I forgot to mention this, but Archie's $40 HorseLoverz blanket came in.

I was immediately smitten.

Looking sharp!

I didn't even realize that it had this fancy system.

Okay, so it's a little big.  Covers that butt!

The only non-cool thing:  leg straps aren't removeable.

When I took it to the barn last night, also with the plan to ride, BO made a funny:  "Oh, good.  I call his other blanket his Speedo."  Which is 800 times on point because Arch would be the type of dude to sport a banana hammock.

Since Skinny Guy was already munching on hay by the time I mounted, I decided that it would be a short and sweet ride.  That.. and the 25 mph wind gusts.  Yeah.  I had a simple goal:  keep him occupied.  It was a couple laps of walking, a couple of trotting, and a simple scary canter.  I had to ask twice for the right lead, but at no point did he explode.  When we were done, I hustled to cool him off so he could eat his dinner.

He was a good boy.  :)

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Soooooo.  As if y'all don't already know everything about this topic already, we close tomorrow.  By 11:00 AM EST (approximately), we will be homeowners.  The plan is to:

• Meet the lawyers and sign the documents, while giving over a giant multiple-zeros check.
• Pick up cupcakes.  (We've purposely held off for this occasion.  It's been three months!)
• Pick up lunch.
• Go to OUR HOUSE and have a stinkin' picnic.  (Note:  this will be D's SECOND time in the house!  Ever!)  (Oh YEAH!  I also demanded to be carried across the threshold!)
• Go rent a truck.  Start moving boxes and small furniture into the garage.
• Return truck.  
• Go to Home Depot and purchase all the things we've already picked out (ladder, some paint colors, painting stuff, the dog door, a hydraulic arm for the screen door, a dog poop trash can, etc).
• He'll go to work the next day.  I'll go over to the new house and immediately start painting the master bedroom, the master closets and master bath.  (And maybe sneak in some pony time.)
• Friday, he still goes to work.  His parents are coming up to help out.  His mom will help paint the kitchen and his father is going to do (and re-do) some miscellaneous things that neither of us is competent enough for.
• Move the rest of the furniture on Sunday.
• Live happily ever after.