It's An Animal Life for Me! ...

SIGH

2008-05-21T22:08:00.000-04:00

I'm freaking exhausted.

I'll post again...

someday.

THE END

2008-05-09T10:19:00.003-04:00

My whole world is crashing down around me....

is there no one that can save me?

Emotions...

2008-05-07T22:53:00.003-04:00

... are entirely too dramatic sometimes.

I don't understand how such non-issues, can become so blown out of proportion! Even worse, accidents made into dramatical events.

UGH!

Sorry, short vent.

Current Music: Olivia Broadfield "Don't Cry"

Excerpt:

*How I wish everything was simple

How I wish everything didn't end in lies

How I wish I could just keep turning back time

How I wish I could be more like me

When I didn't have to worry about myself

How I wish I could just keep turning back time*

*Forgive me if I cannot try any harder

You make it seem like everything I do means nothing at all

As complications go this can't get any sweeter*

*Flashback, twisted up

I'm so close to giving up

Don't Cry

Right now I am complicated

Right now I am giving this heart away

How I wish I could just keep turning back time

Right now I'm the walking wounded

Mind set on getting out alive

How I wish I could just keep turning back time*

You know....

2008-05-07T10:00:00.000-04:00

My foot hurts...

Ta Dah!!!!!!

2008-05-05T21:11:00.004-04:00

This is with the pretty muck covering the break. Doesn't look too bad right? And this would be the result after a day...with all the wonderful swelling and now you can see the BEAUTIFUL purple/red blood spot. It doesn't even look like a foot...it looks like a blob with toes. Fun, huh?
Ummm, yes...I know I look like ass. I'm okay with that. I had just broken my foot, practically taken a mud bath in a ditch, and was sweaty from being outside all day, and was in a hospital gown. I'm okay with looking like ass. LOL

Home at last...

2008-05-05T20:53:00.003-04:00

I swear, days like today are the kind that absolutely take eery last ounce of energy a person has!!!

So, when I FINALLY got home and was able to take the killer boot (cast) off, my ankle was probably the size of a grapefruit...just on one side! Not very pretty, I must say.

Anyways, I took a couple of pictures of my tuck tuck (Tucker) while he was temporarily out of his crate. Unfortunately, he's been somewhat confined as of late. On Thursday, he went to the wonderful V-E-T (don't say it!) and got snip snipped (n-e-u-t-e-r-e-d)<---He knows that word now too...I ASSURE you. For a big dog, he is SUCH a wuss! He's pretty sure he's supposed to lick it until there's nothing left. Soooo...he has been subjected to...THE DOGGIE CONE! Haha. He's SO pathetic. He just wines and wines. As soon as I let him out, he RUNS up to me and burries his huge head in my arms and begs for me to save him. What a cutie pie...I must say. I posted a few pictures so you can see how adorable he is.

Enjoy!!!

How happy does he look? Can you believe that he was two days from being put down? And someone was crazy enough to give this absolute sweetie pie up! He sits, he stays, he lays down, he knows "crate", he shakes, and what a lover!!! Had to brag, he's that amazing.

It's the GIANT CONE OF DEATH!!!!!!!!!!!! Lol

Sorry, but I had to post one picture of my adorable little Frodo bunny. He's getting so big, and SO cute!

Wow...

2008-05-05T17:29:00.003-04:00

So, it's 5:30 and I'm still sitting in the office. Yes, my normal hours are 8-5. Unfortunately, since I was ever-so graceful enough to break my foot...I had to make sure it was my RIGHT foot so I cannot drive! 'Tis my luck.

Oh, speaking of luck, did I mention that Margo is not going to be able to pick me up until sometime after 6:30? She had to drive today for work and got stuck in that horrible Raleigh/Durham traffic. Happy! Happy!... Joy! Joy! Just what I always wanted to do, sit at work, VOLUNTARILY, OFF THE CLOCK, NOT GETTING PAID, and suffer needlessly until she arrives. BLAH.

On a lighter note, my foot is actually feeling SOMEWHAT better today. I'm hoping that I can be back in the saddle by the end of May. Wish me luck with that!

Just on a side-note... I was reflecting today, and I miss a lot of people. To those of you I have lost contact with over the years, I regret that to an extent. Funny how that works, huh? Send a message my way, I love hearing from people.

Back to the waiting game....

Introducing...

2008-04-30T21:00:00.006-04:00

Ozzie and Georgie
Ozzie
Christmas Card Photo (except we cropped and played with some)
G-man (Chosen Generation)
Prince

Olive (rescue from FL)
Tucker (we got him TWO DAYS before he was going to be put down...they were GIVING him away...and he is the absolute best dog ever!)
Punkin
Punkin and Buttons
Deamon (spelled wrong intentionally)

Prince
Our House
Our Barn
Dorey (Pitt County Rescue)

Harley (rescue from a place where they don't believe in vet care:( including neuters/spays)

Mystik Bunny
Baby Frodo
Zoey (the original bunny)
Basil (rescue from G-ville)
G-man

Our wonderful herd of animals. :) We currently have 17 (I know, excessive), and I am loving every minute of it! We have: 5 dogs, 5 rabbits, 3 cats, 2 horses, 1 beta fish, and 1 yellow tang in our salt water tank. I'm going to post as many pictures as I can, but it's hard to keep up with them all! Only thing not pictured is the beta fish (bob) and the yellow tang (henry).

I hope I got everyone!!! Just an update.

Camo

Partial Eclipse...

2008-04-30T20:42:00.004-04:00

On a slightly heavier note, I need all of you praying people out there to keep a sweet little girl in your thoughts. No, she's not human, it's a little filly. (OF COURSE, it's coming from me, what did you expect?)

My dad and his girlfriend bought a beautiful 18 hand warmblood mare so that she could start doing some more dressage. Well, come to find out...she was pregnant! Not just a little bit pregnant either, she was 8 months along when they bought her. We kind of feel a little remorseful for making fun of how fat she was, poor thing was carrying a huge baby inside of her! So, the birth went completely smooth as planned. She had absolutely no complications. Within 6 hours, the little filly was out away from Mom exploring! What a cutie pie. Unfortunately, when they went out of town this weekend, they came back to a slightly different story.

When they went out to see the little girl, they noticed she was somewhat lethargic, and was having some diarrhea. They called their vet, and she came out and pumped the little girl full of antibiotics, probiotics, electrolytes, fluids, and everything that SHOULD have helped her feel better. Sadly, it didn't do the trick. So, onto the next veterinary hospital. There, much of the same was done...with no significant results. So, onto NC State Veterinary School. No real updates yet, but let's just hope this little girl pulls through.

So, keep her in your thoughts please. I posted a few pictures. The pictures aren't the best quality, so I apologize. I brought the wrong camera and the sun wasn't cooperating very well and went down before I was able to set up for pictures. Therefore, crap pictures. :P

Camo

So much for a wonderful weekend...

2008-04-30T20:07:00.003-04:00

So far, this year has been somewhat of a let down horse wise. Our first two horse shows were rained out, and the weekend we actually did make it out for a trail ride, I break my foot :) What lovely fun! It's not horrible, but it is a little bit of a bad start to the horseback season.

My foot is still aching horribly, but I guess that is to be expected. I am hoping that my foot will be somewhat functional by Monday. I have a boot, and I'm hoping to at least be able to hop around on it instead of using the crutches. What can I say, I'm just living up to my nickname!!! (Ms. Grace).

Sooooooooooo, I'm going to post a few pictures from the weekend where one of our shows were rained out. The white horse is a horse that I had in training for a few weeks. His name is PJ. What a sweetheart!!! He is literally a big friendly giant. He's almost 17 hands, and would rather kiss you and snuggle than anything else in the world. Oh, and did I mention that he's beautiful? He has ICE blue eyes that you can just stare into for hours.

I'll post some more pictures later on.

Camo

'Tis the Season...

2008-04-28T16:18:00.002-04:00

To update my blogger journal!!!

Okay, so from now on (don't hold me to this) I'm going to attempt and update my blogger journal MUCH more frequently! As we speak, there's a pretty nasty storm brewing outside. Guess I jumped ahead of myself, right now I'm in Ahoskie. I came back to come see Dr. Larabee about my foot...which I broke on Saturday. How?...you ask. Gracefully, as always. I was on a trail ride with some friends riding a new horse, and as we went to cross a ditch my horse fell face first into the mud. Poor guy :( I immediately dismounted so that he could get his feet back underneath him. Of course, I slipped in the mud too and became a lovely muddy mess. This was the pleasant part of the experience. Within a few seconds, as I was getting my feet back underneath myself on the opposite ditch bank, the lovely new horse leaped across the ditch to apparently join me, and ever so gracefully landed RIGHT on my foot. That particular foot HAPPENED to be the foot that my shoe had come off of while I was standing in the mucky-muck, and he HAPPENED to land in the exact same spot that I broke a few years ago! Lovely experience...just lovely. Haha!

So that's the immediate updates. On the broader spectrum, I'm currently working for East Carolina University at Brody School of Medicine as a Research Tech. No guts, no glory! Definitely a step ahead of the Sheetz situation I was in previously, and the Kohl's expedition I attempted following. I am SO much happier in a more educated and stimulating environment. I'm just not the kind of girl who gets kicks out of the latest fashions or rugs...woo-freakin'-hoo I mean to tell you. I have 16 animals, that's right...17. I have 5 dogs, 5 bunnies, 3 cats, 2 horses, a lovely beta fish, and a excessively large salt water fish tank with ONE fish...haha. He's quite a happy little fish though. Still living in Greenville, unfortunately. In all honesty, I'm really just not the biggest fan of Greenville...but it's not entirely horrible either. It's nice to be close to family, but I'm still eager to move on to the next area of my life. Still with my wonderful soul mate, and our life is quite wonderful together (that's always a plus!) If anyone has any large sums of acreage they are looking to donate to a lovely cause, send them my direction. Haha, with a little more acreage we intend on setting up a rescue facility.

Enough of the random updates for today, I foresee it being in my best interest to get off the computer before these storms get much worse! Plus, there's a cute little dog belonging to my mother who's desperately afraid of storms, and is putting forth her very best effort to get my attention AWAY from the computer. So, I should let her succeed in her efforts. :)

Camo

WHAT?! Has is really been that long since I've posted?

2006-08-21T00:01:00.001-04:00

Okay, so...

I had ABSOLUTELY no idea how long it had been since I last posted!!! There's been a million things to update on, but if I took the time to type all of them out I would have a book rather than a blog.

So, to make a long story short...

I sold Franklin. It's breaking my heart, and I miss him so much that I can't even explain it in words...but it's for the best. He's going to a great home, and that's the most important part. (At least I keep trying to convince myself of that.)

I am now working for Sheetz, Inc. It is a convenience restaurant chain that originated in Altoona, PA. It now has stores in NC, VA, MA, PA, OH, and WV. I'm sure I probably missed a state in that, but I tried. It's a WONDERFUL company and I am absolutely thrilled at the opportunities I've been given. I'm on my way to becoming Assistant Manager, just have to take a few more tests and and such first. As of the moment I am a Shift Manager, which coming into this company I was only planning on being a sales person. Oh how time changes things.

I am in school haitus right now. I was planning on going to Martin this semester for the Equine Management program...but with the opportunities this company has offerred me, I am taking the semester off. In December (or January, whichever) , I'm going to take business management classes at Pitt to finish out my Associates degree.

The great thing about all of this is, as an Assistant, I will be transferred elsewhere. How exciting! A prime time opportunity to get out of Greenville for good! Thank goodness. The thought thrills me. It really does.

I've met a bunch of new great people, and feel very fortunate to even consider them a part of my life. Linda and Lee are two specific examples...they are truly great people that I feel like I could tell my deepest, darkest secrets to and that's how they would stay.

So that's it for the moment, I'm bored and over updating. I'll post more later.

Bye for now!

Since blogger hates me...

2006-03-24T22:21:00.000-05:00

I was going to post most of these individually...but since blogger now hates me and won't let me do that, I had to use my trusty buddy to make a collage. Doesn't do it justice...but it will work for now since blogger hates me so bad. Lol.

What a weekend!

2006-03-06T12:24:00.000-05:00

Wow, so I've been really wanting to post, but due to some technical internet problems, I haven't been able to! I have months worth of updating to do, so I guess that slowly but surely I'll begin working on that. I went to ride my cousin's horses a few weeks ago, and that was quite interesting. They're cute, I must say...but VERY green. She does the "natural" horse training, bitless, and when I rode Campeon I just had no control what-so-ever. He could do whatever he wanted with me. Haha, but I still had a good time. That weekend in itself was crazy. My roomate threw a party here at the house, and that was just an insane night, but I had an absolute blast.

The next week, I only had just a couple days of school and then, thank god, it was Spring Break!!! On Friday I went and stayed with my grandmother and did the family thing.

Saturday, I went to Cindy's house and we goofed around, went and looked at some pasos (there's one buckskin I'm still in limbo about buying...) and then that night she attempted to teach me to ride dirt bikes. Now, a quick story behind that...I grew up on four wheelers, six wheelers, horses, bikes, etc...but until I was 16 had never ridden a dirt bike. My first two experiences were horrible. The first time, I ran into the side of a house. Now, yes, I can hear you saying, "Well, all you had to do was steer!" Actually, I did. The bike had an idle problem so you had to keep on the gas to keep it from turning off. When I went to put it in gear, it was still really cold, I popped the clutch and the bike went straight up. I just kind of stood up, and then watched the bike go into the side of the house. LOL! Whoops. The second time, I was on some loose sand and just kept having the bike fall on top of me...so I decided that dirt biking was not for me. However, for whatever reason on that night, I managed to pull it off! (Thanks to Cindy!) The next day we went and rode horses with Joan Cobb, which was a lot of fun. I rode Maximus (in the pictures I've posted before), Madison was on Majestoso, and Cindy rode Bella. Joan was on her new Spotted Saddle Horse, and her daughter was riding a palamino grade horse. Joan's horse and her daughter's were both giving them some problems, and Joan's daughter ended up actually falling (only due to her stirrup breaking.) Cindy took off chasing the horse, and Madison and I just watched (we were on two horses that couldn't participate in "the chase"). Joan's horse is awesome though, Cindy agreed. He's so trained, and so light...Joan just has to get a feel for him (this is her first gaited horse). He's a little hot, but in a completely controllable way. I ended up staying one more night, and then left early Monday morning.

I stayed the rest of the week at my grandmother's house, until Friday that is, and absolutely loved it. It was so relaxing just to be out in the country, not bothered by anyone...and of course I always love staying there. She really spoils me!!! (But hey, everyone needs to be spoiled every now and then right? Haha).

Came back to Greenville on Friday, and spent the rest of the weekend playing with my horse, and getting sick. (Joy joy!) So I had to go to the doctor this week, and they've decided that I have to go to an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist and am going to have to have tubes inserted into my ears. This REALLY sucks. One, I'm scared ot death of surgery and everything that goes along with it. Two, I really hate the fact that I'm pretty much going to have to avoid getting into the water if at all possible for the next 6-12 months. Yeah, with summer right around the corner, it REALLY sucks!

Of course, it's been an extremely stressful week anyways. I won't go into all the details, but my roomies have been fighting, everyone's sick, I've had a multitude of tests this week, found out I was going to have to have tubes put in my ears, been on antibiotics that make me sick, and have finally reached my boiling point with Gerry and the way he treats his horses and absolutely blew up at him yesterday afternoon. I guess I'm just tired of being able to count every bone in his horses body. His excuse to me was "They'll go 100 miles further than your horse because he's overweight." For those of you that have seen Franklin, you know that he's not overweight. It actually wouldn't hurt him to gain a few pounds, though not very many. But he was trying to tell me that being able to count the ribs in his horses bodies just meant they were in shape. Which, for all of you horse people out there, you know that's ridiculous. *Sigh* I guess that's one of those things that falls under the category of you can't tell people things that they're not ready to hear.

Well, now that I've absolutely blabbed on, I'm going to post some pictures and then we'll be good to go for a while. Sorry to rant just a bit at the end, but I had to.

Straight Arrow Maximus

2006-02-28T14:50:00.000-05:00

This is one of the horses that has gotten me addicted. Well, sort of...

My friend Cindy bought this stud, who is absolutely drop dead gorgeous and has personality for DAYS. I think that's why I like him so much. I've ridden him a couple of times, and just love it. He's a handful, but that just makes me like him even more. The horse that has really gotten me addicted is her Peruvian Majestoso (pronounced Majestose). He is just SO much fun! He really lifts those feet, and is really hot, but in a fun way. The ride is amazing...I just can't even explain it to you. But I thought that I would show you pictures of Max, since those are the ones that I can find. I got the pictures from www.straightarrowpasofinos.com , which is where she got him from.

That should at least keep you entertained for a little while. By the way, I love my life. It's hectic at times, it really is, but I love it just the same. And the friends that I have, my TRUE friends, are absolutely amazing.

Addiction

2006-02-28T14:42:00.000-05:00

I'm becoming addicted to Peruvian Pasos and Paso Finos. They are just SO MUCH FREAKING FUN! I've been showing Walking Horses my entire life, and with all of the drama going on within the industry...I need to head in a new direction anyways. I'm going to look at two horses this weekend, Campeon specifically, for a possible purchase. It's my cousin's horses, and she just doesn't have the time to ride anymore. Meanwhile, Franklin might possibly be for sale, but to a very good home ONLY. I am going to be very picky, require references from a veterinarian, so forth and so on. I would prefer him go to a family with children, because he absolutely loves kids but there also needs to be some horse experience in the family because he is bred high-strung and can be a handful for an adult (though has NEVER tried anything on a child). If you're interested or know someone who might be, then e-mail me privately for pricing and further information. I have videos upon request, and TONS of pictures. I can make arrangements for you to come visit and ride as well, so just let me know. Otherwise, nothing extremely interesting going on. Just the same 'ole same 'ole. Party here Saturday, if anyone is interested. Have a good one!

Drama

2006-02-07T09:25:00.000-05:00

Probably one of the most drama filled weekends I've ever encountered this weekend. Yeah, it was insane. I'll leave names out of it for their privacy, but person A and person B have had a disagreement building between the two of them, and it finally exploded this weekend. Person A's daughter and I know each other, and so she, person B, and I all hung out at the last horse show. Well, Person A got jealous and thought that person B (an adult) was smothering his daughter away from him. So, somehow, he came to the conclusion that person B was a lesbian, and decided that he would take it upon himself to tell everyone he came in contact with. Wrong Answer. Person B is married (happily) with 2 great kids. Soooooo, long story short...all the tension that had been building between the two exploded this weekend. Person B told A and A's wife exactly how she felt and she and A were yelling pretty loudly. Apparently, Person A mentioned to someone that if no one had been around he would have hit A. Meanwhile, I'm getting more and more upset because B is a good friend of mine, and A is a family friend. A then began being negative towards me, and I hit my breaking point as well...and person A and I had it out in a yelling and screaming match. It was really bad. I'm so tired of drama. Exhaustion has truly hit me.

Then, I come home to find out that my dad's intestines are twisted, and they're giving him a day of rest hoping maybe they'll try to fix themselves, if not he goes into the hospital for surgery. :( I'm really not having a good week. But that's the update. I hope I kept A and B discreet enough. I must now go and take a swim test for my kayaking class. Easy, easy, easy.

Sad news...

2006-01-27T23:47:00.000-05:00

(Picture courtesy of WHC)

Long time Tennessee Walking Horse rider Susan Gordon passed away this morning after complications from a bad fall from a horse. She was trail riding with a friend and it is rumored that a large cat (mountain lion) may have spooked the horses. Signs were promising initially, but after some brain hemoraging and a later diagnosis of pneumonia, it was simply too much to overcome. She was such a nice lady, one of those people that was nice to everyone, no matter who you were. My first memories of the Celebration were watching her ride Fire and Ice (the horse pictured with her to the left.) To watch her ride was amazing. She could sit on a horse and ride like nobody's business, and truly set a new standard for not only lady riders, but for amateur riders in general. It is truly a devestating loss, and please keep the Gordon family in your prayers as they try to get through this tragedy. The Celebration just won't be the same without Susan riding in the ring for the Amateur World Grand Championship.

That's all I'm updating for tonight. Honestly, I'm exhausted. Pray for the Gordons....

Karaoke Revolution...

2006-01-16T20:19:00.000-05:00

Should be destroyed and taken off the planet permanently. It's an excuse for people who can't sing to sing, loudly, causing me to drink a lot of alcohol to drown it out. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I would be any better...but still, the game should be killed. That is my opinion on the matter.

As for horse news, I've pretty much decided I to shoe my horses on my own from now on. Farrier's have gotten too expensive, and really, they don't even really save me that much time anymore. Besides, I don't have to wait on myself to get it done...I can just do it.

Again, for emphasis, Karaoke Revolution should be destroyed and removed from our planet.

I miss my grandmother...

2006-01-16T18:22:00.000-05:00

There's been a lot going on lately, and I really miss my grandmother a lot. She was always there to give me advice, even if it's not what I wanted to hear, she was always there for me. Most of my first memories have her in it, and I just wish that she was still here to be a part of my new ones. I have a lot of regrets concerning her last few months, almost year. I really didn't want to accept the truth of how bad off she was, and I didn't like being around her when she was doing so bad...it hurt too much. Of course, now, I wish I could have spent every moment I had available with her. Honestly, she'll always be a part of the important memories because she'll always be with me, in my heart. I just wish she could be here physically as well. I was searching through the internet, and came across the poem she picked out to be read at her funeral, which some how or another I managed to get through. I just figured I would share it with you all, because it truly is a special poem, and for those of you who knew about my grandmother, you'll know how well this fits.

God saw you were getting tired,
And a cure was not to be,
So he put his arms around you
And whispered, "Come to me."
With tearful eyes we watched you,
And saw you pass away.
Although we loved you dearly,
We could not make you stay.
A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard-working hands at rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us,
He only takes the best.
---Author Unknown

Dinah C. Williford
April 5, 1935 - December 13, 2004

Update time...

2006-01-15T12:54:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delay, but once school starts back, time seems to just slip away from me. Not much to really update about. About the only things going on are school and a slight move. Nothing dramatic, just moving from the front barn to the back barn, because the back barn is a lot nicer. That's about it. But I have a few pictures to keep you all occupied. :)

Just a picture of the moon, but with the dark shadowed tree, it makes it look cool and creepy
This is precious, whose name suits her quite well :) She's just so sweet. I wish I had a full body shot of her, she's got the coolest tail! It's black and the top for about 3 inches, and then the rest is white!
Red man decided he didn't think very highly of me taking so many pictures, so he showed me how he REALLY felt, lol.
Trish playing with the babies. You gotta love babies, they're just the greatest things :) Especially Moon and DJ

Shame on me, but I really don't know this sweet little filly's name. I call her Sweet Pea, but I have no idea what her owner designated is. Sorry about that.

Quick update...

2006-01-03T12:31:00.000-05:00

I HAVE a new car!!! It's a 2002 Burgandy Pontiac Grand Am. Great condition, like new, less than 45,000 miles. So I'm content.
Didn't make it to the trail ride, got tied up unfortuantely. :( It's okay though, I'll have plenty of opportunities!!! :)
Get a new cell phone today as well, and I'll update you on that later, and for those of you who need it I will call ya'll with the new number. :)
I'll take pictures of my new car later, I just am slightly lacking motivation at the moment. It's been an eventful break for me, and a nap REALLY sounds good at the moment. (haha)

More updates later...

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE!

2005-12-31T19:19:00.000-05:00

I'm currently @ my Dad's house, and still carless. I'm staying down here getting insurance issues straight, and also bumming a ride from my dad...sad huh? Lol, you would have thought I would have outgrown that by now...but I guess you're never too old to bum off your parents!!! :P He's been really great though, he has. He's either getting me an explorer, grand am, or an intrigue. All of the above drive, so I'm content with any of them. :) Beggers can't be choosers!!!

As soon as I get back home, then I will update you on all the latest horsie stuff, and hopefully I'll have some pictures from the trail ride tomorrow to show you. We're going riding at my grandfather's farm, which has about 2000 acres that we can ride on without crossing ANY roads (actually, 90 % of the time you don't even see the road). So it's a fun ride...and I have a great group of people I ride with, about 20 or 30 of us now...depending on who shows. Franklin is still padded, so he lucks out and gets to rest tomorrow. I'll be riding a little quarter horse/walking horse cross (interesting, I know) that belongs to a friend of mine. She's a little spunky, and definitely a true mare. One thing that she doesn't like and she WILL let you know, haha. That's why she and I get along so well, because I'm a little hard-headed as well so I make her do some things she'd rather not do, and in return she gives me a good ride :) (haha).

I'll update more later, and the final decision on a car. I should know later tonight or first thing tomorrow morning as to what car I'm getting...and opinions?

"You're lucky..."

2005-12-28T12:14:00.000-05:00

So I keep hearing OVER and OVER again. But the truth is, they're right. Here's all that's left of my Volkswagon Jetta...

Both my dog and I were in the vehicle, and we were going about 45 at the time of the accident. I really don't feel like going into the full story all over again, but for both my dog and I to walk away from this without so much as a scratch, is by no other term a "miracle". I have a LITTLE bruising from my seatbelt, and a small bruise on my knee from sliding forward into the dash...but that's IT! And Boomer (my sweet puppy dog) has no scratches, no limp, nothing. He didn't even bark or whine during the crash...thank god for those airbags. But needless to say, we're both okay, and the guy in the other car was okay. We didn't even have to call an ambulance. However, my poor little car didn't fair so well. It's totalled (obviously). But it did it's job by protecting my dog and I. I will most definitely look for another jetta. Kudos to the safety team!!! They designed it well. But that's all for today, I'm going to order a pizza, chill...and then get back to what I was doing. Enjoy the pictures.

Dove into the archives...

2005-12-20T18:45:00.000-05:00

an arial view of the celebration...i miss that so much!! i already can't wait until august rolls back around. (that's where the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration is held)
in the spirit of Christmas...I decided to add this little photo I took of franklin last yeah around Christmas time.
a shot that I still enjoy. I was just bored to tears one day and started watching Tropicana run and play. That beautiful white mane just captivated me.

So, did I ever mention that I hate the holidays? Just a little sidenote that I thought I would include.

A Dog's Life

2005-12-20T18:39:00.000-05:00

What a life! I wish I could pass out on the couch and just lie there all day!!! Nice stuff.
(somewhat of a crotch shot, apologize about that!)

Some more pictures...

2005-12-18T01:42:00.000-05:00

***Ok, for clarification...the caption is actually above the picture for this post and my previous post...so it's not confusing!***

Boomer is saying "No more pictures Mom!"

Still, he's saying, "Enough already!"

Our dogs? Spoiled? NEVER!

Boomer on "his" couch. He's pretty much claimed it.

Parker was in heaven! She was just chillin' in the silk sheets. Also notice that she's not a typical lab, because there's a bunny in the background and she pays it absolutely NO mind! (But don't let your guard down with Boomer in the room...lol)

Pictures from Saturday

2005-12-18T01:05:00.000-05:00

This is Franklin being EXTREMELY goofy. He had the goofy bug today.

Lauren is her new little pony. Aren't they cute?

Trish and her Care Bear. I still haven't adjusted to those standardbred ears quite yet, but I love the crooked nose thing she has going on. :)

Missy, the pony, all wrapped up and ready to be given as a Christmas present.

Talk about posing for the camera! Dually was showing off his super good looks and modeling talents while very impatiently waiting for me to take him back inside.

Drum roll.....

2005-12-18T00:44:00.000-05:00

AND EXAMS ARE OFFICIALLY OVER!!!

I didn't think that it would ever end, but thank goodness it has. Now, I have three weeks of doing nothing but working with the horses, sleeping, and giving the people that I care about the most a little something to show that. What could be better?

My plans for right now is to spend most of my time right here where I am, and not leave to go "home"...though this pretty much feels like it. It's just me and Boomer in this nice three bedroom house...and I'm loving it.

Had a good time today...Ron bought a pony for his niece and nephew, which is adorable. Before the time came to give them the pony, I went and helped it get all "dolled" up. The put a big red bow around the pony's neck, and I braided in some matching red and white streaming ribbon in her tail...so she'd look all festive. As soon as I get motivated enough to upload the pictures from my camera, I will post them. Sorry, but at the moment, I am suffering from a serious case of laziness. Maybe shortly the motivation will come to me.

I think I have turned into a sappy person, tonight makes the fifth time that I've watched The Notebook, and I think that I cried harder this time than I have all the rest put together. It just really hits home this time of year I guess. For those of you who don't know, my great grandmother and great grandfather had a very similar story. I don't know about their meeting, and early romance (though now I'd like to find out)...but the ending was similar. She suffered from severe Alzheimer's Disease, and towards the end she hardly knew who anyone was, not to mention it was causing some slight dimentia. All the while, my Papa (great-grandfather) stayed right by her side and took care of her as much as he could. Just remembering seeing the look in his eye as he looked at her makes me smile, and cry a little...at the same time. He was such a sweet man... I truly wish I would have been older to appreciate and remember him more.

Okay, so that's my reminissing for today. I'm going to see about uploading these pictures.

Exams...

2005-12-14T12:18:00.000-05:00

are almost over!!! Thank GOD! I think if I had anymore coming I would just quit. Horses are horses, Franklin is still amazing me everyday with the talent that he had been hiding from everyone. He didn't try this hard the last time he was padded, but I guess that's because it wasn't me he was doing it for either. I swear, that horse would do ANYTHING in the world for me. He's a pretty awesome guy. Got another concert to go to Thursday night. It's at the Ag Center, w/ Parmalee, socialburn...and some more people I don't care about. Still, it's going to be pretty great. I was that I'm turning into a groupie ... lol. Well, just wanted to provide a little update before I went back to studying. :)

"I'll Be" ---Edwin McCain

2005-12-14T12:07:00.000-05:00

Free video hosting, video codes at www.vidiLife.com

I hope this works...

2005-12-11T21:09:00.000-05:00

I am really hoping that this works. In the Christmas spirit, I've uploaded a version of Silent Night sung by Edwin McCain at the concert I attended last night. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did. Sorry, but it starts after the first verse because we didn't know how much memory we had...:).

Free video hosting, video codes at www.vidiLife.com

AMAZING....

2005-12-11T17:19:00.000-05:00

Well, for my birthday, Meagan bought me tickets to a little local concert here in Greenville starring Edwin McCain. I've always loved him, but only knew him because of a couple of his hit songs...and had never really listened to the rest of his stuff...much less seen him perform. I've been to my fair share of concerts, and I must say...this was by far the BEST one I'd ever been to. Not only that, but it didn't take any fancy pyrotechnic tricks or fancy state setup and gigs to make it that way. It was just him, and his band, on an extremely simple stage, having a good time and doing what they do best. His vocals were AMAZING...and breath taking. I was shocked at how beautiful his live vocals were. His voice is so real, and it really is almost better live. Not only that, but he knew he was such a commedian. :P Needless to say, I'm definitely a true fan now. Here's just a couple of pictures for you to look at, and if any of you know a good video serves I can post a few clips from the concert. (By the way...I had AWESOME seats :D, second row, right in the middle :D)

My baby...

2005-12-09T01:57:00.000-05:00

I love Boomer :) (even if I do torture him with purple PetsMart bandanas...lol)

My little drama...

2005-12-09T01:52:00.000-05:00

of my car getting a brick thrown through the window. GRRRRRRRRRR.

Sunset

2005-12-09T01:44:00.000-05:00

From my deer stand over Thanksgiving. No deer, but what a beautiful sunset (and views). Sorry for the tree as the main focus, I had to use it to block the bright, glaring sun.

Horses...(and donkey)

2005-12-09T01:34:00.000-05:00

Okay, Franklin is the awesome blue roan, of course. You'll recognize him from previous pictures. The adorable little donkey is for sale, and becoming very reliable. You'll notice in one of the pictures he has a saddle and two sand bags (which were full of aluminum cans). The deep bay horse is Dually, and the beautiful app. is Fearless, a yearling stud.

Hey...do you see that?

2005-12-09T01:09:00.000-05:00

I am really bad about updating...

2005-12-09T00:40:00.000-05:00

My roomate's dog, Parker. She's such a pretty little lab. Quite spoiled though, note the Christmas Doggie Scarf. :)AJ posing for the camera. It was FREEZING cold that night, and he was quite upset that his bottom door had to be closed.

My little cousin, Lily, ridng a pony at Tall Cotton Stables. He's such a sweet little thing, the absolute perfect kids horse. If you walked 1000 miles, I think he'd follow you the entire way.

Franklin showing his "school spirit". John was kind enough to lend his hat to Franklin for this Kodak moment.

A picture that I took of Franklin's eye when we were out riding one day. Meagan was actually riding him when I took this picture, but I love looking into his eyes. They tell such a detailed story, and I absolutely love them.

mainly because I really just don't have the time.

But I guess that I'll entertain you with a few pictures.

While I'm waiting for them to load, I will update some (though there's not that much, suprisingly). I am cramming for exams, because we all know how much I love school *cough* *gag*. Franklin has been working really well lately, especially considering the amount of work he's had. Since I've been so busy with school, he's been limited to very little riding. Our standardbred mare has been working towards roadhorse, and she has been progressing quite nicely. I must admit, I've been pleasantly suprised. Social life, kind of boring. Not much going on. I'll post more pictures in just a few minutes.

Just a quick update....

2005-11-01T15:04:00.000-05:00

As it goes from top to bottom, To Much Fun aka A.J., reg. saddlebred gelding. He's the horse I posted about way back when and ended up being purchased by the barn. He's a great western horse and the lady who bought him loves him to death and spoils him rotten.

Second, my baby Push's Rhythm and Blues aka. Franklin. :) I've had him for 12 years and I swear he's just as beautiful to me now as the day I bought him, actually probably more so.

Third, is proof that my horse is much more interested in studs than he is mares. Although he himself is a gelding, he still loves other horses...but especially male ones. He stood there and licked Justa Dually (aka, dually) for about 5 minutes. Everytime he would stop, Dually would lean back into it. Personally, I think that they both enjoyed it entirely too much. Haha.

And then the last shot is of my baby Franklin again doing his thing. This was at a flat walk with nothing but a little 2 ounce chain on. He hadn't been ridden for a couple of days, and actually had spent a little bit of time grazing in the pastures the past few days. He's so naturally talented...gotta love him. :)

That's it for now, I have much more but not enough time. Time is such a stupid thing. Lol.

Time management lessons from anyone? Please?...

2005-10-14T21:03:00.000-04:00

I am sorry to all of you who actually check up on my blog. I have been completely SWAMPED lately with work and classes and drama and....shall I go on?

I'm not even going to attempt to bore you with all of the long, drawn out, intricate details of the drama which has unfolded in the past two weeks. I'm just really going to keep in simple in a bulletted list style.

Chemistry SUCKS
Amputations on horses.... SUCK
High school drama filled roomates... SUCK
Bronchitis... SUCKS
Ear infections... SUCK
Beloved pet trying to die and scare you half to death... SUCKS

Anyways....you get my drift. Fall Break is FINALLY upon us, and I have to say, that I could not be any more thrilled at the thought of a few days off than a pea in a pod.

To those of you out there who know Swampy...by the way...she would like to remain anonymous on her blog. :) She didn't exactly state it blatently in her blog, but those of us who have been reading it picked up on it quite rapidly. That's just a F.Y.I.

Have some horses for sale, and I am in the market for some horses as well. If anyone has a Walking Horse (or several for that matter), broke or not broke, colt or aged horse, that they are looking to get rid of for a good price, please e-mail me. I am in the market and just don't have enough time to go around searching my market at the moment. Maybe some of you can just point them out to me instead. :)

I'll post some more pictures later, possibly this weekend if I get the chance. I have tons to update you with after a horse show, an event filled trail ride, a visit with some Paso/Peruvian buddies of mine, and a sparing few miscellaneous that I might throw in as well. If not this weekend, hope you all have a good one.

----ME

Sorry guys, I've been EXTREMELY busy...

2005-09-27T15:16:00.000-04:00

There has been too much going on to even think about posting. I just absolutely had no idea how busy I was going to get. I guess I'll start with the major events first.

Last week, Zorro (a three year old App. stud at our barn) was hit by a car. The driver apparently wasn't paying attention, ran off the road and plowed into our fence, hitting Zorro in the process. His left leg was literally snapped in half, both bones---all the way through. Needless to say, that has been devestating. Gerry, his owner, chose to fight for him and he now has a cast on his left in attempts to save it, but I just am not very confident that he will succeed.

The week before, I had a TON of homework, work, and tests, so I just didn't have time to do anything other than work.

This weekend was my lesson students first horse show, and for those of you who have given lessons on horses that still have a little spunk, you know how nerve racking that can be. Not only that, but we took the new horse ("Too Much Fun" aka A.J., western saddlebred gelding) to the show to test him out. SO not only did I have to completely prepare for all of that, I also had to take care of all of my school work, help take care of poor Zorro, take care of the house work, and help out my friends (who have been having relationship problems as of late).

However, Saturday night at the horse show, a few Coronas with lime and some good friends being goofy made me feel a lot better.

I'll try to keep up with this better now....

Yay!

2005-09-09T23:13:00.000-04:00

We're getting a new horse (on consignment)!!!! I love this, because I love training other horses, and it means I get to work on selling horses. Once I have a good reputation for selling really nice horses , business will start booming, and life will be great :) (in a perfect world...and not to brag, but my "team" and I are fantastic with horses, so...it should be great). The market is pretty good around here, so, I'm really excited. I will post a picture of the new horse tomorrow, and if you know anyone interested, please let me know. I'll also post more information on the new horse tomorrow, and within the next week I should have a price posted. I want to get a good feel of the horse first, and figure out his worth, and I'll let you know the price later on in the week.

Hmmm....

2005-09-08T02:42:00.000-04:00

Okay, so, I think that I've found something that explains me in a nutshell. I think I might have Dysthymic Disorder. It really seems to wrap me up, because I suffer from all of the symptoms, and it's the first thing I've found that can explain being okay for a couple of months, and then sinking right back. Finally a somewhat decent explanation. Could quite possibly be it. Question for you horse people...what's the best thing you've found (besides acepromazine) that keeps a horse calm during situations in which they become tense. I just want something to take the edge off, preferably non-drug related...(maybe an herbal supplement?) Everyone I have talked to just recommends Ace, but I'm trying to head in another direction. Thanks!

Random...

2005-09-08T01:23:00.000-04:00

I'm an insomniac.

This is nice Boomer. The typical Boomer that you'll see on an everyday basis.

This is psychotic evil Boomer. This is when I am mean and enjoy torturing him.
*Just as a side note...he'd never really bite me, but he does have quite a vicious play face*

That's Zorro (in the back left) and Fearless (aka Lil' bit as I call him). They're very sweet and even tempered, and look SO very similar (they're full brothers). I just rode Zorro for the first time the other day, only the 14th time he's been ridden, and what a sweetheart! Watch out for him in the Model classes VERY soon! He'll be hard to beat.

That's where I spent a lot of my summer...I sure am missing it now, and some of the people too. :(

Another shot from back home.

A horse that I used to ride, Private Malone. Sorry for the grainy picture, it was a snapshot I took from a movie that's quite old an primitive digital cameras. R.I.P. to him, what a sweetheart he was.

I have plenty of pictures saved up, but I'm going to save some for me to post other times that I'm awake. Lol.

By the way, my situation is much better now (for those of you who know what I'm referring to).

Trish's first horse show is September 23-25 at the Bob Martin Ag. Center in Williamston, so come out and cheer her and Franklin on!!! :)

2005-09-06T23:32:00.000-04:00

Isn't he cute? Sorry, I'm not usually this dorky, but I got bored...okay?

Now for the good stuff....

2005-09-05T00:58:00.000-04:00

Here's all the good, wonderful, soap opera-ish scoop on the past couple of weeks.

Soooo, my dad has been a complete ass as of late. The deal was, as long as I came back to college, found a roomate and a place to live, he would support me until I got through college as long as I earned enough money to pay for my horse. So, I did all of that, and still no support from my dad. For those of you who know my dad, surprise surprise. He means well, I swear he does, he just has a really hard way of showing it. The great part is, I most definitely went a week with only water to drink, and no food, and then once my other roomate showed up...she took pity on me and started feeding me. I must say, she's really taken care of me.

So I came down here to college, moved in, went two weeks without so much as a bed, no money, nothing. So I've been scrapping what money I could make between classes and on weekends, to make things work, and so far I've been able to do a pretty good amount. But then, it came time to pay for books, and my dad didn't pay for books like he had promised. So I've been going to classes without any books or anything....it really sucks. But, that's life.

My roomates are great, and my house is FANTASTIC. I love it. It's a three bedroom house right off of the ECU bus route, so I can catch the bus to classes. The best part is, minus the bedrooms, the house is fully furnished, and Kim's mom did all of the decorating! So not only was it furnished, but it's gorgeous! It doesn't look like it belongs to three college students at all.

The barn that I'm out now, is WONDERFUL. Franklin is kept in a stall all the time, minus the occasional night turnout, his coat has finally returned to it's beautiful dark blue roan color instead of a sunburnt orange, and he's really put a lot of weight and muscle on. He's finally starting to look more like the horse that I like to have him look like now versus the horse that he was looking like (which wasn't very good) . As you can see in the pictures below, he's quite a sexy beast ;) ;) Yes, I love my baby.

Good news, I think the calvary is on the way. I think I have it worked out to where I will be saved soon. Everything will be taken care of and life will slowly drift back to normal (sorry, can't give any more details than that).

My buddy Zack went and tried to kill himself this weekend....lol. It's my fault for not making it to Tennessee to go see him, haha. Long story short, he took off running at the Celebration grounds (where the Tennessee Walking Horse World Championships are held) and while running underneath the stadium bleachers, he didn't duck low enough, and completely ran into one of the horizontal support beams. Talk about pain! He had to be rushed off in an ambulance, where he then got 26 staples, 6 sutures, and a shaved part of his head. They said that he lost a pint of blood, and had he have hit any lower on his head, he would have either killed himself or given himself a labotomy. How crazy is that? It scared me to death as he was telling me about it. And I still feel so guilty!!!

Well, I think that's enough for now. I'm going to go finish watching White Noise, and then I'm going to watch the Last Unicorn with my roomie Kim! I didn't think that anyone else on this planet knew that movie even existed! :) Made me happy to know that I wasn't completely insane.

Okay, so...I've been a little preoccupied...

2005-09-04T22:52:00.000-04:00

Sue me already, okay?

Between going to class, working, cleaning house, taking care of my zoo of animals, trying to work out ways of getting everything paid for, etc...I just really haven't had the time to update. So, here's some picture to get you started.

That's Pearl and Georgette. Pearl is also Sweet Pea's Mommy. Sorry about the shelter in the background, it's currently under construction.
That's megs and Franklin out at my place. I forgot that I didn't have the barn in any of my pictures!
That's Sweet Pea. 2 year old Standardbred mare. Isn't she pretty? She can FLY!!!
That's my Dually baby. His registered name is Justa Dually, 12 year old Standardbred stud. Sweetheart.
That's my roomie, Christy.

One of the horses at the barn....Zorro.

That's my other roomie, Kim, riding my horse Franklin.

That's my "artistic" picture of Megs and Franklin. I was laying on the ground and he was basically standing overtop of me...super cute.

Gasp

2005-09-04T21:41:00.000-04:00

I really just made a full fledge post, and the computer froze...and it didn't post. I'm protesting and waiting to do another one later. *ggrrrrrr* *grumbles and storms off from the computer desk*

Moving...oh so fun...

2005-07-30T19:17:00.000-04:00

Well...

I know realize just how much I hate moving. I've done it so much in the past two years that I really don't care if I ever do it again. But, this move is for the best and should be final for at least a year, so I'm excited about the move. I have to go and get all of my tack out of my old barn, and pick up my horse and tranfer him to his new home. That's the part I think I am most excited about.

A friend of mine, Dee Huckeba makes BEAUTIFUL browbands, look at my new ones.

Aren't they gorgeous? You should see them in person...they sparkle and catch every single glimmer of light. I can't wait to try them out on Franklin. If you're interested, drop me a line, and I'll tell you how to get in touch with her. She makes them custom as well, and has all sorts of beautiful colors and styles!

Well, the Celebration is only three weeks away, and I can't wait! Even though it looks like I'm not going to be able to show this year, I'm excited just to be able to go and watch again. Looks like this year the might be a showdown on the last Saturday night...should make for an interesting night.

Sorry, I don't have much as far as pictures go right now. Come Monday and Tuesday I'll have a stockpile to put up here. But keep checking back, as soon as I get my camera charged back up there will be some more updates. That's all for now...

Just the beginning...

2005-07-29T22:19:00.000-04:00

For the first post I'll just give you a broad overview of things. I am currently attending college, and training horses on the side. I have been riding since I was born, got my first horse at age 3, and have had one ever since. I am mostly interested in Tennessee Walking Horses, since I have been actively showing and later on training them since age 8, however I am venturing into several other breeds as well.

My life is a giant soap opera, and always keeps me on my toes. But that's a whole different story and a whole different blog...

Currently, I only have one horse due to financial issues, however I am in the process of working out getting some more and working towards getting a training barn (sometime in the distant future I'm sure...). My favorite horse in the world is named Push's Rhythm and Blues...affectionately known as Franklin. He's my baby. I've owned him since he was a 2 year old, and this November he will be 14 years old!!! What a sweetheart he is though.

That's a good start for now...I'm sure that I'll be updating quite frequently. Wish me luck in my ventures! My next one will be starting on Sunday, as I move to my new house and move Franklin to his new barn!

All for now...

P.S.---Figured I'd include a picture of my baby. :) That's him running across my field at 13 years old...hasn't aged a bit!

It's An Animal Life for Me! ...

*SIGH*

Emotions...

You know....

Ta Dah!!!!!!

Home at last...

Wow...

Introducing...

Partial Eclipse...

So much for a wonderful weekend...

'Tis the Season...

WHAT?! Has is really been that long since I've posted?

Since blogger hates me...

What a weekend!

Straight Arrow Maximus

Addiction

Drama

Sad news...

Karaoke Revolution...

I miss my grandmother...

Update time...

Quick update...

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE!

"You're lucky..."

Dove into the archives...

A Dog's Life

Some more pictures...

Pictures from Saturday

*Drum roll*.....

Exams...

"I'll Be" ---Edwin McCain

I hope this works...

AMAZING....

My baby...

My little drama...

Sunset

Horses...(and donkey)

Hey...do you see that?

I am really bad about updating...

Just a quick update....

Time management lessons from anyone? Please?...

Sorry guys, I've been EXTREMELY busy...

Yay!

Hmmm....

Random...

Now for the good stuff....

Okay, so...I've been a little preoccupied...

*Gasp*

Moving...oh so fun...

Just the beginning...

SIGH

Drum roll.....

Gasp