My cold seems to have come back. Bother. And it's Sunday, which means I have a GRE class this afternoon and have to go back to work tomorrow. I don't wanna! I wanna lounge on my couch with my kitties and watch Firefly DVDs instead.

Okay, so I learned something new about myself yesterday -- I am utterly terrified to ride a horse.

My cousin moved way the hell out to Indiana, and she and her husband have 21 acres, a barn, and a wee cute little house. Their place is like summer camp. Or, alternately, one can see the potential for a Waco-esque compound to develop there.

They have 2 horses, who are big marshmellows tempermentally, though one had this thing where he really liked to nuzzle my hand, lick it, and then take my fingers in his teeth -- though *not* bite. I think he was checking for treats.

Anyway. I have no problem being around horses -- that doesn't scare me. But the kids started clamoring to ride, and so my cousin saddled one up, and led the kids on horseback around the pasture. Then the adults started to decide that *they* wanted to ride. So I said sure.

At that point, I still had no idea the mind-numbing terror this would cause. All I thought was "Horsie! Cool!"

So I climb on up, and the saddle starts sliding to the side, b/c it wasn't tight enough, but since the kids weigh a HELL of a lot less than I do, their weight didn't move the saddle. But the Teppy booty did.

I didn't scream or anything -- I'm not like that anyway, and I wasn't about to startle the horse whose back I was on. I just got all bug-eyed and my voice went up about 3 octaves and I said "Um, I think the saddle is slipping! Saddle slipping! Seriously! Slipping to the side right NOW and I don't want to fall off!"

My cousin took one look, said "Fuckshithell," and tightened up the saddle. So at least I wasn't overreacting -- it really *was* too loose.

But then -- there's really nothing to hold onto up there, really. And I experienced sheer fucking terror. It felt like I was 10 stories up and about to fall on my head. So we ambled around the paddock at a sedate pace, and then I announced I was done, no need to go out into the pasture like the other adults had.

I have never been so relieved in my life as I was when I got off the horse.

I had NO idea that would freak me out so much. I think maybe I need to take riding lessons, just to get past the fear. Granted, it's not like I'm faced with "You must ride this horse to get the medicine for your dying aunt RIGHT NOW," or anything, but damn. I didn't know I had such horseriding fear, and I'd like to get over it.

I just wrote the rough draft of an assignment that is due tomorrow. I don't feel it is very good, but am trying to adhere to the "good enough" philosophy.

Again, your homework experience is mirroring my DH's. Although in his case, he wrote a really excellent draft of the assignment 2 months ago, and then apparently deleted or overwrote it. We weren't able to recover it. So he hustled to re-write it, and settle for "good enough."

I told him there's a lesson here: ALWAYS PROCRASTINATE.

I hereby decree that no Bitches shall have to be at work or be sick on a weekend.

I hereby decree that no Bitches shall have to be at work or be sick on the weekend.

This is such a good idea. And yet here I am.

cereal:

Yeah, I always forget how high up you are once you are on horseback. Yay for you for trying it, though!

My first formal horse instruction was vaulting (I think my parents wanted me to run away and join the circus), so once you've confronted standing up on a trotting horse, then somersaulting off, everything else seems pleasant. But I've seen a lot of people freak out the first time they get on a horse, and I know several folks that have been injured pretty badly, so it's not an irrational fear.

Well, I rode a little bit as a kid (like 10 or 11 years old), and I don't recall having any problems with it. But apparently 2 decades later, I have a bit of the fear.

Kids don't have the fear, generally. Plus, you're taller, so higher up. And, bones instead of cartilege.

ION, I've finally dipped into the weird wacky world of eBay, and have determined that people are insane. There are baby Halloween costumes going for over $120.00.

Now see, this is why you gotta love the A's:

Seattle -- Rich Harden had one thing in mind during his two blazing innings of relief on Saturday: Get Joe Blanton the win.

Blanton has had such minimal run support this season, it probably cost him a shot at Rookie of the Year honors. Voters should take note, however: With the A's 4-3 victory over the Mariners, Blanton earned his 12th victory of the season and he finished with more than 200 innings and an ERA of 3.53 -- which not only is best among all rookie starters, but is 10th best in the league overall. The 12 wins match the Oakland record for a rookie set by Chris Codiroli in 1983.

But then -- there's really nothing to hold onto up there, really.

That's what legs are for! Yours, that is.

I've never been injured (beyond my pride) in a fall, but the most serious tumble I took involved a jump that was refused mid-leap (broke the standards, he did). It was so unexpected that I landed on my feet, facing the horse, reins still in hand gaping at him as he stood placidly among the wreckage.

Seriously, though, I think lessons would rock for you. Great exercise + fear defeating! What's not to love?

a jump that was refused mid-leap

Wow. That's not usual.

I've only ever fallen off a pony, so that was embarrassing. Of course, I haven't ridden really problem horses either, and have only done small jumps.

Seriously, though, I think lessons would rock for you. Great exercise + fear defeating! What's not to love?

Plus meeting new people! And horses!