HEY! *hands on hips* Where are you?!

[Mary Ann]

I come to this board and expect to be entertained! Where is everybody on a snowy cold January morning like this?? I need you for my morning fix!

So tell me what you're doing this weekend. Anything horsey? Anything fun? Everybody okay in the barn?

[DorothyB]

Yes, a little horsey fix yesterday while the temp was hovering around 70. I think we got down to freezing last night with 27 as the forecast for tonight. I brushed Laara, combed her mane and cleaned her feet. Then I rode her for almost 15 minutes. She is still very nervous around the barn and has actually gotten worse in the last couple of months. The last time the trainer was here, Laara wouldn't even follow her (with me riding) around by the barn. She kept trying to wheel and take off. Finally the trainer actually held the noseband on the bridle and was leading her - she was still really tense & nervous. Yesterday's ride was fine - we went close, but I didn't press it too much. I took her to the point that she was wanting to turn & go, then stopped and stood there, then turned and walked away.

Right now I'm busy being freaked about the church's year-end accounting. We upgraded QuickBooks so I wouldn't have to type W-2's, etc. They told me I wouldn't even need to buy the forms. The upgrade arrived, but so far I'm not happy with it - it appears we may have to upgrade every year even if the forms haven't changed?? I'm calling them Monday. In the meantime, I'm helping with year-end contribution statements and we are supposed to close on re-financing the church building tomorrow so I'm gathering info on the current trust loans. I'm missing one letter from a former trust member saying she sold her shares to another member. I think the purchaser has a copy, so am about to call her.

Plans for today are: try to finish this stuff in time to leave for church before 9:30 (and I haven't even started to get ready for teaching Jr High SS yet ). Church, may have lunch with friends or come home for leftover spaghetti, maybe work on church accounting this afternoon and clean the kitchen. Early to bed because next week will be busy.

[qhaddict]

Snowy? Nahhhh. It's 33 here this morning with a pretty bad wind chill, but it's supposed to warm up to 49 today here. I'm planning on working two of the Minis and riding Miss Cleo.

Rode Play yesterday at the trainer's but it proved to be frustrating. I wasn't able to get an actual lesson from Todd as he was busy having a video filmed in the arena. I don't know if Play was testing me or if it was due to rider error, but steering was a problem at the trot. I'm going to talk to Todd about it when I get the chance. I did manage to end on a good note and got Play to do what I asked him to do, which was so incredibly simple - trot around the round pen on the rail. He would have preferred to cut across the middle and zig zag around. Goofy boy He comes home next weekend.

[Chrisnstar]

Dorothy, I use QuickBooks for the association I manage. It's wonderful!

MaryAnn, it's too cold to do much that is horsy, except put on and take off blankets and feed them!

At least the wind is out of the south now, so it should start a warming trend I hope.

Mostly this weekend, I've been playing nurse to John,. His fever spiked again last night. Took him to the ER. A nose swab test confirmed influenza. They gave him some Tamiflu and a precription. He's still feverish and stuffy sounding this morning.

And going out to do chores in all that wind must not have been very good for me. my chest is all congested again....and I'm feeling crappy.

My working student called this morning wanting to know if I wanted her to come over. Ray thought it was an old lady calling me, she sounded so bad... I told her to stay in bed and get well!

chris

[Frosty M]

I hope John's medicine takes hold. If he's got to be sick, I'm glad he's where you can take care of him. If he gets half the good treatment your horses get, (which I'm sure he will), he'll be well in a few days!

We are all sick, first time that's ever happened. Poor DS has to fly to Portland and back tomorrow. He has the flu and his sinuses are stuffed. He was worried about it hurting him, but plans to keep earplugs in and chew gum. Do you have any tricks about flying when you're sick?

Please pray he'll stop being so stubborn and go to the doctor!!!!
Thanks!

[Sarah]

I am freezing my tookie off I was a big whopping 0 this morning when I got up and it is only about 10 now. I am cold cold cold and the forcast for the next few days doesn't look promising either.

We did get some new foster pets in from a local rescue group. Molly is a pitt/boxer girl who was abandoned and Smudge is a persian mix girl with a similar story. Smudge is going to live here as I have decided to adopt her myself (not that I needed another kitty by any stretch of the imagination) and Molly will stay with us until another family can be found for her.

My kids went to Gatlinburg, TN with the church group for Resurection this weekend and should be getting home soon.

[Tina aka rhapsody]

*shiver* Hey, who left the freezer door open? *teeth chattering*

It was 70 here yesterday and today it's a whopping 43 degrees! T-shirts yesterday and winter coats today. Cold weather is all well and good, I guess, but I like a slow lead-in not a sudden drop!

Hubby is in Atlanta (coming home tonigh). I just checked and their high up there today is 27! YIKES!

And with hubby out of town, I didn't get any horsey time at all this weekend.

And I'm not able to post as myself again! Argh! I logged in but when I came from the main page to the forum, I was a Guest again . . .

[Mary Ann]

Cry me a freaking river, Tina! 27??! Boo hoo! I'd just about kill for 27 right now. I'm freezing off my tookie like Sarah. Really though, I agree that the rapid temperature changes are pretty uncomfortable. Right now I'm drooling over tomorrow being up to 35! It was zero this morning here. 43 sounds like a heat wave! We haven't seen 43 since maybe late November, early December.

Frosty, I asked my hubby, who travels a lot, what to do when you have to travel when you're sick. He said, "Don't go." Which is hypocritical, because he goes all the time. I'm surprised he hasn't blown out his ears. Oh wait; he is getting deaf....

QHAddict, what was Play doing to test you? Just doing his own steering? Sorry you had a crappy lesson. Sometimes, when I'd have a crappy one, it'd be all I could think about until the next one; I wanted to fix it! Whatcha gonna do with him when he comes home? Do you haul for lessons, or are you pretty self sufficient?

Dorothy, I don't know anything about using Quick Books, but I know you'll get it figured out. I'm glad you got a little H therapy. The most H therapy I'll get today is feeding and cleaning stalls; I have an absolutely crushing headache. So I'll have to live vicariously through you guys. And thanks for the dinner idea; I believe we'll have spaghetti! Haven't had it in ages.

Chris, I'm so glad John's getting better, but now you?? Geez! We're in the same boat I guess. This is my second day for this headache, and I'm not a headache person. Sure makes me mad! It's warming up some here next week too, upper twenties and mid thirties. Hey, after zero stuff, I'll definitely take it.

Sarah, I hope we'll get pics of the new babies. Right? Oh, and um, well, where's our tookies?

[KaLioMele]

I'm freezin MY tookie off too! It's now 19 here...the wind was at least 20mph+ this morning (and 10 deg) when I went out to feed. I looked like the black Michelin Man with all my layers and lovely warm Walls overalls and down coat!!! Hands were freezing, but I survived. Getting dressed and undressed, then MOVING, like this when 6 months preggo is...uhhh....interesting.....

My DH has been in CALIFORNIA since Weds!!!! I've had to deal with all this snow and yuck weather, with all the animal care, while he is gone!!! grrrrrrrrrrrrr.....he sent me TWO vases of lovely flowers, though..that guilt thing must've hit hard.... ;D But he's due back on the ground at Dulles at 7pm, then home hopefully by 9pm. He PROMISED me he'd take over horse care duties when he came home, for duration of my pregnancy, and probably a couple weeks after that, depending on how I feel. He's a keeper!!!!

I wanted to go to the MD Horse Expo this weekend, but snow stopped that. I won't chanceit in my state.

Guess what? Time to go feed the horses again!!!! Get my MIchelin suit on!!!!

[tricia]

You have to ask? I have been walking around all day with a rug rat attached to each leg!
It is COLD here today and I went outside for about 15 min this afternoon with Brayden. We fed the horses a bag of carrots and came back inside.

I've mostly been cleaning and cooking all day.

Dreaming of warm days when we can go back outside.

[Tina aka rhapsody]

I'd cry you a river, Mary Ann, but by the sounds of it, it would immediately freeze!

And to think I used to live in a place with sub-frigid temperature . . . South Dakota! When we first moved south from there, my sister and I were walking around in t-shirts when everyone else was bundled up. Now, I'm a cold temp wimp myself! I've been in the south so long, my blood has thinned.

Can you believe hubby wants to move to Montana when we retire? Montana?! Don't they have winter for like 9 months, spring for 1, fall for 1.5 and summer for only a couple weeks? Egads! I'd never leave the house! I'd HAVE to have a heated barn AND indoor which means I need to win the lottery before I can even think about retiring!

[Tina aka rhapsody]

Tricia! I got your package sent out yesterday. I had to get a bigger box because my mom gave me some of the clothes she had at her house when I told her what it was for. She was planning on giving them to the clothes closet at her church but she was touched by your care for Bray and Katie (though they're all boys' clothes so Bray will get the benefit) so she gave them to me to send to you.

[qhaddict]

MaryAnn said:

QHAddict, what was Play doing to test you? Just doing his own steering? Sorry you had a crappy lesson. Sometimes, when I'd have a crappy one, it'd be all I could think about until the next one; I wanted to fix it! Whatcha gonna do with him when he comes home? Do you haul for lessons, or are you pretty self sufficient?

Mary Ann - yes, I want to FIX it too. That's why I've been making the 120 mile round trip commute to ride him as often as possible. He's always been one to test whomever rides him - my trainer noticed that right away; I already knew it, as I've owned the horse since he was a 2 year old. If I get him home and still encounter problems, I'll probably try to find someone closer to me that is willing to give me a few lessons. It wouldn't be as good as using the trainer who actually trained the booger, but it'd be better than nothing. Hopefully I can get down there after work tomorrow and ride Play again.

On a nicer note, I did get to ride Miss Cleo today and she was wonderful. Whoever trained her when she was a four year old did an awesome job - eight years later and she remembers her cues and really seems to enjoy the riding experience.

[Mary Ann]

LOL! Oh Tina, noooooo!!! Not Montana! If you lived in South Dakota, you know cold! Is hubby from the north, too? Can you explain? You have snowbirds down there for a reason!

That's so perverse; are you sure he's not just jerking your chain?

[trigger]

Add me to the frozen tookie club. It's 3 degrees right now. It was all the way up to 10 when I cleaned and fed tonight at 5:00.

I did attempt to ride Trigger a little the other day, when it was in the 20's. I hopped on bareback in the turnout, just like we've done many times, and he acted like a total dolt. No whoa, shaking his head like maybe he'd like to buck and/or run....I got him to do a few things the way I asked and then I got the heck off! That cold, frozen ground would do nothing for my state of being right now if I would've gotten dumped! *sigh* No real riding for us, until I can get the trailer out of the barn (snow drifts in the way) and drag him to the neighbor's indoor arena.