|
Saphira77
|
read my profile
sign my guestbook
Name: Kelly
Country: United States
State: Kentucky
Metro: Lexington
Birthday: 7/17/1984
Gender: Female
Interests: dressage, sport pony, reading, writing, soccer, hockey, sleeping, design, and whatever floats my fancy that paticular moment.
Expertise: Writing, Design, in other words, I make things pretty and useful.
Occupation: Journalist.
Industry: Other
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
AIM:  tempichange717
MSN: tempichange@hotmail.com
Member Since:
12/28/2005
|
|
| Grab hold and don't let go
My internet was down for a good portion of the weekend, don't know how, don't know why, but for the week to two weeks this place will be quiet. Especially after the celebratory week I had.
Yes, I indeed turned 24. Almost a quarter of a century old. I don't feel it, but then again, I haven't really realised or written my age down yet.
It was a good birthday. It was a good birthday with several delicious karmatic resolutions that have echoed in from last year.
Last year I suppose you can call transformational, it was a crucible for these years, and I'm happy now that it occurred. I'm even happier that much of my predictions are coming true.
It also meant eating tons of rich food in massive quantities and while the triple-chocolate birthday cake isn't completely gone, my waistline is. I spent a good portion of the week past Thursday as a air balloon at work that couldn't be brought down. Didn't help that I didn't get to ride and probably won't until I get back.
Birthdays also mean gifts, and I got my run of unusual ones. The boy gave me a desk (have to go pick it out), and then we went in together on a point and shoot Nikon, Kitty sent along the same theme, a gift certificate to Pier One and even mum and dear old da sent along some cash. The Canadian and I went out to dinner at Regatta, spent several hours at Jo Beth were I splurged on books and reintroduced him to Bronte Cafe. There are several more, but they're in development and I'm excited about the possibilities.
But in all honestly, this month has been one giant lead up to this week.
Yep, this week the Canadian and I book it north to the Maple Leaf Nation. While the poor man is stressing out about getting everything done, I'm finishing up the last bits of deadline work and clearing off the proverbial desk so I have nothing waiting for me when I come home. Packing is the hardest part. The two last major things I need to do is exchange out cash and visit the DMV. Tomorrow, Sinari goes over to Deer Haven for her vacation with the broodmares (the back to work come August 2).
Despite all fun times, the weeks of partying and activity caught up to me, I crashed late Sunday and been cat napping here and there, even fell asleep in the bath tub today. I suppose I need to keep it mild this week. But I am excited.
| | |
| PublishedPublished
Finishing up deadlines prior to leaving the states is always fun, got
one project cleared off the list, two more to go through (Jeffersonian
and barn call to clear).
but here's one behind the cut
| | |
| Hard to concentrate
In my lifetime, I've spend approximately a week going to weddings.
That's about 168 hours of sugar-induced, rich-food coma, dresses, heels, ties, nuptials and a high-stress environment where anything and usually everything happens. And no, that doesn't include the time I have planned, photogged, designed, or executed them.
In the grand scheme of things, it isn't a lot of time (I've spent years in a barn, probably more so in an educational setting), but still it's a lot of time on the subject I like to avoid the most-- love.
At one point, yes, I was the constant dreamer. I wanted to be the
waif-ishly thin girl in the white dress, with the uber-perfect, if not
large (make that socially mega large) event, the husband who not only
looked great in tails and was secure both in life and financially. No, I didn't go as far as planning out seating arrangements or picking
musical scores, but I'd be lying if I hadn't thought about it. Yes,
it was a white picket fence dream. I was at one point well on my way to getting what I wished for.
I left that idea years ago and it still haunts and scares me that, at one time, I wanted it badly and I'll end up like that. It scares me that two-thirds of my girlfriends have yet to experience their lives because they were obsessed with finding Mr. Right that they forgot to include themselves in the picture. It petrifies me that their mothers are counting down the days to when I say my 'I do's'.
I've since then been re-schooled and redefined what it means to be conjoined and to be happy with someone.
Then we've all heard the songs: love hurts, all you need is love, stop in the name of love, love is a many splendid thing, etc., and it's all put stars in our eyes and amore in a few places where amore should be. We've all been through disastrous weddings, unions that make drinking arsenic seem like fun and weddings and relationships that make us reach for a better ideal not only with our own plans, but within ourselves as well.
I've been lucky (most cases: unlucky) to attend ones that have made an undeniable impression. Saturday was a cumulation point for me. Between the rain, running barefoot through clover in a polka dotted dress stringing taffeta and ribbons, sweating in southern heat, dropping glassware, loosing/finding my earrings, being a step in and intermediary, slow dancing (very badly) in heels to Barry White I managed to witness something that very few people realise that their witnessing.
A wedding is more than a party, it's more than a union of two people, it's more than a lot of things and for the first time, I realised what it should be. For me, it was a witnessing of two equals coming together, and not only realising that equality, but celebrating, supporting and working towards their life together. For while love is a many splendid thing, it isn't easy, it's a long difficult road. They have found happiness within another, they have found that which is essential is invisible to the eye.
It's rare, special and I probably won't see it again.
| | |
| Parting of the ways
It would only seem right to top off the uber-busy recovery week with strange events and news.
My LSAT scores came back.
Not so hot either.
It's a 141, which to me, means utter failure. To get into school I need to pull a 156 or better. I boiled it down to timing issues. I needed to be quicker. It didn't help that I was solidly booked and coming home around 8pm to study. So the boy and I are going to be trying again soon.
The fact was compounded by an all out phone brawl with dear ol' da, who, to his delight his first born (e.g.: me) is taking an active interest in J.D. schooling. His disappointment lies not in the score, but rather the area of school. It's no real secret in my family that we're a bunch of lawyers. We hold legacy with some pretty spiffy names on the eastern seaboard and haven't ventured south since 1865. Dear ol da has been gun ho about Boston and New England ever since I could talk. He's also been pushing me to leave the equestrian world since 1987.
I love New England, I love New York, I like where I lived for what felt like eons.
But here's my no secret: I don't want that life. While I lived there, it never felt like home.
At least, I never felt like it was home and to be honest, it's not conducive to what I want to do as a person. I don't want dear ol da's firm, I don't want to live in a New Jersey suburb. I want my horses, I want my land and I want my space.
Explaining this to the family has been an exercise in futility. To the point where I don't mention anything that's seriously going on in my life, or worrying me.
He pushed hard and sweetened the pot with being able to pull some strings at Boston and New England to get me in. The exchange: sell the mare.
That would be a fuck no.
It's still at a draw. But those wounds still hurt.
It hurts a bit worse than my bum at the moment.
Sinari and I parted gravitational ways on Friday. Four days off from a show, decided to go hack out during polo practise. Chalk it up to a full moon, and the change in weather, but she motored along in what can only be called a road trot. She was huge, a lit powder keg. One smack of that ball in a blind spot and she was out of there and I couldn't move fast to keep up.
I hit the turf.
She was rather shocked. I was rather amused. Got back on, schooled in the arena, then schooled back out in the field. The next day, picked up a mallet and worked her with it. She wasn't happy but was alright by the end.
I've been meaning to cut loose for a bit, and thankfully a friend's bachelorette party provided. Awesome time. Many bad photos that will never see the light of day. Too much wine. Planning on taking it easy for Sunday and then back to the Jungle for Monday.
| | |
| Storm in a teacup
Sorry for the late week update.
I've been recovering steadily from the weekend via unpacking, rearranging, cleaning and finishing up editorial duties. Plus some stuff fell in my lap last night that I need to sort out in regards to ponies.
Two hundred plus miles, plus two hundred plus photos and two pages of article work, I'm kinda sorta caught up with it all (articles need more fleshing). I'm no less exhausted, but pleased.
Starting from the top we went to Pony Cup as a single team. The show itself was fabulous, we were treated to some class competition and treated like royalty the entire time. Reconnected with some of the welsh group. Love Paxton's footing. The only thing I can pick on is slow scoring, but when it's held in conjunction with a major show, I guess we get the side
Left Friday evening without much fanfare, got stuck in traffic around Williamstown for two hours and arrived about 8 in the evening.
Already the mare was on fire, she responded to the cool change of weather and new surroundings. She schooled all the second level, and pulled off some fan-freaking-tastics mediums.
I think that's where the easy part left off and where things started to get hairy.
Saturday dawned early. I woke to being eaten alive by various insects, really uncomfortable quarters, and being rained on by the bi-polar weather. I was still tired and sorely lacking in humor due to no caffeine. I couldn't find the vet/TD for the pony card stuff and I wasn't on my game for interviews.
My time was pushed back by 90 minutes because of said rain and I rode at 7ish with enough pony-eating puddles to really make me reconsider the entire thing.
We gunned the first test, hell, we gunned the entire warm up. Made her super hot.
It was more or less dressage on some sort of speed, rode it as accurately and boldly as possible (despite shaky but quickly draining footing in ultra humid weather and blinding sun) and was rewarded with fifth place and my final score of 63.333 to complete out my first two scores for bronze. Nothing below a 6, 7's on the lengthenings.
I'm OFFICIALLY done with the forsaken level and I was jumping up and down the barn rows.
Rode first four for the hell of it with the same results, above 60 percent (62.666?) with some minor stuff here and there. Over warmed her up, she was still hot from the day before and wouldn't come back as quick as I wanted her to.
I also splurged a bit and purchased photos (Bob didn't make her so flat). Will scan them as soon as I find a scanner.
Drove home in headwinds and then promptly collapsed with the boy on the couch. Gorged on food and was happy show season is on pause for the next month, month and a half. Until Thursday, she's on rest, then we start out again for a light July and get serious in August again for our second level bid.
Life resumed as normal on Monday, going into work. Speaking of the Jungle, things have slightly improved. I've been laterally switched over to doing QA with the Canadian and Kentuckian. It's been great fun learning all the new processes and I've been trying to learn everything as quickly and comprehensively as possible. I don't want to go back to IC.
Aside from show and articles, I'm looking forward to the weekend. I finally get to go out and be a bloody girl. Still need to sort out some details regarding current drama with an opportunity. But I'll figure it out.
And the countdown officially begins for CANADA.
| | |
|
