I should be excited ...

I just bought a shiny new pickup (well its a 2003 with 108,xxx miles) but its new to me and is in lovely condition. And anyone who reads this will have to wait till I take possession wednesday for a picture of the dark blue crew cab F350 pickup. I grabbed my camera this morning but forgot to take pics when I wrote the check at the dealer. I'll never be a photo journalist.

Plus I'm pretty sure that Shade is just one ride away from her 1000 miles at AERC. I am so blessed to own my little steel magolia. The latest toughness was competing after getting bee stung right near her left eye. She looked like someone punched her poor thing. -btw a cold beer is pretty good for cooling, I started with the cooling gel wraps I use on her legs in the roll and then used the beer can for a while after she'd decided the cool felt pretty good and was not tossing her head --I didn't want to give her a real knock on the eye.

I think I'm still in that state of shock one has after writing that size of check. I don't really feel like I have a dread of what if this thing sucks at towing or is a constant visitor to the mechanics, the Ford superduty has a pretty good reputation and I had it inspected, but I just feel tired. I should be recovered from my endurance ride. I slept pretty good saturday after riding and it was only a 2.5 hour drive home and I mostly vegged out yesterday. But I just feel tired. I have to go get the paperwork and play with the insurance SOON.

My saddle that I put on ebay sold. I had put a bid on it because Shade got back sore saturday. I think I can fix that, the ride photos (and from the last 2 rides also) show my feet way out in front --or my butt way behind my stirrups so I expect I was bumping around on the back of the saddle a bit -damm I'm unhappy with myself for not figuring that out UNTIL Shade's back was tender to the touch, but at least she seemed pretty much all better by this morning so I'm not beating myself up too much.

I ordered a seat cover and will put some extra foam in front of the cantle so I cant slide back as much. I am also thinking of asking someone to make me a stirrup hanger with velcro hooks on the bottom so I could put some velcro loops on the top of my saddle and have adjustable stirrups. I sure hope that is all it takes to fix things. I bid on my own saddle yesterday, figured I'd donate to the rescue I was donating proceeds to myself rather than give the saddle away super cheap when I'm suddenly worried about the new saddle working for the endurance rides. But I still have my OF, I'm leery of it because Grey used to get sore from it but Shade wore it and never had any problems before so I can at least rotate it with the Barefoot so she isn't stuck with either long panels or me bouncing for the whole day.

Well I'm not at the dealers

The truck I looked at did not get inspected yesterday. Place was closed at 6:15 when they went to do it. I'd had the mis-impression that Paul worked a much earlier shift than that, or I could have pressed dad to please call around for a shop to do it. Oh well, perhaps I'm meant to get another dodge ram instead. Trying to live this but I'm having trouble letting go of the frustration. There are plenty of trucks for sale, I do not need to replace mine this week, breath in, breath out. MUST try to find hay on sunday. I'm pretty sure sickly mom hasn't done diddly squat about it and we are almost out of alfalfa mix that AJ gets. I get so so so tired of feeling like the scrubbing bubble.

I did ride today. Just a quickie, Shade felt ok.

is it bad that

Is it bad that I could hardly care less that Ted Kennedy died yesterday? I don't want to read about his career or his checkered history, I don't want to speculate on whether Massachusetts will overturn the special election law they passed just 4 years ago so the now democrat governor can appoint a warm body D vote more quickly, I just don't care. He was old, he died, its too soon to have any idea how this will affect things in Washington.

Horse related: I should try to get up really early and take a quick systems check ride on Shade tomorrow morning. Unless inspection shows something bad on the truck I test drove this morning I'll be dickering with the dealer for a good while and we are supposed to have a long boring work meeting.

I should clean out my desk, since I'll be busy tomorrow. No I'm not laid off or fired (at least not yet) The group is doing an office shuffle for reasons I don't fully know. Some new personnel but other folks changing offices for unknown reasons. But I decided it would seem too lazy and unsocial to turn down an offer for a south side office (I may not need a desk sweater anymore or at least not until the sun sets) next to core people in my group. The desk movers are coming on Friday and I'll be out for my ride adventure. I'm getting some butterflies with possible truck purchase, horses needing wound care still and not a lot of training but I really like this ride and I feel due for some fun after all the snafu stuff. (just hope I'm not still under any jinx)

Was gunshy of trailering anywhere so rode at home today

It was too hot yesterday and I thought I'd try to get started in the morning but failed. But the heavens smiled on me. After starting out letting Ole come but insisting Mia stay inside. It was too hot for Ole too, I noticed he was not following, went to the irrigation ditch in case he just had not made the corner. No Ole so I headed home hoping he wasn't pestering on Tate, He was in the place between Tate and road 35, must have been a rabbit in a dense patch of bushes. Went home, gave Shade a little hay and went in for a drink and to grab my camelback that I had not grabbed earlier. In this time we got some cloud cover and a bit of nice breeze. Had a nice 10 mile ride then. Its so nice when I can just make a loop and not have to wait or double back for the pokey dog. With the 2.5 miles aborted bit with Ole along that is not too bad, Shade felt strong so I hope we complete in good shape saturday.

Shade wore the reactor panel saddle today. Thursday I made her model the OF but I have decided I will sell the R/P instead. I want the buyer to be happy and I think thats more likely with the R/P. If the batteries would have cooperated I could have taken pics but I had 2 sets of batteries that apparently wont take a charge anymore. Waiting for two others to charge. Trying to decide if I'll just put the saddle on ebay. I should email endurance list first and offer to take it to the Happy Jack ride saturday. I WILL borrow the parents pickup (unless I get a replacement truck bought first) to go to that ride, I've been looking forward to it. Will skip the ride in Nebraska over labor day weekend, and just go to the colorado springs ride two weeks after HJ.

I rode Razz a little bit yesterday in my OF. I think I got it working good for me which is another factor in keeping it and selling the R/P. I will sell my cloud nine stirrups though. I have had it with those clunky things bonking me on the head when I'm saddling and on the shins when I'm carrying the saddle.

musing on the day

I wonder if people who were uneasy with the National Socialist Democratic Parties early moves were called fear mongers and people claimed the unsettling facts they pointed out were myths and fabrications? I understand people don't want to think about unpleasant possibilities, heck I get tired of it and avoid news sources that seem too overwhelming, but its frustrating to realize people I thought were thinkers are doing the lemming bit along with the folks I expected to be in that group.

If I wanted HS dramatics I could have gone into teaching

Well I could drop some drama llama carp if I dropped some of the web forums, seems like when I think I have found an okay balance by avoiding some subtopics and posters something comes up and I'm groaning yet again. I guess its just my substitute for soap operas to keep going there at all LOL.

Then at WORK apart from the computer outage that could not be helped and all the extra activity from that I heard from a university contact that the other processing group wasn't getting our data. Perhaps he was asking them for product but it came across to me like they were unwilling to deal directly with me to solve the problem. Sheesh its not like they get charged for my time! Then monday I get email from our sys admin, he had checked something on their website that verified they were not getting our data and was wondering how we could solve it. *I* have still NOT heard boo from processing center B. But I decided somebody had to cut to the chase so I checked the relevant logs, they were connecting fine but their data request used a specific feedtype --and I believed that our older software didn't work with it so I emailed the people at processing center B telling them "a little bird told me you are not getting data" and suggesting they use "ANY" instead of the specific feedtype. And cc'd my group at work. At least I did get a note from their person equivalent to me today that the fix worked.

RIP Blue Beast --guardian angel was working hard

So I fetched the Blue beast home today. Went about 300 ft and the tranny was DONE. How lucky I was to get it moved off the approach to the interstate overpass last night. Now I have to go truck shopping. Yuck. I think I'll go either Ford or private party. The dodges have been good trucks but I want a straight 1 ton not a dually and while I would not mind supporting a dodge dealer buying a new vehicle from Government Motors is not happening. I also think it would be a good idea to get a 450 instead of just barely a one ton. OK I admit it, I even looked at some semi's but really do think that would be total overkill.