Fernando came today to give Cook a work over (concerning her buck-y canter and that knot on her fetlock).

Fernando looks at the fetlock knot and determines it’s a kick or a bang and the “least of my problems”.

So moves on to “back soreness” tests. She registers from left to right diagonal. Another words: she’s back sore.

So onto flexions tests. On the right hock, she scores a 1 and 2 on the ankle and hock respectively. On the left hock, she scores a 2 and 3 respectively. (postive numbers are bad… sound horses are negative)

He wants to see me ride her so we tack up and head down to the ring. I was a lil on the nervous side cause 1 - Cook hadn’t been worked for 8 days, 2 - it was rainy/muddy outside (cook ain’t a fan of inclement weather) and 3 - Fernando is a GOOD rider. Not exactly someone I wanna look like a shom’ron in front of or worse, get thrown off my horse in the mud in front of. It turns out I had nothing to worry about. Cook was pretty damn good. She was FRESH!! HOT!! But it could have been much much worse. I was more worried cornering in the mud, thinking ‘please don’t fall and slip, cantering in the mud’. So the good part was she showed the off-ness I was talking about. Meredith said I did fine so that made me feel better.

Fernando takes X rays and will get back to me when he develops them. The severity will determine the treatment. It will definitely be the next level of treatment, either adequan or injections. I don’t really want to go to injections (essentially numbing the pain part so she doesn’t feel it… means that the joint will still deteoriate) but I may not have a choice.

I expected this. I know Cook like the back of my hand. I spend the most time with her, riding time, down time, feed time, hang out time… I KNOW her. I KNOW it was not behavioral. It makes me feel better that our vet has confirmed it and that we can now do something about it towards trying to find a medical solution.

I love that mare.

Here is a pic that Eric snapped today. I’m hugging on Cook.

So let me sum up the Austin - Raleigh trip. I don’t like to use bad language on this blog because my sister and young un’s from the barn real this.

It &%#*(%&&(#%&&(#%#)_()*#$(#%.

Traffic was horrid. I do mean H-O-R-R-I-D. It rained. Alot. Both days.

So I go get my jeep from Theresa’s house. Get in. Drive off. So I’m on Cary Parkway, 1.2 miles from my house when I go to pass a lady and my jeep dies. Long story short, gotta park it in the median. So of course Eric is following me in the Acura, so I hop in there and we drive home. We get home, bring 1 bag in, order a pizza when the CARY police department comes to my door, wanting to me to remove my jeep from the median.

&%#*(%&&(#%&&(#%#)_()*#$(#%.

I think we have established that the jeep isn’t moving anywhere tonight. God Bless them, I’m a friend of the police and support their efforts to keep our great city afloat. With that said however, u guys don’t have anything better to do than to harass me about my broken down jeep whose engine is still warm, because ur worried about the high-rollers with the million dollars homes calling in a complaint cause the median grass wil be dented?

Cut me a break.

Tomorrow has to be better.

The only places I wanted to go were Michaels and Hobby Lobby to get craft supplies for cross stitch and scrapbooking stuff. I am supposed to be working on a second scrapbook album of family and friends but I am drawn to keep taking pictures of Cook and adding to her scrapbook.

I already have several “photo shoots” for Eric to do when we get back for more scrapbook pages.

Apple Days (pics of sharing apples with Cook… it’s the funniest thing… also Cook and Aurin sharing apples… that is too cute too)
Galloping pics
Christmas pics

I wish I could think of some more “shoots” we could do, but the pickin’s are getting slim.

The time has already FLOWN by already! We leave tomorrow to start our journey back to Raleigh.

I made it to Austin. The flight out of Nashville was delayed but it was all good. Non eventful. The planes had heat and a working bathroom, so right there it was a step up from the last time I flew.

For Thanksgiving, Eric and I went to his friends Mike and Jami’s to eat. Good times. Food was awesome. I ate too much. But who doesn’t on Thanksgiving?

Eric took some cute pics of Addie. Go here.

I hope everyone had a peaceful, wonderful day.

I have some questions . discontinuity problems wit this show.

1) Why did the Others send in Ethan only to steal Claire and Charlie, but send in Goodwin and a WHOLE tribe of Others to terrorize the smaller group of castaways? If “goodness” is a pre-req for getting kidnapped, what’s Sun’s issue? She married beneath her? Although that is a crime, I don’t that registers on the Other’s radar.

2) Why, not even TWO episodes ago they were hyped about getting into the hatch to protect themselves from Others and apparently that threat has passed. Jacks’ playing golf and Charlie strumming the guitar!

UGH UGH UGH!!

Is anyone out there watching Lost? what do u think?

my house is quiet. sadness. I miss my two dogs. Rich has them. I’m sure they are having fun with their cousin Bashiedo.

I saw Cook, cleaned her up and hugged her neck for a long time. 4 days! I wont see her for 4 days!

Off to bed cause I have an early flight to catch.

RDU to Nashville to Austin

man am I sleepyyyyyyy!

and I got alot of sleep last night.

So today I worked, had lunch with Mere and saw Cook. She was caked in mud…. which is par for the course, cause Cook ain’t the most “let me not wallow in the mud” horse out there. So I was hosing her legs and her knot on her fetlock was big (ger) today than it has been the past few weeks. So I wrapped her in furazone sweat standing wraps. I’m goin to go out tomorrow and (fingers crossed) work her. Then may put her back in wraps. Dunno. Or may give her a hug and say see u on Monday. Dunno.

Mere and Eric know this… but I loveeeeee wrapping. I love doing standings. Maybe cause doing standings is an art form. Eric doesn’t believe this. He thinks it looks easy. To the under-trained non-horse person eye, standings are nothing more than tighter polos. Just wrap that leg like a mummy and there ya go! Noooooooooo….. it’s a learned skill. Taught (a couple of times actually, I wasn’t THAT quick of a study) by Jedi Master Meredith. It helps that I wrap Cook in polos every day and she has been in standings half a dozen times the past year. I’m VERY snobby and judgey when it comes to other people’s wraps. Ride badly, show badly, jump badly…. I won’t say a word.

Put ur horse in loose standings that are down around his ankles the next morning. I will talk junk.

Prison Break was good to me last night. Some people are not happy with the leaps of believability u have to swallow but the irony to me is these are the same people who watch Lost. Have I mentioned how I wish I could stop watchin that show? Ana Lucia is just ugh, blech! I wish the Lost producers would sayid her right into a canceled contract.

2 days until Austin …

Also I should have blogged this yesterday but I’m a slack loser.

Happy Birthday Camden!

u are and always have been one of my closest friends. no matter what geographical boundaries separate us, know I will always have ur back. 30 is the best!

love always,
crys

So i’m sitting here exhausted and wanting to do absolutely NOTHING since I got home from the barn. I’m just tired. I wanted to go back over and check on Ash but I was just so tired.

I rode Cook today with Lauren WIGGUMS and it was pretty good. She was pretty fresh cause she had some days off but she was trying hard. We followed Lauren’s plan for the day - Caveletti work. (I’m describing this in laymens’ terms for the non-horse people). Basically, we have 3 different sets of poles on the ground (4 poles a piece) and u trot over them. U can also raise the poles slightly off the ground in order to try to get ur horse to lift their legs higher over the poles (while maintaining a trot). So it sounds elementary but it’s harder than it sounds.

So Cook went over trot poles… A+ Raised poles… hmmm.. not so much. 1st time we went through after the 2nd pole, she said to hell with this and jumped the last two (cantered). which was fine in order to not trip and die.. but not exactly the point. So then we went back over the opposite direction and she tripped over pretty much all of them. LOL. nice. So I decided that Cook is not the best… let’s change it up. So Lauren set up some poles where it was trot, trot, jump, canter last pole. Cook did beautifully. So I did canter and we still have the same issues. I did make her canter on with the right lead but it’s just not the lovely Cookie Canter. On the left lead, she did well but made me laugh cause she did a big BUCK- KICK out…. that wasn’t naughty or hurt… that was WOOOHOOOO!!! I’m out and about!!!! She was fast.. but it’s colder, and she’s TB so what do u expect? So overall, I was pretty happy with her.

So on other news if u wanna see something funny, go here . I have always wondered what the heck that song was talking about.

Wentworth Miller (whom I love and adore) is one of GQ’s Man of the Years. Here are his pictures. Sigh.

The next to last Prison Break is on tomorrow. Stinks. I want this show on year round.

Well I really should DO something to prepare for Eric’s arrival. The house is in disarray. I have clothes EVERYWHERE.

nite all.

Hi.

In the gallery are a few pics of Meredith and Aaron (only 4 posteds Mere can share hers with everyone … ) under “Meredith and Aaron Wedding” and then some pics of Isabel Kerr… under “Isabel Kerr 11-19-05″.

-cgl

Saturday Plans - Mere is getting married and going to Ashley’s to help out with the kids.

9:00AM I’m awake but still in bed. Thinking I really need to get up considering I’m picking up the bouquet and the flowers for the groom, family etc at 11. I have to go get flowers, take them to Second Empire (reception site) and then take the rest to the church.

1030AM Trying on various clothing items. Its cold outside and all my decent stuff is more summer gear. I wanna wear pants but I don’t have a good ‘wedding top’. So I wear my Japanese dress, which is fine but it’s a size or two too big… so it sort of hangs on me weird. I think I look fat in all the pics. Also (anitra will chuckle…) “fat” arms are showing up. Ugh. Why can’t I look thin in pics!?

1115AM Hair is semi-curled. I’m running out the door.

1130AM The 3 places I need to go are all on the same street, Hillsborough St….. BUTTTTTTT the annual Raleigh Parade is going on! YIKES! UGH!! NO WAY!! So I talk to Mr Policeman and he informs me that I will have to park a few blocks away and walk to the parts of Hillsborough St. Which is TOTALLY not happening in my current high heel shoes. So I’m fanatically thinking… where downtown can I possibly buy shoes. I pull off the side of the road and lo and behold! I’m parked in front of a Goodwill! I run into the Goodwill and try on a billion pairs of flats…

** I would like to suggest to the Goodwill people that perhaps they should have little racks labeled with the size… or something. Geez.

I find a pair of flat shoes and run up to the counter to pay the $3.39. I whip out my visa and….
they don’t take visa.

** I would like to suggest to the Goodwill people that the world today is run by the checkcard. Cash is so circa 1990.

I run out to my car and drop out my change …. $1, $2, $3… $3 something.. I run back in and I’m 15 cents short. Nice. A nice Mr Policeman (Raleigh PD IN DA HOUSE!!) gives me a dollar!

I’m off and running…. wearing my Goodwill shoes.

Noon I get the flowers, make it to the church.

Mere is absolutely beautiful. Wedding goes off without a hitch. We go to 2nd Empire for the reception. Food is really yummy. I’ll post some pics in the gallery a lil later on. I’m too tired right now to get my camera out.

400PM I am headed to Ashley Kerr’s to help out with John John and Isabel. Ashley has been feeling under the weather so she’s in quasi-bed rest. It was pretty fun. Of course I took some pics. Awww.. I love the little babies! Makes me think back to Ariana. Time flies.

Collapsing. Bed.