Electric

OH MY HEAVENS I AM GOING TO MY FIRST OUT OF STATE ADVENTURE WITH MY HORSE.

Also, finished this painting for Chili Dewop. My hands pretend they don't know how to paint anymore, but I forced them.

My body is fricken ELECTRIC with excitement/anxiety/nausea/happydance/peedances/holycrapness/sweatypalms/etc. I can't calm self. I can't sleep. I don't want to eat breakfast this morning. I am going through a giant checklist in my mind, and my husband would be ashamed because check lists should always be on paper or on phone/computer. Oh well.

Also, I don't have any other pictures, so you are going to see more of these from the other day.

Bacon and I are going to our first cross country clinic of the year this weekend. It is at Golden Spike in Utah. Because I do not have a truck to haul my bad ass trailer, I had been panicking to find a ride there. Lindsey and Prisoner are going too! But were unable to take the weaving creature. Luckily, I was able to bum a ride off of a person I have never even met. I shall bow and wave my hands at them (or maybe I won't. I don't need to expose them to my weirdness that quickly).

We are not normal. Together, we are, the SUPER WEIRDS.

That enters part of my anxiety. Mare is embarrassing because she weaves in the trailer. Doesn't kick. Doesn't paw. Doesn't do anything else. But weave. I alert all traveling agents of this behavior well ahead of time, but no one seems phased by it. Also, I don't know these people. And I will be riding with them for at least 4 hours a piece. I hope I don't scare them or bore them or make it really awkward. I am a shy person when first met, soooo it might be awkward.

Make me look good Bacon.

I will be riding in the beg nov/novice group with the redheadlins. I hope they don't make me look foolish. I hope I can do well and make my horse proud. We are taking me out of my comfort zone but I am always game once I am on my horse. I will be equipped with my grandpa's doo rags when riding too, so he can "ride along with me". I wish my husband could come, but alas, he is not.

They see me dressaging. They haten. Except, no.

I am on extra high alert thanks to yesterday too. As I went to leave my house to pick up grain for the kids, I noticed an alarmingly high amount of cars around my neighbors house. And people crying and hugging. My neighbor, who normally was out any second I went outside to chase me down and chat up everything, hadn't been coming out lately. Even on Sunday, when I was out front all day weeding. I knew she was in a bad way, but I didn't think she would be leaving us so soon. So that was quite sad.

From out first clinic last year. Let's compare when I get back?

On my way back home, the song that reminds me of my grandpa the most came on (Ramble On by Led Zeppelin). I even said "Hi Grandpa!" when it came on. And then all of the sudden, the car right next to me went flying around me, hitting the guard rail and bouncing in front of me. The car that hit it went flying backwards into a parking lot and hit another car. I was inches away from being involved. I think my eyes were pretty damn huge and I sat there clenching my steering wheel and just looking at everyone to make sure they were ok. Luckily, there was a Big O Tires place next door with a ton of people who came rushing out. It was scary. And I am still shaken up by it.

Part of car in other lane. Car that hit them on the right in the parking lot.

So, fingers crossed that all goes well this weekend. I love xc, and so does my horse, so I think we will be fine. I will miss having the awesome Aimee there to photograph like she did at Rafter K (with running shoes to make a dash across the venue to get all the good shots) but I will sucker someone else into doing it. And hopefully NOT have another asthma attack.

Inhalers and waters at the ready.