Good morning all. I have a quick NSV to report. Despite being up twice ill, I did run this morning. I am still on week 1, as I missed two days last week, but at least I did it. I need to look for a new, safe, easily counted route. I have been going a bit short to stay where I can count. (the plan I use combines minutes of walking and running. As I can not bear to watch the clock, and dont have a watch I can set to go off per the program, I use blocks. It accomplishes the same thing in the end, and I tolerate it well.)

I am off to ride tonight too. Have a great day all.

Hi all. Just a quick post to bump us up a bit. I was feeling pretty tired, so I didn't ride tonight. Lunged him for awhile. Let him play for a bit. And washed a layer of dirt off him. It wasn't warm enough to do an all out bath, but he is a bit cleaner.

Food is awful. Rest of the day was good.

Have a good evening all.

Hey chicks.

Was supposed to go trim Arashi's hooves tonight, but that got derailed. I have a job interview tomorrow at 10, so figured I'd better get myself ready for it tonight. I colored my hair (got rid of the 'old'), bought some makeup :eek: , and printed out the resume, directions, etc. I need to go figure out what I'm going to wear, and make sure I have pantyhose, etc.

It would be working as an Admin still, but I'd be working for a company that does forensic data retrieval. How cool is that? The recruiter tells me they're looking for someone who can start out in admin, and then move into doing more technical work. Sounds right up my ally. Now to convince them I'm the best person for the job, eh? It actually pays enough so I wouldn't have to sell things to pay board and feed for my horses.

Food was ok, exercise was the weights, water was actually good today.

Tomorrow I *must* run.

Are you ok, Jolly? Sick? I saw in your post you were ill... I hope you're feeling better!

Hey all. Where is everyone? Enjoying the hint of summer???

Good luck with the interview, Raven. I hope it goes well.

Well, the interview .. went. I have no clue what direction it will take. I guess I'll know in the next couple days if they want to see me again.

Anyway... I did my Week 4 Day 2 of Couch to 5K today. I was NOT in a good headspace for running. I just felt heavy, sluggish, tired.. I couldn't breathe right. It was really difficult to keep going. Just about when I thought I was going to just bag it and do shorter intervals, my vision focused in on the box I'd been staring at. It's one of those packing boxes that never got unpacked when we moved, you know? In big, black, bold letters, it said "You can..."

And I realized.. I can. All my life, people have been telling me "You can't because... it's too expensive, or I'm not smart enough or pretty enough or skinny enough or ..." Fill in the blank. You know what? I CAN! I can lose weight. I can get in shape. I can trim hooves. I can train horses. I can.

It was a pretty interesting little revelation.

Tomorrow is lower body weights. I think I'll maintain at the pounds I used last week, considering that nearly crippled me for 3 days. I mean... sore is one thing, that was ridiculous. :D

Food is good, water is GOOD for a change, and exercise is chugging along. :strong:

I'm with Jolly, where is everyone??

Raven, jolly, I'm here, just not up to posting much. Sorry. Raven, great going on the running. Hope you get a bite from the interview but if not...well, don't sweat it.

jolly, you are amazing getting your exercise it. Keep it up.

I will try to write soon. I'm trying to get off the floor. Started a new 21-day challenge thread. They always worked for me. Keep it simple, always simple, count to 21. I can do that! Join me if you can.
Later, guys. :wave:

Hi guys! Sorry I've been out of touch, seems like the days are flying by and I just am not getting time to do everything. I weighed in at WW on Tuesday morning 1.8 pounds lighter! Finally, since Feb. a loss!
It's done nothing but rain here.
Had to have my car towed the day before yesterday, all the electronics died on it.... computer "glitch", what a disaster that proved to my schedule, but I have it back now.
Linda

Good for you Linda! :cp: Glad to hear you're back on track. Best of luck. :sunny:

Hi all. Raven, congrats on your epiphany. Linda, congrats on the loss. Red, good luck with your new challenge.

My eating is still horrid. Bad, bad, bad, bad ,bad. But . . .Despite working until 10p, and needing to be to work this morning before 7am, I got up and did day one of week 2 of the runnign program. Felt pretty darn good too. Now, if only the weights take.

Have a great day all.

Something to remind yourself of when life's got you on the ropes:


"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."

Mark Twain

Yeah, but right now I feel like the size of the dog in the fight is a Saint Bernard, and the size of the fight in the dog is a Chihuahua. Hmmm. "Yo quero Taco Bell" anyone???

Well, jolly, you'll just have to starting FEELING like a St. Bernard, got it?!!? :lol:

I hate PMS. Just thought I'd let you know this thing. :mad: I'm crampy, moody, and pissed off at the world. And I want to cry.

Drugs? I need drugs. :( *sigh* I'll be ok, just wanted to whine.

Ok, Rave, hear you on the whine. Perhaps your local high school could help with the drugs........oops, did I say that...I guess you meant aspirin or something....hang in there, kid!!

Well, actually I would rather feel like a Boxer or Doberman.

Sorry you are feeliing low, Raven. I missed the gym this morning, but have my bag packed after I go ride tonight. And tomorrow I have a weight lifting orientation at the gym.
Have a good day all.

Hey chicks.

I'm a pit bull. Heh.

I'm ok Jolly... just money and PMS and money and .. yeah.

How did the orientation go!? I must know!

Red - I'm hangin'! :D Are you?

Tomorrow will prove to be an interesting day indeed. My first paying client for hoof trimming. It's a woman I met on my training board. She wants a good wild horse trim, and she's willing to work with me and let me learn by working on her horses. I also told her I'd be thrilled to start showing her the ground work, etc. I told her all I really wanted was enough money to cover my gas, and then if she thinks I am doing a good job with them in a couple months, a testimonial for my website. That's all I want right now. I have, potentially, four clients right now, but none of them are closer than 100 miles away!! :eek: Oh well .. hope business picks up fast. I need a new car. :D

All right, quick post here.

Jolly -- good, that's the attitude I like to see, doberman or boxer...(docked or au naturel?) Did you get a ride in? I hope so. Weight lifting orientation, huh? Sounds good! Haven't you been doing weights though? What do you usually do at the gym?

Raven -- glad to hear you're hanging cool. A pit bull, eh? Yes! Cool beast. Oh, God, do I ever hear you on the money woes. I sure hope your work with the horses picks up. That sounds good with you getting your first paying client. You gotta start somwhere I guess to pick up customers. I'd be careful about doing that with too many people in your area though. You want to leave the close ones for the big money. Maybe you could do the freebies on the ones far away. Well, good luck!


Well, I'm just too busy here. Derby's tomorrow, but all the work is for the big race next week. I came home to find a check from Hong Kong when they promised to wire me money. It wasn't much but I can use anything. So, I've just launched off a few emails asking them to get to the bottom of it. Checks here are a real pain. Takes a month to get your money and that's after you find a bank. Damn, I was checking my account for this dough, that's how pathetically strapped I am...

But, a great save. I turned down going out with the guys from working drinking tonight. They were like, come on! come on! and I said no, I had work to do. Good for me. That would always mean mega calories. The money would have been minimal cause there was some unbelievable special on tonight at this bar but still....

Besides, I can drink for free after the race tomorrow if I really want to. Today I did good with exercise, got a ride in, and then went to work, two hours late but still...

Ok, that's all for now.

Others, you okay? Chachee, happy, derry, anyone I miss? Come out, come out....

Hi all. Huge congrats to you Raven, on your first paying customer. way to go. And to you too, Red on the save.

I did get a ride in last night. Not a great one, as I brought my bad mood in with me, and it rubbed off on the pony. I was finally able to realize what I was doing, and we were both able to get over it though.

No, Red, I have not been doing weights. I hate weights, even though I love the results. So, I have not been doing them. I just do cardio at the gym right now. So I am getting oriented on a different type of weights - free motion - in hopes that this will motivate me to do them again. I hope. I need to do something right. though duct taping my mouth shut would be a great start.

Have a wonderful weekend all!

Ok, jolly, I see. But what are free motion weights? Never heard of this. You don't just mean free weights, do you? In any case, I hope they are something that you will enjoy and that will get you doing them! Good luck!

No, not free weights. Just the brand name of a different type of weight machine. More pulleys. Uses more core muscles to stabilize then seats and machine parts. We shall see how it goes.

Did well last night at the wedding reception. They had a dessert buffet. I had some pineapple. Two chocolate dipped strawberries. And one piece of cheesecake. Came home, and was able to refrain from eating any junk food.

Today, didn't do any exercise except riding, and walking around the horse show.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Hey chickies,
First holiday weekend of the summer. Yay! Life has been busy lately - too busy. I have not been in the dieting frame of mind although I really should. And I really haven't had anything much to say. That kind of mood where you type something and then it sounds stupid so you erase it a few times and by then it's late and you're tired so you just sit in the background quietly. That's how it's been for me.

Anyway, enjoy your 3 day weekend and Red, I hope they get you the money they owe you. I'm going to see if I can find my motivation lurking the bottom of one of my still packed up boxes in the garage... :mag:

rainy day monday.........
 

Ooooh Red, after being here this spring I can now imagine just how lovely your city will be. Oohing and ahhing for you. And a few ah-choos thrown in as I suppose you have the cascades of pollen that all those lovely flowers bring too. It sounds gorgeous tho.

Today will be spent clearing out the upstairs master bedroom which has become holding area number 2 for all the stuff we didn't know what to do with yet. But the mattress for the guest bedroom (that we're in now) is coming next week so we have to make room to relocate the bedrooms again. My family is coming the end of June for a week long visit. I can't wait. Lots to do to get ready though.

I did break down and buy some new clothes for work yesterday. Including a pair of pants that I just love but needs about 10 pounds off me before they will zip right. The fact that I love them but they didn't have a larger size was an omen that I should work hard on the diet this month. 10 pounds by the family visit? Can I do that? Sure I can :yes: Ok, get cracking girl.

To those having a holiday today - celebrate and enjoy the day off. To poor Red across the seas, don't work too hard - I'll save a bit of fruit salad and some BBQ chicken for you :cheers: :)

Hi all. Day two without a workout other than dog walking and show walking. My allergies are acting up horribly. I feel miserable.

Yes, Red, there are a lot of shows around here. The ones I go to have a little bit of everything. One of the girls from my barn does sidesaddle on top of everything else. I got to walk a lead line rider around today. REason number 1 to have a child. He was so cute.

Have a great day all.

Hi guys, sorry I pulled a dissapearing act for a few days. How is everyone?
I have been away, and took some time with the kids exploring Boston for fun. Haven't been awfully well behaved food-wise, but not all that bad either, kind of in between, I guess.
My dad is still not well, they have started Hospice with him, which kind of tells us all what is going on...
Linda

Linda, sorry to hear about your dad. :grouphug: Is there any way to find out what's going on or are you stuck with whatever your mom choses to (or not) tell you? Sounds like it was good though to get away with the kids for a bit. You really do need to have a stress relief valve as you do no good laying next to your dad in a hospital room of your own.

Hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend. Why do the weekends go by so quickly even when we get an extra day :dunno: Things must be blooming in the great midwest, eh Jolly? I picked up a box of Claritan myself today -going to try that for the first time, I'm usually an Actifed person as Benedryl does nothing for me.

Hi Happy and everyone. Thanks for your group hug. I think I know enough that I don't even know if I want to have any conversations. Allergies around here are running wild as well. All the rain we had contributed to a huge boom of every flower, tree and plant all coming into bloom at once, it's lovely but an allergy nightmare.
Getting away with the kids was a good thing. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe' as well as to the top of the Prudential Building yesterday and walked all around Boston. It was fun, so many "interesting" people.
One of the things that amazes me the most about Boston is the number of coffee places that have sprung up just about everywhere. You can see that caffeine (which I love as well) is the "drug of choice" for America! Dunkin Doughnuts, Krispy Creme and Starbucks are everywhere. We went in a Starbucks and it was amazing how many people were in there with laptops on line as well. My DH tells me that Starbucks has wireless networking all set up so people can access the internet with their laptops in there, amazing.
We walked all around Newbury Street (the posh shopping area like the Rodeo Drive of Boston, sort of) and up by Berklee College of Music (where my son wants to go) as well as drove (once it starting pouring rain and we headed for the car) all around by Boston's Fanuiel Hall Marketplace and the Waterfront. We headed over by the Statehouse and Cambridge on our way out of "town". It was a nice day and a distraction.
Linda, the country gal who rarely gets into the city

Glad to hear you got a chance to relax, Derry, and hope for the best with your parents.

I feel like I take 1 step forward, then 3 steps back. My allergy problems resulted in some pretty bad chest congestion. I was up most of the night, and am dealing with a low grade fever today = no work out this morning. Plus, unless I feel a whole lot better this afternoon, I won't be able to go ride, and with working the part time job Wed and Thurs, I won't be able to get to the barn until Friday. Sucks.

Enough of that. I hope everyone has a good day.

Going to try to catch up. I ended up doing two horses on Saturday, one for my friend from the board, and one for a friend of hers. Both were overdue for trims, and took a while. The first was not only overdue, but unusually hinky about holding up her feet. ANYway... long story short, it was a pretty physically intensive day. I have the bruises to prove it. ;)

Then Sunday I get a semi-panic e-mail from a friend in Florida.. her farrier is in England, and her 5 horses need a trim because their hooves are all chipping badly. Sooooo, sucker that I am, I run around like a chicken with my head cut off, get things done around the house, and make a 5 hour drive to her house. Get there late, trim two horses, fall asleep. Wake up, trim three horses, and make the 5 hour drive back on Monday. No money to speak of, but possible repeat and new business. She's thinking of transitioning me into her primary farrier, and there's a breeder down the road with 14 broodmares who never wear shoes who might consider using me as her farrier. That would be awesome!

ANYway... I did so well on food and water, and I think my exercise kind of got taken care of, considering everything. I did pilates Sunday morning down there just to stretch myself out. I didn't work out this morning, but maybe tonight I'll do pilates again, my back is tight. Not sore, just tight. Then perhaps tomorrow will be running.

It's beginning to look like I'll be at that 10 pounds down by the end of the week that I was aiming for as my goal. I started my period yesterday, so that's throwing things off.

Jolly - I'm so sorry you aren't feeling well. Drink lots! Hopefully you can beat it quickly and get back on track. :)

Red - These are actually (other than the second one on Saturday) chicks I've met on another board who train using the same methods I use. We've known each other now for a couple years, gone through a lot on the boards, and they're giving me a chance to train on their horses. I appreciate that a lot. The flowers there sound absolutely beautiful. I have wisteria in my front yard, and I LOVE it.

Happy - I was in that headspace for a long, long time, so I can really understand it. *hug* Ten pounds by the end of June? That's my goal, too. So what are you going to do to achieve your goal, chica? :D

Derry - Sounds like you had a nice time, and Boston sounds like a cool place. As long as you can avoid the donuts... :D I'm sorry about your dad. It's hard, I know. Mine has been in an extended care home for a couple years now, and .. it's sad.

Well, it's only taken me like 4 hours to try to get this written, so .. back to work for me! Happy Tuesday!

OK. I don't think I can manage 10 pounds by the end of June - I'll go with 8. Two pounds for each week. Now, off to bed, recovery, exercise, and good food. Congrats on the potential business, Raven.

on all fours.......but at least i'm crawling........
 

Red - Wouldn't you? To help out a friend in need? But since you seem to wonder... Beverly has had a rough time. Last year, three of her horses were killed by a single lightning strike. It was devastating to her. She was able to get ahold of the breeder who had sold her one of the horses, a yearling QH, and she offered Beverly the opportunity to buy her dam at a very low price, and she would already be bred. Beverly reluctantly agreed to the breeding. Well, the dam (Boots) suffered an infected placenta, and the foal was born with neurological damage after a very traumatic induced labor. The mare had to be taken in to the hospital with the foal in the hopes of saving either one of them. Well, they saved the mare, but the foal started going downhill about three days after birth. She had to make the decision to put him down. This whole mess cost her a LOT. Not just in money, but emotionally. Chaos was the name of the foal, and he was Miri's half brother... and Miri is one of the ones she lost to lightning.

Now .. regardless of whether it makes sense or not, I love Beverly. She's been there for me so often. If I could help make her life a little easier by driving down to visit while she teaches me some really cool training stuff and I get experience working on her horses.. that's good enough for me. ****, I'd do it for you if you weren't in Japan. Sometimes you gotta give to get, yaknow? It looks like she may very well pick me up as her regular trimmer (for full price) and not only that, but there might already be 6 more horses owned by a friend of hers that need trimming - for full price. I think of it as an investment in my future, and my friendship. And honestly, my friendships are worth their weight in gold. I don't have many people I consider a friend.

Hi Raven, oh, God, I do it too much, giving....

I actually didn't find your wanting to help her out so strange, not strange at all. What I found strange was not reading that she offered you anything. I mean, you said, her regular farrier was out of town. Ok, fine. If he were in town, she'd have gone to him, and paid him, no? So I would think she would want to pay you, would at least offer. I mean, damn, five hours driving!? She called you? I don't know, maybe she was really panicking and was just bowled over by what you did for her and is too embarrassed to offer you money. But, she knows how strapped you are I assume.

I don't know. I am more concerned for you, Rave, and hope you're not being used because you're so nice. You say she's been there for you a lot though so all's probably dandy. I'm a bit jaded with the "give to get" stuff anymore because I've been screwed over by the people who did the getting part so much. Hard to give in a world that values material things so much, a world that seems to have such a hard time expressing anything in anything but material terms....talking about here...that is.

In any case, it's next to impossible for us here on the board to know a situation, truly know it. From the sounds of it, with her likely to take you on as a regular and the other work form her friend, it sounds like this is one time where things really do work out with that rare logic.....that precious and even rarer........good things happen to good people kind of karma. It is my hope that good things really do and continue come your way, Raven!! :yes:

Red - She paid for my gas, that's all I asked her to pay. She fed me, let me stay overnight at her place, and let me use her shower. :D She's a wonderful, giving, caring person. I wasn't being used in the slightest. Been there, done that. I have my cynical moments too. As a matter of fact, I have one of those 'iffy' situations coming up this weekend. Another friend has asked me to drive down to Macon to trim her horse - she usually does him herself, but hasn't had the time lately. Soooooo.... I offered her the same first time deal. Pay my gas, feed me, we'll have a good time thing. But with her, I'm a little more cautious about what might happen going forward. But I'm still basically the kind of person who will let people hang themselves. Give them a chance, see what happens. :)

all's well that ends well..........
 

new thread on the way?