Kayla's LJay

Love 'em or hate 'em

2010-01-02T19:42:34Z

I want them.
Yes, the FITS breeches, that seemed to have sparked polar opposites of opinions from "I hate them; they are the ugliest things in the world" to "OMG! It's a miracle!"
While I wouldn't put myself in the latter category, I went out and tried them on. I have to say, I do find them freakishly comfortable; and. AND they are more flattering than the normal breeches ;)

On the flip side, I might tool around eBay and see if I can find some Pikeurs on sale. 'Cept I'm not sure if I fit into them well anymore :\ My two pairs have stretched, as I've had them for 4 years...and they were a 34", and I know Pikeur tends to fit a bit smaller than other normal brands of clothing. And I'm not a 34" at the moment :\

*le sigh*
Maybe my reward for dropping 20lbs will be a brand spanking new pair of breeches that aren't by Elation :P

Well, its time to get it together!

2009-12-30T00:42:28Z

So, good news, farrier came out and was a lot less concerned about Enrique's rotating feet than I was :P He shifted the angles of the feet a bit, and thinks that should help get things back on track. He wants to see him again in 4 weeks. We are going to try to hold off on shoes for a bit longer and see if this trim work might be enough.

So I need to get riding. A lot. With lots of lunge lessons. Because I need to sit the trot properly. Because I got the Dressage Canada show schedule, and I need to get my act together, so that Enrique and I are somewhat competitive at 1st level!

Here is the list of shows available for me this year:
(any of the bronze shows are schooling shows, the Gold are National/FEI level shows)

March 13-14 Carrots & Cocktails Bronze Show
April 17-18 Carrots & Cocktails Bronze Show
May 1-2 Carrots & Cocktails Bronze Show
May 21-23 Amberlea Dressage Gold Show
June 12-13 CA/ADA Summer Festival Gold Show
June 24-27 CA/ADA National Gold Show
July 15-19 Edmonton Gold Rush Gold Show
July 30-Aug 1 Amberlea Dressage Gold Show
September 16-19 Alberta Provincials/Western Regionals

Obviously I'm not going to do ALL these shows. Because any of the gold shows are about $500-$750 each, by the time everything is done - so definitely not going to be able to do them all. Definitely the 3 schooling shows, because hopefully thats where we test the waters for our 1st level debut. And Costa will be shown training level (assuming I still have the little man). But I need to go to at least 2 Gold shows (probably the two CA/ADA shows, as they are close to my barn) and get 3 scores over 60% to qualify for the Provincials/Regionals.

So I need to devise a plan to get my act together. Sadly, my trainer is going to Florida for 4 months (figures) -after she carries the Olympic Torch on January 20th :P to compete and train down there (up there?) with 3 of her horses, so that leaves me with Costa's trainer. Which actually might not be a bad idea, because she is much more about the rider than just focusing on how the horse is going. She's a very pretty, and correct rider, and well, I've gotten sloppy at some things, so might be nice to have someone yell at me for that for a change :P

But that brings me to my Schedule of Life. Which deserves capitals, because its almost epic :P (and brilliantly organized, if I do say so myself)

Monday;
School from 8-1pm
Work from 1:30-5:30pm
Ride Enrique

Tuesday;
School from 8-12pm
Gym
Lesson on Enrique @ 3pm
(yay slacker day. Probably errand day too)

Wednesday;
School from 8-12pm
Work from 12:30-5:30pm
Ride Costa

Thursday;
Lesson with Costa @ 9am
Ride Enrique
School from 1-5pm
Personal Trainer @ 6pm

Friday;
School from 8-3pm
Ride Enrique
Hang out with friends/social commitments

Saturday;
Work from 8-4:30pm
Gym at lunch

Sunday;
Work from 8-4:30pm
Gym at lunch

So that's not too bad; if I stick to it, I get to the gym 4x a week. I ride Enrique 4x a week, and Costa 2x per week. So not too bad. The trick now is not to burn myself out or exhaust myself, otherwise I do nothing :P

Birthday Meme

2009-12-28T21:55:08Z

Stolen from xihateyourx
Because I am THAT bored.

RULES:
1. Pick your birth month.
2. Strike out anything that doesn't apply to you.
3. Bold the four that best apply to you.
4. Post birth month results here.
5. Copy to your own journal, with all twelve months under a cut.

DECEMBER:
Loyal and generous. ~~Sexy.~~ ~~Patriotic.~~ ~~Active in games and interactions~~. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egoistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

JANUARY:
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people's flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY:
Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but those not show it. Dislike unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizing dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH:
Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL:
Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people's problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY:
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE:
Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having lots of ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Abiding. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn .

JULY:
Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people's feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST:
Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride of oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER:
Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people's mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Thinking generous. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves sports, leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER:
Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn't pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER:
Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER:
Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egoistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

Oh, Christmas, sometimes you bring out the best in people

2009-12-24T20:17:25Z

I had to share this. I work at the Health Region right? A bigger groups of sticks in the mud, you've likely never seen. Everything is regumented.
Anyways, on Sunday evening, I was INCREDIBLY bored, as I was the only one in the office (on regular work days the office holds about 500, so its quiet as a tomb in the evenings)

I noticed a white board, and I began to draw a Christmas tree with presents underneath it. I erased it, not wanting my boss to know that I did absolutely nothing in my 4 hour shift except draw on this white board. I opted to leave the Merry Christmas up, just for the hell of it, thinking no one would know it was me.

I went down Tuesday and noticed that a couple of people had added to it. A co-worker sent me this picture this morning:

It's quite an interesting little hiccup of spontaneous multi-culturism in a time and place where it's usually so delibertely cultivated.

Finally got those videos :)

2009-12-21T17:46:33Z

Finally got the videos of my boys free jumping!

Costa:

And here's the grey beast:

So it was an 18" bounce, to a 2'3ft vertical to about 3'3-3'6 oxer :)

Oh, how I laugh

2009-12-21T04:28:54Z

My 2009 year end review could not be summed up better even if I had tried!!!

Take a look at this baby!

Dear Santa

2009-12-20T02:33:02Z

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,

This year I've been busy!

In November I turned foalstory in for spitting (3 points). In March I committed genocide... Sorry about that, diaryofarider (-5000 points). Last Sunday I farted in an elevator (-6 points). Last month I bought porn for sprinklerized (-10 points). Last Friday I punched thelitas in the arm (-10 points).

Overall, I've been naughty (-5023 points). For Christmas I deserve a moldy sandwich!

Sincerely,
skyhuntress

What do you mean you have 12-14 hour days? We don't want to bury you.

2009-12-16T16:59:32Z

So said Costa's trainer when she saw my schedule for the New Year. I actually don't mind it though - I think its a little bit more doable than the schedule I have right now, and lets me get a bit more done withought hopefully burning myself out - and I've come pretty darn close this month :P

Monday;
School from 8-1pm
Gym
Ride Enrique
(my wonderful sweet slacker day! You can bet this is sometimes going to be a nap day too!)

Tuesday;
School from 8-1pm
Work from 1:30-4:30pm
Gym
Lesson with Enrique

Wednesday;
School from 8-2pm
Work from 2:30-5:30pm
Ride Enrique
Ride Costa

Thursday;
Lesson with Costa
Ride Enrique
School from 2:30-5pm
Personal trainer

Friday;
School from 8-1pm
Work from 1:30-5:30pm
Gym

Saturday
Work from 8-5:30pm
Gym at lunch
Ride Enrique

Sunday
Work from 8-5:30pm
Gym at lunch

So its steady this time, but I don't think I'm going to want to rip my head out like I normally do. And I actually have pony time!

Oh, those Petrie boots. Let me get them

2009-12-13T04:25:34Z

So, for my birthday gift, my parents are getting me a paid of dressage show boots. I have a lovely pair of Ariat Heritage Field Boots That I love to pieces. So much so that I ride in them every day now, as I can't get my spurs properly on my half chaps. The problem though, is that they are field boots.

Mother found out that under her insurance policy, she has a $250 "hobby/recreational clause" in which horseback riding apparel is included, so she can claim my boots under her policy, since i'm still listed as a student until January 1, 2010 :P

Sadly, dressage boots are freaking expensive. The Konigs are like $800+, the Petries at our tack store are about $750+.
Until, one of my brilliant barn mates pointed out this page. The Petries are 50% off.
So my thought is to go to my local tack shop, have them measure me, try on their Petries and get an idea of what I need, and then order from Dressage Extensions, and have them rush shipping so that i can get it in before December 30th, 2009.

Do you think that sounds feasible??

So I got a call...

2009-12-08T23:23:03Z

From a woman in Montana who is really, really interested in Costa.
30 minutes later (on my cell phone, no less, so Im sure that will be a fun bill!) I'm sending her some more pictures and a couple of videos.

She want to come down to Alberta in the next couple of weeks and try him out.

*sniff* I don't want to sell my baby.
But if I do, its like my down payment on my house.

*sigh* I guess I shouldn't borrow trouble, but I'm really divided about this whole thing LOL

Ummm...bad horse mom, Bad!

2009-12-07T04:06:57Z

So with the windchill? It's -37C. That's...well, I'd say freezing, but I think that word stopped being applied at -25C.

The only saving grace right now is that the wind has died down some, so I would guess it's probably about -30C now...and without the wind, I don't feel like such a horrific horse owner for not having enough money to board my beasts inside :P It doesn't make it any better, but in my mind, I keep telling myself "they are horses! nice blankets, shelter, 1200lbs of warmth. They'll be fine!" The other part of me is like "idiot! you body clipped them! how warm do you really think they'll be in this weather??"

*sigh*
To appease my rather frantic mind, I think I'll make the journey out tomorrow to make sure Rico and Costa aren't solid blocks of ice.

The count Censored

2009-12-05T19:59:25Z

Bhuaha, anyone remember the Count's Counting Song.
Here's the beautiful version of it :P

Schedule for Nov 23 - Nov 29

2009-11-23T20:23:47Z

Schedule for Nov. 23 – Nov. 29

Monday
Work @ Parkdale from 8-430pm
Ride Enrique
Go tanning

Tuesday
School from 9-3pm
Gym
Ride Enrique

Wednesday
Work @ SouthCalgary Influenza 8-1pm
Hairdresser @ 2pm
Gym
Lunge Costa
Go tanning

Thursday
Work @ SouthCalgary Influenza 8-12pm
Massage @ 12:10pm
School from 2-4pm
Personal Trainer @ 5pm

Friday
Lesson w/Costa @ 9am
School from 11-1230pm
Microderm @ 1pm
Ride Enrique

Saturday
Ride Costa
Festival of Crafts @ 11am
Twilight New Moon Movie @ 7pm

Sunday
Ride Enrique

The next two weeks look worse *hangs head*

God, I love Christmas

2009-11-20T21:36:26Z

Bhuaha, I just LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas. My decorations are already coming out, my Christmas CDs are being burnt. Love it.
But, the other nice thing is Christmas Parties. Since I work out of so many offices, I have 7 to attend this year through my work. And for some reason, this year, everyone is going all out with their Christmas parties.

The first one- on Dec. 2nd, I am SO FREAKISHLY excited for. It's actually my mother's area of the hosptial (transition services) that is attending, and I don't really work in that division, but I begged my mother to take me :P It's actually at my college- in the Highwood Dining Area. This is a place that you have to book 3 months in advance, and its actually a unique idea. It's gourmet food that is served by the culinary students taking the program at SAIT. It's generally a 5 course meal of pure deliciousness.
Take a look at this menu and drool with me, kids
I've had lunch there once before and it was so freaking fantastic Im still dreamimg about it :P
As a funny little side note...our tuition this year? Apparently went to creating a 2 MILLION $$ herb garden for the culinary program. That better be some damn special basil ;)

The other Christmas parties involve a potluck, laser tag, a prime rib buffet at a casino, a lunch at Heritage Park and something else that I'm likely forgetting :P SO excited. Love, love, love.

In happier news, or perhaps ironically, since I'm talking about this succulent food, while I have only dropped 4lbs in 1 month (because I am a glutton for carbs!) I have dropped 4 inches. 1 around my bust, 1 around my waist, 1" around my hips and .5" around each arm. Go figure. Imagine what I could do if I concentrated ;) Another 20" to lose *le sigh* But at least its a start!

Didn't do much with the horses since Wednesday. This wind has been giving me a helluva bad headache, so I just went down to lunge the ponies today. Hoping to ride at least Rico sometime this weekend, but social butterfly that I am (*snort*), I'm out all this weekend LOL.

I've booked my 2010 Trips

2009-11-11T17:56:10Z

Well ok, I've booked one of the two. But I will be booking the second one in March. I'm so freakishly excited. I made a pact with myself that I would travel in 2010 and have a blast.
I'm finally finished school in May 2010 - I'm on my way to being "responsible" with a full time job, a car that is paid for, and likely a condo by summer.
So, the other, immature part of me, is willing to blow a considerable amount of money just to get the hell out of Dodge, reward myself for my 20-yes! 20! straight years of school and freakishly crazy schedules and have a mindless time.

So the first trip is one that I believe I mentioned - Puerto Vallarta. Booked for June 7-13. My best friend and I are going together. Her parents have a time share in one of the all-inclusive resorts-the Paradise Village Beach Resort . Food, booze, scuba diving and beach horseback rides. So, aside from the fact that I have never been to Mexico before, I'm more excited because this is my first trip outside of Canada that hasn't included my parents :P That alone is cause for celebration ;) My trip is a grad present from my parents, which is absolutely amazing of them to do :)

Next trip I'm scheduling for October-so still enough time to save up for it, thank God. This is my absolute dream trip-something that I have wanted to do for as long as I can remember. Riding and Cooking in Tuscany Combining my absolute two favorite things; riding and cooking lessons :P 7 blessed days in Italy with riding and food and a spa and castles-could it get any better? I have a friend that wants to come with me, but I'm not entirely sure that I don't want to do this by myself LOL, but we shall see! Some time to still think about it; as I can't book the tour until March.

Yes kids. I'm very, very excited. And I deserve it. Most people I know would have had a nervous breakdown with the schedule that I keep-and have kept for over 5 years. So little Kayla is going to cut loose ;)

Uh, among the living again

2009-11-03T14:37:02Z

I blame those shitty, snotty nosed kids at the clinic.
I ended up with a mild case of swine flu, started getting really ill Sunday afternoon, after dealing with a tickilish throat.

Got so bad by Sunday evening that my parents had to pick me and my truck up from work.
Fever of 103F and so freaking cold. Not a happy camper, kids, not a happy camper at all. Went to the clinic and picked up some Tamiflu that they are making available to health care workers, and people that are diagnosed with swine flu to try to cut the sickness time in half.

What a little miracle drug. I was expecting to be out for a good 4-5 days, but after yesterday being particularily brutal, I woke up this morning and my fever has gone down to 99.5F, so the lowest its been for 2 days, and I feel a lot better. I have to say though, I feel like I have fallen off my horse, my joints are so tired and sore, so I'm still home today and likely tomorrow too.

But I've a survivor! (actually, to be perfectly honest, while they diagnosed me as mild h1n1, they are diagnosing anyone with flu symptoms as h1n1 and treating accordingly. While I do have a cold and a cough, it has not been really bothering my chest like we are really seeing with the severe cases, so I'm thinking just flu)

But I live! My barnmates aren't so lucky...a good 10-12 boarders are out sick right now :\ And God knows how many at school.

So, I got the H1N1 shot

2009-10-27T22:21:24Z

Which they are trying to make mandatory for all health care workers.
I decided to ultimately take it now because if there is even a possibility that it can help reduce my getting very ill, I'm willing to take it. I also have a very shitty immune system (good times with mono, bell's palsey and many bronchitis episodes) so anything to help boost it I'm willing to try. Despite my joke on facebook about worrying about my future children having 3 arms, I'm not too concerned about side effects. It's a dead virus that they are injecting, not a live one, so we should be ok on that wavelength.

I have to say though, its been an hour since I got the shot, and my arm hurts like a son of a bitch. Like holy crap does it hurt. They say on the info sheet to expect a sore arm-more so than the regular flu shot, but that's a bit of an understatement. My arm ACHES. Now, I'm always a bit more reactive than normal people (because of the egg present in the vaccine. Wasn't until I was 18 that I could safely take the flu shot because of the way the eggs were cultivated), but its to the point that I am icing it and taking a tylenol.

I am happy though that I'm a health care worker. We (stupidly) only have 5 clinics in Calgary at the moment to vaccinate nearly 1 million people. According to the news, wait times are 6hours + and not expecting to dissipate for another 2 weeks or so. Health care worker? Went to the nearest hospital? 15 minute wait, and I'm done. Yay.

Truly glad I'm not riding today, as I don't think my arm would be up to it. Enrique was fantastic yesterday during my lesson. Were working on lengthenings. She had me do an excercise where you do a half circle at A or C, leg yield to the wall and then ask for a lengthening on the long side. Was hard for us. Enrique isn't as responsive laterally. He has to really think about where his body is going. But towards the end, I could really feel him cross under and then lift his shoulders up during the lengthening so that we weren't falling on the forehand. Finished the lesson by keeping him on a 20 meter circle and jumping over 2 caveletti on the circle, and he was super good.

I'm off to go ice my arm somemore!

Toodles!

2 hours of my life, gone, gone, gone.

2009-10-25T14:21:51Z

So yesterday night I was seriously tired. Decided to cancel plans and stay at home with my parents and just veg out. So we were flipping through channels when we came across a movie called Left Behind Ah, if only I had wikipediad it first, I wouldn't have lost two very precious hours of my life.

It started off relatively interesting enough...randomly, people started disapearing, leaving their clothes behind, and the UN was striving to get world peace by rebuilding a shrine in Israel or some such thing. The acting was poor, and the dialogue was laughably bad, but hey, Saturday night, not much else on, right?

And then we delved into the religious.

Now, I'm Catholic. I'm a lax Catholic to be perfectly honest, but I do believe in God, and I do believe in Heaven. What I don't believe in is pounding my faith into other peoples heads. Nor do I believe in the adage that faith is all you need. I'm a huge believer that God helps those that help themselves.

So, we are watching this movie together (not quite getting that its actually a religious film yet) and my dad is all like "umm...this seems bizarely religious doesn't it?" I'm thinking we must have been a slow bunch...all the little side notes of "God is watching you" and the shots of the Churches obviously didn't clue us in. Randomly, 1/2 way through the movie, the protagonist is all like "aha! the reason people are disappearing is because God is calling them home to Heaven, for they are true believers and will be spared the coming of the Anti-Christ, and we have been left behind for we have forsaken God" .... ok... God obviously didn't want to beam them up with their clothes, but sure. We'll go with that.

So by now, 90minutes into the movie, its HORRIBLE. The plot sucks, the acting is shitty, but you know when you are all like "well...what happens? might as well finish the thing" The ending? Let me tell you, to spare you from ever watching this movie.
The protagonist discovers that the UN leader is the Anti-Christ and now has control over the world's food supply, and like the Bible says, there shall be 7 years of hell on Earth in which to survive, oh, you guessed it, faith is all you need
The end.

Then, as a parting shot, we were led in the Lord's Prayer, and bright spark that I am, was all like "Man...this movie was on the Christian Miracle Network. No wonder it sucked majorly. Maybe I should have checked this first?"

Words cannot explain how bad this movie was. Actually, maybe it can. It was so bad that The Simpsons have a parody on it.

'Nough said.

Notes to myself on my crazy-ass schedule

2009-10-19T03:20:43Z

Good god, its come to this. I'm almost scheduling pee-breaks into my time table just to get everything to fit. I got asked how I do this schedule on a regular basis. I go hard for 2-3 weeks, and then have a week where I totally and completely crash. No school, no work, no horses, nothing. Otherwise, poor little Kayla fries her little mind.

So here we go.

Monday;
School from 9-1pm
Riding lesson with Rico from 2-3pm
Work from 4-7pm
Gym from 7:30pm-8:30pm

Tuesday;
School from 9-3:30pm
Work from 4-7pm
Gym from 7:30-8:30pm

Wednesday;
Work from 8-4:30pm
Ride Rico and Costa from 5:30-??
Go tanning after (got to love faking and baking. For once in my life, I don't look like a corpse!)

Thursday;
Work from 8-12:30pm
School from 2-5pm
Personal trainer from 6-7pm
Go tanning after the gym (which is nice. the heat feels amazing)

Friday;
Work from 8-12:30pm
Job interview at 1:45pm (got a casual position interview so I can hopefully make some more $$$, although I'm not sure when to book it all in!)
Ride Enrique

Saturday;
Work from 8-4:30pm
Ride Costa

Sunday;
Work from 8-4:30pm

I can survive this week. I know I can :P Next week looks a lot better

Clearly the arena has gremlins

2009-10-14T23:21:52Z

Enrique is absolutely certain of that now. Where before there were some doubts in his mind, there's none now. Gremlins in the arena. Evil, ugly gremlins who long to destroy the minds of poor, innocent Trakehners.

First of all, we have a large (think about 12ft) back door in our arena, which allows you to see the hayshed and part of the outside arena. And the doors can either be closed all the way, or you can have a sliding half door over the lower part of the door so that you look out. Generally, unless its winter, the door remains half closed for ventilation and. This has always caused concern for Enrique, because you can see out and things can sometimes pop out at you. (one time visitors came bye and leaned over it just as we were going around the corner. Enrique almost shit himself. And almost dumped me)

So he's cautious of this...in fact, all the horses are, some more, some less. Costa for example, looks at it and won't go close to it until you ride him in bigger circles and get closer and closer until you are right next to it, and then he's generally fine, even with activity happening outside. He seems to realize that its ok-its just the outside and if he does spook, its a small shy and then he carries on. Enrique, on the other hand, can be ridden right up to it from the start and is generally just fine until he sees something...and this something can be something so small as a sparrow, and then he'll try to spin around and bolt like the hounds of hell are after him. Same happens if he sees other horses in the outdoor, he stops dead, spins on his haunches and heads for home...or rather the wall as by that point, I'm swearing at him and telling him to grow the hell up!)

So, we had a lot of snow the past two days. About 3" of the stuff. And today was warmer (yay!) so it was starting to melt. Enrique was being fabulous. Monday was an ok ride, but today he felt really good. We're really starting to get crisp walk to canter transitions instead of the "what? canter? how's about I trot a few steps...no? alright, I'll canter" So we were about 1/2 way into our ride, when we passed the doors....and all this snow fell from the roof right into the arena and right into his path and face with a loud woosh. Well, let me tell you. In Enrique's mind, this was clearly an indication of the Apocalypse. The poor grey beast lost his little Trakehner mind, bolted forward, dislodging me from my stirrups, and almost knocking me out of the saddle, and was so out of it, that I literally was seesawing the bit trying to get him back to me for 5 minutes before I could turn him enough to run him into a wall (and the poor beast actually did run himself into a wall. He's got a cut now on his nose thanks to hitting it on the wood. oy) . He just fried. He was coated in sweat and shaking. So I spent the next twenty minutes of our ride getting him past that Evil Corner. I have to say though, he did feel fantastic despite that; he was so up in front of my leg and sensitive at this point that my littlest half halt was enough to have him sitting back right on his ass. But We Were Not Amused.

Frustrates me though, as I thought we were getting better with this door thing. I mean I know most horses would have shit themselves in these circumstances; but he was always so sensitive about that corner to begin with. Of COURSE it would happen to him. Now he's absolutely convinced that there are gremlins with a penchant for eating big grey Trakehners lurking in the corner.

I have a crush

2009-10-12T16:54:09Z

On Steven and Chris It's really too damn bad that they are gay. How many other men are good looking, intelligent, can cook, are creative and ENJOY housework? Damnit, why the hell are they gay? *sigh* This little project fascinates me, and I am going to attempt putting a print on a pillow and seeing if it works properly, because it could open up a whole new world for me - since my whole decor centers around my photos that I have of family and my animals.

Speaking of my animals, I've been a bad horsemom. I haven't ridden since Wednesday, and yesterday night was the first time I went out; not to ride, mind you, but to pull Costa's mane and run him around. I blame the weather. Welcome to Calgary. Yesterday we had a windchill of -17C (4F). By thursday, it's supposed to be +15C (60F). And they wonder why Calgarians live with constant headaches. Speaking of the weather, I have to attempt to clip both my horses sometime this week. Enrique doesn't have much of a coat, but he gets so sweaty anyways, and Costa resembles a close cousin of the wooly mammoth. So need to get them done!

I am pleased to report that while I have only lost 2lbs in 3 weeks (because I'm such a damn slacker and have yet to put any effort into this) I have lost 1" around my waist and 1" around my hips. Got another 10" to lose around my waist, and 7" around my hips, and 6" around my bust, but its a start! And Im hoping that its a little push into actually getting serious about this shit so that I don't feel like a cow riding a horse ;)

I leave you with a picture of my Little Grey Beastie, Sasha - who is my soul sister and is truly who I want to be when I grow up ;)

To my fellow Canadians out there - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

A little teaser! Show pics!

2009-09-22T21:47:23Z

beybladesabre sent me a couple of photos from the show to appease my mother who was most cranky that I didn't take my own camera up :P

So I'm listing Costa for sale

2009-09-04T23:06:41Z

I just can't afford to keep two horses, and quite honestly, he hasn't turned out like I was hoping he would. Or at least not what I expected anyways (although his personality and temperment is actually probably above and beyond what I had hoped for)

So, while I have a general idea of price from looking at forsale ads around my area, I thought I'd throw it out there and see what you think I should list him for. I'll also include my wording of the ad that i'm planning to use and if you think I should add/take something out. I'm going down tuesday to get some really nice pics of him undersaddle and at liberty :)

Costa is a very flashy 4 year old gelding. He was awarded Premium Status as a foal from the German Oldenburg Verband with extremely favorable remarks from the judges and was the site favorite. Costa has approximately 60 days undersaddle training and has proven to be extremely kind and quiet, making him perfect for an amateur rider. He has also been chute jumped up to 3ft and showed nice form and ability. He is 100% sound and is a pleasure to handle. Owner is regretfully selling as I am away at university and do not have the time to devote to a youngster.

Uhhh...is it just too pricey or what?

2009-08-30T17:46:19Z

So I got the opportunity to take a clinic with Susanne Dutt-Roth which I'm considering. But then I found out the cost. $170 per lesson. She's a hell of a clinician - really knowledgeable and conveys her thoughts well, but to my way of thinking, Rico and I are still really beginner. I'm thinking I would do better applying that $350 for the weekend to more lessons...Plus I don't feel like I'm fit enough to do a really intense hour. It's why I'm sticking to half hour lessons right now, because for that 30 minutes, I can fully concentrate and physically be together; but any longer than about 45 minutes of an intense workout, and I (and Rico!) start to fade...so probably better off passing on this one I think. Canadian Olympian Leslie Reid will be in again in March; that might be something to strive for.

The joys of a Brazilian

2009-08-21T16:55:08Z

Got this in an email and had to share, because I'm sitting here crying from laughing so hard :P

The Brazillian

Have you ever stopped to wonder how bizarre it is to walk into a business establishment, look a complete stranger in the eye and give them $50 to rip every single one of your pubic hairs out by the root with hot wax? How inherently odd it is to spend a full 30 minutes with a woman whose name you don’t even know discussing the weather while she is maybe 6 inches from your genitals?

Why do we do this to ourselves? Obviously, this is an idea that a man dreamed up. If it were up to women, we would all resemble sasquatches. Not one of us would do this voluntarily

My experience with the Brazilian began about 2 years ago when I lived in Toronto. There was a salon down the block and relatively speaking, they were cheap (and I was making lots of money in those days). I was curious. So I took myself down the road and walked in.

“I’d like a bikini wax please”, I said to the young Korean girl at the counter.

“Yes, yes”, she smiled, and ushered me into a back room. “Just bikini rine?” she asked, as she closed the door behind us.

“No”, I responded grimly. “A Brazilian.”

Getting naked in front of someone who you are not planning to have sex with or is not about to perform a medical examination upon you is a strange experience, but I stripped off all the same.

I think the weirdest part about this whole thing is that both women involved in the process tend to chat away as if nothing at all untoward is going on. This woman spoke little English but she was good at her job.

“OK, rady, you leady?” smiled the girl, whose name I was never to learn. I took a deep breath and nodded.

She slathered a wide line of wax along the top of my pubic line. It actually feels quite nice going on, warm and soothing. And then, rip -- holymotherfuckingsweetMarymotherofGod -- I felt tears spring to my eyes and I’ve got a high pain threshold. This wasn’t even the sensitive area.

“Ooh, you blave rady”, she said in admiration. “No scleam.”

“You hold here” she instructed, as she covered my labia in wax and placed my hand on the opposite side to create some tension so she could tear the wax off without taking my genitalia with it.

I tried desperately to go to my Happy Place because

(a) this was going to hurt like a bitch; and

(b) there was no turning back now.

RIP

I think I passed out briefly and wait -- was that one of my ovaries?

“Rady? Rady?” I heard a voice call from a long way off. “You OK, rady?”

“Keep going” I said weakly. After that, mercifully, post-traumatic amnesia stepped in to spare me any clear memory but in due course I emerged as hairless as any 8 year old.

“OK, rady, you done now. You blavest rady -- no scleam at all.”

That may well be, but all the same I’d like an ambulance now please. They should licence these people to dispense narcotics.

I struggled weakly back into my clothing, tipped her lavishly and staggered out the door.

While some women get Brazilians to accommodate certain fashions, many of them do it to accommodate a man. If that’s your decision (as opposed to his), then whatever floats your boat.

But don’t think it’s all going to be roses. Before you commit to a Brazilian, consider this:

1. It’s painful. Really painful.

2. After you have a Brazilian, your panty liners will stick to you like adhesive strips. Every time you go for a pee, it will feel like you’re ripping off a bandaid. No one warns you about this.

3. They take maintenance and unless you keep it up, three weeks later your private parts will look like a Chia Pet.

4. Because of the lack of uh, cushioning post-Brazilian, almost every garment is guaranteed to give you camel toe. Nobody warns you about this either.

If, after your first heartstopping Brazilian, you decide you can’t face the thought of ever having another, here’s what you need to know about regrowth.

It’s itchy. Unbelievably itchy. You’ll feel like a bear in spring. Do not be surprised to find yourself seized with the urge to scratch while in public. It can be done, but you have to be surreptitious about it. For the next few weeks, the sharp corners on tables will be your friends.

The other day, for reasons still unclear to me, I decided to revisit the issue. Why, you ask? Good question. Too much time on my hands, I suppose. What I don’t have too much of at the moment is money. And fifty bucks is fifty bucks.

I resolved to do it myself.

Upon sober reflection, this was not the brightest idea I’ve ever had but once you start, it’s not exactly an enterprise that can be abandoned.

This should all fall under the rubric of “Don’t try this at home”, but always game for a challenge (and admittedly, not thinking straight), I figured it would be a breeze. I never suspected I was so nimble, though. In order to complete the job properly, I got myself into positions that would guarantee me international fame with the Cirque de Soleil. Some of it, by necessity, was done standing up but once you get down to the nitty gritty, you have to be at least partially supine. I wouldn’t recommend this be performed in carpeted bathrooms but I have to warn you: sitting on tile is cold.

That, however, was the least of my worries.

At first, it went pretty well. It made tears spring to my eyes, but I could take it. I finished the easy bits and while I was definitely throbbing, I’ve felt worse pain than this.

Regrettably, things quickly got out of hand when I got around to the more delicate region.

Looking back now, the decision to apply a copious river of wax to the entire area in an attempt to get it over with quickly was misguided to say the least. I had just applied a good half cup of rapidly congealing wax to my nether regions and unless I could figure out how to shed my skin, this was going to be a memorable few hours.

I was faced with the unimaginable task of removing it all. It took me an hour to accomplish and there was at least one exceptionally dodgy moment where the only thing that prevented me from going to the Emergency Room was the fact that I was stuck to the floor. That and the attendant embarrassment of seeking medical attention because I’d inadvertently glued myself shut. There was some serious teeth gritting going on before I was able to work up the nerve to rid my tender lady bits of a ridiculously lavish strip of molten wax, complete with a few bits of loose grouting.

I was hoping that the sweat pouring off me in buckets would loosen it a bit, but no such luck. There was nothing for it but to screw my courage to the sticking point (no pun intended) and yank for all I was worth. I knew I was risking serious injury and a possible future as a hermaphrodite but it’s not like I could leave the damn stuff where it was.

I took a deep breath, said a few prayers and RIP.

My life flashed before my eyes, my last conscious thought being that this was not how I wanted to meet the local firefighters.

When I recovered, I examined my handiwork. When this gets done at a salon, it is painful but the results are professional and no blood is spilled. Not so in this case. I looked like the victim of a particularly grisly scalping.

Several things flitted through my swimming head at this point, most notably being why in the world this had ever seemed like a good idea.

But, like I said, this is not something you can simply give up on while you’re in the midst of it. It’s all or nothing and since I figured the worst was over, I resolved to finish the job.

It took ages, but I’d learned to apply small bits of wax and since I was already numb and throbbing, I barely noticed the pain.

I had accomplished the unachievable and though a few random bits of wax still adhered to me like crazy glue (causing me to bond implacably with my clothing), the ordeal was finally at an end.

It was fully two days before I could sit down without wincing and considering the whole endeavour smacked of being all dressed up with no place to go, I’m still wondering what on earth possessed me.

I got huge (if horrified) props from my girlfriends though. “What’s next?” one of them asked. “You going to do your own root canal?”

So let this be a cautionary tale for you all. Doing your own Brazilian is possible, but it is foolhardy in the extreme.

Fifty bucks to have it done professionally? Worth every single penny.

Till next time,

Morrigan