Month: October 2013

Weekend Recap- Horse related!

Ian’s dinner went really well, although I think I drank a few too many of my ‘signature’ cocktails and a bit too much Spicebox pumpkin-spiced whiskey, as I slept in until 11am the next morning and felt like garbage the whole day! ARGH.

Still went riding though, and Oats was a darling. He seems to be extra-nice to me when I ride hungover (and this seems to be happening a lot in Oct. darn party month!). We had our Halloween party and I went as the Sheriff of Calgary, and did a little coffee-table dancing! It was super fun!

Sunday we rode outside and true to form, as soon as I am not hungover, Oat is spooky outside. We did a little bit of crossrail jumping and then moved indoors to practice our Training Level 1&2 tests, of which I CANNOT remember. I roped the poor Czech girl Gabrielle into helping me with the tests, and between her English and my memory, made for some very interesting rides. Poor Oats was confused!!

We had a small bonfire at the barn after, which was very nice. I’m also currently eating WAY too much Halloween candy.

Quite literally at the party, before I even knew what I was doing, I had a fist-full of candy wrappers in my hand! And I had eaten 5 mini chocolate bars in 30 seconds?! Whaa??

Spooky Season

Not for horses though! I really like Halloween, the culture, the history, everything.

I think it helps that I particularly enjoy horror movies, and have the fondest memories of going to Saunders Farm haunted hayrides in Muenster’s Hamlet, ON, when I was a kid. But nothing golden stays, does it? My parents say Saunders Farm has gotten insanely crowded, and expensive. The waits stretch beyond hours, and it’s generally jam-packed. Nothing like how I remember it, the spooky cornfields, the chainsaw-wielding end to the haunted hayride, shoot outs with the Hatfields and McCoys, the alien landing in the hay field, the barn with the roof that ‘falls’ on you…Ah, good times.

There are corn mazes here, but nothing to match the glory days of Saunders Farms. 

I also have a surprisingly busy Halloween- starting with today, my dear husband’s birthday, and a big dinner night for our friends.

We’re hosting a Mexican-themed dinner night (el Dia de los Muertos!) for his and our other friend Jared’s birthday.

Then, Ian’s friends party on Saturday for Halloween (yes, early).

THEN, a barn bonfire and potluck on Sunday night (I am bringing scary cupcakes).

THEN, another party next Friday. 

AND we still have to carve a pumpkin and dress up the animals, and go to the haunted corn maze! 

Missing cats update part #3

Bad news. Finnegan is still missing! No other recent missing cat posters have made their way to telephone poles in my neighbourhood though, so I can safely assume the cats are either found, or lost forever…?

Also, a cat missing an eye has been watching me walk home every day. And each day, after 4pm, the cat appears in various places in the neighbourhood, never in the same place twice. It’s more than a little creepy.

The cute brown and white fluffy cat that is always in front of the same house, however, stays cute. And not missing. Now I’m positive if either of those cats (old one-eye, or fluffy cute) go missing, I will be able to recognize them!

A little on Mr. Sedaris

David Sedaris is one of my favourite writers/authors. He’s funny, alarming, considerate and a master of the turn of phrase. His stories about his families are among the best–and I’d like to share one of his recent essays.

He writes about a difficult and sad time, the suicide of his youngest sister. It’s a hard topic, and even harder to write well about. He does it, and he makes it funny and interesting. He brings a sad reality to life, and confronts it in a way that makes him, and his family, more human.

Here’s to you, Sedaris–for writing one of the best essays on how to deal with a loss your family feels.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/10/28/131028fa_fact_sedaris

 

Now I remember why…

I tend to leave blogs and forget about them. Damn passwords! How dare you tell me my password is too weak–I can’t even remember it myself?!! 

I forgot both my password and my username, so I had to get a new one, and hence–the blog had a few days/weeks off.

Things have been quiet in the clothing front, I have been purging my closet of items recently deemed unnecessary. Never fear–I still have an alarmingly large collection of beer t-shirts, though I did get rid of my lime-green Bud Light Lime t-shirt, and I have been sleeping in both my Bud Shot t-shirt, and my Jack Daniels t-shirts.

I still have my Kokanee ‘Wildlife Experience’ t-shirt too. Ha.

I bought Ian a rain jacket for his b-day after a few very frustrating shopping experiences in which I pressured him angrily to make up his mind (shopping with/for a guy is the MOST ANNOYING experience ever). These are fairly pricey jackets, just pick a colour/style that you WANT! ARGH~

So we finally found one, after going to 4 or 5 stores. Agh…

And it was a bit pricey. 

I bought some horse stuff recently too, talk about pricey…A ‘horse helmet’ for Oats, and a white saddle pad, because I felt bad staining other peoples saddle pads for dressage shows and then having to bleach the shit out of them. Now I have white breeches, and a white saddle pad. Clearly I am a dressage queen now! (Not really, ha). My trainer was musing if her dressage saddle would fit and said her bridle would definitely fit…Ahh how deep does the rabbit hole go??

Missing cats in my neighbourhood- Update

Remember when I posted all the strange names for cats that had gone missing in my neighbourhood? There were a suprisingly large amount of ‘Missing’ posters around.

Most of those are gone now (though I have no clue whether the cats were found, or the posters just got ripped off), but I have some more names to add to that long list…

Beer (or maybe it was Bear?) the handwriting was very poor…

Finnegan (not quite as interesting, ha).

So, Beer or Bear and Finnegan, I hope you find your homes again! And didn’t get eaten by a cougar.