hqueen's collection of Far From the Usual stuff.

Hoping you get new boarders!

I've been tired as well. I think it's the crazy weather.

Glad you didn't lose your starts. I think you had a colder night than we did.

I've been really tired a lot lately, Deb. I think its the weather and the crazy cosmic energy right now. Its just really draining. I didn't get a nap yesterday, though it would have been super nice!
Yesterday was fairly busy. My yoga class is a little later in the morning, so I have a little more time, so I futzed around the house a bit before I left. I left the boys in eating for a little longer, and thankfully they cleaned the buckets. I think they are FINALLY getting back to normal. I've been tweaking the feed to try to get them to eat it all, and I honestly didn't put as much as normal in, because I'm tired of them not finishing. Finishing less feels like more of an accomplishment than having more in the bowl and not finishing it all.
Yoga class was good, nice and slow which helped to stretch out my poor quad that I pulled trying to do my exercises on Sunday. At least I did them! I just got a little too excited I guess... I took Monday off, then did yoga yesterday morning, and then did more exercises yesterday evening. I just stayed away from the ones that strained my quad really bad, but did the rest.
Got home from yoga and reheated lunch. I only ate about half of it but it was a LOT of leftovers. I managed to get a load of laundry in the wash, and then it was time to get on my phone call with KD. She's been helping me practice with my animal communication and my dowsing. I'm so grateful for her support. We worked out the plan for what to do next with Storm for his worming protocol, and I think I'm just going to need to feed him for a couple days myself, or come up with some way to make sure they know what to give him.
I was super glad that the horses were completely chilled out and came up for dinner like nothing was out of the ordinary. I am really really hoping we are past the crazy phase, because I really couldn't handle that much more. They were just totally off their rockers for about a week, and I don't want to have to deal with that any more! Maybe it was because I had just spent so much time working through things and learning to dowse that it made a difference, who knows, but they were totally ok, and they finished their dinner again. I was very very grateful that they were so relaxed.
The BF got home as I was finishing the chores, and we got a grocery list together and headed out to grab dinner and then go to the store. Even though I said something while we were walking out of the store we still forgot to run by walgreens to get my prescription. Oops. I guess that will be another trip out again. Spent way too much on the groceries again. Hopefully that will keep us for a while, but we'll see.
Fed the horses this morning, and again they were waiting for me, and ready for breakfast, and again the boys ate everything. Tonight I'll try giving them closer to a full meal, and we'll see if they can eat all of it. I sure hope so because I'm tired of worrying about the fact that they aren't eating. I guess I shouldn't worry because I can't make them eat, so it is what it is. But it is most stressful for me that the owners get upset about it. I've been giving them all more prebiotics, and I don't know whether that's helping or what the issue is, but they're doing much better, at least they have for the last 24 hours!
Got in the office this morning and found out that there is a chance that I won't be needed for the extra time on Friday. I'm going to be really disappointed if I don't have to be here only because its money I won't be making, and right now I need every penny. I wouldn't complain though because I will be able to be at home and get more stuff done, and possibly work Storm, which would be REALLY helpful right before our lesson on Saturday. Of COURSE they are calling for 100% chance of rain on Saturday... That's gonna be exciting...
Here's hoping the good trend continues with the horses and the rain isn't too bad!

I've had times when Stormy wouldn't eat. I changed his feed, and he went back to eating everything.

Oh dang... I had a whole long post written and it got eaten, never to be seen again.
The rest of the week went by fast. Thursday I spent more time on the phone than off, and cleaning in between calls. I feel like I'm making progress on myself and my business, so that is a good thing. I have more calls this week, which is good. I'm just hoping that I can continue with this momentum forward to keep expanding and get some money flowing back in!
Friday I went to yoga and finished cleaning the house. I did get my little hydrangea planted, and was really happy to see it had quite a few sprouts on it, so I didn't kill it in the pot. I got everything done before the BF got home, and we messed around before we ended up going to grab something to eat and then down to the airport to get KN.
Saturday morning it was raining. Again. LH had the first 2 hours of lessons, and was supposed to bring Othello, but had truck trouble, so she couldn't make it. I'm wondering if she just didn't want to drive in the rain. She's picky like that. So after I got the chores done outside, I came back in and fixed KN and I some breakfast. It was delightful to get to relax our way through the morning. EE arrived, and decided she wanted to go outside, and so they headed out into the rain for her lesson. I went out and chatted with NP when she got there as we watched EE and Scooter working.
I found out some disturbing news from NP, that some people I've known for a really long time, and are taking lessons with KN as well, decided to put one of their horses down. They'd had Jasper for about 7 years, NP and I finally figured out, and have kept him with their other gelding and no other horses. They got 2 pony mares a few months ago, and now have decided that Jasper's behavior has become aggressive, and that he hasn't really progressed to a point in the 7 years that they feel like is good, and so they just put him down. Perfectly healthy, and NOTHING wrong with him, except change, and they put him to sleep. I'm so upset that I don't even know where to start. Jasper was THE funniest horse I have ever met. Hilarious sense of humor and love of life as well as people. Always first to the gate, and ready to go when JS and I would come work on him for body work. What upsets me the most about this is that they did not check with any of their mentors to discuss options for the horse. Not supplements, not different training techniques, not healing modalities, not even "could you take this horse and work with him for a while and see if this improves." No, no nothing, just we put him down. KN was really upset, and JS is going to be really distraught when I tell her.
Somehow I managed to get refocused for my lesson with Storm. He was pleasant to catch, and seemed to be looking forward to it. The rain mostly stopped which made me happy, and so we ended up working in the barn yard. It wasn't ideal, but it worked, and he worked hard despite the small space. KN was really pleased with his progress, despite the fact that we only got 1 session in since the last lesson and that was a week after the lesson. I'm pleased with his progress and really looking forward to working more when the weather breaks and when they get my paddock put back together again. Its still in shambles from the fence replacement project, and then they had to move the fence to make a parking space for DB's truck and trailer, which she insisted on even though HB and JB didn't want to do it for her.
Anyway, I finished my lesson and then we took a break to eat lunch. Everybody left after lunch and so the BF and I just bummed around for a while. I was feeling pretty cummy since I found out the news about Jasper, and so the BF took me out to REI so I could use my dividend while they were having a big sale. They rearranged the store, and he wanted to look at a bike, so we mosied around for a while. I picked out a couple of scarf/head wrap things called Buffs, and he found a nice belt that will hopefully hold up better than the other one. We also found a super cheap strap for my yoga mat (its even purple and matches the color of my mat, wooo!).
We came home and fixed chicken and pasta for dinner, and the BF made alfredo which turned out really good.
Sunday morning we lazed around for a while, and then finally the guy buying the 2 week whackers that the BF had listed on craigslist showed up. We had 2 week whackers that the BF didn't like because they had bent shafts. We picked them up for cheap, and he got them running good, and decided he wanted to get rid of them so he could have a straight shaft one. So after getting the $130.00 for both of those, we went to home depot and bought a nicer one for $190. I was grateful for the extra cash to offset the cost, and so now he has something he will like to use that is more powerful than what we had.
We lazed around through the afternoon (cause it was still raining....) and eventually went over to his parent's for dinner. His brother's GF was there, and wanted us to come, and his mom was fixing spaghetti, which we both like. And it meant we didn't have to cook dinner!
This week is going to be another busy one. I've got a lot more calls, and I get to start my plan for my indiegogo campaign to get that really launched so I can start bringing in money! I need to turn this train around and get things moving onward and upward so I can move forward with my life.

Sorry they put down Jasper. I hate it when people do things like that.

I talked to NP a little more, and she said that he was getting really aggressive, and then was not "coming back" and refocusing when BP would try to work with him. I guess I can understand it, but I STILL think there was more that they could have done that they didn't try. They had the 2 geldings by themselves for about 7 years, and then add 2 pony mares to the mix, and then get upset when things still aren't leveled out after a few months. Horses take a LONG time to really settle in, people often don't realize how long it is, nor do they give them enough credit for the fact that their entire world just got completely disrupted. How would you like it if someone GAVE you 2 new roommates without ever asking if it would be ok? If you didn't like them right away it would take you a while to really settle down and get into a new state of "normal" with them. And you may never really like them completely. I'm just so so sad over the whole situation.

I woke up yesterday morning with a sore throat and not feeling well. I actually skipped yoga, which is really not like me, and laid mostly low for the day. I did way more than I wanted to, but it was worth it. We ended up going back to TW's house to work on her fence some more. That's a few extra $$ she'll tack onto the check for farm sitting next week. I'm down to pennies counting at this point!

My other boarder texted me this morning to tell me she's dropping the board check off on Friday. It should have been dropped off on Monday. I told her it was 4 days of late fees to add on. She made some comment that board is due at the same time as her car payment and her student loans, and that she had no reserves left after she paid for all the Gastroguard that she put through her horse. I didn't quite understand her text at first, I almost wish I had because I should have replied that I have no reserves either. Maybe I should change my boarding contract to read that consecutive months of late fees mean that the late fee increases by $1.00 per day, so first month is $3.00 per day late fee, next consecutive month its late its $4.00 per day, and so on.... This is the 3rd month in a row. Obviously $3.00 per day isn't enough to make an impression.

I had a great meeting with a lady interested in boarding. She has 2 horses, but they're going to be rather high maintenance. She, herself, doesn't seem like high maintenance, she just wants her horses cared for in a certain way. She's been boarding them at the same place for 17 years, the only reason she's leaving is that the owner, who is a very good friend of hers, has to move due to her husband getting a new job. So everybody has to go. Her horses currently only get about 6 hours of turnout each day, which isn't a good thing in my opinion. She is ok with increasing it, but still wants them in on a 12 schedule. She also doesn't know how her older horse would do since he's always been in a "retirement" field with older horses so they're all calm. Her younger horse and Scooter would want to play. I told her with more younger horses in the mix they usually don't pick on the old guy, especially since she said he's always been high up the ladder. Her only other real concern is that she wants an indoor, and so she'd have to ride down the street, which in bad weather would kind of suck (not going to lie...). So I have to give her a quote and then see what she says. I think she'd be ok to work with, it will just be the learning curve of adapting together as we get to know each other. If she comes in, she'll be paying a pretty good chunk of change, the hardest part will be the daily mucking that I'll have to do. Her older horse is a gentleman in the stall... the younger horse, not so much. He'll get the 'race track' treatment with his sawdust.

Hopefully the office will be quiet today, and I can just putz around and do whatever for most of the day and then go home. I'm already tired! I didn't sleep well because of this cold, and so I'm doing everything I can think of to try to get it to go away. I've got too much to do to be slowed down by a cold!

Stormy is my oldest one, and no one messes w/him.

Hope you're feeling better!

Thanks, I am finally. With the holiday on Monday I didn't get back to the office until today. I still have the dregs of a rumbley cough, but I'm feeling much much better. I've been pushing onward since about Sunday.
Still doing tons of phone calls to take care of stuff, and trying to do lots of work on myself. And now I'm trying to get the house cleaned up so that we can head out of town later this week. There is always so much to do before you leave!
Really trying to figure out where the money is going to come from the keep things covered. I'm somewhat short right now, though I still can keep things covered it is really tight. I stopped by my friend's house to pick up the check for the extra 2 days of feeding that she owed me when she didn't know how long they'd be gone, and found out they're going to be gone from the middle of June through the beginning of August. As much as I don't really want to have to deal with twice a day visits to her house for that long, the money will be a HUGE help. My other friend just went out of town again, and bless her heart, she's trying to get ready to leave on an international trip and has a work crisis AND her freezer in her basement craps out and leaks water everywhere. I think that somehow the door didn't get shut good, which meant it froze solid, and then started to thaw. She cleaned as much as she could before she left, but I still had to clean up quite a bit for her and I've been running the dehumidifier as well. Why she didn't think to plug that in before she left, I have no idea. On top of all of that her a/c went out in part of her house. And she didn't write my check for the right amount. I'll be very relieved to have the balance of what she owes me into my account, but I won't be able to get that until next week. So it goes.
Too many things to do before I leave... and I'm stuck in the office today, so it goes. At least while I am here I can get the flyer for my next workshop posted and get that fully announced. There are some advantages to being on a computer with real internet all day!