Newsflash!

Here's the incentive for keeping a dorm room clean.
There are random tours, and when your door is the first one off of the lobby, you will get asked if people can see the inside.

Note:
Thankfully, dormroom was clean. Cleaned after Allie left.
Erp.

Open the door and just see alllll of these people (a group of twenty in the hall). Blinkstare.

Um? Hi?

Right. So, that was strange. And my science class hasn't started yet. Apparently coming to class on time for Professors is never mandatory.
Bahumbug.

I'll get over it.

Oh, well.
It's monday. I'm grouchy. I really don't like mondays, never the less after four days of break. Not that I actually got much sleep over break (sleep : optional) but, still.
It's the thought that really counts, right??
xoxo
El

UPDATE:
Oh, no. Professors are here.
And are now passing out maps. Of the ocean floors.
Cartography & topography.
Um.
I spent a year doing this last year??
zzzzzz.
Sigh. Some days it doesn't pay to wake up. At least I followed everything in my math class??? Probability is my friend. Strange how that happens.
Life has a very, very ironic sense of humor.
I do not like it.
/epic fail.
Not a fan. Oh well.

The hardest part is goodbye

So this past week has been fun. I only had three days of classes, and then fall break. It was wonderful.
Thursday I spent most of my day at the barn. My instructor, Jill, rode Eagle thursday and saturday (and she'll ride him again tomorrow) and then yeah.

Friday, Allie Novak, one of my friends from DGN actually drove down from Grand Valley State University (right outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan) and stayed the weekend with Kristen and I.
I have to tell you, seeing her was amazing.

Friday we pretty much just watched movies and spent a majority of the time telling stories - and oh, the stories we both had to tell. She needed the time away from her roommate, and there was so much venting on that front. Yikes.
We went out into the dorm lobby and stayed there until (oops) three, just talking and telling stories.
Saturday, I slaved myself out to Jill in thanks for her schooling Eagle. Allie helped me, but mostly, we continued to talk. Boys were the conversation of that day, and I have to tell you - we've come to the depressing conclusion that:
There's no one we know that we'd date. Sigh. Oh, well. I'm over that part of it.

Allie and I went to a late lunch with Jamie Vincent and Kristie Easlie, both freshman varsity riders on our riding team. Jamie's a friend of mine - and the three of us went to walmart (she got her tongue pierced, so she had to buy soup. Ouch!) and then Panera. Kristie met up with us there, and we stayed there until five. I had no clue it was that late!

Coming back to the dorm, we pretty much just put some stuff away (three people in one dorm room seems to mean it explodes. Seriously.) Unsurprisingly that actually took two-ish hours, by which point we were hungry.
We went out to dinner.

Oh, dear god.
I do not realize how much I appreciate having parents with me when I go to a restauraunt. Seriously.
Me, being me - I get irritated. Me, being me? I'm a teenager. I can't help that I was born in 1990, not 1970. That doesn't mean I should get sub-par service, be treated condescendingly and be shorted in any other service.

Apparently, to the restauraunt, it meant Allie and I were supposed to.
I was livid. And the Waitress was utterly inhospitable, despite my best attempts to be friendly and engaging. It wasn't even a busy night, the two of us got tucked into a back corner in a booth that had ripped seats, weren't served the usual (No breads, ect), she didn't tell us the 'specials of the day' (Later had to ask) and service was just very slow, and very haughty about it.

Gjkd;afjd;.
Anger.
I'm still stewing about that. >[

Food, however, was good. Which made up for it, I suppose, but if I'm going out to dinner, I really expect to be treated as a human being, not the dredges of society. Drop the act, sure, I'm a teenager. I'm a college student, to be honest - but that doesn't mean I'm the one vandalizing things, driving around at four with my music blaring, or that I'm one of those people whose here in college just to party.


Yeah
Slightly angry about that.

Today, the three of us all woke up at the same time (9:20) and got ready for the barn, ect. Allie and I were there by 10:10, and I hopped on Eagle and rode him. First time since tuesday. I rode then, and we were doing pilates on horseback.
It hurt. And instead of using the muscles we were supposed to be using, I suspect I was using muscles in my back to cheat. So after the pilates, Eagle and I started really 'working', and then I wrenched something. Or.. something. It just all of the sudden hurt, and has hurt since.
Yay!
So Jill's been schooling Eagle (I tack him up, and tack up the other horses she has to ride that day as 'payment' - hey, it's better than cleaning stalls!) for me and she really enjoys the experience.
I got on him today though, and even though I was a bit of a hunch-back he was really good for the most part.
=)

But then Allie had to leave by 1 to get back to her campus (four hour drive) by dinner. So we came back and loaded up her car.
I'm struck by the realization that when I left college, I really didn't say goodbye to so many of my friends. It didn't seem to be as important as other things at that time.
She was one of the few who saw me the day before/day before that, I left. And it wasn't so intolerable then ( I remember hugging her at 2 in the morning - we had gone to see Batman, the late showing, and then jusdt talked..) but today, watching her drive out almost was harder.

I wouldn't trade this weekend though.
I needed time to just chill out, and laugh about people here, with someone who doesn't know them. It was refreshing.

More than that, it was fun.
Take care!
El

I run, to Feel

So, I've been a bit lax about updating this week. No clue why - maybe it's the feeling that fall is truly here? This entire week has been dreary. A high of sixty and rainy most of the time, it's chilly!
Fall is really, actually here. I've been layering shirts at the barn (we make some interesting fashion statements. There are the prima donnas who live to match and then those of us who believe that matching - matching socks, shirts, breeches, belts - are completely optional) and wearing sweatshirts around.

So far, no one's gotten sick. I hope it stays that way. After one experience with how illness spreads in a dorm (hehhh. Bad me. I started it..) I have no desire to encounter another.

However, in lieu of multiple entries this week, I can bring you one 'epic' one - with quite a few stories! It's really amazing how much stuff goes on, how entertaining it truly is when I look back at it. Sometimes it's not all grand to live, but looking back puts a better light on things.

First order of business:
I fell off.

Shush. I'm going to get calls, now, saying "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US EARLIER?" I'm playing the 'if I ignore it, it didn't happen.'

So.
No one can really blame me for that. It was stupid, really. It was Wed., and we were just riding around in the indoor arena. There were quite a few of us, and we were going over trot poles at both ends of the arena. Right now, I'm working on teaching Eagle that we don't have to charge things for it to be Okay, so he and I were trotting it while other people were cantering.

He was so good over the poles! SO GOOD! He was calm and relaxed, it was amazing. He was listening to me, so responsive, it was wonderful.
And then, came the fence.

..Oh, yes.

It could be said, simply put, that I trusted my horse too much. I thought he'd be as quiet over the fence, as he was over the poles.

That's the wonderful thing about horses.
They're never afraid to kill your ego.
:(

He overjumped the fence (a two foot vertical.) Somehow, he thought it turned into a 4'6 oxer with a three foot spread. Impressive fence, and I was told that "you caught some big air". Greaaat. Just what my (already) damaged ego needed to hear.
Thanks.

So I flipped over his shoulder. I landed on his neck after the fence, nearly got him to stop, but then! We had to turn.
As Dad can attest, the turns always kill me. I always come off in the corners. It's sad. So, I saw the turn coming, decided I'd choose how I'd fall (no falling into walls, thanksmuch) and rolled off his shoulder.
Landed rather wonderfully on my back (Yes, Mom, Dad, the same place as last time. Grr.) but Eagle just parked it the instant I came back. I held onto the reins until I hit the ground, when I let go, he backed up about two steps.
By that time, I had rolled to my knees (too many memories of horses bolting when riders come off) and he was just staring at me as if to say "So? What? Why are you down there?"

I got up, got back on, no problem. We trotted things again (no jumping) and he settled down.
My body, however, is (still) protesting the abuse.
Go figure.

This story, however, gets ever so much more interesting when one takes into account that when I came back to the dorm, we had no hot water.
None.
Zip. Nada. Zilch.

I was very, very unhappy.
There's a whole saga that continues with that, but it involves a guy that Meg likes (and I don't) but apparently he's hitting on me.
Great.

Needless to say, he offered his room (and consequently, Mark's- they're roommates) as a staging area. Said I should shower over in his dorm building.

I laughed.

Kristen (and Meg) did(do?) want to kill me for that one.

Not my fault!!!

Needless to say, at the barn, I've been trying out saddles. I'm looking for a 'brand' I like and a make that fits me. So far, no luck. Eva's saddle is pretty much the reason that I dieeeed on wed. If I had been in mine, I doubt I would have been jumped out of the tack. I love my flat seat!
Today, I rode in Jamie's 'second' saddle which is a beautiful thing. I would take it in a heartbeat if it had a more forward flap. Sadly, my knee hangs over the edge.
Big surprise.

Yesterday was our 'rein aids' assessment, which is stuff I already knew but I warmed up outside alone, because it's just that "I fell off my horse yesterday, I'm sore, my ego's in tatters, and I'm nervous". Either Eagle is feeling guilty, or I did something right - because he was a gem.

Again, it carried over today.

But, today, was amazing.

The other half of the students took their assessment in rein aids today so not many people were riding outside. Jamie, Meg and I were the three left outside at about four. It was getting darker, the wind was picking up and it was kind of drizzling. Very chilly, very unwelcoming - but for the first time in such a long time, I laughed as I rode.

I got on at about 3:20, hacked around, schooled eagle (for the most part, he was good.) I'm working on relaxing my arms so I don't HOLD on his face.

Think of it like a teenager. The more you try to forcibly drag them to do something (or drag them back) they'll pull against you. So the more I give with him, the better he is. It really, really works - but it's really hard breaking old habits.
Today, I rode in two point while I cantered. Apparently I sit very deep in the saddle and drive him more than he needs to, which annoys him.
So I thought I'd try it out, and lo and behold! He was amazing!

Jamie with Lou, though, I owe them so much. She's given me some comments that really made me think about my horse and my riding -and today, while she was cantering going right (Clockwise) and I was going left (counter) she's like, "Hey, El, wanna race?"

And so I just gave Eagle his head.
For the first time, I just let him go. Mind you, we didn't tear around and gallop, but we just WENT. And I forgot how much joy there was, in just feeling the wind kick against your eyes and bring tears, because it's so cold, and at the same time, feel so overheated, so exhilirated- so alive.

Sometimes I forget.
It's not about what you have to do, what needs to be done, lists, and rules.
It's about doing the thing you love, the way you love it.
It's about laughing, and living - and loving and learning along the way.

And today, I found that again. I'm really happy I did, because it reminded me all over again, why I love doing what I do.
Regardless of the bruises and the scrapes, the crappy feelings of "I can't do this", there's something there.
Yes, I can.
Not only that, but I have. And I will, again.