Hello Out There

So the last week totally sucked. I was so exhausted from my weekend travels and then crazy work schedule that I didn't have the energy to do my laundry or the dishes, much less post new blogs. Then, a series of annoying/crappy things happened (at everywhere from the stable to work) that left me in a blech mood. I started to write a post about all that garbage, and then I decided no one needed to hear me whine.

Soo...to get back into the swing of things, I thought I'd post about something superficial: clothing.

Right now I'm at work, wearing my riding jeans that haven't been washed in weeks. Leaving work and going directly to the stable presents a changing problem that is way more complicated than it needs to be. There's really no good place to change at Mae's barn, so I do it here, where I can either cram myself into a teeny, tiny bathroom stall that's close to my desk or walk about two miles through this huge building to a larger and more private bathroom, which also happens to be even farther away from where I park my car (already like a mile away) on the rare days I drive to work. So this morning I woke up and decided, screw it, I'm wearing the jeans. It's much easier to change into a sports bra and t-shirt in the itty bitty bathroom instead of doing an entire change.

I usually wear business casual clothing to work, but jeans are okay sometimes as long as I don't overdo it. For what it's worth, I tried to dress up the jeans with a nicer shirt and some jewelry. I asked the SO if he could tell I was wearing my horsey jeans, but he said there were no problems. And I can't detect any horsey smells (although you know what they say -- if you can't smell it, then it must be REALLY bad to everyone else).

Until recently, I wore breeches almost every time I rode. I'm not exactly fond of how they look (why why WHY do breeches have to be the single most unflattering type of clothing ever invented??) but they are comfortable and stretchy, so I like to wear them. I have a few pairs of riding tights that don't quite make me look like a sea cow, so those coupled with my high boots or half-chaps to balance out my lower leg is usually my first choice.

Until the bugs, that is. The non-sea-cow breeches also happen to be thin, and the last few times I wore them outside, I got attacked by bugs and didn't even know it until I started scratching my bum and discovered huge welts all over my lower body. Fantastic. So the jeans, while not as comfy, offer better bug protection. I might look into buying a pair of specially designed riding jeans -- the kind with flat seems, etc., not the kind with knee patches or some weird version of denim breeches (which is what my local tack shop tried to push on me when I asked what type of 'riding jeans' they had).

In conclusion, let's all hope I get through the day at work without any higher ups noticing that I care more about riding than I do about looking presentable at work. :)

On a happier note, this weekend I took Mae on a nice long trail ride with someone else from the barn! She did much better than I expected. A few spooks, and was very very "perky" as I say the whole time (read: I couldn't just sit back and relax the whole time). I don't think she's had much experience on the trail at all, but at least this time she didn't try to stop or refuse to go through the "ditch" (a very slight, dry dip on good terrain). Also, sometimes when I ride her out in fields or on the trail, she feels really crooked, especially at the trot and canter. It's weird, like she's not used to riding straight instead of in circles. Is this a common problem?

My riding buddy this weekend knows I have been sort of considering buying a horse. So when I mentioned it was possible Mae's owner might want to sell Mae, she was like, "There you go!! Just buy her."

I admit I thought about it. I know Mae, and compared to the problems other horses can have, she would be a somewhat safe bet. But I'm not thrilled with the fact that she's smaller than I'd like (I'm very tall and would like a nice big, chunky horse), her feet aren't the greatest (she will probably always require shoes), she likes to chew her stall up and she clearly is not the best trail horse in the world. If her owner outright asks me if I'm interested in buying Mae, I might at least speak to her about it. Not sure what will happen, though. I should probably make my first horse be more in line with what I want, right?

The trail ride was just part of my super relaxing, awesome weekend that featured naps, reading on the couch with my cat, a walk in the park and a fun night out with my SO. I finally feel refreshed and ready to face this week. Here's hoping it's better than the last. :)