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Couple updates...

Eye is healing nicely, lens has settled into the pouch and the faerie rings are gone, and I don't require reading glasses for type size 12 points or higher. The doctor told me that when the swelling goes down over the next couple weeks, my vision will improve even more

And I'm spending today getting ready to travel up to Olympia Washington for Go For Baroque, the NW Andalusian breed regionals. My room in town includes a fridge and microwave so I'm going to save a little money and pick up a couple microwave dinners from Kashi. Cilantro shrimp and orange chicken, friends!

But this isn't "Feed the Beast," and thus onwards...

It's my first time riding in the Regionals and I've spent the past two weeks drilling, drilling, drilling every day. Tagie and I finally worked out our language. I spent an hour in the saddle yesterday. He just kept giving, giving, giving and I had a GREAT ride. His canter take-offs are to die for and his turn on the quarter is a dream. I'm going to do my flat best out there in the ring and hopefully, it's good enough to place.

Ifinally got my English riding habit together. I have to say, it's pretty dowdy. Pale lemon yellow shirt, black coat with lapels, white gloves, and breeches that they say are "willow"-coloured but it just looks like plain beige sand. The most exciting things about the whole outfit are my stock pin and the boots. The latter are shiny black, strong enough to deflect bullets and come all the way up to my knee tendons with "Spanish tops," meaning they have a kind of extension that rises above the top of the boot and protects the knee on the outside. I wish they let us wear tricorn hats in the English division, like the old classical equestrian schools wear...

Let's just say I'm kind of jealous of the Spanish riding division, they get more and better colour choices.

Anyway, I'm riding in four classes: Opportunity Walk-Trot English Pleasure, Half Andalusian English Pleasure Junior Horse, Half Andalusian English Pleasure Amateur and Half Andalusian Dressage Suitability Amateur. He's competing head-to-head with the Barn Star, Jefe, in a couple of those, and for once I'm not taking a blue ribbon for granted. But, like I said, challenges are to be faced.

Epona bless!

Well summer school ended yesterday and I passed!! plus Im sorry to say guys but Ill be gone for another week to be on vacation with my friend. Yeah we are going to the same place we went last time. Staying at the beach in a condo.

moving to louisville, ky next weekend. i've decided theres nothing for me in this military community, sense i cant join. hopefully better oppertunities will be there...

Have you tried for employment with defense contractors by chance?

arnt contractors mostly just security forces etc. like just combat roles?

No. There are contractors for pretty much everything - from lawn maintenance, to vehicle maintenance (mechanics and such), tech support for various systems, development contractors, hell Boeing is a defense contractor. Yes, special security details are sometimes contracted out too.

Don't forget Computer Animators! I'm a contracted freelance CG artist.

Got back from the Andalusian breed regionals yesterday around 8:30PM.

Great news! <b>Meritage won the English Pleasure Reserve Championship!!!!</b>

Greater news! <i>I won my first BLUE RIBBON!! <u>EVER!!!!!</u></i> Opportunity Walk/Trot English Pleasure!

Best news of all! Tagie's still a crowd-pleaser, people were still going crazy over him. He's developing a solid and growing fan following. Even the judge loved him.

I definitely broached a learning curve this weekend, now I know what to do and what happens, from a practical personal level, at a Regional competition. I have a benchmark and a tangible goal to shoot for and measure my performance against. What that means is I can school and train more effectively now that I know what to shoot for and what winning feels like.

We're going to a schooling show locally in a couple weeks; then Cyndy takes the Andalusians up to Chilliwack BC for the Canadian Nationals, another schooling show and the third Regional in the Pacific Rim circuit in August. After I get back from Burning Man we're diving into more schooling and get me and him ready for the Friesian regional at the end of September. We'll show him in English Pleasure, Dressage Suitability, English Show Hack, Halter and Costume classes. English Pleasure is really becoming his forte and he LOVES showing, better yet. He loads happily and settles right into the show barns, curious and content when people come round to visit. Such a trooper...

I'm still on Cloud Nine over my first blue ribbon and Tagie's Reserve Championship. Cyndy is ecstatically proud of both of us. To think that this time last year I was still in the throes of chemo side effects!

Congratulations!

cumulusprotagonist wrote:For the curious...
I will leave on vacation at the end of this month.
I will leave no sooner than June 28.

This is my last post before I leave on vacation.

I will be gone from 4-6 weeks. I may or may not have internet access, but I definetly will not have as much time to be online (ironically). I will be visiting relatives.

cumulusprotagonist wrote:

cumulusprotagonist wrote:For the curious...
I will leave on vacation at the end of this month.
I will leave no sooner than June 28.

This is my last post before I leave on vacation.

I will be gone from 4-6 weeks. I may or may not have internet access, but I definetly will not have as much time to be online (ironically). I will be visiting relatives.

Hope you have fun

My wife Cathey has her hip surgery on July 9th. I've taken off a week worth of work afterwards to help her deal with the basics in the early part of recovery. It'll be a good two months before she's really back to normal, though the first two weeks or so are the roughest. She had the other hip replaced last year. She's needing it done because of avascular necrosis, an unusual arthritic condition that causes the joint to go out well ahead of its time.

Take good care of her I'm still unspeakably thankful for my friends and family rallying when I had my cancer surgery.

I hope she gets well soon Scott.

I got a job interview at walmart today, wish me luck and please tell me any advice you might have to help nail the interview.

Well...you could walk away and have nothing to do with them [/snark]

Sorry, couldn't resist...

I wish for the best for your wife scott.

And me I just got a job at Wal Mart. I'm working 10pm to 6:30am as a general merch stalker. Grave yard

But i get paid 8.70hr and 9.70 on sundays not bad for a guy that is just starting out. I don't know when i start, but they said that they'll call me when get my drug test results back.

for anyones information i just asked Fig. if he would erase my accnt here at the pack...

i will not explain the reasons why.... i will check back here to ensure its done....if it is.... i will not be back....

goodbye *howls*

Oh Scott..I do hope she takes it well..Sending some howls her way

Congrats on the Job Anubis Hope you get the job there Vri an congrats on the English Pleasure Reserve Championship

Take Care cumulusprotagonist, have fun hope you do return

White Paw - if you do decide to leave here I'll be very sorry to see you go.

Awww cmon White Paw.

Some freind you are. Leaving like this. I cant understand. You can simply come back when you have time or want to.

I havent been able to be on as much because my computer is still down.

Gahhh!

Why is everybody leaving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Actually, due to some troubles in my own family, I might be online a bit less myself. I'm not leaving though. Just might be on less regularly. Just FYI.

Everyone has their own reasons to go, stay, take a vacation, et al. It's just like a brick-and-mortar community (well, unless you're on Molokai, HI, where nobody ever leaves). The difference is that you can stay or leave much more quickly, because whether you delete your account on a forum or not, you can leave it all behind with just a thought. None of us possess anything here like we do in the real world - it's the comraderie and friendships that bind a group together, nothing more. When those are maintained through other places, then the centers of action migrate. Am I making any sense?