Today is a weird Friday.  I mean, for a Thursday.

I started my day with a wheat bagel topped with Great Value (what?  like you don't shop at Wal-Mart?) Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese.  I will not lie:  it was like fall in my mouth.  I can't picture having a bad day after eating that deliciousness.  The splurge on  a Diet Coke didn't hurt, either.

Last night was as frazzling as I thought it would be.  Ran home after work and put on my gym stuff under a pair of jeans.  Itty bitty gym shorts.  I went out to the barn and Arch was munching on some hay, so I brushed him down really quickly and threw on a bridle.  We only rode for about fifteen minutes, all at the walk, but I was consistent in my asking for bend and for forward.  My legs were super achy afterwards.

Trying to showcase his miniature forelock.

BO, of course, even though it was only six, came to feed.  This is the millionth time in the past couple of weeks that she's been a liar and has wanted to feed early.  So, after my little ride, I hung around to give him his grain and beet pulp and kisses.  He's such an amazing horse.

I met D immediately afterwards at the gym and stripped down in the parking lot.  I'm nothing if not classy.

The workout was primarily legs:  squats, thrust things, bending things.  Started with some light cycling and ended with some ab work and push ups.  I felt like an 80's queen:  oversized shirt, itty bitty stretch pants, hair everywhere.

Then on to Wal-mart for groceries.  Home by nine, dinner at nine-thirty, in bed by eleven.

Tonight:  soccer practice (okay, little bitch fest:  my impromptu gathering with a friend has be usurped by the captain and turned into a structured practice.  not what I wanted at all.), followed by Indian and orange rolls.  And then the hubs and I are going to work on my little secret project, so I can continue working on it tomorrow.

Saddle pad comes in today!

This was my logic: a year equals 365 days.  So, tomorrow, while not my birthday, will be 28 years and 365 days and then the next day will be my birthday.  So Friday.

The hubs doesn't understand why I'm impatient for my new, super expensive saddle pad.  Men.  Gah.  Non-equestrian men.  He says that it's not my birthday yet, so it doesn't matter.  I say it's a joint birthday/anni gift, so I should have gotten it between the two.  Oh, first world problems.

I had a phenomenal ride on Archie last night!  I get myself worked up - thinking about how I'm out there by myself, my horse is going to trip and I'm going to break my neck or he's going to rear and flip over and crush me.  Anyways.  I have a lot of trust in this beast to keep me safe.  (Also in Siri and my microphone.)

So, last night was a downward transition night.  I've seriously shortened the amount of walking between trotting.  And I realized that I'm so focused on what could go wrong, what he might do, that I'm not really in the ride.  I'm on autopilot and engaging my constant sidekick, Risk Analysis and Aversion.  Last night, though, I actively engaged in him.  We worked on bend.  We worked on keep my head up, my right side down, my legs long and forward.  In the walk, we kept pushing for forward, while not forgetting that I need to be an active part of the shuffle of his shoulders.  It was absolutely amazing.  Oh, and we got both leads the first time!

I've always heard that a forward horse won't spook - that the act of being forward inhibits the ability to spook.  I never really understood how something so magical could happen.  Last night, he wanted to spook at a squirrel in a tree, but we were so forward and I was so there that all he succeeded in was a little break in trot stride.  Magic, I tell you!

He's getting his feet done this morning, so I won't work him too hard tonight.  I think just a traditional Wednesday night bareback ride.  Then gym time with the hubs and grocery shopping.  Of course, BO didn't tell me the farrier was coming until 9:00 PM last night.  So I had to swing by before work and leave a check.  Ugh.  Tomorrow, a group of us from the soccer team are getting together to kick the ball around.  Teach me things.  Learn to work as a team and stuff. So, no riding.

He didn't understand why I was there at the butt crack of dawn, if not to feed him.

Between deluges.  Oh, hay, Mom!

I think my math (logic?) might be wrong.

Anyways, the 29th quickly approaches.  I haven't got definitive plans for the day, because everything I'd thought of has fallen through.

I wanted to get a new tattoo (I got my second tattoo on my 19th birthday), but my guy is completely booked, all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

I wanted my husband to meet me for lunch, but I think his schedule might be full.

I wanted to go shopping, but I don't have any money left (between Archie's shoes and his chiropractor).

So, I'm definitely not working out or running.  It'll probably just be a long, lazy horseback ride (jumps?!), a nap on the couch, some photography and dinner and drinks with the husband.  I'm still highly anticipating that saddle pad.  I'm starting to wonder when he actually placed the order - because, duh, I know how quickly things from SmartPak ship.

Last night, which is a normal ride night, was absolutely disgusting.  It was cold and rainy - me no like.  I opted instead to bum out in clothes that shouldn't be seen in public and go to the laundromat with Archie's nasty pads, fly mask and boots, and girth.  I get a little fascinated in watching the water get dirty and spin around.  And I meant to stitch up his blankets last night, but the laziness won.