Peaches

i don't know if anyone quite realizes how difficult it is to drive a stick shift after riding a horse.

its hard.

for half an hour, every saturday at 9:30am, peaches makes me work up a sweat. but i'm finally getting the hang of it-- i think.

she's also a scaredy cat.  there was a patch of sunshine coming in through one of the windows, and when we got to it, she saw it and jumped back, then pranced around it. she's also afraid of the two doors, and makes sure to give them a wide berth..in case they open and somebody scary comes out.

but she's also very responsive. every move of the reins, cluck, nudge, she listens. whether she does what i want or not depends on whether she thinks i'm in charge or not (which i am) so she actually does listen pretty well. of course i can't take credit for it--she's been trained by some of the best in the barn. but it really takes a special horse to do it right.  i'm more and more comfortable with her everytime i go. we're starting to really work well together.  i remember to keep my heels down and out, keep my hands on the pad, back straight, elbows in--while making sure she is going where she's supposed to, and how fast she's supposed to.  its really not easy.

and when i dismount, i think of all the cowboys i've ever seen in movies or whatnot--and i totally understand why they walk like that.  my legs feel like they must perpetually be shaped like there is a horse between them. my thighs feel like limp noodles, and my feet are turned in. i'm not sure i can push the clutch in enough to get the car started, let alone drive home. but somehow i manage. and now i'm at home, sitting on the couch, and when i try to stand up it will be painful. but usually i forget and stand up fast and thats even worse, but my roommates at least get a kick out of it.

yup.

i'm actually posting a blog. be amazed!

its probably been about a month or so. but here's what i have to show for that month.

-Christmas. Christmas was wonderful. i love my wonderful family. really, i do. aunt cami and eric and i will be going skydiving together this summer as a result.  we went as a family to see Peter Pan in the 360 theater...and it was INCREDIBLE. (that was a direct result of me saying we should DO something together for Christmas instead of just give gifts and leave.) it really was fantastic. i became surrogate momma to lily because jenna wanted a break...and i pretty much loved it. she gives me kisses and plays games and dares you to tell her not to do something just so she can do it. every mother's DREAM. :)  i went to disneyland, with my favoritest neighbors in the world, and we had a grand old time.. everybody loves disneyland.  i screamed at everything possible, which made the experience just that much better.  i really do love my neighbors. <3
-Provo. for the first time in my life i didn't cry or puke on my way back to provo, UT. it was a surreal experience. perhaps, after two years, i am growing to accept my fate in life? i don't dare hope that i might actually be liking it.
-Social.  still not much to report in that venue. but, i am determined to make some friends. i suppose. if i have to.
-Work. still working at the horse place. i love it--horses are so majestic, yet fragile, and some of them even miss you when you're gone. Miss Priss, (who is the least prissy horse i've ever seen--and i know, having cleaned her stall for about a month now.) is adorable. and when i leave her stall in the morning she whinnies for me to come back. i love her. and she loves her ears rubbed. and i'm happy to oblige. i'm also "working" in a lab, as frog husbandry.  we have six xenopus laevis frogs in our care (mine and another girl's) and every thursday we assist in a surgery with them.  hopefully, soon i can become a surgeon as well. i don't get paid for this either, i get credit hours.
-School. i'm actually loving it. i love my classes and they are all very interesting, and hopefully i can stay on top of things throughout the end of the semester. i'm taking: animal husbandry, environmental law and policies, principles of range management, organic chemistry, family history, and animal restraint. all of which are AMAZING. yes. even ochem. well, in the second week of school they are amazing. i reserve the right to change my mind later. but animal restraint is awesome already--we are conducting a study on finches, and their eating habits. its going to be lovely.  my finch is named j. pierpont. and she's a girl. which i wasn't planning for when i picked the name, but j could stand for julia or jennifer or jessica or jenna or something.

but yeah. thats my slightly boring on paper but not in real life life.  i'm busier than i've ever been in my life, sleep has become a wonderful fantasy, and ice cream is my best friend.