I watched a lot of movies over the last few days - one of which was Baby Boss.  So.. you'll have to have seen it to get the reference.

This is just a brief to let y'all know that everything is okay after Irma.  I had evacuation plans set up to take the six horses to my old barn in Augusta, but once it seemed that Savannah wouldn't be suffering a direct hit of a Cat 3, the group opt to ride it out.

I'm glad to report that everyone is okay.

I haven't laid eyes on my own boys yet and I'm super anxious to do so, but I'm "essential staff", so I'll be going out there as soon as damage assessment is complete.  Expect a lot of photos.

I'm probably jinxing the fuck out of myself, but I feel like things with Whiskey are finally advancing.  The giant nugget will pick up all four feet like a grown up, only dances occasionally in the aisle, no longer acts like the girth is out to kill him, and *gasp* stands at the mounting block!!!

He's been so good about standing still for mounting (but still immediately walks off, which is the next issue to address), that I actually mounted yesterday for the first time completely unsupervised.  I mean, Archie was watching.  And I'm sure someone would have found me eventually...

But to counter all his advances, he's got a few new afflictions:

• Anhydrosis.  Yay!  Two for two!  FML!
• I brought him out of the pasture and he was bright-eyed and happy, but blowing like a steam engine.  I started him on beer immediately and ordered his own OneAC.  Thanks for the swiftness, Amazon Prime.
• Obviously, I haven't done much with the booger since it's still hot as balls when I get there after work.  I'll hose him down, address his other issues, and save riding for those times I manage early mornings.
• Rain rot on his left rump.  Just the left side.  I appreciate the rain because it kept him cool, but nothing without cost, right?
• A sunburnt muzzle.  This shit came out of nowhere.  My vet didn't think he'd have problems with sunburning because the pigment under his skin is so dark, but the dude was definitely burnt.  I'm making him wear his fly mask (Houdini) and sunblock.

This took forever because I wanted to use my iPad to draw.

Holy shit, the mountains in fall are gorgeous.  I think they're only going to get prettier as the leaves continue to change.
Hubs and I have been celebrating the year of music.  Earlier this year, we saw Coldplay and then Dave Matthews Band.  This past weekend Two weeks ago, we drove up to Tennessee and saw Adele.  We were one of the lucky ones.

That Thursday night after work, we drove up to Athens.  I'd checked our favorite restaurant to see what time they closed (2 am), but when we got there, a fine-print sign on the door said that the kitchen closed at 11 pm.  We were about ten minutes late.  We headed to a calzone place (wut?) and got calzones to eat in the hotel room with the last bits of my birthday cake.

We got up early the next morning and went back to Mama's Boy for breakfast.  Following that, we drove almost three hours to the Cherokee National Forest and played in the Ocoee River.








Lunch was Mexican (surprise!) after which we continued the drive to Nashville.  We checked in our fancy little hotel and napped for a couple hours before heading to the Pharmacy Burger.  Yum.  Yum.  Yum.

Veggie burger - delish.

I wish I showed enough to warrant something like this.

After the tack store, we hung around Franklin for a little bit.  We hit up a wine store and had the owner select a Tennessee wine for us before perusing the local grocery store for local craft beer.  After that, it was time for lunch!  Mexican.  Surprise!  (This is also when we got the call about scheduling a home visit for Birgette and actually named her, sight unseen.)

We got a Lyft from our hotel to our next venue, the Tennessee Beer and Wine Festival.  It was $35 and a bajillion samples and a little sampler glass.  Also, food and good music.

Pretzel necklaces.

That much alcohol required a nap after we Lyfted back to the hotel and before Hillary picked us up for dinner.  Hillary took us to a Nashville staple that had one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had - the plate of which I could have licked clean.  After dinner, she dropped us off downtown so we could get to the amphitheater at which Adele was singing.

Adele started a few minutes after eight and everything you've ever heard about her is true.  Her voice live is as good as her voice recorded.  She chats nonstop.  She calls people up from the audience.  She is sarcastic and charming and I would love to spend a day listening to her talk.  I have incredible respect for the woman.

By the end of the show, I had a pounding headache and we wandered briefly down the main strip before getting a ride back to the hotel.

Local spot from home!

Annie was cooled off and turned out and then we snuck into the baby's pasture for some impromptu photos.  She's absolutely adorable!

I love this for both of their expressions:  oh dear god.

My husband and I have lived on the coast for six years.  This was our first legitimate hurricane.  Hermine doesn't count, since she knocked back to a tropical storm by the time she got here.

Awesome premonition.

Things I want to talk about:

• borrowing and driving a sports car
• jumping Ox over our first post-MCL tear oxer
• taking Archie on a six mile trail ride
• meeting Tracey and her hubs for lunch

All I can think about:

This motherfucker.

(ps.  we're prollllly not going to have to evacuate, but there is a plan in place for the ponies/dogs/cats/us if necessary)

On Thursday, my city shut down.  The forecast called for a hurricane to strike some time Friday morning and so (my) work was cancelled and people were freaking out.  I went to the gym and purse shopping.  And got alcohol.  As you do, you know.

At about three-thirty Friday morning, our three cell phones (one biz, one personal, one biz/personal) went off simultaneously with a tornado warning.  Tornadoes are fucking horrifying.  Tornadoes and hurricanes combined?  I stared at the ceiling for half an hour battling a panic attack and thinking about Archie being lifted into the air like the cow on Twister.

Unfortunately, D actually had to go to work on Friday.  Our jobs have different business models.  Fortunately, the hurricane deescalated back to a tropical storm by the time it hit us and we survived with just a few fallen branches and a lawn covered in spanish moss.  We only lost power a few times, coincidentally only after I'd reset the clocks.


Saturday, we dropped the girls off at the nearly-powerless kennel and headed up to Atlanta for the Georgia game.  We stopped in at a German restaurant for lunch, where D relived his Oktoberfest days.  Then it was meeting my dad and his girlfriend for the pre-game festivities.  The game itself was phenomenal and exciting and UGA fought for that win.




Sunday morning, we went to my favorite store and bought a whole bunch of unnecessary things, including a cart for me to use at the barn.  If this thing works out well, I'll review it and link it.  I currently use one for my metal stuff and it's brilliant.


Then it was driving to Athens, getting greasy pizza for lunch and heading to our favorite brewery.  Many drinks were had, followed by a nice nap at a weird hotel.  Then it was back out for dinner and watching a drag performance for Gay Pride.  We did a little shopping before leaving Athens on Monday and swung through Augusta for more pizza and beer.  I have a tiny addiction.  Then picking the best bitches up and relaxing at home.