sense of self-preservation. She was downright cautious with this rank beginner and was absolutely saintly on a loose rein.
So fast forward to last night (sorry, I de-railed). I decided to ride Ms. Saintly Pony (whom, by the way, can definitely tell when it's me up there because she no longer feels the need to be cautious). It was windy last night. Like, really windy. The type of windy that leaves tree branches scattered across the roads. Why I felt the need to ride my most spooky equine in the middle of a violent wind storm is somewhat beyond me. I've definitely made smarter decisions in my life. But heck, I had a whole new outlook on the pony! She was GOOD! She just packed a beginner around like the girl was instead a Faberge egg balanced precariously on her back! Surely a little wind would be no match for my New and Improved Pony!
Riiiiight.
She was pretty convinced that Chupacabra was trying to get in the barn to eat us both. After several spin-and-bolt attempts (too bad for her I am damn good at riding those out now) I finally got her working on a 20m circle at the far end of the arena- away from the gate and the pony-eating Chupacabra. After she settled down a bit I called it a night and quickly got off, thanking God that I lived to blog about it today.
Reformed pony, my ass.
I still really want to keep her, though.
The Smurf
Have you seen my horse trailer? You know, the one I refuse to put my horses in?
It's even the same blue.
Sooo... my big debate now is: would this much of a project be worth keeping? It is structurally sound. It's paid for. It's not a horrible trailer.... Deep down I kinda *like* working on projects... Just don't tell anyone- I think I'm part guy in that respect... But oh, yeah, I'm poor.
Granted, the frame is sturdy. I have hauled horses in it before. I don't have pictures of it (too ashamed) but a google images search found me one just like it. Like, it could be its twin:
It's even the same blue.
We call it "The Smurf."
Here's why I hate it:
1.) Lost title. Granted, lots of horse trailers have missing titles, but I am paranoid. I did call the DMV and apparently the way to get a title is to haul it back up to WA (we got it in Vancouver), have WSP's Vin inspector try to get the vin off of it (I tried. It's not legible. It's all rusted off. I can make out maybe 2 characters.) If they can't read the vin, they have to assign it a new one. HUGE pain in the ass, and probably a lot of money to get done.
2.) Only 2 of the 5 tires (including the spare) are actual trailer tires rated for that amount of weight. The rest are "economy car" tires. The Les Schwab guy warned me that they aren't rated for horse trailers. I could only afford to replace the two that weren't holding air at that time, so that's why 2 of them are nice. I obsess over it when I have a horse in their. I have visions of tire blowouts. Eventually I would like to get ALL of the tires switched over to the correct type. But seeing as how the trailer itself was only $500, and each tire is about $150, I am having a hard time justifying the cost. So my game plan was to replace them one at a time as the rest of the car tires died a slow death. It is currently sitting with 2 flats. One on the trailer, and my spare is flat (well, the actual "spare" is on the trailer... to replace the flat one...) Yeah, I still don't have money to get new tires.
3.) The wiring went out last year, and Katie's non-mechanically-inclined stepdad attempted to re-wire it. It's Jimmy-rigged somehow. Not sure how. Enough said.
4.) I re-did the floors myself. It's sturdy as hell. They don't make steel trailers like they used to. I *do* like that it's small enough that it's lightweight and well built, but there is a spot on the inside that has been so rusted that I can see daylight through it. It's where the front of the manger meets the floor (by where the horses' front feet would go). When I was replacing the floor, we found out that it isn't a structural weight bearing thing, so it's still technically safe. But it freaks me the fuck out. I shouldn't be able to see the ground from the inside of the trailer. I want someone to weld it back together. I'm anal-retentive like that
5.) I find it embarrassing to bring anywhere. Can you imagine how humiliating it is to show up to a horse show with The Smurf? And park it in the middle of a sea of beautiful, shiny, white trailers? I know, it's a silly reason to hate that thing. But look at this one:
Oh yes, that's the same effing trailer as the one above. From the same website. Someone showing their restoration project. I LOVE it!! They did a good job. I wouldn't mind bringing that thing to a horse show. And it kills me that it's the same goddamn trailer. [Insert: whiny voice] I want MY trailer to look that nice! I would be a badass showing up to a show in this!
(I'll admit, at first I wasn't a fan of the red interior, but it's really growing on me- looks neat and sporty. But due to horses not liking loading into dark places, I would only want it if the interior light got fixed. See #3, above.)
Sooo... my big debate now is: would this much of a project be worth keeping? It is structurally sound. It's paid for. It's not a horrible trailer.... Deep down I kinda *like* working on projects... Just don't tell anyone- I think I'm part guy in that respect... But oh, yeah, I'm poor.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Sometimes things have to fall apart...
... before they can be put back together again. :-)
So my life for the last few months has been seriously messed up. Unemployed, unemployment insurance ran out, still unemployed, The Boy is being an asshole, I have 4 horses to feed, blah blah blah.
In the last two weeks, the following wonderful things have happened:
1.) I have someone interested in the pony. :-) She already came out to meet her, but there was a Christmas party happening in the arena, so she couldn't ride. She's coming out tomorrow to take her for a test spin. I really like this person, and I hope she taking the Drama Llama! One less equid for me to pay for...
2.) I have an interview tomorrow for a full-time job. Granted, it's Loss Prevention, which I DO NOT want to do again, but I need a job. That pays. Money. This one will, and it comes complete with benefits, too. I could do it in my sleep, and there is no contract saying that I have to stay there if the perfect surgical tech position comes along. It's a great job for my "in the meantime."
3.) Speaking of which, I also had an interview at Good Samaritan for a part-time surg. tech position (well, an OB tech position, but a foot in the door!). Just 2 overnight shifts a week, which I could easily do in conjunction with the LP job (LP agents are notorious for writing their own schedules). They even called back and told me they were very interested and asked me to re-apply after they had some union issues with the job posting and had to re-post the position. So that's a good sign. REALLY crossing fingers on that one!
4.) The Boy is still locked in his own little world at the moment (okay, that's not a GOOD thing, but hey, we can't win them all). I did, however, manage to royally piss off his borderline-psychotic soon-to-be-ex-wife, so that made my whole week better. But that is another blog for another day... bwahahaha.
5.) I had a great ride today on Stretch. We worked on really prompt walk/trot transitions with some whoas thrown in for funsies. He did great. He also let me know that he is not terribly comfortable being ridden away from the wall. I acknowledged that, and asked him to try anyway. He was a good sport about it, even if he was worried. We took it slow and got a few rein changes across the diagonal. To the asshole trainer who rode him in Texas: you're a moron. This horse plainly tells you when he doesn't like something. Just listen to him. He is not a dangerous horse. He's a baby. When he hesitates and then starts tossing his head, it means he's worried. I figured that out in, oh, about 2 seconds and you, Mr. Amazing Trainer, couldn't figure it out before he launched your stupid ass? You deserved it.
So here's hoping that everything works out the way I would like them to... It has certainly been a promising start!
PS- It's 1:30 in the AM and I am NOT proofreading this, so I apologize in advance for all grammatical errors that surely occur when one is sleep-deprived.
So my life for the last few months has been seriously messed up. Unemployed, unemployment insurance ran out, still unemployed, The Boy is being an asshole, I have 4 horses to feed, blah blah blah.
In the last two weeks, the following wonderful things have happened:
1.) I have someone interested in the pony. :-) She already came out to meet her, but there was a Christmas party happening in the arena, so she couldn't ride. She's coming out tomorrow to take her for a test spin. I really like this person, and I hope she taking the Drama Llama! One less equid for me to pay for...
2.) I have an interview tomorrow for a full-time job. Granted, it's Loss Prevention, which I DO NOT want to do again, but I need a job. That pays. Money. This one will, and it comes complete with benefits, too. I could do it in my sleep, and there is no contract saying that I have to stay there if the perfect surgical tech position comes along. It's a great job for my "in the meantime."
3.) Speaking of which, I also had an interview at Good Samaritan for a part-time surg. tech position (well, an OB tech position, but a foot in the door!). Just 2 overnight shifts a week, which I could easily do in conjunction with the LP job (LP agents are notorious for writing their own schedules). They even called back and told me they were very interested and asked me to re-apply after they had some union issues with the job posting and had to re-post the position. So that's a good sign. REALLY crossing fingers on that one!
4.) The Boy is still locked in his own little world at the moment (okay, that's not a GOOD thing, but hey, we can't win them all). I did, however, manage to royally piss off his borderline-psychotic soon-to-be-ex-wife, so that made my whole week better. But that is another blog for another day... bwahahaha.
5.) I had a great ride today on Stretch. We worked on really prompt walk/trot transitions with some whoas thrown in for funsies. He did great. He also let me know that he is not terribly comfortable being ridden away from the wall. I acknowledged that, and asked him to try anyway. He was a good sport about it, even if he was worried. We took it slow and got a few rein changes across the diagonal. To the asshole trainer who rode him in Texas: you're a moron. This horse plainly tells you when he doesn't like something. Just listen to him. He is not a dangerous horse. He's a baby. When he hesitates and then starts tossing his head, it means he's worried. I figured that out in, oh, about 2 seconds and you, Mr. Amazing Trainer, couldn't figure it out before he launched your stupid ass? You deserved it.
So here's hoping that everything works out the way I would like them to... It has certainly been a promising start!
PS- It's 1:30 in the AM and I am NOT proofreading this, so I apologize in advance for all grammatical errors that surely occur when one is sleep-deprived.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Juicing
No, I'm not referring to loading up on anabolic steroids. I'm referring to the new diet fad involving turning perfectly good solid food into liquid form.
Why, you might ask? Hey, me too.
I got started when my friend Deven suggested that I watch some documentary on Netflix titled, Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead, which chronicles some gazillionaire from Australia's journey into weight loss. So I did. It was inspiring. Not only did Mr. Australian Big Bucks loose lots of weight, his rare skin condition cleared up, his cholesterol went down, and I'm pretty sure it can cure cancer, too, even though they didn't mention it in the documentary. How did he do it?
You guessed it- juicing.
The premise is, why eat only one celery stick when you can reduce an entire bushel down into liquid form and drink that, instead? The fiber that actually fills you up is taken out, and you get all of the "micro-nutrients" that are good for you. It's a micro-nutrient overload.
I really need to stop watching documentaries. I get all excited and gung-ho about whatever it is I see. So off I went to buy a brand-spanking new Jack LaLane juicer and an assortment of fruits and veggies. It just looks so darn appetizing in the pictures... In the documentary, Mr. ABB went on a 30-day (or was it 60-day? I can't remember) fast where all he consumed was juice. I decided that might be a little too extreme for me, so I decided on a nice healthy one-week fast. 7 days. No big deal, right?
WRONG
I have discovered that I HATE juicing. The only thing that I have gotten out of my juicer that I actually wanted to drink or found even remotely appetizing was straight apple juice. If I was feeling particularly adventurous, I'd throw a few grapes or (gasp) a pear into my apple juice. Veggies? Nope. I hate veggies, anyway (I know, I'm the world's worst vegetarian), so I'm not sure what made me think that their taste would magically transform if I just extracted their juice and drank that. Straight carrot juice is tolerable, but I am scared it will make me turn orange like I saw in that one House, M.D. episode.
I tried a variety of different recipes, I tried to make up my own, I tried the "fresh parsley trick" that someone recommended to me (where a handful of fresh parsley allegedly makes any juice taste better). None of it made a difference. I hate juicing. Even my apple juice, which is delicious, is such a PITA to clean up after that it's hardly worth it for one glass. So my $100+ juicer is now hanging out in my garage.
Knowing me, and my inability to completely admit defeat, it will probably live in the garage until I decide that I need to jump back on that bandwagon and try again. This will be a vicious cycle for at least the next few years. In fact, I was considering dragging it back out today for breakfast. Maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment like that.
Why, you might ask? Hey, me too.
I got started when my friend Deven suggested that I watch some documentary on Netflix titled, Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead, which chronicles some gazillionaire from Australia's journey into weight loss. So I did. It was inspiring. Not only did Mr. Australian Big Bucks loose lots of weight, his rare skin condition cleared up, his cholesterol went down, and I'm pretty sure it can cure cancer, too, even though they didn't mention it in the documentary. How did he do it?
You guessed it- juicing.
The premise is, why eat only one celery stick when you can reduce an entire bushel down into liquid form and drink that, instead? The fiber that actually fills you up is taken out, and you get all of the "micro-nutrients" that are good for you. It's a micro-nutrient overload.
WRONG
I have discovered that I HATE juicing. The only thing that I have gotten out of my juicer that I actually wanted to drink or found even remotely appetizing was straight apple juice. If I was feeling particularly adventurous, I'd throw a few grapes or (gasp) a pear into my apple juice. Veggies? Nope. I hate veggies, anyway (I know, I'm the world's worst vegetarian), so I'm not sure what made me think that their taste would magically transform if I just extracted their juice and drank that. Straight carrot juice is tolerable, but I am scared it will make me turn orange like I saw in that one House, M.D. episode.
I tried a variety of different recipes, I tried to make up my own, I tried the "fresh parsley trick" that someone recommended to me (where a handful of fresh parsley allegedly makes any juice taste better). None of it made a difference. I hate juicing. Even my apple juice, which is delicious, is such a PITA to clean up after that it's hardly worth it for one glass. So my $100+ juicer is now hanging out in my garage.
Knowing me, and my inability to completely admit defeat, it will probably live in the garage until I decide that I need to jump back on that bandwagon and try again. This will be a vicious cycle for at least the next few years. In fact, I was considering dragging it back out today for breakfast. Maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment like that.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Red Light, Green Light
I had my second ride on Stretch tonight. I got brave (or stupid) and decided to ride solo with no ground assistance. Actually, it was past 9pm and there was no one at the barn at all. Probably stupid. But honestly, I prefer to ride with no one around. No distractions. I can control the horse's entire world. Plus I love the quiet and peace of nighttime at the barn.
After mounting, my suspicions that the ground person that Stretch is so used to always having is more like a crutch were solidified. He seemed completely lost and did not want to move away from the mounting block. After nagging him with my legs and getting a few steps here and there, more nagging, and a few more steps, he finally seemed to get it.
We got a good forward walk going and after a lap around the arena, I decided that we needed to work on teh "go" cue. So I began whoa/walk/whoa transitions. Lots of them. He picked up the idea fairly quickly, and after maybe 5 minutes, it was old hat. I could get a walk with just a small bump pf the heel.
Interestingly, for the first half of our ride, the walk cue was met with lots of head tossing before he would take a step. By the second half of the ride, he was still very interested in the bit, but he was seeking it, playing with it, "testing" it. I sensed that he felt way more comfortable and confident when he knew where my hands were and what they were doing. Towards the end of the ride, he was very heavy in the bridle and seemed to like it. Silly horse. Note to self: Stretch likes lots of contact. For now.
After mounting, my suspicions that the ground person that Stretch is so used to always having is more like a crutch were solidified. He seemed completely lost and did not want to move away from the mounting block. After nagging him with my legs and getting a few steps here and there, more nagging, and a few more steps, he finally seemed to get it.
We got a good forward walk going and after a lap around the arena, I decided that we needed to work on teh "go" cue. So I began whoa/walk/whoa transitions. Lots of them. He picked up the idea fairly quickly, and after maybe 5 minutes, it was old hat. I could get a walk with just a small bump pf the heel.
Interestingly, for the first half of our ride, the walk cue was met with lots of head tossing before he would take a step. By the second half of the ride, he was still very interested in the bit, but he was seeking it, playing with it, "testing" it. I sensed that he felt way more comfortable and confident when he knew where my hands were and what they were doing. Towards the end of the ride, he was very heavy in the bridle and seemed to like it. Silly horse. Note to self: Stretch likes lots of contact. For now.
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