I rode in the nasty weather today. The wind was blowing quite hard, knocking over jumps and generally spooking the horses. I thought it might be a recipe for disaster but actually everything went quite well. Today was all about the “sitting”. Sitting the canter and sitting trot. I half seat canter well. When I sit, everything starts to move….. torso and elbows. So I need a happy medium. Sitting trot - who doesn’t need to work on this? Its’ one of those necessary evils.

So Miss and Fox spooked quite a few times but managed to not spook so bad that we were ever in danger of coming off. More annoying than scary.

Anyone else ride in this mess?

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Still stopped up and sick.  This has been going on 6 days now!

I came home from the barn and slept 4 (FOUR) hours.  Holy Moly!  a 4 hour nap!  and no one called me to wake me up!  How awesome was that?

I have stayed up very late (1-3am) every night because I have been sick and un-able to sleep.  After riding today, my body just tuckered out.

This is a pic of Cook before I put her blanket on. She’s obsessed with dirt.

Look AT HER!! She’s DUSTY and DIRTY! UGH!

(even dirty tho… how cute is she?)

Everyone is asking about pics of the kitties. It is REALLY hard to get a decent pic of 3 squirmy, fat kitties. The lighting in my bedroom isn’t great to take these shots and I don’t wanna upset Little by taking them somewhere else.

and yes, you see who loves the kitties, and has to be in every shot. Birdie!

Aren’t the strongest, healthiest, furriest WEEK old kittens EVER?

2nd try

and 3rd.

I’m still fighting the ’sickies”.  I was actually worse today than I was yesterday.  The doctor gave me a prescription for an antibotic but told me to just hold onto it for a few days - if I didn’t get better, to fill it… cause it might mean this turned into a sinus infection.  If I don’t improve tomorrow, I’m gonna go fill the antibotic.

Generally today, I was weak, tired and just grouchy.  Eric has prolly bore the brunt of my short temperedness.  I’ve been pretty snappy with everyone.  I was snappy at the barn kids today too (sorry kids.  :-) … which was no fault of their own.  They’re old enough tho to handle it and realize people have bad days.  I finished up the barn so Meredith didn’t have to come back out, but I didn’t ride.  I’m gonna try and get back in the saddle tomorrow and it should be eventful… because I’m setting myself up …. it’s cold, windy, horses haven’t been ridden in a while and I’m sick, tired and short tempered!  Great job, Crystal!  Set yourself UP for success!

I do have a story - I’ve blogged about Missy and many people who read this know her… and what a grouch Miss can be.  Yesterday I was gonna give Cook a wormer so I pulled along the fence.  Was gonna just hop over and give it to Cook in the field.  Miss comes cantering up to me and just wouldn’t leave me alone!  I never did get to give Cook the wormer.  Then today, I went in the field to catch Cook and put her blanket on and Miss came up, wanting attention.  I actually rubbed on her…  affection!!  Now granted, she prolly really only wants me to treat her… but who here would think… missy = affectionate?

I used to say that Missy didn’t like me… she just tolerated me the best ’cause I was there so much.  I think we have moved past that.  I honestly think the horse might have some genuine affection for me.

I feel like I have overcome some hurdle.

(BTW, when I went into the pasture, Cook started towards me (I KNOW Cook loves me)).  I wouldn’t trade winning the Grand Prix and all the fancy horses in the world for those two girls, whose only commonality is that they both know I love them.

someone had to give me their computer login password and it was … poophead.

funny.

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the office was way funny tonight.

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the kitties are doing well.  big and strong.  2 females, 1 male.  at least I think.  :-P  one has different parts than the other 2.  I’m doing well with them now because they are still in the tub and require no maintenance.  They might start to drive me crazy in a week when they are mobile and I have to figure out what to do with them.  Perhaps lock them in the bathroom.  Not sure yet.  They are squirmy and fat… and I can foresee “naughty” in their eyes.  Mark my words.

today I lounged around the house, recovering. I went into the office briefly to check my email and was gonna bring home my computer but it turns out the network was down. Lucky break for me. Not that I would have gotten much done. I have been in a semi-comatose state all afternoon. I must have talked gibberish to Meredith about 3 times today. Then I would call her back and go back over what we talked about. It was bizzare. She knows I’m on drugs tho… so I’m not responsible for my ramblings about Cook and wormers.

anyways, hope all is doing well!

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I wanna play dress up with Cook (again). have to think of some themes, just so I can get some scrapbook pictures. I know… it’s sad the extent I will go to, to expand Cook’s Volume 1 and 2.

One idea is I am borrowing Lauren’s western saddle and prolly her cowboy boots (she doesn’t know that yet - about the boots) and make Cook go western-pony. We’ll see how that goes over. :-)  I need to borrow a cowboy hat.

those cute little adorable kittens?

they are doing well.  but they must find good homes cause Crystal ain’t keepin’ 4 cats.  I’m not a crazy cat lady.

So let me know if someone wants a kitten.  (kathy!  you know you want another one!!)

I stayed out of work today and went to the doctor.  I was sooooo light headed and just feeling BAD.  I told you guys that I was having problems breathing.  I went to the doctor’s office and found out they had moved!!  They left directions to their new building location which wasn’t more than 1 minute away.  However, in my light headed and dizzy state, it took me 20 minutes and 2 phone calls later to find.  I was just totally out of it.

So long story short - doc thinks I just had a really bad allergic reaction to the pollen (which isn’t a surprise) and it kicked up my asthma.  My oxygen level was low, which I could have already told them because my chest is so tight.  It might be turning into a sinus infection so she gave me some antibotics to ward that off.  She gave me an asthma treatment in the office to open my lungs up and to raise my oxygen level, and then put me on a steroid to help out my lungs.  I also got a prescription stronger allergy med, because claritin was just being ineffective.

I came home and laid down.  I just now got up and boy, do I feel 2000 times better!!  Im really tired but I think that is hangover from lack of sleep last night.  My throat and chest have definitely eased up.

So very yay.

Mere called. Shes’ miserable too. might not be allergies.  I have chills and a possible fever.
Going to the doctor in the AM if not significantly improved.

Changed to Nyquil in hopes I can sleep.

ok remember down below when I said I was miserable? I had no idea at the time how much worse it could get.

Background: I am asthmatic (bad) and allergic to certain types of pollen (worse)

I can’t breathe, i’m sneezing and coughing so much that I actually gagged and got sick to my stomach. My eyes are watery and swollen. I can’t get comfortable enough to sleep. and really, that is the worst thing cause normally during flu conditions, I just sleep it off and feel better.

and yes… I am taking claritin and sudafed and advil sinus and allergy.

My allergies scoffed at these medications!

I had to sit on an 1.5 hour conference call… and I seriously wanted to poke my eyes out with a pencil. I will not and cannot do that again tomorrow.

There is only one time where I have ever prayed to God to ease my suffering (I have this theory that God is VERY busy and so he doesn’t have time to have a vested interest in whether or not I have a cold or not). Thats when I was dehydrated from food poisoning and in an ATL hospital where I asked God to either let me die or do something to help me.

The nurse came in and shot morphine into my I.V.

I’m really close to asking for a 2nd reprieve. THAT’S how bad I am.

If tomorrow is the same, I am going to the doctor.

Signs Crystal is Seriously Ill.

1. Her brother calls and she sends him to audix, cause she can’t talk to him now.

2. Beautiful day - I could have ridden many pretty horses, but um. no way in hell.

3. Prison Break finale is on tonight. I don’t care. I will have to DL it and watch it later.

4.  Lauren Upton has pictures of me that I want her to DL.  Normally I would hound her about this until she got tired of me and put them up.  However, I am too tired/sick to beg.

5.  it took me an hour to write this post, in between trying to fix myself some sort of food that could pass for dinner.

allergic to pollen.

sneezing and stuffed up.

I’m dying here.