Bad, Bad Blogger...

I can't believe how long it's been... seriously! Where did the last 2 weeks go????? I've been so busy but I kept meaning to go back and recreate... well at this point, all I can say to that is HA! So let me try and catch up here..

Been riding, yeah, lots!!! Not as much as I would like but it gets dark so darn early now... last week I did get a couple weeknight rides in because the moon was large and coming up at the right time... had our big fundraiser poker ride from my place, Kim from our riding group is self-employed as a dog groomer, had to have shoulder surgery - no insurance and no work for 3-4 months... we raised over $300 but wow the stress getting it all set up, and then the weather on the day of the ride... it was all worth it though to hand her that stack of bills and see the tears shimmering in her eyes... had me tearing up too! Made my final payment on my new horse Glory on Friday morning about 8:30, and Friday night about 8:45 SHE DUMPED ME! Well honestly it wasn't her fault, we were at class in the arena and there was a woman walking her dog on the path outside the arena, she came out from behind a bush in her BRIGHT ORANGE JACKET with her BIG OL' DOG right as we came around a turn, Glory jumped sideways and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stay on top... the teacher and my classmates say it was a very elegant fall, kinda slow motion, they all thought I was actually going to right myself and then finally *plop* but even though I didn't fall hard, it really got me... see I was having visions of Tammy's recent accident and I remember thinking "Please God no it's NOT my turn!!!!" I did get back on and do another exercise but I was pretty shaky and sore so after that I quit class early to go take some Aleve, love that stuff! Still sore but getting better all the time...

Winchester, the lil jack born 10/14, guess he thought I wasn't fast enough with the feed bucket, he raced by and kicked out and HIT MY KNEE! Tiny hooves but they still hurt!!! Both he and Mathilda are eating with their mamas, but Emily Ann, the "orphan" we are bottle feeding, is not at all interested in eating "big donkey" food with her pals... she is however playing with the mare-and-foal supplement, and the calf manna, but I have to give it to her at night - if I give it to her in the morning, the darn bird eat it all - and they poop all over her feeder! Just bought my FOURTH bag of milk replacer powder and I pray it's the last... it's expensive and it is a PITA to deal with that bottle. However I AM quite thankful that I have the igloo bottles and don't have to use little bottles and feed multiple times a day!!! I keep meaning to get new baby donkey pictures but I can't seem to get it done...

Part of the problem is that Randy had a second carpal tunnel surgery on his dominant right arm on the 17th, so he is one-handed... which means I am doing all of my own chores and most of his too. I can't say much but the day at the VA Hospital was just horrid... major stress and a real bummer. Sad to see what our veterans have to put up with to get their care... an anesthesiologist called in sick last minute which wasn't their fault, but it threw a HUGE wrench in the schedule and wouldn't you know it, the worst of the fall-out landed on Randy...

Also I have been cleaning up the yard. We have a bunch of "project material" that we are never going to be able to use now that Randy is more limited, so twice now I have loaded the flatbed with approximately TWO TONS of steel - by myself - to be hauled off for scrap. Sometimes I am not sure if I hurt because of getting dumped or because of the loading... but the yard is really coming along!!! Now to sucker someone into digging up old fence posts for me... THAT I just can't bring myself to tackle!

Gearing up for the Cave Creek/Carefree Lighted Christmas Parade again, it will be December 11th. That is also the date for the second fundraiser for Kim (see above) so I will have to leave early to get to the parade... and a LOT of my usual helpers won't be coming this year as they will be at the fundraiser. It's a good cause and I don't blame them but I was almost afraid I was going to have to cancel, having only 4 folks including me... then I sent an e-mail at work, and another to my friends privately, and finally put it on my facebook... NO MORE thoughts of canceling, and best of all for my blogger buddies, MIKEY is going to participate! And of course Mercy... Wade, having had enough of little donkeys and horses, is going to take pictures... I can't wait to read Mikey's blog post about the parade!!!

I am rather depressed this week too. Part of it is, my oldest flew into town last night but she is at her in-laws' place and I won't see her until tomorrow night - that is 48 hours I am missing with her!!! But I will have her all day Friday, and we are supposed to go riding and, I hope, have our traditional Macayo's dinner... she loves that place and claims there is no decent Mexican food in Salt Lake City... and I am feeling seriously trashed by my youngest, she FINALLY came by last night and picked up her dresser, I should be happy that she seems to be dealing with her life as it is now but I can't help it, I want her to be sad that she isn't home with me, I want to hear that she was wrong and she is sorry... and I really, REALLY want to hear that she has dumped that loser, @$$hole boyfriend of hers... I have to keep reminding myself to be thankful that I finally, FINALLY have peace in my home... and concentrate on the plans we have for making changes inside the house! It will be a long slow process and a lot of work but if we ever get it done, it will be SO NICE...

To all of you cooking out there for Thanksgiving, don't hate me, I don't have to cook a thing! Randy signed up for a relish tray for his family gathering and, although I may have to chop some veggies as he is still one-handed from his surgery, I plan to sneak in a lil ride with Laurie on Thursday morning before we head into town. Would rather stay home than do the in-law thing but hey, the food is always good :)

I am sure I have forgotten half a dozen things at least that I was going to tell you, and of course there are NO PICTURES {embarrassed} but I've got to rush off again...

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!