Because y'all are all dying to know about my vacation, right?

Universal Studios

Let's just make this simple:  I loved all things Harry Potter.  I rode roller coasters.  I loved the Minions ride.  And I did not vomit a single time.

Butterbeer.

Best ride EVER.

It's an owl!

Solid, bitches.

This was after he told off a group of tourists for crossing the cameras and before he told me that he loved my accent.

This is cropped and tilted.  D said:  OH! That's what it's supposed to look like!

Matching anchor tats.

Me and my Ethopian.

Absolute last thing we did.

 The Concert

The openers were Dead Sara.  I absolutely loved them.

Muse was amazing.  I wanted to kill the lady next to me and the dude with ADHD in front of me.  But as far as the music went?  Awesome.  My husband took video of pretty much the whole thing, so I'll link to that eventually.

For the encore.

1/2 Bong at the Brick House Tavern.

Tack Store

We went to the Horse and Kennel in Jacksonville.  I won't say that it beats the Tack Room in Camden, but it's relatively on par with Boots, Bridles and Britches in Aiken.  (Though, BBB is much better organized!)  I will give this place huge props for its consignment, because there was a shit ton of it.

This amazed me.  Switch out the backing for your girth between fleece and neoprene!

Blankies.

Wraps

Consignment boots.

Two of three things I actually bought.  Reviews to follow.

  

Third thing I bought.

 Free Day

 

Dude.  So many photos.  So many things to type about with our little vacation.  The concert (last night?!) was phenomenal.  But that's another post for a day when I'm slightly less bored.  Today, I wanted to share the second logo I got from the Etsy seller.  (Who, by the way, isn't endorsing this and probably wouldn't endorse my potty-mouth self.)

I love Etsy.  Like, a whole lot.  I get that it's been taken over by Chinese manufacturers, but when you can find a genuine artist, you've struck gold.

Before I left work yesterday, I was looking at a search I'd done on Etsy for "custom logo".  I just wanted to get price quotes.  I knew roughly what I wanted, but I also knew that it would take me FOR EVER to do it myself in photoshop.  And, you know, sometimes it's best to leave stuff to people who actually know what they're doing.

I found this shop!

The premise:  for $5, this guy will spend about five minutes making a logo for you.  You tell him what you want it to say and any particulars (which he may or may not use).  I bought two logos (a whopping $10).  I ask for the one for this site to say "The Owls Approve."  I told him that I liked blue and purple and that it was for a horse blog, in case that sparked any creativity.  Twenty-four hours later, I had this:
Tell me that's not stinking awesome.  If you're looking for a logo and you're flexible, go show this guy some love.  My second logo is a bit more complex and I'm still waiting on it to be emailed, but I'll certainly share it.  I told the guy I was hoping to use it as a watermark for my photography, particularly with the Humane Society.

Other stuff?  We're all set to leave for Orlando in all of.. eight and a half hours.  Since then, it's rained nonstop, I've taken photos at the Humane Society, worked out at the gym, successfully sold my old Canon (for asking price, again!) (I tried to make friends.  May have been creepier than I meant to be.), dropped the dogs off at boarding (Savannah is BACK ON ANTIBIOTICS, DAMMIT!), and came home to a limping kitten.  It's weight bearing, so we're not worrying about it unless he's still limping when we get back.  I think he just landed poorly.

With the sale of the Canon, this trip will be a lot more enjoyable.  I now have a budget for the tack store in Jacksonville. Woo!

Excitement!

I got an email this morning from someone interested in the Canon I put on Craig's List.  I'm sort of sad to see the camera go because D bought it for me as a wedding gift, but I figure the money is more important right now.  Also?  Can't keep everything the man buys me, can I?  (I totally could.)

I might have overwhelmed the lady (who asked if it had a screen on the back and an sd card slot, but is of the age to have newborn nephews) with information.  Like.. the manual.  And the lens I'd consider buying first, with a link.  Oh!  Newsflash!  I'm "her sort of person!"  I guess that means that I'm tapping into all that Type-A that surrounds me and being efficient or something.  Go me.

In talking to someone who is fresh on the photography scene, though, I've realized how far I've come.  I'm not awesome.  I still take shitty photos.  Photography is hard.  And I have to keep at it, keep taking photos, keep making adjustments.  But at least now, I understand what I'm doing to the point that I feel comfortable giving some tips to a newb.  (Is "newb" still a term used?)  If she (freakishly) has any questions about aperature or shutter speed or how to get bokeh, I feel that I will be able to answer them.  (Last night, I took two sets of about ten photos before realizing that I hadn't adjusted my white balance before coming inside and then going outside.  Hello, yellow and blue!)

So I talked to the vet yesterday.

Who completely did not back up my other vet.

And sort of supported the farrier in the cause.  Fucker.

I'm not going to apologize to the farrier for over reacting because, at some point, he disregarded my requests.  If you can't remember what shoes a horse is supposed to wear, you need to write that shit down.  And you need to be prepared for crazy horse-owners to go ballistic.  Because we do.

"My mom is crazy."

What else?

Oh.  So it's rainy and disgusting, so I might not be able to ride tonight  (bareback in a halter?).  But the plan for the next few days:  Saturday:  prepare for trip, drop girls off at boarding, ride, work out, leave BO Archie's beet pulp/alfalfa/SmartPak blend for Sunday and Monday.  Sunday:  leave at the butt crack of dawn (D said... 4:40 am?) for Orlando and have an ABSOLUTE BLAST at Universal.  Monday:  another blast at Universal followed by the Muse concert.  Tuesday:  Start the drive back to Savannah.  Stop at St. Augustine for photos and lunch.  Stop in Jacksonville for THE TACK STORE!  (I hope it doesn't suck.)  Pick up dogs, possibly ride pony if I'm still able to stand, possibly take photos at the Humane Society if we're back in time.  Wednesday:  Still off work!  Spend copious amounts of time napping and riding Archie.  Start boxing shit up.  Photos at the Humane Society.  Meet the housing inspector at 4 pm and prepare myself to climb on the roof and not get my hopes dashed!

"WASH ME, WOMAN!"

Tortugas tanning.  Pinky on the left, Pokey on the right.

I can't help it.

I overreact.

Crying over shoes?  Yeah, the shoes of my nearly-sixteen year old arthritic Thoroughbred.

Ugh.  And even though I realize that I can't do anything about what's been done, I can't shut my brain off.  I can't stop thinking.  Just like I couldn't not turn around on my way to work yesterday to verify that he did, indeed, have fugly shoes on.  Poor brain just wants a nap.

(I'm waiting on the vet to call me back.)

I forgot to mention other little things that have happened this week.

On the ride Monday, the Kid got super-duper props for being brave.  I'll upload/edit the video eventually (even though you can't really see crap), but there are a couple neat things:  like at one point, he tries to scoot while going over the floating pole.  At another, he hollows and starts swishing his tail and you can tell that he's pissed off.  While we were riding, some guys were next door doing landscaping work.  We went on a little trail ride and as we came back, I realized that the landscape work had escalated in to burning shit.  I don't know any horse that is absolutely thrilled with fire.  I think it started before we went on our trail ride, but there were bushes between us and the fire, so I didn't notice.  I did notice when the Skinny Guy took off at a high-kneed trot towards the fire and then slammed on brakes.

Double rainbow.

Big fire.

And Tuesday, I did a random workout that I found on PB Fingers.  It's an awesome, completely-horse-free blog about fitness and food and her dog and a little bit of fashion.  But she'll occasionally post the workouts that she's come up with and I did one titled "Burnin' Legs and Abs."  Two days later, I can't sneeze without my abs protesting the sharp movement.  I'm burnt out on lifting right now.  All I want to do is cardio, which seems completely atypical for me.  And run.  I want to run.

Also on Tuesday, I attempted an Indian curry crockpot meal.  I've since been told what I fucked up with it and why my vegetables come out as mush and why the whole meal was bland.  I like having friends who know more than I do.  I'll reattempt it at some point, but I still ate that crap for dinner and for lunch the next day.  Woo - saving money.

And, finally: another blog I follow.  Her facebook page came recommended to me as she's known for the Photoshop Actions that she sells  (I can't access facebook at work, but search "Florabella Collection".  She also takes phenomenal photos. So, I started following her business page. And then she moved to horse country and ended up rescuing a Friesian mare, named Willow.  That poor mare has a slew of health problems (EPM, choke, underweight).  They kept her at the trainer's barn for a while and then decided to move her (once she was well enough) to their own barn (doesn't Kentucky sound amazing?!).  Some point, this lady and I became actual FB friends (I think I made a comment about horses).  And what she lacks in experience, she makes up for with passion.  And she started a blog to document the rehabilitation of this mare.

So, longer story a tiny bit shorter:  they got a companion mare (another rescue) for Willow.  In establishing hierarchy, Willow got seriously injured.  As I type this, she's having surgery at Rood & Riddle (we all know R&R, right?) for a broken leg.  It puts things in perspective, but if you're the "warm wishes" sort, go give some to Willow's mom.

"Two things are infinite:  the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
- Albert Einstein

So.. bonus points to those of y'all that can spot a steel shoe.  Alas, it seems that I am not one of those people.  Let's go through a timeline:

2006:  Bought Archie and he starts aluminum in the front and steel in the back.
2010:  Moved the Archer to Sav'h.
2011:  Farrier and I try wedges on the front.  They fail.  Also, it's determined that he doesn't absolutely need back shoes, so they're pulled.  I also start a new job and am no longer able to make the farrier visits.  I realize after one visit that the shoe is the same shoe that he already had on.  Upon this realization, I ask him to stop resetting and my fee changes.  I mean, resetting aluminums is completely counterproductive, right?
2013:  I make my first farrier visit in over a year and realize that ponykins is wearing steel.

The science?  Steel is magnetic.  Aluminum is not.  I took a magnet out to the barn prior to calling the farrier.  We had a long (and emotional, on my end) conversation about this GIANT FUCKING MISCOMMUNICATION.  He keeps repeating that aluminums would do no favors.  I think about the extra money I've spent on not having the goddamn steel reset ($135) and the complete lack of faith I now have in my farrier.

He kept saying, "I'm sorry you're so upset."   I tried to articulate that I have spent so much time and money towards the comfort and well-being of my horse, only to realize that one of the pillars to this care was changed without my consent or even knowledge.

So.  Yeah.  Calling the vet tomorrow to get his opinion.

Butterfly magnet.

OMFG.  What a day already.  I'm mildly pissed because it's been trying, but not super-pissed, because there are some really good things on the horizon.  What good things? • This is a short week. • And a pay-day week. • Next week, we'll be going to Universal Studios and to see Muse. • When we come back, we've got the housing inspection. • BO is giving me an opportunity to work off some of my board while she goes on vacation. • The following week, I'll be going on a biz trip to a city I've never been to (Charleston). • Ceteris paribus, we'll be moving in to the new place at the end of next month. ♥

But the shit things:

My dogs (Savannah?) ate my favorite bag.

Left in process.

Left getting shoe.

Right getting shoe.

Finished.

Annnnd then, when he was doing Skinny Guy's shoes, I started thinking that those shoes looked awfully similar.  Which they shouldn't.  At all.  ..Considering that I pay $20 extra to get aluminum fronts for his arthritis and ringbone.

Archie's old shoe.

Old shoe.  See how shiny?

New shoe.  Super thick, but DARK.

Right front.

Are regular shoes this thick?

Skinny Guy - same dark shoe!

Sorry for the poop - I didn't have a hoof pick on me and I wasn't going to stick my finger in there.

He also informed me that he was going to cash-only.  BO hadn't mentioned that.  Fortunately, I scarily had a shit-ton of cash on me for the housing inspection and just gave him some of that.  I think I'm going to deposit the rest because I absolutely hate being responsible for money like that.

I called BO this morning to remind her about the cash-only thing ("Ohhh.. I think I recall him mentioning that.) and to ask her to double-check Archie's feeters before I go ape-shit on the farrier.  Roar.

I'm not a big racehorse fan.  I don't sit glued to the TV, watching all the major and not-so-major races.  I don't follow who won what and when.  Mostly, this stems from not prioritizing something that I, at the base of things, disagree with.  I think any of us raising our own babies would give them the proper time to grow before tossing riders on their backs and pushing them distances.

/rant.

So, I know the "big" names in Archie's pedigree, but that's about it.  And I generally was just aware of them being good racehorses - nothing about what they tossed to their progeny or how well they bred or if they were assholes.

I've since learned that his sire, Ocean Crest, was imported to Turkey in 1999.  He'd been at stud for a year in Kentucky prior to Archer being ..made.  And he was the sire of the "Highest Earning Offspring" in Turkey from 2009 to 2010.  And he made over $270k.

There isn't much information on his mare, Tell It Over.  She grossed $17k and raced 32 times.  (Seems like a lot of running to me.)

But, going back, there are a few more names that I vaguely recognize:  Storm Bird, Northern Dancer, Nearco & Neartic, Phalaris, Native Dancer, Polynesian, Nashua and Nasrullah and Nearco (again), Princequillo (twice), Seattle Slew, Bold Reasoning, Boldnesian.  Even so:  I don't know these horses.  I can look at stats, but I don't know the history.

That's one of the things that I want to work on:  getting to know the horses whose blood runs through mine.  L. Williams credited one of those guys (Nearco?) to his propensity for being an asshole (she also figured out his tattoo!).  But who made him intelligent?  Who made him affectionate?  Who gave him those ADORABLE ermine marks on his hind socks?

(Most of this curiosity stems from a post I just read by Encore's mom.)

At yesterday's ride, after falling asleep on the couch surrounded by kittens for an hour and a half, I actually had the presence of mind to bring my little Polaroid that I use for videoing.  It's not super-duper quality, but it's sufficient.  Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to review it or edit it and the video, as stands, is about twenty minutes long.  And it isn't very wide-angle, so I'm in and out of the frame.  I did try to do transitions on screen and set it up to show the little crossrail we jumped.  Here's to hoping.

(Ps.  We lost our soccer game against my old, hateful team on Sunday.  And I got nailed in the boob.  Looking back, I should have head-butted the ball, but I'm not comfortable doing that yet.  Must work on heading balls.)

Camera Bag and Instagram.