It's so close I can taste it!

WOW! I can't believe tomorrow is September 1st!!! How did this happen?!

Tomorrow my ride times for the AEC's will be posted on the Chatt Hills website.
And one week from tomorrow I'll be in Georgia!!! Holy Eventing Championships, Batman!


I'm really having a hard time wrapping my head around the above facts. Everyone keeps telling me I'm ready, and my horse and me are ready. I've got the truck ready, the trailer's been in for maintenance, and all my show equipment is cleaned, organized and ready to go. A new batch of business cards are on their way. I've bought and embroidered enough "Lead Changes" shirts for everyone attached to me to wear. I've even ordered special AEC stickers from the USEA to put on the truck and trailer! We schoolled cross country at Holly Hill last Saturday, and rode in a schooling dressage show on Sunday. I've got my training schedule with an extra conditioning day built in all mapped out until the moment I leave. Clippers are greased, with a new blade attached, just waiting to be used. My show jacket is cleaned, pressed and ready to go. The camera batteries are even charged! Pretty much all I've got to do is pack, load myself, my horse, and my husband and hit the road. Do you think we could go ahead and leave now?

And the road just keeps getting shorter!!!!!

Friends

Today I want to celebrate friends both human and furry. It's a topic that's been on my mind a lot lately. It all started with a day out at the barn when I discovered Syd laying down in his stall taking his afternoon nap. Instead of getting up immediately in search of a treat (like he usually does,) he just laid there as I slowly walked in, knelt next to him and began to pet him like a dog as he just dosed away, content to let me do so. I mentioned this to a friend of mine a few days later who pointed out to me the amount of trust Syd must have in me to have let me do that. She said, "Think about it. He's a flight animal in a confined space in his most vulnerable position. He felt totally at peace and at ease or he would have stood up immediately." Wow! I never really thought about it that way. I was just enjoying those quiet moments with my beloved Sydder. For me, more than anything else, what I do, riding and eventing, I mean, has always been first and foremost about the relationship between myself and my horse. Without that, really, what is the point? And how can I expect my horse to take care of me around a cross country course and give him my all if I don't do the same? A lot of people tease me because of the time I spend pampering and grooming my big, bay beast. But you know what? I have the time, and it has paid off. I take care of him, and he takes care of me, and isn't that what friends are supposed to do for one another?!

Which brings me to my next group of "friends." This past weekend I got to hang out for two days at the Fletcher's farm. They brought Heather Morris in from Texas to teach an eventing clinic. I didn't ride, but instead took advantage of a gathering of horsey-type folks and set my tack store up to sell some goods. I've gotta say that it was a great weekend. Why? Because the more I'm around the eventing crowd, the more I like 'em. As the saying goes, "they're just good people!" It's true! They are! Eventers would give you the shirt off their back or the girth off their saddle if you need it. Now don't misunderstand me; we're a competitive, adrenaline junkie-type, group of folks. Just take a look at what we do! "Crazy!" is a pretty commonly used descriptive word for us, but we're good people nonetheless. And I had such a great time hangin' with friends old and new. And if you aren't enjoying what you're doing and who you're with, well, really, what is the point? I enjoy everything about this crazy sport I'm competing in, and I enjoy the people most of all!

Which brings me to one last group of friends (at least for the purpose of this discussion.) My dogs. Hence, the photo. I almost didn't include it. No matter how many times I look at it, I start to weep. However, it is one of those pictures that is a heartwrenching example of the phrase, "a picture is worth a thousand words." It was taken at the funeral of Navy Seal John Tumilson, one of the Seals that died in Afghanistan. Lying next to his coffin is his beloved dog Hawkeye. I don't even know what else to say about that except this, "Animals love unconditionally." Maybe if we as humans would begin to take our cues a bit more from them, we wouldn't have Navy Seals in coffins at all. I have never stepped a foot in my home when I wasn't greeted by wagging bottoms (not just tails) and smiling faces. No matter how bad my day has been or how exhausted I might be, my Pyr dogs are there to cheer me up just because they are so genuinely glad to have me home. And isn't that what being a friend is all about, really?! So, go home and hug whatever furry or non-furry friend you have!!! I'm headed to do that myself right now!
And the Road to the AEC's continues!

THREE WEEKS!

Three weeks from today I will be in Georgia preparing for my dressage ride on Friday at the American Eventing Championships!!!!!!! Just saying that makes the pterodactyls in my stomach hit the runway and take flight. Whew! It's gettin' close!!! We had another really good jumping lesson yesterday. It was not by any means perfect. In fact, the Syd and I made quite a few mistakes, but they were really good, "learn from this" mistakes, so I'm glad they happened. We're finally getting to a point where I'm becoming a little bit more finessed in my riding, so now Syd has to become that way too. He's been so over-compensating for all my bad, "just stay on" habits, that now that I am starting to really RIDE, he's thinking, "But wait! Usually, I have to save your butt and do (fill in the blank...) You mean I don't have to do that anymore?!" The progression is really interesting!

Even more wonderful was my lack of nerves yesterday and my lack of feeling like I'd lost my mojo. Usually when I haven't jumped in over a week, it takes me a bit to get my jumping "mojo" back and really feel comfortable. (I'm usually thinking, "Where's that dressage saddle?") Yesterday was different. Last week I was really unmotivated and tired, and really and truly didn't get much accomplished where my riding is concerned. I know! It's sad and wrong, but it's very true! I wasn't sure how my jumping lesson would go. Would I have the mojo?! From the beginning, I felt comfortable and where I needed to be, so that in itself is HUGE!!!!! Dare I say it: Maybe I've actually turned another corner!

Today was actually my fifth day in a row to ride. I've kicked my butt back into high gear. Karen Hooks, DVM and horse chiropractor and acupuncturist, came out and did an adjustment on Syd after I rode, just so he'd have a bit of a tune up before the big dance. He'll get tomorrow off to let his muscles and joints recover. He's worked hard this week! He deserves it! And I am going to use my time off to get my hair cut and colored because I deserve it! Maybe I'll even do something shocking again, and go blonde! Hmmm....Stay tuned as the road to the AEC's gets shorter!

Lack of Motivation

Really struggling to stay motivated today. It's the third day in a row of rain. While I'm VERY grateful for it, between the rain and all the extra tasks I've had this week, i.e. taking care of two sets of horses on top of all my normal stuff, I am REALLY struggling to stay motivated. Having our electricity go in an out isn't helping either, especially since we're on a well. No electricity means no water. Ah, the joys of living in the country...And now is NOT the time to be lazy or unmotivated. Not by ANY stretch of the imagination! Three words: AMERICAN EVENTING CHAMPIONSHIPS! And yet, here I sit, blogging about just that very thing.

I usually take Sundays off, but with the rain and the laziness today, I really don't see my horse getting ridden, which means I MUST ride tomorrow. That may work better anyway...I need to bring the trailer out here to the barn. That'll get the Timster involved, which will make it not so bad, since Sunday is usually our day off together. Sigh. I guess tomorrow is another day...and now I'm finding myself lacking the motivation to keep writing, so...

Theory of Convergence

OK, so I have this theory of convergence. Have I told you about it yet? I actually stole it from the movie "Say Anything." (One of my very favorite movies, by the way...on SOOO many levels. Plus, John Cusack! What more could you ask for?!) Broken down simply, what it means is that for everything good that happens there is something bad. It's not so much that I think that everytime something good happens that something bad is also going to happen. For me, it's really about balance, which is actually how the world works if you think about it. "For every reaction there is an opposite and equal reaction." It's a law of physics. There's good and there's evil; there's black and there's white; there's wrong and there's right; and so on. It's really us stupid humans that take things in excess! (and I am including myself in that statement!)

So...yesterday was an amazingly good day, mostly due to the fact that I FINALLY BOUGHT A HORSE TRAILER!!!!!!! I've been a horse owner for over five years now, and the Sydder FINALLY has his own limo! I can't speak for him, but I'm pretty darn stoked. It has everything I could have wanted in a trailer and more! (I won't bore you with the details) The most important thing about the fact that I bought a trailer is what it means for me. I can sum it up in one word. "FREEDOM!!!"

It also means that now it's time for me to do little, actually a lot of, paying it forward for all the rides my big bay beast has hitched over the years. I plan to do just that! More convergence...

So since yesterday was such a banner day in my life as an equestrian? Well, it meant working through some stress and making some tough decisions. Nothing bad, mind you, just trying to be an adult (ACK!) and a responsible business owner. Sometimes that is so hard! We all HATE those hard to make decisions, and as a woman, I particularly hate them! I'd much rather my knight in shining armor do it for me! But...in the end, it's really up to me. And you want to know the crazy thing? I'm sitting here feeling really relieved and really proud of myself for taking control and working through it all, and gittin' it done! WHEW!

And now that I think about it, today wasn't so bad after all! For one thing, IT FINALLY RAINED!!!!! A LOT!!!! I've never been so glad NOT to ride my horse in my life! And I know, I'm an eventer, I should ride in the rain, but this rain was accompanied by lightning. That would NOT have been smart. It sure was fun splashing in some puddles in my rubber boots!

And you know what else...I checked my entry status for the AEC's. You have to scroll down quite a ways to find me. I am at the back of the bus these days, but there it is! "Rider: Michelle Wadley; Horse: Il Sogno; Entry: COMPLETE!" Now is that a good thing? Or a bad thing? Hmmmm....not sure yet....what I am sure of though, is that the road there continues!

ONE MONTH FROM TODAY!!!!!

ONE MONTH FROM TODAY I WILL BE ARRIVING AT THE AMERICAN EVENTING CHAMPIONSHIPS AT CHATTAHOOCHIE HILLS!!!!

I STAND IN AWE!!!

ENOUGH SAID!

TODAY THE ROAD GOT A WHOLE LOT SHORTER!!!!!

Things that make me Smile!

I was a bit on the cranky side yesterday, so today I am reminding myself of things that I am grateful for that put a big, silly, "you know what eating" grin on my face. Kinda hard to be cranky when you're smilin' so hard your cheeks are closing your eyes! Which brings me to my list:

• my cat Edgar Runtski, who really does smile so big he closes his eyes




• my wonderful, long-suffering horse husband who supports me, puts up with me and loves me like no one else!!!!




• the little old man that I see walking every morning on my way to the barn that must be at least 80 but who is out there exercising, waving and smiling at every car that passes by




• selling tack to someone who is just getting into horses or is just getting BACK into horses that is so excited about a pair of boots they can't stand it



• MY HORSE!!!!!!!!



• when my dogs wag their tails at me so hard that their whole butt wags



• pizza



• pizza and beer



• pizza and beer and ice cream for dessert



• when a song comes on the radio that you love and haven't heard in ages



• "God is great; beer is good; and people are crazy!"



• my blog actually has followers!!!!



• kids on ponies



• my favorite movies (and this is an ENTIRE topic on its own.)



• even though we haven't had one of these for awhile...a rainy day, the couch, my pj's and either a good book or a great movie!



• sunflowers and morning glories



• a good conversation with a good friend

and finally (at least for the purposes of this blog...)

When I have a jumping lesson like the one I had today that is so unbelievably good, my trainer, my horse and me especially are shocked beyond belief! And to that I say, "WOOOHOOO!!!!"

And the road to Chatt Hills is getting shorter!!!!!

The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire...

Or at least it feels like it is (as well as everything else!!!) I know EVERYONE is complaining about, talking about, worrying about and endlessly lamenting the heat, so I won't do that here, except to say, "It's destroying my motivation!!!" My mantra has become, "Today I don't feel like doing anything...I just want to stay in my bed...do,ta do, do, do..." And I've gotta say that even though he hasn't told me so, I'm quite sure the Sydder agrees. So I gave him (and more importantly me) the day off. Of course, I picked the one day not to ride when we actually had a breeze and the sun was behind the clouds, but oh well. I got caught up on a lot of paperwork for my store, and I even had time to write this blog, so all is well with the world!

One quick non-riding note: OH MY GOSH!! I ACTUALLY HAVE FOLLOWERS!!! THANKS GUYS!!! I hope I don't disappoint you!

And...here's the reason why I love having a tack store:
Salem Equestrian Center (the campus where my store resides) has been having one last summer horse camp all week. Today was the final day of said camp. The girls all go swimming in the afternoon, and they have all started coming into my store to change clothes and hang out. Could it be that it's because I have air conditioning? And a candy jar? Nah... Well, today I left to go talk to a parent for a second leaving two of them in the store. I returned alone to find a sticky note on my computer that said (in 11 year old hand-writing), "Hi! This is Delaney and Ashley! You Rock! Bye!" followed by a heart. Sure. Retail is hard work and long hours, but that sticky note? Yep! I'm pretty sure it makes it all worth while!

And the road to the AEC's continues...