Loose Ends

Forward is always the right answer!
Marching on...

What a wonderful life I've had! I only wish I realized it sooner.  -Colette

 

The stories from show day are still forthcoming, but with the myriad of challenges cropping up this summer, I felt like a random catching-up style post was in order.

To start with, I got sick right before show weekend.  I laid in bed all day that Friday with razor blades attacking my throat every time I swallowed…  It had seemed to lighten up during the weekend, so I just sort of pushed it to the back of my mind and allowed adrenaline to carry me through the weekend.  Monday, at work, I popped a fever and even my co-workers we urging me to go home before I even had a chance to open my mouth and voice the obligatory, “I’m not feeling so hot.”

I carpool to work, but my dad came to the rescue and drove me home.
THANK YOU, DAD!!!
(Never mind that he’ll never read this.  But, a girl can hope!)

I couldn’t get into the doctor’s office until Tuesday morning.  Doc looked me over, observed that I had been sick since Friday and put me on antibiotics while we waited for the lab results.  You see, the in-office rapid-test for strep came back negative…

So, I did a lot of this: 

 

White tea...  Oh, so soothing!



 

 And even more of this:

Soft kitty... Warm kitty... little ball of fur...

I went a week without throwing a leg over a horse.  I was the walking dead.  It felt like the flu, only without the high fever.  Because a constant low-grade fever feels so much better, right?

A full week later, I spent my Sunday afternoon playing horse at the barn with CG and the mares.  It wasn’t all that long, but it was my first day among the living.  I keep sunscreen in my grooming tote, but my brilliant self forgot to APPLY it!
Did I mention I’m on antibiotics?  Can you guess what happened to me on that beautiful afternoon?  It’s 3 days later, and I’m still in pain!

  

Seriously, those edges look downright radioactive!

 

If and when I sunburn, my worst burns might hurt for 24 hours.  Then, they turn brown, and vitamin D leaves me feeling invincible for a week!

Because of the holiday, the doctor’s office couldn’t get the results of my lab test to me until Monday.  And the verdict is?
Well, folks, I am the proud owner of my very own strep throat.
I competed 2 horses through the same 1-day horse trial WITH STREP THROAT!
How am I even alive??

While I was down and out, I got zero real blogging done.  I did finally begin to surface, so I did some overdue shopping!  Wanna know what I just ordered?

ONE OF THESE!

I should soon have a crupper, which I seem to so desperately need for down-banks into water when I play on the cross-country course!  Also good for desensitizing on the driving front!

Cricket is now venturing into the land of "Learning to carry a cub bit" so that she can show in western pleasure.  This transition is happening with the help of a neck strap!

Have you ever ridden your horse in just a neck strap?  Oh, how liberating!

 

Fancy Pony is headed for some intense outside-of-our-discipline exposure (like dragging tires around the arena from the saddle) until she straight up doesn't care what is happening around her.  Her bubble has shrunk so much that nothing bothers her until it is within inches of her!  I want to shrink that bubble just a little more...  And we'll be seeking ride time with a highly reccommended dressage trainer to supplement the stuff Coach keeps throwing at us!

 

I'm just going to keep recovering from this dreaded bacteria and see if I can survive a jump lesson tomorrow...