I know I shouldn't complain. I should be thankful that I have a (relatively) well-paying job and that I'm safely accruing vacation and sick leave and being responsible by not squandering those hours on silly days like the day after Christmas. But I came in to work this morning in this:
Our trip back to Augusta was pretty standard. Too short and somehow too long. Among the list of interesting gifts, I got: a jacket with cowboy boots and running horses (no, I'm not going to wear it); a pair of socks by Ariat (win) and some horse treats (win); a mason jar of homemade apple jack moonshine, but made with pears (win); several necklaces and charms (win); holiday decoration stuff; a green purse; the new Apple headphones (win). The hubs and I did our Christmas gift exchange when we got back in town last night. Now I can gleefully share all of the things I got him:
- A Manta Ray bar supporter for squats.
- A mixer bottle for his supplements, complete with extra compartments.
- A belt thingy to wear when he's lifting.
- A book: Joe Weider's Ultimate Bodybuilding
- A book: The Seven Wonders: A Novel of the Ancient World
- A DVD: Pumping Iron, 25th Anniversary Edition (with Ahhhhhnold)*
- A t-shirt, "Trophy Husband"*
*He didn't ask for these things. I made good guesses.
In turn, from the hubs, I got:
- A Gary Fong Puffer diffuser (camera stuff)
- A rocket cleaner for the camera (it puffs air out)
- A chevron cover for my camera strap (it purty)
- An armband holder for my iPhone that's big enough for keys and the otterbox cover
- Hair bands, in a horse and turtle, from Sweaty Bands (horse has since been pulled, so I'll take a photo of my fine self wearing it)
- A book: How to Shoot in Sh*tty Lighting
- Candy!
Overall, a very good Christmas. He completely surprised me on the Puffer. It's something that I've needed, but didn't know how to ask for (or that the Puffer existed). Currently, I've been using an external flash bounced off a white sheet of paper, but I still get some overexposure. So, thanks, Husband!
We also did what I hope will become a tradition: a little cross country run. I took blurry pictures, so y'all could enjoy the scenery, too. (My primary thought for this 5k was that I would love to take Archie out there!)
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| I love the trippy look of this one. |
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| Look, random husband siting! |
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| My brief view of my husband's backside before he darted off into the woods, rarely to be seen again. |
We visited with my father and his girlfriend, too. If you've read "Beka Burke", you'll note on number 3 that my dad has Parkinson's. He's been fortunate enough to be in clinical studies and test new medications, but nothing seems to really slow the progression. I was teasing him about not smiling in the photos I was taking and he responded that a part of the Parkinson's would eventually paralyze his face. He was still capable of smiling yesterday, but it was a definite slap in the face that my seemingly-young father is not going to live forever.
And, finally, it seems that I lost some followers. Does this coincide with my "Moral Atheist Club" post? Probably. So, to L. Williams and Stephanie P.: thanks for your kind words and support! I really do appreciate it! And to the people reading my blog who are of a different religion, yet still follow: thanks for being open-minded, thanks for bridging the gap between our two worlds, and thank you, sincerely, for helping me to maintain hope that good people of all sorts still exist. I know we just want to read about horses, but it's the privilege of being the writer to occasionally (often?) go off-topic and I really appreciate that it's seemingly tolerated.
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9 comments
Hi there! I'm a new reader and going back through your old entries was the perfect antidote to post-holiday "Monday" blues. I love that yours is a horsey blog which also includes personal life. I started blogging last April shortly before buying my new horse, a 5 year old half-Andalusian mare. I also have two retirees: my 23 year old Paso Fino gelding who I've had for 20 years and my mom's 23 year old Arab mare. Looking forward to following 'The Owls Approve' into 2013!
ReplyDeletehttp://89heartstrings.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Lara! I really needed a boost right now because I feel like my blog is _so_ different from some of the ones I read. I'm glad that my senseless rambling was able to help with the Second Monday blues. :)
DeleteYou have some fancy breeds! I knew a Paso Fino breeder back in Augusta for whom I would occasionally feed. There is nothing like the step of a Paso coupled with the flowing mane and tail. Gorgeous!
I can't wait to read more about you and your new kid!
My Paso boy was from the "bargain bin" - he doesn't gait! I never cared much and it made it easier to have my dressage beginnings with him. I dreamed of an Andalusian for a long time and while she is only half and doesn't have that Baroque build at all, Dani does possess the loyal heart, work ethic and intelligence that I have come to appreciate in the Spanish horses.
DeleteRamble on! It was hard for me to decide when starting my own blog if I wanted to stick to "just horses" or include my other interests. I have also journaled for eight years on Live Journal so I keep the rest of life there still :)
I'm also an on-again/off-again runner and my boyfriend does marathons/halfs, so I find that part of your blog interesting as well!
I'm morbidly curious to find out who dropped you.
ReplyDeleteDude, unfortunately, I wasn't running a list or anything. I just knew I had five. And then I had four. But one of the four was brand-spanking new. And then I had five again. I could understand, though, if people want to read about Archie nearly killing me and instead they get me waxing poetic about how atheists don't suck and, by golly, we're just as good as the religion-loving folks.
DeleteI would like to raise my hand as the "new" follower, simply because when I first started reading your blog I couldn't find a "Follow" button. My solution was to have you in my blogroll and then read your new posts through there. I was kind of excited to see a Follow button too.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm new... but not new. Yanno.
I love that you guys are so into fitness together. Someday my boyfriend and I will go for fun runs through wooded trails. Someday. Todd has been known to say that he's only going to run if something scary is chasing him, so we've got a little work to do. He has come with me on some C25K runs in the past few months though, so perhaps I'll drag out butts out in the spring.
I also haven't read your supposedly offensive post yet... but you better bet I'm going to run off to now.
Oh, and to add fuel to the fire, watch this. It's worth the 20 minutes, promise. I found it quite interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJGxVeQw3SE
I'm totally going to have to remember to watch your videos at home! My company blocks youtube. :( (I also can't watch any of the videos that people post on their blogs. It's a bitch.)
DeleteI think I've mentioned this, but my husband has lost a hundred pounds this year. So, yeah, fitness is pretty important to us. He looks amazing, I look like myself, so I'm trying to keep the man interested. :) I'll come home with tassels one of these days. Also, we started doing Insanity together in January. In late February, I had a laproscopic surgery in my abdomen. Six days later, I was riding again. Two weeks, I did another 5k and played soccer the next day. I don't think any of that would be possible if my abs weren't in decent shape. (Which also comes from running!)
Drag him out there! He'll feel better. :)
Im still here :) Even tho I don't agree with you sometimes lol!
ReplyDelete:) Disagreeing is great! It paves the way for new opportunities to think and to think in new ways.
DeleteThanks!