You are currently browsing the monthly archive for March, 2008.
I am jumping off the walls here.
Tomorrow, I get to spend an entire day with my husband. Most of you are probably thinking, “Well, why is that so exciting?”. Well, because of the fact that I NEVER see him. EVER! Especially this semester. Here is a glimpse into our crazy schedule.
I work Monday through Friday during the day.
He works Sunday through Thursday 3 to 11:30.
He goes to school Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 8 am.
Friday nights we usually have dinner together, and then he goes and plays basketball with a bunch of his friends.
Saturdays, he is doing clinicals all day.
Sundays, I get up early and go to the farm, he sleeps in and then goes to work.
So, basically I see him for a couple minutes on the days he goes to school, Friday evenings and sometimes on Saturday. For him to have an entire day free is a very special treat!!
After this weekend though, we only have to hold out five more weeks. That’s when this semester ends, and we will both have much more free time. It will still only be Fridays and Saturdays, but compared to what it is now, that’s a huge improvement!!
I’ll admit, we will probably just hang out at home and do some things that need doing. But atleast we are together.
Come to think of it, we’ve never had a “normal” schedule. He has always worked either nights or afternoons (there was only a brief day shift period in there), and I’ve always been going to school. When the day comes that we spend more than one or two days a week together, it will be a whole new experience. I wonder if that day will ever come….
Well, last weekend I finally managed to remember to take my camera out to the farm. Of course I wasn’t able to ride due to the four inches of snow that decided to make it’s way out to us last Friday.
Echo turns three today. I have a feeling this is going to be an exciting year for us. We went trail riding a couple of weeks ago on a nice day. Now, I haven’t had any experience training a horse before, but from what I can tell, she was absolutely perfect out on the trail. When we came up to some obstacles, she didn’t even blink an eye. The few mistakes there were can be blamed on me, because I was more nervous than her. But, I smoothed it out and calmed down a bit. She loaded right into the trailer and stood still. I can’t wait to get out there again!!
Anyway, here are some pictures my sister snapped of her and I last weekend.
Here she is with the barn cat. He is such a sweetie and loves to hang out with the horses.
Happy Birthday, Echo!! Here’s to another wonderful year!
Happy 1st Day of Spring everyone!!
There is this thing about me. I don’t usually go to parties…or bars…I’d rather stay home, or just spend time with people doing other things. I wasn’t always this way, I did do my share of partying when I was younger, and when I met Derek, who barely ever drinks, things turned around.
So, put me at a party for one of my good friends from the past, and you’ve got a full blown reunion of people I haven’t seen in years! I had a really good time, and the whole dressing up as a wench thing wasn’t so bad. Derek did come for a little while when he was done working, but we ended up leaving shortly after that.
Here is my sister and I…and I am not really sure what the dog is doing here….
Here we are again with my sister-in-law and the birthday boy.
Here he is again…with the freaky pirate dog in the background.
It was really good to see some old friends, and even Westley was there. I haven’t seen that movie in a long time, but I never really considered him a pirate of any sort. He was a farmer in the beginning. I guess this particular being could have been trying for Zorro, but either way, not a pirate!
Edited to add: Apparently, Westley WAS a pirate too, I seem to have forgotten that piece of vital information! I told you it was a long time!!
Last night, Derek and I had an argument about my horse. It wasn’t serious, and everything was fine about twenty minutes later. He just has this constant need to get me riled up, and that isn’t too hard to do.
So, I am not going to go into the details. It was pointless, and honestly it was really my fault. See, I belong to the class of arguers that don’t know how to argue. I just lose my temper and start yelling things. Most of the time they don’t make sense and in an argumentative sense, they are not good arguments AT ALL! Derek is a class A arguer, so most of the time, I just get upset because I can’t defend myself, forget about it, and things are fine five minutes later. It’s just what we do.
So, I was actually laughing my butt off this afternoon, upon receiving this.
I think I’ll keep him.
The snow seems to be melting at an astonishing rate. This intermediate time between spring and summer is rather depressing. Everything is still brown, and when the snow melts, the multitude of litter on the side of the road is overwhelming. Oh yeah, then there is the whole everywhere-you-go-there-is-mud phenomenon. The farm is the worst this time of year. Those white “socks” on Echo? They aren’t even visible. You walk out into the pasture, and you have to do it quickly becuse you very well may be sucked into the soggy ground before you even know it. In spite of all the negative facts just pointed out, it is exciting that Spring is finally coming around!
In other news, I found this website and decided to send this to Derek.
I’ve got to attend a “Pirates and Wenches” party this weekend. Not sure why a costume party is being held in the middle of March, but nonetheless, it should be fun. It’s a birthday party for a friend of mine. Derek just “doesn’t do” costume parties, but he also has clinicals on Saturday night, so I will be attending with my sister. I’ll let you know how it all spans out.
What is it about dogs always wanting to knaw on eachother?
These two crack me up. This is what they did all day Saturday. Whenever either one wants to start playing, they walk up to the other and gently bite them. Then all hell breaks loose. They run around, chasing eachother, nipping at the other one. The legs are always a common spot.
Although he is the larger one, Keiko is the baby of the two. Sometimes Kirra will let him think he is winning..
But a couple of seconds after that, she always is back in control. And the cycle just starts all over again. They can keep themselves entertained for hours. Which, sometimes is very nice. The rest of the time, they follow me or Derek around, wanting us to play with them. Regardless, it’s always fun to watch them play or to play with them. I don’t think I’ll ever understand the whole biting thing, but whatever they get out of it, it must taste good.
Things have been so busy, I’ve just realized that I never posted this one about our trip over the holidays. I’ve really got to clean out my draft box (or whatever you want to call it). I tend to be forgetful and will start writing something, then forget about it and never publish it.
Anyway, we spent the first week with Derek’s sister and her husband. His mother was also visiting during that time. They have a son who turned one on December 26th, and are expecting a little girl in July. We went to Chuck e Cheese for his birthday and had a good time. I am really starting to miss that little guy. Who wouldn’t miss this face?
Derek and I spent a day at Clearwater Beach, and spent the rest of the time doing things with his family.
We spent the next five days visiting some of my family on an island in the Gulf. This was our first time there, and we had such a great time! That’s where we were feeding the dolphin from the side of the boat, and where we attempted to catch some sharks. The island was such a relaxing place. There really isn’t a whole lot to do, considering you have to boat back to the mainland just to get some groceries. We spent the days fishing and traveling to the sister islands. The only form of transportation on the island are electric golf carts. The only way in is by boat or airplane. There are no gasoline powered vehicles there. If you want some fresh air, this is definitely the place to be. There is one tiny ice cream parlor/gift shop, and a restaurant. Here are a couple of random photos we took from the boat.
The next few days were spent with my grandparents. They live down there most of the year, and come back to Michigan in the summer. They live on a canal on the Atlantic side of the state.
Perhaps the funniest part of our trip was the ride home. We drove down in my car, which isn’t very big. My cousin and her fiance had left a few days earlier than us, and ended up in Georgia with a broken down truck. We stopped there, planning on picking up only her, since she had school the following day, and ended up waiting a few hours until their truck was fixed. We got back on the expressway and made it about 20 miles before their truck broke down once again. After a few more hours of trying to figure out what to do, we ended up piling into my tiny car. For thirteen more hours. Four people, their two dogs, and a whole lot of luggage. Saying it was an interesting ride home does not cover it. Derek drove the ENTIRE way home, straight through, arriving at around 7 am. They ended up leaving the majority of their luggage in their truck, at the dealership in Georgia.
We didn’t take a whole lot of photos there, otherwise I’d share more. We had a great time and can’t wait to take another trip down next winter.
It’s been about 4 months since I started this blog. I am still getting used to the whole thing, so bear with me.
I am not very witty. Usually it comes when I am not even thinking about it. This becomes a problem for me, because I think ALL THE TIME. My brain doesn’t seem to ever shut down. I’ve become very good at shutting it down in order to sleep, but the exact thought that was in my mind before I fell asleep, reappears first thing in the morning.
I actually have a very weird mind. It’s both complex and simple at the same time. Does that make sense? I am intelligent. I lack some form of common sense. I am not sure really how to explain it. I remember some of the strangest things. Yet you ask me what I did the other day, I’d have to think about it for quite a few minutes before remembering. I remember some of the strangest memories from my past, and sometimes can’t remember at all what happened yesterday. I am horrible at small talk. I may ask you a question, and then five or ten minutes later ask you the same question. Not remembering that I’d already asked it. I do believe that little quality annoys most people. Yet, I can remember something someone said to me years ago like it just happened.
I love learning. I have no problem remembering things I learned in class, or anything I’ve researched. But, I seem to only absorb the things that really interest me. History was never one of those things. Hence, lacking knowledge in the historical department. Politics was never one either, and don’t anticipate it becoming one anytime soon. Sports was another. This is pretty common among many people, the difference being, other people may actually understand it and comprehend it, whereas I can’t.
Logic and organization are a key feature to how my brain works. I am always thinking logically, dissecting things and trying to figure them out. Simple things can often leave me stumped. So, I find ways to dissect those as well, until I figure them out.
These things are the reason I have found peace in horseback riding. Although I am very good at doing many things while thinking about something else completely, when riding, I am forced to concentrate on the task and am unable to think about other things. This was new for me, because usually, no matter what I was doing, there were still a million and one thoughts running through my mind. I imagine in many years, when it comes more naturally to me, I will be back to the days of a racing mind. So, for now, this is what grounds me.
I’ve learned SO many other things from horseback riding as well. Patience, for one. While I am still not the most patient person, there is quite an improvement. I have a very compulsive nature, and I am a perfectionist. Training a horse can’t be planned ahead of time. You can’t expect to accomplish any one thing on a given day. It’s really a day by day process. There have been plenty of breakdowns and times I was ready to give up, but I didn’t. And I am better for it.
Derek is the best one to put my mind at ease. He knows how it works, and knows how to challenge it, or relax it. He is the one that is good at remembering little details. And many of the things I do remember are because of him.
Anyway, I don’t know where this went. I honestly don’t even remember why I started this. SEE?!? I stumbled across the story I started to write about our trip over the holidays and had completely forgotten about it! I am going to try to finish it this weekend and post it. Have a great weekend!
It’s spring break from classes right now. Not that spring decided to finally make its way to Michigan or anything. We got a little preview yesterday with about 50 degree weather. Today, not so much. Although the transition to spring is the only thing I wish for right now, this time of the year is also so depressing. The snow melts, there is no green grass underneath, everything is brown and ugly. The multitude of litter on the side of the roads is overwhelming from being hidden under the snow all winter. But it also brings hope that it all will be over soon.
Meg posted a list of ten things she loves about summer in Michigan, and since it seemed like a good idea on this cold, dreary day, I am going to do the same.
1. The cottage
This always has been and always will be my favorite part of summer. We’ve got a cottage in the U.P (upper peninsula for you non-yoopers), on Lake Michigan and we always spend time there in the summer. I do believe I’ve gone up there every single summer of my entire life, and I don’t think that will ever change.
2. Gardening
I started gardening when we bought our house three years ago and each year I get more and more interested in it. I love watching everything grow and bloom beautifully, and that you can create any arrangement of color you choose. Someday, I hope to be as successful as my mother is at it.
3. Ice Cream
Right now, we’ve got a little ice cream parlor right up the street, and we love taking the dogs and walking up there to get some ice cream. I don’t think I can last a week in the summer without having atleast one boston cooler.
4. Horseback riding
Obviously, this one is fairly new. I enjoy riding any time of the year, but in the summer, going trail riding brings a whole new respect for the beauty of nature. You feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere, and it is so refreshing.
5. Shopping
Besides the fact that spring and summer clothes are just cuter, shopping in any downtown city where you can just walk leisurely along the sidewalk and stop when you feel like it, is the best part.
6. The upcoming arrival of autumn
I’ll admit, autumn is my favorite season. The temperature is perfect, and the colors are just beautiful. I love the sound of leaves crunching underneath my feet. The dogs enjoy autumn so much more as well. It’s not nearly as hot and they seem to know and get excited about the cold weather moving in.
7. Washing cars
Although I love washing cars just because it ends in cleanliness, the reason I love this one so much is that Keiko LOVES water. He will run around for hours just trying to catch the stream from the hose. It’s a really easy way to give him a bath as well. Kirra is just spoiled and will not go anywhere near water (the lake up north is the ONLY place she doesn’t mind going, so that’s when she gets her bath). As much as Keiko loves to play, he gets bored with the ball or frisbee really quickly, but never the water.
8. Bonfires
Although this is a repeat if you’ve read Meg’s as well, but I love them! The smell, the sight, and the utter relaxation of sitting around one and just talking to friends and family. The night I met Derek, we sat around a fire and talked until 5 in the morning. Then there is the pie irons, you will never be able to replicate that taste.
9. Driving
This may be ironic after my last post. But I really do love driving, especially during the warm months. There seem to be fewer annoying drivers. My favorite drive is out to the farm. Driving from the city and then to watch it change slowly to a country setting is wonderful. I am sure when I live in the country though, the drive I will dread the most is the one back into the city!
10. Woodworking
Right now, my husband does most of the woodworking during the spring and summer, so there is always a faint smell of sawdust and freshly cut wood lingering around our house, and I love it! It’ll be nice someday when he has a heated workshop and can work all throughout the year.
So there you have it! I could keep going, but I won’t. Daylight savings time starts in less than a week, so hopefully things will start turning around. Cross your fingers.
