Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Prayers...
Hey Fam. Mum will probably be all silly about me asking, but please send a few healing prayers her way; she can use them. Thanks a bunch.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Last weekend's adventures...
Yeppers. Rich raced his quad in the monster truck show Sat night. Mind you, this was not the initial plan; we were expecting a nice relaxing (er, as relaxing as a monster truck show can get I guess) evening of sitting in the stands, watching the commotion down below. Unfortunately, most of the people in the Tri-Cities were seeking that same thing... the show was sold out.
So Mr. Rich came up with a brilliant scheme (and I only say scheme because I swear that was his plan all along, as he already had his quad loaded up in the back of the faithful Dodge sitting in the garage at home), he would just race in the event and get us in for free. The only problem with that was that there was a total of 6 of us... oh well, it could happen right?
He and Jobin went around back and talked to the people running the sign-ups. Turns out Rich knew them, which I think really worked to our advantage... although Rich did have to endure teasing about him actually having hair, and then he also discovered that there may be a possibility that they only like him because of Wilbur :). None the less, they agreed to give us 4 extra passes to get in IF TWO people raced. So Jobin took one for the team and piped in that he would race my quad so we could get the passes. Only problems with that?
1- From the point that this was agreed, they had 45 minutes total to: leave the TRAC, go switch the tires on my quad to dirt tires (from sand tires), grab all the riding gear, load up, and get back to the TRAC, unload, and have them inside and numbered and ready to ride. Yeah... bit of a rush.
2- Rich had just finished putting his quad together... days before. He hadn't even ridden it yet. Seriously, it had been nothing more than a bare frame with every part string out all over his garage. He didn't even know if it would run right. LOL.
3- Rich hadn't ridden in months, or raced in years. Hehe... FUN.
4- Jobin hadn't ridden in months, ridden much before that, or raced a quad in his life. Worst? He doesn't jump usually... if ever. Well, he had just signed himself up for an arena race, jumps and all. Again, hehe FUN!
Actually, it all turned out well. Rich ended up taking second and bringing home some cash. We all got in for free, and really enjoyed the show... and it's so much more fun to watch when you know people who are out there racing. Jobin did well. He not only became faster and faster with each lap, we started seeing air under the tires! He has potential for sure!
Needless to say, it was a fun night... although I will admit I was nervous enough to throw back a few. :) I have no idea why I get that nervous WATCHING people, but I do; glad I am only in the stands! LOL. But there was a little comic relief here and there... like Jobin riding my quad up the wall... fun stuff. :)
So I now know that I wouldn't be all that sad if Rich wanted to race again... actually, I would really enjoy it. That was fun to watch! Even if I was a bundle of nerves. :)
So Mr. Rich came up with a brilliant scheme (and I only say scheme because I swear that was his plan all along, as he already had his quad loaded up in the back of the faithful Dodge sitting in the garage at home), he would just race in the event and get us in for free. The only problem with that was that there was a total of 6 of us... oh well, it could happen right?
He and Jobin went around back and talked to the people running the sign-ups. Turns out Rich knew them, which I think really worked to our advantage... although Rich did have to endure teasing about him actually having hair, and then he also discovered that there may be a possibility that they only like him because of Wilbur :). None the less, they agreed to give us 4 extra passes to get in IF TWO people raced. So Jobin took one for the team and piped in that he would race my quad so we could get the passes. Only problems with that?
1- From the point that this was agreed, they had 45 minutes total to: leave the TRAC, go switch the tires on my quad to dirt tires (from sand tires), grab all the riding gear, load up, and get back to the TRAC, unload, and have them inside and numbered and ready to ride. Yeah... bit of a rush.
2- Rich had just finished putting his quad together... days before. He hadn't even ridden it yet. Seriously, it had been nothing more than a bare frame with every part string out all over his garage. He didn't even know if it would run right. LOL.
3- Rich hadn't ridden in months, or raced in years. Hehe... FUN.
4- Jobin hadn't ridden in months, ridden much before that, or raced a quad in his life. Worst? He doesn't jump usually... if ever. Well, he had just signed himself up for an arena race, jumps and all. Again, hehe FUN!
Actually, it all turned out well. Rich ended up taking second and bringing home some cash. We all got in for free, and really enjoyed the show... and it's so much more fun to watch when you know people who are out there racing. Jobin did well. He not only became faster and faster with each lap, we started seeing air under the tires! He has potential for sure!
Needless to say, it was a fun night... although I will admit I was nervous enough to throw back a few. :) I have no idea why I get that nervous WATCHING people, but I do; glad I am only in the stands! LOL. But there was a little comic relief here and there... like Jobin riding my quad up the wall... fun stuff. :)
So I now know that I wouldn't be all that sad if Rich wanted to race again... actually, I would really enjoy it. That was fun to watch! Even if I was a bundle of nerves. :)
Friday, March 13, 2009
I finally did it! I finally just hopped up there and rode Shaylee!
I couldn't be happier. Not only was Shaylee well behaved throughout the duration of her first ride, she was ALSO willing to learn and happy as a clam the entire time. Needless to say, I can't wait to spend a little more time with her this weekend. So here is a short video clip of Shaylee's first ride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdT5pmDpCW4
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Show Season is Drawing Near...
So it's that time of the year again... when all of my friends wonder at whether or not I am still breathing somewhere. I tend to disappear for a few months in the spring as I prepare for show season. This year I will be playing the disappearing act even more so than in past years. Not only is my horse not at my house, she is also two years old and yet to be broke. Yes I foresee quite a few months of staring at roundpen rails and trying with everything I have to avoid being thrown into them. Oh the joys... :) (no really, it is fun!)
But truly, I have a feeling that this year is going to be a very fun show year. I will finally be able to show a super mare; just like I have always wanted. In the two years leading up to this spring, it seemed like time was crawling; waiting for my sweet little Shaylee to grow up. But now that the time is here, and Shaylee is a happy, growing 2 year old, I wonder where all that time went.
None the less, our first show will be a simple little schooling show in Walla Walla on the 29th of this month. I will only be showing her in hand, and maybe riding her around in the warm up pen if she is broke by that time. If not, we will just do halter, maybe a little showmanship, then come home. After that I will begin to gear her towards bigger and better shows throughout the spring/summer/fall. Yay for show season!
But truly, I have a feeling that this year is going to be a very fun show year. I will finally be able to show a super mare; just like I have always wanted. In the two years leading up to this spring, it seemed like time was crawling; waiting for my sweet little Shaylee to grow up. But now that the time is here, and Shaylee is a happy, growing 2 year old, I wonder where all that time went.
None the less, our first show will be a simple little schooling show in Walla Walla on the 29th of this month. I will only be showing her in hand, and maybe riding her around in the warm up pen if she is broke by that time. If not, we will just do halter, maybe a little showmanship, then come home. After that I will begin to gear her towards bigger and better shows throughout the spring/summer/fall. Yay for show season!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Hail?
It is almost March here, in the normally fair weathered Tri-Cities, yet I am starring out my office window in disbelief- hail? You have got to be kidding me...
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Car Accident
So, we were able to have the pleasure of seeing true irresponsibility this weekend.
We were in an auto accident on Saturday. We were sitting at a dead stop for a reasonable amount of time on the Edison exit off of 240, when a man (yikes, I almost said gentleman) rammed into the back of Rich's truck at roughly 35 MPH- without braking. Under normal circumstances we would have been understanding, exchanged information, had the police come out to document the situation, and then we would have been done. Unfortunately, these were not normal circumstances.
Within 30 seconds of the hit Rich told me to call 911, then he proceeded to get out of the vehicle to talk with the individual who was slowly getting out of his late 70s Cadillac. Now, I couldn't make up a funnier story in my mind than that of the description of the man who eventually exited the Cadillac. He was an older guy, approximately 60-65 ish, with Einstein type hair, a fake right leg, boxers, a warm plaid-looking coat, and a drunken sway to him. Rich specified that he instantly had a pretty good idea that this man had been drinking (really? How could you tell? HEHE).
To begin with, he was fairly nice and cordial... but you could definitely tell he was not 100% that day. He began to exchange information, explaining that he had insurance and would take care of us. But not shortly after, he began to tell Rich that he would pay RICH'S deductible. Uh, no!
Long story short, the frustration level with the obviously impaired man rose as he was unable to reason and/or follow during normal conversation. Finally Rich mentioned that he would prefer the man to just sit down and wait for the police to arrive to handle details.
Once the man caught wind of the word "police", he looked like a deer in the headlights and backed away stating, "now there is no reason to get the police involved in this." We proceeded to inform him EXACTLY why the police needed to be involved in this, and as anticipated, we were still in disagreement.
Rich asked him what his great fear was, and even asked if he had been drinking. At that point in time the man did admit to "having a few," which I believe irked us both (of course I can only speak for myself here).
He then moved his car up around the corner, and came back on foot. He still tried to plea and bargain with us to not get the police involved. Soon, we could not delay him any longer and he left the scene, regardless of Rich's efforts to advise him to stay.
Shortly after he drunkenly swayed off, the State Trooper arrived. Upon hearing that he had JUST left, he trooper asked us to follow him around the corner so he could look for him. Eventually he had us sit in a parking lot as he continued to search for our one-legged friend to no avail. He then asked our side of the story, took pictures, wrote down our contact information plus the information the other man had given us prior to getting spooked by the mention of the police, and then sent us home so he could continue his search.
We then proceed with our night as planned, just with an hour or two delay and an odd story to tell. Once we were in route to return to my home to watch an evening movie, Rich decided it would be a good idea to check some local low income apartments for the car as the man had stated he lived just up the road. Low and behold, there was the broken up old caddy with the smashed front end and the oil spill beneath it sitting in a complex parking lot right up against the road.
Rich called the state patrol to inform them that we had indeed found the vehicle, in case they had not yet located it. Luckily, they HAD located both the vehicle and it's driver. He had been arrested and was in jail for a DUI and Hit & Run.
Fast forward to Monday. It turns out that he didn't have insurance much to our dismay... even though that is actually what we had initially anticipated. Also, the officer was quite amazed that our vehicle only sustained as much damage as it did, and that the other man had driven off and actually made it home. Internally, his poor old caddy was pretty much toast.
So, although it made for an adventuresome weekend, it sure made me wonder a little at the moral of some people. Here you have a man who not only drives drunk, he then hits someone, lies about having insurance, then runs anyway. And then calls Rich a punk? My my, ironic isn't it?
Alas, we are both safe and continuing life as normal. Just funny how the oddest things can happen when you least expect them.
We were in an auto accident on Saturday. We were sitting at a dead stop for a reasonable amount of time on the Edison exit off of 240, when a man (yikes, I almost said gentleman) rammed into the back of Rich's truck at roughly 35 MPH- without braking. Under normal circumstances we would have been understanding, exchanged information, had the police come out to document the situation, and then we would have been done. Unfortunately, these were not normal circumstances.
Within 30 seconds of the hit Rich told me to call 911, then he proceeded to get out of the vehicle to talk with the individual who was slowly getting out of his late 70s Cadillac. Now, I couldn't make up a funnier story in my mind than that of the description of the man who eventually exited the Cadillac. He was an older guy, approximately 60-65 ish, with Einstein type hair, a fake right leg, boxers, a warm plaid-looking coat, and a drunken sway to him. Rich specified that he instantly had a pretty good idea that this man had been drinking (really? How could you tell? HEHE).
To begin with, he was fairly nice and cordial... but you could definitely tell he was not 100% that day. He began to exchange information, explaining that he had insurance and would take care of us. But not shortly after, he began to tell Rich that he would pay RICH'S deductible. Uh, no!
Long story short, the frustration level with the obviously impaired man rose as he was unable to reason and/or follow during normal conversation. Finally Rich mentioned that he would prefer the man to just sit down and wait for the police to arrive to handle details.
Once the man caught wind of the word "police", he looked like a deer in the headlights and backed away stating, "now there is no reason to get the police involved in this." We proceeded to inform him EXACTLY why the police needed to be involved in this, and as anticipated, we were still in disagreement.
Rich asked him what his great fear was, and even asked if he had been drinking. At that point in time the man did admit to "having a few," which I believe irked us both (of course I can only speak for myself here).
He then moved his car up around the corner, and came back on foot. He still tried to plea and bargain with us to not get the police involved. Soon, we could not delay him any longer and he left the scene, regardless of Rich's efforts to advise him to stay.
Shortly after he drunkenly swayed off, the State Trooper arrived. Upon hearing that he had JUST left, he trooper asked us to follow him around the corner so he could look for him. Eventually he had us sit in a parking lot as he continued to search for our one-legged friend to no avail. He then asked our side of the story, took pictures, wrote down our contact information plus the information the other man had given us prior to getting spooked by the mention of the police, and then sent us home so he could continue his search.
We then proceed with our night as planned, just with an hour or two delay and an odd story to tell. Once we were in route to return to my home to watch an evening movie, Rich decided it would be a good idea to check some local low income apartments for the car as the man had stated he lived just up the road. Low and behold, there was the broken up old caddy with the smashed front end and the oil spill beneath it sitting in a complex parking lot right up against the road.
Rich called the state patrol to inform them that we had indeed found the vehicle, in case they had not yet located it. Luckily, they HAD located both the vehicle and it's driver. He had been arrested and was in jail for a DUI and Hit & Run.
Fast forward to Monday. It turns out that he didn't have insurance much to our dismay... even though that is actually what we had initially anticipated. Also, the officer was quite amazed that our vehicle only sustained as much damage as it did, and that the other man had driven off and actually made it home. Internally, his poor old caddy was pretty much toast.
So, although it made for an adventuresome weekend, it sure made me wonder a little at the moral of some people. Here you have a man who not only drives drunk, he then hits someone, lies about having insurance, then runs anyway. And then calls Rich a punk? My my, ironic isn't it?
Alas, we are both safe and continuing life as normal. Just funny how the oddest things can happen when you least expect them.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Road Trip
Rich and I recently returned from our whirlwind 9 day road trip. We made various stops in 3 different time zones, and although I can't speak for the both of us, I myself had a great time.
We left WA on the 6th, right after work, and drove straight through to MN. We stopped there and had supper with Rich's sister and brother-in-law, then stayed at his folks house overnight. His sister and BIL are such great people; I really enjoying meeting and visiting with them.
The next morning we left MN and headed to MI, stopping to see one of Rich's friends on the way in WI. Once in MI, we stayed through the 11th in a nice Marriott there (thank you April for the voucher!). We were able to visit with a friend of mine while relaxing, and had the pleasure of meeting her two sweet daughters and very kind hubby.
The morning of the 11th we left for IA. We stopped to see Aunt Kathy and Uncle Mark and Jerod for supper. We had a great visit with them! Kathy always seems to know how to make me laugh. We then continued to Grandma's that same evening and ended up staying with her until the 13th. During that time we were able to visit with Grandma, Aunt Jo, and Corriene (and get my oil changed, thanks Corriene!). During that time we had pleasant conversation and excellent food.
We began the drive home on Friday the 13th, so I guess that should have been the writing on the wall. We ended up hitting what I would label 'quite the snow storm' on the way home. We were going to make the trip home a two day trip (or more), but given the road conditions, my summer slicks for tires, and Rich's he-man driving capabilities we decided to drive straight through on the way back. Thankfully we made it home safely without a hitch... especially in light of the driving conditions and the fact that we saw 33 accidents in about a 25 mile stretch (yes we counted accidents... and have pictures, hehe).
Once out of the snow, we stopped for a coffee in ID at one of Rich's old friend's coffee shops. It sure was nice to get a jolt for those remaining 4 or 5 hours left of driving, and he was an absolute crack up. A fun, even if short, visit.
All in all it was a great trip. I really enjoyed all the time with family and friends. Not to mention, Rich is the perfect road trip companion; I even enjoyed the car rides (well, while I was awake anyhow). :)
If you want to see pictures, they are here: http://s111.photobucket.com/albums/n136/atrodeoch/MI%20pics/
We left WA on the 6th, right after work, and drove straight through to MN. We stopped there and had supper with Rich's sister and brother-in-law, then stayed at his folks house overnight. His sister and BIL are such great people; I really enjoying meeting and visiting with them.
The next morning we left MN and headed to MI, stopping to see one of Rich's friends on the way in WI. Once in MI, we stayed through the 11th in a nice Marriott there (thank you April for the voucher!). We were able to visit with a friend of mine while relaxing, and had the pleasure of meeting her two sweet daughters and very kind hubby.
The morning of the 11th we left for IA. We stopped to see Aunt Kathy and Uncle Mark and Jerod for supper. We had a great visit with them! Kathy always seems to know how to make me laugh. We then continued to Grandma's that same evening and ended up staying with her until the 13th. During that time we were able to visit with Grandma, Aunt Jo, and Corriene (and get my oil changed, thanks Corriene!). During that time we had pleasant conversation and excellent food.
We began the drive home on Friday the 13th, so I guess that should have been the writing on the wall. We ended up hitting what I would label 'quite the snow storm' on the way home. We were going to make the trip home a two day trip (or more), but given the road conditions, my summer slicks for tires, and Rich's he-man driving capabilities we decided to drive straight through on the way back. Thankfully we made it home safely without a hitch... especially in light of the driving conditions and the fact that we saw 33 accidents in about a 25 mile stretch (yes we counted accidents... and have pictures, hehe).
Once out of the snow, we stopped for a coffee in ID at one of Rich's old friend's coffee shops. It sure was nice to get a jolt for those remaining 4 or 5 hours left of driving, and he was an absolute crack up. A fun, even if short, visit.
All in all it was a great trip. I really enjoyed all the time with family and friends. Not to mention, Rich is the perfect road trip companion; I even enjoyed the car rides (well, while I was awake anyhow). :)
If you want to see pictures, they are here: http://s111.photobucket.com/albums/n136/atrodeoch/MI%20pics/
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