I may have gone a bit overboard with my team lead, haha... okay, on Fridays, we do reports for our clients. They get reports every other week. My team lead sent out a report list that included a client that had already received a report from me last week, and I figured he had just made a mistake, so I gave him crap for it. Here's the convo (from now on, I'm just going to refer to him as 'him'):
April
DUDE
I did a report for [his client] last week
him
DUDE
April
yeah, got nothing to say, huh punk
him
it will take SO LONG
April
what? you want me to do another one?
him
do you have head phones on ?
April
si
him
You're REAL BALLZY over IM and in emails
however in life..... [??? I speak very openly to him in general, and he never did explain himself when I confronted him about that little passive-aggressive comment.]
anyways
YES
April
why?
him
DO ANOTHER ONE
QYB
I don't want to hear your crap
April
I don't know what that means.
him
QUIT
YA
B
ing
April
give me a reason
her account has been sucking.
him
ummmm,.,,......we suck ?
April
no, give me a reason why we're doing another report?
him
because.....
I
Said
so
?
April
then you can do it?
and I'll do [my client's report]?
him
APRIL
first off
I already did [my client]
the reason we need to one is she asked for one specifically last week and this isher normal week to get htem
they could you not do one this week? what is the issue?
April
are you not listening to Shawn and I??????
christ, you make me see red
him
what the hell
April
we want reasons for doing this shit, is that so much to ask?
him
I just gave you one?
April
"i said so" doesn't cut it
YEAH, AFTER GIVING ME SHIT ABOUT IT FIRST
him
because she normally receives on this week
I decided to NOT say what I want to right now
but
We need to get her a report this week simply because this is her normal "cycle" for one, even though she asked for one last week
this way we can ensure that she has the info to give to her boss, as we know that she is on a tight schedule in her reporting
April
okay, thanks for the explanation
UGH. He absolutely INFURIATES me sometimes. And I deal with this BS on a daily basis! I could have acted more professionally, but when it comes to him (and this company in general I guess), I really don't care anymore. I shouldn't let him get under my skin, but I CAN'T HELP IT. After going back and reading our conversation, I can see his reasoning, but come on. "I said so"? What the hell? Are we in 2nd grade again, and he's our teacher? By the way, I do call him "teacher" to his face sometimes. Lol.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Great lesson! :)
Again, with the bugs here in Texas. GAH! I was totally creeped out on Saturday at the barn. There were these ENORMOUS, noisy, fat bugs buzzing around. They'd come really close, make me freeze/cower, and buzz away before I could get a good look at what the hell they were. I'm pretty sure they're hornets, though. I was riding Antares, and I saw these damn things buzzing all around us (the horses didn't seem worried, so I tried to take solace in that), and asked Richard, "WHAT are these ENORMOUS BUGS?!" He said he had no idea (comforting), and that they all hatched a couple days before. Ugh!
I had a fantastic lesson today on Bolero (I love that guy). The first 10-15 minutes, I was getting yelled at for not getting him to lower his head/neck, which in turn will raise and relax his back. He's very tight in the back, although I couldn't really feel it until he actually relaxed, and then I could tell the difference. We started off with probably 10 minutes of walking, doing shoulder-ins, leg-yields, and I believe haunches-in (can't remember). Then we went into the trot, and worked on getting him supple and elastic. I played with the reins a lot, and tried to keep my upper body upright. I have a tendency to roll my shoulders forward--hell, I do it when I walk! We did some leg-yields, and shoulder-ins. My issue is, I'm so used to having to "force" a horse to do a shoulder-in, rather than just letting it happen, so I "ride too hard" as Richard puts it, and end up confusing/upsetting Bolero, and have to do the exercise over again. But when I finally relaxed and just focused on feeling what Bolero was doing, and changing my aids to adjust to him, rather than "riding too hard", it just happened. Same with haunches-in, though those were much more difficult. Richard throws so many commands at me, I seriously can't keep up. However, he did say I had the best trot he's seen on the horse in two months!! :)
We also did flying changes (where the horse switches leads at the canter)! I've never done an actual flying change, at least not on purpose. ;) They were difficult to say the least, and we did them on the "short diagonal", so I only had half the arena to get it done, which made it even harder. I kept panicking as we got closer and closer to the next corner, and I would cut the corner, and Richard would yell at me, and we'd start all over again. The really good thing that came out of this is that I actually felt what I was supposed to be doing in the canter depart. God, it's exhilarating!!! I can't describe it. His canter is awesome, but to be able to feel him lift up in the canter just from me shifting my weight is completely thrilling. I can't believe how much I'm learning, and I actually feel I'm progressing a lot every lesson. It's unreal. Richard says, "We'll make you a Grand Prix rider yet." HA! He did say I'm a beautiful rider, and that I'm good in that I can change the way I ride from "trying to force something to happen" to "changing how you ride by the feel of the horse". And when I do the latter, it IS beautiful--I can feel it! :) (Michael, I've seriously gotta get you out here to take pics one of these days... :) ) Richard says he was very happy with the lesson. Yay. :)
Bolero is supposed to be leaving in a couple weeks (boo), but apparently his owner hasn't paid her bill for the month, nor have they been able to get ahold of her. That's very odd, as the horse was pretty expensive (I'm not entirely sure, but considering that he was imported from Germany and that he's trained to Grand Prix, I'm guessing $50k-$100k... wouldn't be surprised if it was more). People who buy expensive horses don't neglect their bills--barns can take a lien on a horse for that. So it's a little odd, but I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding or something.
I had a fantastic lesson today on Bolero (I love that guy). The first 10-15 minutes, I was getting yelled at for not getting him to lower his head/neck, which in turn will raise and relax his back. He's very tight in the back, although I couldn't really feel it until he actually relaxed, and then I could tell the difference. We started off with probably 10 minutes of walking, doing shoulder-ins, leg-yields, and I believe haunches-in (can't remember). Then we went into the trot, and worked on getting him supple and elastic. I played with the reins a lot, and tried to keep my upper body upright. I have a tendency to roll my shoulders forward--hell, I do it when I walk! We did some leg-yields, and shoulder-ins. My issue is, I'm so used to having to "force" a horse to do a shoulder-in, rather than just letting it happen, so I "ride too hard" as Richard puts it, and end up confusing/upsetting Bolero, and have to do the exercise over again. But when I finally relaxed and just focused on feeling what Bolero was doing, and changing my aids to adjust to him, rather than "riding too hard", it just happened. Same with haunches-in, though those were much more difficult. Richard throws so many commands at me, I seriously can't keep up. However, he did say I had the best trot he's seen on the horse in two months!! :)
We also did flying changes (where the horse switches leads at the canter)! I've never done an actual flying change, at least not on purpose. ;) They were difficult to say the least, and we did them on the "short diagonal", so I only had half the arena to get it done, which made it even harder. I kept panicking as we got closer and closer to the next corner, and I would cut the corner, and Richard would yell at me, and we'd start all over again. The really good thing that came out of this is that I actually felt what I was supposed to be doing in the canter depart. God, it's exhilarating!!! I can't describe it. His canter is awesome, but to be able to feel him lift up in the canter just from me shifting my weight is completely thrilling. I can't believe how much I'm learning, and I actually feel I'm progressing a lot every lesson. It's unreal. Richard says, "We'll make you a Grand Prix rider yet." HA! He did say I'm a beautiful rider, and that I'm good in that I can change the way I ride from "trying to force something to happen" to "changing how you ride by the feel of the horse". And when I do the latter, it IS beautiful--I can feel it! :) (Michael, I've seriously gotta get you out here to take pics one of these days... :) ) Richard says he was very happy with the lesson. Yay. :)
Bolero is supposed to be leaving in a couple weeks (boo), but apparently his owner hasn't paid her bill for the month, nor have they been able to get ahold of her. That's very odd, as the horse was pretty expensive (I'm not entirely sure, but considering that he was imported from Germany and that he's trained to Grand Prix, I'm guessing $50k-$100k... wouldn't be surprised if it was more). People who buy expensive horses don't neglect their bills--barns can take a lien on a horse for that. So it's a little odd, but I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding or something.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
My first lesson
I rode three horses yesterday. I arrived at the barn at 7:30am, and I had a lesson immediately. Richard put me on his mostly-retired 23-year-old HUGE Grand Prix horse (I can't remember what his name is). Although he's big, he carries himself very well. We did a lot of walking to start. He was rather difficult to get on the bit, but he had just had a tooth pulled a few weeks ago, and I was the first one on him. One thing's for sure that I hadn't even noticed until now--he made me feel 100% safe. The older guys have that effect. Though, when we started cantering, it was another story... more on that in a bit.
I did some shoulder-ins and leg-yields. The leg-yields were somewhat difficult. I have a habit of trying to use the inside rein to bend the neck, which is NOT the way a leg-yield is supposed to be ridden. Basically, you put your weight on the outside seat bone, and the horse follows it (that's what Richard says anyway). The way Melissa taught me is to put weight on the outside seat bone, "push" the horse over with the inside calf, and support with the outside rein so that the horse's shoulder doesn't start drifting. Anyway, we also did some shoulder-ins (which, amazingly, I found much easier than leg-yields), and lots and lots of circles.
Then the canter. My previous trainers have taught me to put my outside leg back to cue for the canter. I realize this isn't actually the correct way to ask for the canter, but it's easier on both the trainers and riders, so that's just the way I've been taught. The correct way is to actually put your weight on the inside seat bone at just the right moment. Finding that moment is difficult for me, apparently. It took several tries to get the canter, but when I did, it felt like magic. I had never had a "true" canter depart before. Oh, and the canter itself was atrocious. Apparently I'm DRIVING with my seat--the horse got faster and faster, and actually started bucking a bit--when I always thought I was just following the horse's movement. This is something else I'm confused about. The only way I could do this was to stay totally rigid in the saddle, almost to the point of standing in the stirrups, which goes against everything I've been taught. But, once I did this, Richard said "good". I had been told by a previous trainer in a clinic where I was riding Baloo that I have bony seat bones, and that I may be digging into my horse's back, causing him to buck. I'm starting to wonder if maybe that really was the case. He was still an ass. ;)
OH! And we did a piaffe!!! I think Richard was just trying to get me excited, as a piaffe isn't something that riders at my level get the chance to do. It felt pretty amazing, to say the least. I don't think it was all that great, and I doubt we would have received even mediocre scores in a dressage test, but I don't care. I was able to actually SIT it, too!! :D
So, I'm rather confused with the way Richard has been teaching me, and once I get a new job (sigh), I plan on taking lessons with some other trainers in the area to make sure I'm gettting a well-rounded, correct "education". I'm not saying he's wrong--I just don't want to develop more bad habits. His horses are all (well, mostly) very well-behaved and well-trained, though.
I rode another Grand Prix horse (I think his name is Bolero?), and I really really like this guy. Too bad, as he's leaving in a month. :( He fits me perfectly, and I love his gaits. You know, it's really amazing to me that these gorgeous, upper-level horses have such wonderful, springy, free gaits and I can actually SIT them!! Whether this is a product of good training, which is unlikely, or increased abilities on my part to be able to sit these guys, is a mystery to me. Anyway, Bolero is a very sweet horse, imported from Germany, apparently very expensive, and I just love him. He's the first horse that I saw when I came to Richard's--his wife was riding him and doing some fancy stuff. We didn't do anything too fancy. Some leg-yields, shoulder-ins, and I actually tried my hand at haunches-in, which is a rather difficult movement. I did okay, but it's helpful to actually learn on a horse that KNOWS how to do it, rather than trying to teach a horse how to do it at the same time that I'm trying to learn how to do it.
I rode Antares again. He was feeling pretty strong, and he jumped out of the arena a couple of times. Little bastard. He's learned a weakness of mine, and I can't figure out what it is.
Michael and I went on a bike ride this morning. I think that crazy ride I did on Thursday royally screwed up my back. It takes a lot of back muscles to be able to climb hills, and Friday night my lower back started hurting. Plus, I was sore this morning from my barn activities Saturday. So, I was a little apprehensive about riding this morning, but I tried anyway. We met up with his team ride after a warm-up, and I hung back with the "slower" group. We were still doing 18-19MPH. If I put a lot of effort into it, my back would protest, so that kinda sucked. I met a woman named Stephanie that stayed with me once I fell behind on the hills. I was still doing really well though, all things considered. Once on Parmer, a long stretch of road, the guys hammered it, and Stephanie and I attempted to keep up with them at our relatively slow pace of 30MPH. We still couldn't catch up to them even then, so we slowed to about 20-22MPH until we hit the re-group point at Starbucks.
After that, Michael and I went home as I just didn't want to push it anymore. It was a good thing, too. I was completely toast by the time we got home. I couldn't get out of a chair without my back hurting like hell.
I did some shoulder-ins and leg-yields. The leg-yields were somewhat difficult. I have a habit of trying to use the inside rein to bend the neck, which is NOT the way a leg-yield is supposed to be ridden. Basically, you put your weight on the outside seat bone, and the horse follows it (that's what Richard says anyway). The way Melissa taught me is to put weight on the outside seat bone, "push" the horse over with the inside calf, and support with the outside rein so that the horse's shoulder doesn't start drifting. Anyway, we also did some shoulder-ins (which, amazingly, I found much easier than leg-yields), and lots and lots of circles.
Then the canter. My previous trainers have taught me to put my outside leg back to cue for the canter. I realize this isn't actually the correct way to ask for the canter, but it's easier on both the trainers and riders, so that's just the way I've been taught. The correct way is to actually put your weight on the inside seat bone at just the right moment. Finding that moment is difficult for me, apparently. It took several tries to get the canter, but when I did, it felt like magic. I had never had a "true" canter depart before. Oh, and the canter itself was atrocious. Apparently I'm DRIVING with my seat--the horse got faster and faster, and actually started bucking a bit--when I always thought I was just following the horse's movement. This is something else I'm confused about. The only way I could do this was to stay totally rigid in the saddle, almost to the point of standing in the stirrups, which goes against everything I've been taught. But, once I did this, Richard said "good". I had been told by a previous trainer in a clinic where I was riding Baloo that I have bony seat bones, and that I may be digging into my horse's back, causing him to buck. I'm starting to wonder if maybe that really was the case. He was still an ass. ;)
OH! And we did a piaffe!!! I think Richard was just trying to get me excited, as a piaffe isn't something that riders at my level get the chance to do. It felt pretty amazing, to say the least. I don't think it was all that great, and I doubt we would have received even mediocre scores in a dressage test, but I don't care. I was able to actually SIT it, too!! :D
So, I'm rather confused with the way Richard has been teaching me, and once I get a new job (sigh), I plan on taking lessons with some other trainers in the area to make sure I'm gettting a well-rounded, correct "education". I'm not saying he's wrong--I just don't want to develop more bad habits. His horses are all (well, mostly) very well-behaved and well-trained, though.
I rode another Grand Prix horse (I think his name is Bolero?), and I really really like this guy. Too bad, as he's leaving in a month. :( He fits me perfectly, and I love his gaits. You know, it's really amazing to me that these gorgeous, upper-level horses have such wonderful, springy, free gaits and I can actually SIT them!! Whether this is a product of good training, which is unlikely, or increased abilities on my part to be able to sit these guys, is a mystery to me. Anyway, Bolero is a very sweet horse, imported from Germany, apparently very expensive, and I just love him. He's the first horse that I saw when I came to Richard's--his wife was riding him and doing some fancy stuff. We didn't do anything too fancy. Some leg-yields, shoulder-ins, and I actually tried my hand at haunches-in, which is a rather difficult movement. I did okay, but it's helpful to actually learn on a horse that KNOWS how to do it, rather than trying to teach a horse how to do it at the same time that I'm trying to learn how to do it.
I rode Antares again. He was feeling pretty strong, and he jumped out of the arena a couple of times. Little bastard. He's learned a weakness of mine, and I can't figure out what it is.
Michael and I went on a bike ride this morning. I think that crazy ride I did on Thursday royally screwed up my back. It takes a lot of back muscles to be able to climb hills, and Friday night my lower back started hurting. Plus, I was sore this morning from my barn activities Saturday. So, I was a little apprehensive about riding this morning, but I tried anyway. We met up with his team ride after a warm-up, and I hung back with the "slower" group. We were still doing 18-19MPH. If I put a lot of effort into it, my back would protest, so that kinda sucked. I met a woman named Stephanie that stayed with me once I fell behind on the hills. I was still doing really well though, all things considered. Once on Parmer, a long stretch of road, the guys hammered it, and Stephanie and I attempted to keep up with them at our relatively slow pace of 30MPH. We still couldn't catch up to them even then, so we slowed to about 20-22MPH until we hit the re-group point at Starbucks.
After that, Michael and I went home as I just didn't want to push it anymore. It was a good thing, too. I was completely toast by the time we got home. I couldn't get out of a chair without my back hurting like hell.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
GREAT RIDE!!! :)
Ugh, I feel AWESOME!!! I've got the love back--for now anyway, but I'll take it! :) I met up with someone on BikeForums.net that said he was doing a Thursday night ride from a local bike shop. The website that had details for the ride said it was a "casual, intermediate" ride. Okay, sounds good... we'll check it out. Thinking it was going to be just that--casual, intermediate (I take that to mean simply, "no beginners")--I took one water bottle and a grumbling, empty stomach, as I hadn't eaten much today. I wasn't too worried about the empty stomach part, but I wanted something, so I ate some Gu Chews--about 200 calories worth. Little did I know I would probably burn 6-8 times that.
As we stood around in the parking lot (there were five of us), the rain clouds started forming, thunder rumbled in the sky, and lightning flashed in the not-so-distant distance. ;) We rolled out anyway around 5:45 at a good 16-17MPH pace. Down Jollyville, past my apartment. Down one of my least favorite hills, Great Hills, and down Highway 360. We turned up a road called Lakewood Rd, and the climbing started. I had seen a stone sign saying "Jester" and I think my heart skipped a beat. Jester Rd is supposed to be a very tough road. Anyway, we went up a short, shallow climb, enough to warm me up and make me feel like passing out at the same time (warming up sucks for me). We went around a curve and the real climbing began. It was tough, probably close to Bluegrass. On the way up, a guy in the group helpfully said that if I can do Bluegrass I can do anything. While I appreciate that kind of encouragement, I'm not totally sure that's true. ;) After that hill, it leveled out for a bit, and up another steep hill we went.
We turned right, and I suddenly saw that we weren't on Jester afterall (darn, I really wanted to be able to say I climbed Jester). After riding on relatively flat ground, the rain started POURING. Eventually, we had to stop under a tree. My sunglasses lost their protective barrier after a bit, and I couldn't see anything. The rain was coming down hard enough to send plastic recycle bins floating down the road. Yikes... We turned around then, thinking we'd stay close to home just in case. Riding back down Lakewood, I was thinking to myself, "Holy crap! I just climbed this?!" It was steep enough to almost make me feel like I was going to go over the handlebars, haha. Anyway, the rain let up at about that point, and of course, there was talk of going out further. I considered bailing at that point because I was already tired, and said, "I don't think my legs can take it." A guy in the group said, "Aw, you won't know until you do it." Haha. Damn, he had a point. So on I went!
We turned off the road, and climbed up another long, steep hill (Mountain Ridge Dr maybe?). Some of you won't have a clue what these roads are, but some will. Anyway, after huffing and puffing up that hill, we turn off and descend through some crazy hills. I eventually let go of my fear, partially, and stopped using the brakes so much. We were going up and down some crazy damn hills. And what goes down must come back up, right? Yeah... so after descending all these roads, we get to some other road, and I heard more talk of climbing more roads. Ugh. I was running out of water, getting somewhat dizzy, and I wasn't sure I could take anymore. They threw out the words "Mt. Bonnell" and I cringed inwardly, but said, "I'll try" with a smile on my face. At this point, I had about 15 miles or so. Nearly all hills. On the other Thursday night ride that I (used to) do with Michael, I only do 15 miles, though only because he lets me cut it short.
SO. Up Mt. Bonnell we went. I had driven this with Michael a couple times before, and honestly, it looked pretty damn intimidating in the car. Imagine what it looked like on a bike. There's one decent climb at the beginning, and it levels out for a bit, then has a fairly big hill up to the top. I believe it was on the first climb that my left calf suddenly squeezed with the beginning of a cramp. Perfect, and right in the middle of a tough climb. I eased up on the pedal, and took it easy on that leg until I got to the top. Once at the top (WOOHOO!!!!!), I got off the bike, where everybody was regrouped, and BOTH calves started cramping. This was not good. Plus, I was completely out of water. Another rider was kind enough to give me a half a bottle of his water, as he had two bottles (silly me...). I had no choice but to go on, and we were still a good 12 miles or so from home, with a few more climbs! I probably should have stopped for Gatorade, but I didn't want to be the little weakling that could--plus, I wasn't full-blown cramping.
For the next 5-7 miles or so, it was relatively flat, but my calves were itching to cramp the entire way. We went up a few more hills, though nothing like Lakewood or Mt. Bonnell, and were finally home.
I ended up with just a little under 30 miles in 2:24, which averages out to 12.4 MPH. And that's including stops (I haven't learned how to program my stupid computer to stop calculating when the bike is stopped). With those hills, I'm pretty damn proud of myself. Hell, I'm proud of making it up all those hills, period.
April's pretty euphoric right now. :D
As we stood around in the parking lot (there were five of us), the rain clouds started forming, thunder rumbled in the sky, and lightning flashed in the not-so-distant distance. ;) We rolled out anyway around 5:45 at a good 16-17MPH pace. Down Jollyville, past my apartment. Down one of my least favorite hills, Great Hills, and down Highway 360. We turned up a road called Lakewood Rd, and the climbing started. I had seen a stone sign saying "Jester" and I think my heart skipped a beat. Jester Rd is supposed to be a very tough road. Anyway, we went up a short, shallow climb, enough to warm me up and make me feel like passing out at the same time (warming up sucks for me). We went around a curve and the real climbing began. It was tough, probably close to Bluegrass. On the way up, a guy in the group helpfully said that if I can do Bluegrass I can do anything. While I appreciate that kind of encouragement, I'm not totally sure that's true. ;) After that hill, it leveled out for a bit, and up another steep hill we went.
We turned right, and I suddenly saw that we weren't on Jester afterall (darn, I really wanted to be able to say I climbed Jester). After riding on relatively flat ground, the rain started POURING. Eventually, we had to stop under a tree. My sunglasses lost their protective barrier after a bit, and I couldn't see anything. The rain was coming down hard enough to send plastic recycle bins floating down the road. Yikes... We turned around then, thinking we'd stay close to home just in case. Riding back down Lakewood, I was thinking to myself, "Holy crap! I just climbed this?!" It was steep enough to almost make me feel like I was going to go over the handlebars, haha. Anyway, the rain let up at about that point, and of course, there was talk of going out further. I considered bailing at that point because I was already tired, and said, "I don't think my legs can take it." A guy in the group said, "Aw, you won't know until you do it." Haha. Damn, he had a point. So on I went!
We turned off the road, and climbed up another long, steep hill (Mountain Ridge Dr maybe?). Some of you won't have a clue what these roads are, but some will. Anyway, after huffing and puffing up that hill, we turn off and descend through some crazy hills. I eventually let go of my fear, partially, and stopped using the brakes so much. We were going up and down some crazy damn hills. And what goes down must come back up, right? Yeah... so after descending all these roads, we get to some other road, and I heard more talk of climbing more roads. Ugh. I was running out of water, getting somewhat dizzy, and I wasn't sure I could take anymore. They threw out the words "Mt. Bonnell" and I cringed inwardly, but said, "I'll try" with a smile on my face. At this point, I had about 15 miles or so. Nearly all hills. On the other Thursday night ride that I (used to) do with Michael, I only do 15 miles, though only because he lets me cut it short.
SO. Up Mt. Bonnell we went. I had driven this with Michael a couple times before, and honestly, it looked pretty damn intimidating in the car. Imagine what it looked like on a bike. There's one decent climb at the beginning, and it levels out for a bit, then has a fairly big hill up to the top. I believe it was on the first climb that my left calf suddenly squeezed with the beginning of a cramp. Perfect, and right in the middle of a tough climb. I eased up on the pedal, and took it easy on that leg until I got to the top. Once at the top (WOOHOO!!!!!), I got off the bike, where everybody was regrouped, and BOTH calves started cramping. This was not good. Plus, I was completely out of water. Another rider was kind enough to give me a half a bottle of his water, as he had two bottles (silly me...). I had no choice but to go on, and we were still a good 12 miles or so from home, with a few more climbs! I probably should have stopped for Gatorade, but I didn't want to be the little weakling that could--plus, I wasn't full-blown cramping.
For the next 5-7 miles or so, it was relatively flat, but my calves were itching to cramp the entire way. We went up a few more hills, though nothing like Lakewood or Mt. Bonnell, and were finally home.
I ended up with just a little under 30 miles in 2:24, which averages out to 12.4 MPH. And that's including stops (I haven't learned how to program my stupid computer to stop calculating when the bike is stopped). With those hills, I'm pretty damn proud of myself. Hell, I'm proud of making it up all those hills, period.
April's pretty euphoric right now. :D
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Arrgh, stupid job
When one part of my life is falling apart (currently my job), everything else seems to follow it. I'm 100% unsatisfied with my job, and although I'm currently looking for something else, I'm wondering if maybe my unhappiness there is pulling me down in my cycling. I define myself by my career, my hobbies, my successes, my failures. I can't help it. I'm thinking this may be the reason behind my lack of motivation in cycling. :crosses fingers: PLEASE, LET ME FIND A NEW JOB SOON!!! :)
I went through the same thing with horseback riding. I was going through a lot of crap in high school (teenage angst, you know), and lost my motivation to ride. A friend of mine had asked why it bothers me that maybe I just don't want to ride, and I really don't know the answer to that. Horses are just a part of my life and a part of who I am, and it bothers me when I start to lose that. Same with cycling, apparently.
Anyway. I distinctly remember last year having a couple of rides so bad and discouraging that I was fighting tears. I'm glad to know I'm not alone, though! I was reading a fellow female cyclist's blog today, and she's also had days like that. I'm doing the ladies ride tonight, and I'm doing another group ride tomorrow night, so hopefully this will jump-start my social-cycling life.
On the plus side: my parents are coming into town!!! :) I'm planning on taking a couple of much-needed days off. We can go have dinner by the lake, maybe Iguana Grille, have some breakfast burritos at Rudy's (though the ones by Michael's house are much better), and some nachos at Jardin Corona! No margaritas for me... I'm going to try not to drink as much anymore.
I went through the same thing with horseback riding. I was going through a lot of crap in high school (teenage angst, you know), and lost my motivation to ride. A friend of mine had asked why it bothers me that maybe I just don't want to ride, and I really don't know the answer to that. Horses are just a part of my life and a part of who I am, and it bothers me when I start to lose that. Same with cycling, apparently.
Anyway. I distinctly remember last year having a couple of rides so bad and discouraging that I was fighting tears. I'm glad to know I'm not alone, though! I was reading a fellow female cyclist's blog today, and she's also had days like that. I'm doing the ladies ride tonight, and I'm doing another group ride tomorrow night, so hopefully this will jump-start my social-cycling life.
On the plus side: my parents are coming into town!!! :) I'm planning on taking a couple of much-needed days off. We can go have dinner by the lake, maybe Iguana Grille, have some breakfast burritos at Rudy's (though the ones by Michael's house are much better), and some nachos at Jardin Corona! No margaritas for me... I'm going to try not to drink as much anymore.
Rain, rain, go away...
Seriously, of all days for it to rain, it has to choose TODAY?!? I'm supposed to be having a lesson, dammit! Arrrrgh... Normally this wouldn't be a big deal at all, but a lot of places down here don't have covered arenas because the weather is so nice. Isn't that lovely? Anyway, if I do go out, I'm going to have to bring my camera so I can take a picture of that spider if it's still there. Yuck.
I've been finding a bunch of jobs that I definitely qualify for, but not getting any response. Darn. I haven't heard anything back about the other job, but I really honestly think it would have been way over my head. I just hate wasting all this time interviewing for jobs. :) There's this guy at work whose voice gets under my skin and makes me crazy. The other day, he was telling his coworkers that he's a sperm donor. I've been told that this is a pretty typical subject matter when it comes to men, but I really don't think that's the case. No, I think this guy is just plain odd. During this sperm donor conversation, he was talking about the average sperm count, and he actually asked his coworkers to GUESS what his sperm count is! Am I the only one who thinks that's just bizarre?!?
Meghan finally e-mailed me back. She invited me out tonight, but I'm going out to the barn (hopefully). She did say they weren't going until 9, though, so I might be able to swing that. We'll see.
I went for a solo bike ride Sunday. It had been a while since I'd been on a bike--my knees started hurting pretty badly. I even felt a "hitch" in my right knee last night that I'm pretty sure was caused by cycling. It was good to get out though.
Lol, what the hell is this MySpace "own your friends" thing??? And for those of you that are giving me away as a "human gift" (I don't know what that means, but it can't be good), kiss my ass! :)
I've been finding a bunch of jobs that I definitely qualify for, but not getting any response. Darn. I haven't heard anything back about the other job, but I really honestly think it would have been way over my head. I just hate wasting all this time interviewing for jobs. :) There's this guy at work whose voice gets under my skin and makes me crazy. The other day, he was telling his coworkers that he's a sperm donor. I've been told that this is a pretty typical subject matter when it comes to men, but I really don't think that's the case. No, I think this guy is just plain odd. During this sperm donor conversation, he was talking about the average sperm count, and he actually asked his coworkers to GUESS what his sperm count is! Am I the only one who thinks that's just bizarre?!?
Meghan finally e-mailed me back. She invited me out tonight, but I'm going out to the barn (hopefully). She did say they weren't going until 9, though, so I might be able to swing that. We'll see.
I went for a solo bike ride Sunday. It had been a while since I'd been on a bike--my knees started hurting pretty badly. I even felt a "hitch" in my right knee last night that I'm pretty sure was caused by cycling. It was good to get out though.
Lol, what the hell is this MySpace "own your friends" thing??? And for those of you that are giving me away as a "human gift" (I don't know what that means, but it can't be good), kiss my ass! :)
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Spiders. GAH!
I went out with some coworkers Friday night, and we hashed out a bunch of our frustrations. I really doubt that both the team leads and the director of PPC training will be staying there much longer. If anybody on my team leaves, I'm outta there. This just really sucks--I wish I could find a job... for some reason, when I was living up in Omaha it was so much easier to look for a job, and I had a lot of responses to my resume. Sigh.
Saturday morning, I went out to the barn to take care of the horses. Richard and his wife were out of town, and they asked me if I could feed/water, etc. I had gone out on Tuesday, and as I was doing chores, Richard came down to talk to me. He said the (gorgeous) chestnut mare was going to be "my project". This mare is a pistol! Richard's exact words were, "She can be a mean witch." Haha, great. Occasionally, I do like a little spunk in the horses I ride, although Baloo took "spunk" to a whole 'nother extreme. Apparently, there are times when Richard lunges her, and she'll drag him all over the arena.
Anyway, so on Saturday, I let her out, started cleaning her stall, and looked over to make sure she wasn't getting herself into trouble (she kept trying to scratch her legs or something on the wheelbarrow, and I could just picture her tripping). I look over, she's fine, happen to see movement out of the corner of my eye, and I notice easily the biggest spider I have EVER seen. This thing was one of those huge, black, hairless, poisonous-looking things, and it was every bit as big as a wolf spider, though not as "thick" ( :shudder: ). The body itself was about an inch and a half long, and with its legs, probably a good two and a half inches. This thing was huge. I dropped my pitchfork, scrambled out of the stall, and got up to its web, which was being safely blocked by the mare, whom I leaned into to get closer. ;) The web itself was pretty big, but the strands were really thick, and it had a pretty intricate pattern set up in the middle. I was so creeped out I had goosebumps, and yet I couldn't stop looking at the thing.
It really pains me to do this, but I'm curious as to what it was. So, I googled it, and found this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_garden_spider The one I saw had less yellow on it, although I didn't see the top of it--just saw the bottom through the web. :shudder: I'm getting the creepy-crawlies again just thinking about it--I had the creepy-crawlies at the barn after seeing Gargantuan, and at one point, swatted crazily at my face (a fly of course), and scratched my eye, lol.
Saturday morning, I went out to the barn to take care of the horses. Richard and his wife were out of town, and they asked me if I could feed/water, etc. I had gone out on Tuesday, and as I was doing chores, Richard came down to talk to me. He said the (gorgeous) chestnut mare was going to be "my project". This mare is a pistol! Richard's exact words were, "She can be a mean witch." Haha, great. Occasionally, I do like a little spunk in the horses I ride, although Baloo took "spunk" to a whole 'nother extreme. Apparently, there are times when Richard lunges her, and she'll drag him all over the arena.
Anyway, so on Saturday, I let her out, started cleaning her stall, and looked over to make sure she wasn't getting herself into trouble (she kept trying to scratch her legs or something on the wheelbarrow, and I could just picture her tripping). I look over, she's fine, happen to see movement out of the corner of my eye, and I notice easily the biggest spider I have EVER seen. This thing was one of those huge, black, hairless, poisonous-looking things, and it was every bit as big as a wolf spider, though not as "thick" ( :shudder: ). The body itself was about an inch and a half long, and with its legs, probably a good two and a half inches. This thing was huge. I dropped my pitchfork, scrambled out of the stall, and got up to its web, which was being safely blocked by the mare, whom I leaned into to get closer. ;) The web itself was pretty big, but the strands were really thick, and it had a pretty intricate pattern set up in the middle. I was so creeped out I had goosebumps, and yet I couldn't stop looking at the thing.
It really pains me to do this, but I'm curious as to what it was. So, I googled it, and found this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_garden_spider The one I saw had less yellow on it, although I didn't see the top of it--just saw the bottom through the web. :shudder: I'm getting the creepy-crawlies again just thinking about it--I had the creepy-crawlies at the barn after seeing Gargantuan, and at one point, swatted crazily at my face (a fly of course), and scratched my eye, lol.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Finally, the rain
Not too much in this entry...
I was on my home for lunch today, and the rain came out of nowhere. And it lasted for 15 seconds, no joke.
I was at home reading my book, when I heard the all-too-familiar sound of water hitting the roof. I opened the shades, and it was pouring! :) It lasted maybe 15-20 minutes, but I'll take it! I can't tell you how nice it was to see that.
A coworker invited me out next week... finally... it seems like any other time they invite me out, I'm broke or I have plans. I'm thinking this will turn into meeting others, too. This coworker doesn't seem as flakey as Meghan kinda was.
No word yet on the job that I interviewed for... fingers crossed!
I was on my home for lunch today, and the rain came out of nowhere. And it lasted for 15 seconds, no joke.
I was at home reading my book, when I heard the all-too-familiar sound of water hitting the roof. I opened the shades, and it was pouring! :) It lasted maybe 15-20 minutes, but I'll take it! I can't tell you how nice it was to see that.
A coworker invited me out next week... finally... it seems like any other time they invite me out, I'm broke or I have plans. I'm thinking this will turn into meeting others, too. This coworker doesn't seem as flakey as Meghan kinda was.
No word yet on the job that I interviewed for... fingers crossed!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
I have an interview...
I've been finding jobs like crazy. I just have to apply myself, and make myself LOOK--they're everywhere. A part of me really thinks it would be beneficial if I just quit this job, because I very rarely look for anything else while I'm here--a big part of that is because I dread having to come up with an excuse for leaving early. This place is not flexible for one thing, and for another, they're already paranoid I'm looking elsewhere. Anyway, most companies don't do interviews over the lunch hour, or even at 1:00. They want to do like 10:00am or 3:00pm, so I always have to find an excuse to leave.
That said--I have an interview tomorrow at 10:00! I was looking for jobs this morning on company time. I'm such a bad person. This is why I need to quit. I applied for a job this morning and received an e-mail less than an hour later. (Michael, this place is like 3 blocks from where you work.) I also have an interview/meeting with a recruiter on Thursday over lunch. Yay. :)
Well, Becky and Eric aren't having their housewarming party after all, so it's kind of up in the air as to when I come up to Omaha. I may do it in between jobs so that I don't have to take vacation time... which means it may be sooner than September. We'll have to see.
I'm getting close to the finish line with this other website I've been working on. That last check is going to really help out with credit card bills.
It looks pleasantly ominous outside. I don't think we got any rain, and I think this stuff is going to stay to the south of us. Normally, it stays north of us. Austin is like this big protective bubbly magnet thing that refuses to let any rain in. Here's a pic of a radar. I'm where the red triangle is in the center.
Monday, August 11, 2008
So sore...
I don't remember my shoulders, back, or abs ever being this sore before, EVER. It hurts to walk, to sit up, to sneeze, to blow my nose. I never realized how many ab and back muscles I use for everyday, normal things. I almost took Advil last night to ease the pain, and I've never done that. I actually like being sore, but this is just plain ridiculous. I have a lesson tomorrow (yay, an actual lesson!), and my muscles are going to be not-so-happy.
I'll be going out to the barn Tuesdays and Saturdays. It's too far away for any more than that--about 20 miles.
I was catching up on the Olympic coverage, and apparently, the dressage phase of the three-day event got some pretty poor ratings. People found it boring. I can understand that--most people don't know how to discern a good ride from a bad one. I guess even if they did know how, some may find it boring anyway (although apparently the ones that were able to listen to the commentary found it more interesting). Horses are supposed to be dangerous and WILD, and bucking! Right? I mean, I'm assuming most people that watch horse events only do so because they want to see an accident. Kind of like NASCAR, I guess. Oh well. It takes a certain kind of person to appreciate dressage.
We're supposed to get rain tonight. I keep hearing that from the weathermen. I always look at the radar when they call for rain, and it always looks like it's *so close* and then it just vanishes. Sigh. Ya know, if it's going to be dry, would it mind not teasing us by raining on towns just out of reach?
I'll be going out to the barn Tuesdays and Saturdays. It's too far away for any more than that--about 20 miles.
I was catching up on the Olympic coverage, and apparently, the dressage phase of the three-day event got some pretty poor ratings. People found it boring. I can understand that--most people don't know how to discern a good ride from a bad one. I guess even if they did know how, some may find it boring anyway (although apparently the ones that were able to listen to the commentary found it more interesting). Horses are supposed to be dangerous and WILD, and bucking! Right? I mean, I'm assuming most people that watch horse events only do so because they want to see an accident. Kind of like NASCAR, I guess. Oh well. It takes a certain kind of person to appreciate dressage.
We're supposed to get rain tonight. I keep hearing that from the weathermen. I always look at the radar when they call for rain, and it always looks like it's *so close* and then it just vanishes. Sigh. Ya know, if it's going to be dry, would it mind not teasing us by raining on towns just out of reach?
Sunday, August 10, 2008
I rode!
Ugh.
That about sums it up. I'm bone tired, and of course, my mind won't shut off enough for me to take a nap. This blog entry might be boring for some of you, but when it comes to horses, I don't know when to shut up. :)
I showed up to their place around 7:45, and Richard (the trainer) was teaching someone riding a fancy-looking horse in a double bridle. I sat near the arena and watched. They did a few flying changes, and a piaffe at the end. Most consider the piaffe the most difficult movement in dressage, performed only at the upper levels. Basically, the horse trots in one place--sounds simple, but it's extremely difficult to do correctly. I've never even come close to doing one, but I've developed a good enough eye that I can usually tell when it's correct and when it isn't. This horse's piaffe wasn't the best, but it wasn't bad. There were several times when the rider would say, "Richard shut up," and he'd keep right on talking and giving commands. I thought to myself, that has got to be his wife, and she was, lol.
So, I watched someone else ride another horse named Dansk. I can't remember his breed, but he had a "baby face" and lots of white. He's apparently trained to Fourth Level, which is about middle of the scale, but still more advanced than nearly all the horses I've ridden. She rode him for about 20-30 minutes. She had troubles keeping him straight, and at one point, he wouldn't go forward from a halt. He crow-hopped a few times, threw in a few very mild rears/jumps with her. Poor girl. Then I was told to get on. Wee! Actually, I was a little nervous at first, as I usually am when I get on a horse I've never ridden. But wow, he was like... riding butter. I can't describe it. Normally with a horse that has good movements/gaits (which Dansk does), they're very "bouncy" and it's hard to keep your ass in the saddle. Not this guy. He was as smooth as a rocking horse, and his gaits fit me to a T. It took all of my abdominal strength to keep him "under control" though. We tried leg-yielding, and going one way, he kept trying to speed up, but the other way, the leg-yields were very good. Richard yelled at me to quit "chasing him" but I swear, I wasn't. We did some shoulder ins too. He kicked out a few times in the canter, but nothing too major.
After Dansk, I rode Antares, a 3-year-old that had apparently just been backed (meaning, had a rider on for the first time) not too long ago. He's going to be a big horse someday. He already is big. I made a few mistakes on him. The arena they have is bordered with two to three layers of railroad ties, so it's not very high. One spot in particular, Antares decided to bow out and left the arena altogether. Sigh. He did this quite a few times with me. Guess he found a weakness in me and decided to exploit it. ;) It got rather frustrating, but we eventually rode through it.
Richard's comments on my riding: "You're not an advanced rider [I knew this], but you're a talented rider. You're comfortable on a horse, and that's something that can't be taught." I took this as a big compliment. He said, "You're not a klutz, otherwise I would have said 'thanks but no'." Haha. Actually, I am a klutz, but I think what he meant was I look like I belong on a horse. With some riders, they look so... odd when riding. I can't describe it. Even though they've been riding for years, you wonder why they're still doing it, because it looks so strange. Anyway, basically he's looking for a rider that can ride his young horses without having to worry whether he/she will screw his horses up. I can't promise that I won't screw them up, but I can promise that I'll try not to. ;) I've ridden young horses before, and so far, all of his horses seem pretty damn tame compared to the ones I've been on.
They have a few other horses they're planning on putting me on, including a gorgeous chestnut mare. Uh oh... I have a thing for chestnut mares. :D
That about sums it up. I'm bone tired, and of course, my mind won't shut off enough for me to take a nap. This blog entry might be boring for some of you, but when it comes to horses, I don't know when to shut up. :)
I showed up to their place around 7:45, and Richard (the trainer) was teaching someone riding a fancy-looking horse in a double bridle. I sat near the arena and watched. They did a few flying changes, and a piaffe at the end. Most consider the piaffe the most difficult movement in dressage, performed only at the upper levels. Basically, the horse trots in one place--sounds simple, but it's extremely difficult to do correctly. I've never even come close to doing one, but I've developed a good enough eye that I can usually tell when it's correct and when it isn't. This horse's piaffe wasn't the best, but it wasn't bad. There were several times when the rider would say, "Richard shut up," and he'd keep right on talking and giving commands. I thought to myself, that has got to be his wife, and she was, lol.
So, I watched someone else ride another horse named Dansk. I can't remember his breed, but he had a "baby face" and lots of white. He's apparently trained to Fourth Level, which is about middle of the scale, but still more advanced than nearly all the horses I've ridden. She rode him for about 20-30 minutes. She had troubles keeping him straight, and at one point, he wouldn't go forward from a halt. He crow-hopped a few times, threw in a few very mild rears/jumps with her. Poor girl. Then I was told to get on. Wee! Actually, I was a little nervous at first, as I usually am when I get on a horse I've never ridden. But wow, he was like... riding butter. I can't describe it. Normally with a horse that has good movements/gaits (which Dansk does), they're very "bouncy" and it's hard to keep your ass in the saddle. Not this guy. He was as smooth as a rocking horse, and his gaits fit me to a T. It took all of my abdominal strength to keep him "under control" though. We tried leg-yielding, and going one way, he kept trying to speed up, but the other way, the leg-yields were very good. Richard yelled at me to quit "chasing him" but I swear, I wasn't. We did some shoulder ins too. He kicked out a few times in the canter, but nothing too major.
After Dansk, I rode Antares, a 3-year-old that had apparently just been backed (meaning, had a rider on for the first time) not too long ago. He's going to be a big horse someday. He already is big. I made a few mistakes on him. The arena they have is bordered with two to three layers of railroad ties, so it's not very high. One spot in particular, Antares decided to bow out and left the arena altogether. Sigh. He did this quite a few times with me. Guess he found a weakness in me and decided to exploit it. ;) It got rather frustrating, but we eventually rode through it.
Richard's comments on my riding: "You're not an advanced rider [I knew this], but you're a talented rider. You're comfortable on a horse, and that's something that can't be taught." I took this as a big compliment. He said, "You're not a klutz, otherwise I would have said 'thanks but no'." Haha. Actually, I am a klutz, but I think what he meant was I look like I belong on a horse. With some riders, they look so... odd when riding. I can't describe it. Even though they've been riding for years, you wonder why they're still doing it, because it looks so strange. Anyway, basically he's looking for a rider that can ride his young horses without having to worry whether he/she will screw his horses up. I can't promise that I won't screw them up, but I can promise that I'll try not to. ;) I've ridden young horses before, and so far, all of his horses seem pretty damn tame compared to the ones I've been on.
They have a few other horses they're planning on putting me on, including a gorgeous chestnut mare. Uh oh... I have a thing for chestnut mares. :D
Friday, August 8, 2008
I'm riding, I'm riding!
So I finally heard back from one of the horse trainers (actually, the one that I wanted to go to most... he's also the one that Crazy-Lady-Horse-Trainer talked crap about), and I'm going out to visit on Sunday! He told me to bring my riding equipment, which makes me a bit nervous. I haven't ridden in three months... what if I make an idiot out of myself? It probably won't be that bad, but I just keep thinking back to when I started taking lessons at Quail Run. I was crushed to see how bad my riding had gotten after I took that first lesson from them. Plus, my riding has also been exponentially better if I ride at least twice a week.
I'm going out there at about 7:30 or so tomorrow morning (which means I'm going to have to wake up at like 6:30 since it's so far away). This is basically an interview of sorts. He's going to want to make sure that I know what the heck I'm doing. Which I do, but I'm probably going to be a bit rusty at best, and it'll fall into place after a few weeks of riding. I just hope he sees in me what my other trainers have eventually seen!
I haven't gone cycling much this week. :( I went on Sunday and Wednesday, and have been a lazy ass the rest of the time, feeling guilty about it now. I should just go today, but I'm working on this lady's site. It should be done soon. Good news--she already referred someone to me! :)
Wish me luck on all accounts!
I'm going out there at about 7:30 or so tomorrow morning (which means I'm going to have to wake up at like 6:30 since it's so far away). This is basically an interview of sorts. He's going to want to make sure that I know what the heck I'm doing. Which I do, but I'm probably going to be a bit rusty at best, and it'll fall into place after a few weeks of riding. I just hope he sees in me what my other trainers have eventually seen!
I haven't gone cycling much this week. :( I went on Sunday and Wednesday, and have been a lazy ass the rest of the time, feeling guilty about it now. I should just go today, but I'm working on this lady's site. It should be done soon. Good news--she already referred someone to me! :)
Wish me luck on all accounts!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
TGIF!!!
I love Fridays. No, wait. I love Fridays after about 4:30, when things start winding down at work. ;) Actually, I think my favorite part of any week is Friday nights/Saturday mornings. I love waking up, knowing that I have the whole weekend ahead of me. Last Saturday, Michael and I went to a place called Woodrow's for food and beer, and went to a dive bar after that. Some random guy sits next to us at the bar and strikes up a conversation. He was actually a really nice guy. That was a fun night!
My team lead's boss sent out an e-mail telling us we were getting "prizes" (er... I hear prize and I think "Bozo the Clown" or "bouncy balls") for the following:
Prize #1 will go to the person with the most customer “praises.” (Um. Really?)
Prize #2 will go to the person with the most improved conversion rate. (That one makes sense).
Prize #3 will go to the person with the best attitude. (HAHAHAHA... haHA... hahahahhaah... Okay. Does it not occur to him that if an entire department has to compete for a PRIZE for "best attitude" that maybe there's something wrong here?)
If I had enough cash saved up, I'd be out of here. My, along with several other coworkers', enthusiasm is completely out the window. I can't believe I'm still here!
My team lead's boss sent out an e-mail telling us we were getting "prizes" (er... I hear prize and I think "Bozo the Clown" or "bouncy balls") for the following:
Prize #1 will go to the person with the most customer “praises.” (Um. Really?)
Prize #2 will go to the person with the most improved conversion rate. (That one makes sense).
Prize #3 will go to the person with the best attitude. (HAHAHAHA... haHA... hahahahhaah... Okay. Does it not occur to him that if an entire department has to compete for a PRIZE for "best attitude" that maybe there's something wrong here?)
If I had enough cash saved up, I'd be out of here. My, along with several other coworkers', enthusiasm is completely out the window. I can't believe I'm still here!
Women-only group ride
My friend/ex-coworker Meghan never called me back--biatch. Oh well. I went on a women-only bike ride last night, and met four women. A couple of them seem pretty cool. It was a no-drop ride, so our pace was much slower than I'm accustomed to, but that was nice, too. The weather was basically perfect. I mean, it was still 90-95, but I've gotten so used to 100+ that last night felt almost chilly (kidding). We did 22 easy miles.
I finally got my books in the mail!! I've forgone the internet for reading. ;) I swear... my next house, I'm going to build shelves in a spare bedroom for a mini-library. I have this... problem... where I just can't sell or give away my books! Unless they sucked, anyway.
So, my brother-in-law started a financial blog of his own--http://ebdebtfreejourney.blogspot.com/ Check it out, there's some good stuff in there! I'm going to start using some of his tips, although my first step is to FIND A NEW JOB. I'm basically living paycheck-to-paycheck, so saving isn't something that's easy to do right now. I've cut back on a lot of expenses that I'd had in Omaha (gym membership, unlimited text messages, etc.), but it isn't enough, and I'm not going to rely on "bonuses" from this company. I have a few things in the works, so keep me in your thoughts! :)
Speaking of money, OPPD was supposed to fax a "letter of credit" to my utilities company in Austin (so that I could avoid a $200 deposit), and they said they would take care of it. I got my first utilities bill in the mail the other day and my jaw dropped at the $318 bill. Bad news: obviously OPPD f'ed up. Good news: $118 electric bill really isn't too bad in this heat. I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I moved into that apartment. So I e-mailed OPPD and asked them to take care of it. Gave them my info, etc., sent another e-mail a few days later asking if they had taken care of it, haven't heard back. ARrrrgh. I'm going to have to call them.
I finally got my books in the mail!! I've forgone the internet for reading. ;) I swear... my next house, I'm going to build shelves in a spare bedroom for a mini-library. I have this... problem... where I just can't sell or give away my books! Unless they sucked, anyway.
So, my brother-in-law started a financial blog of his own--http://ebdebtfreejourney.blogspot.com/ Check it out, there's some good stuff in there! I'm going to start using some of his tips, although my first step is to FIND A NEW JOB. I'm basically living paycheck-to-paycheck, so saving isn't something that's easy to do right now. I've cut back on a lot of expenses that I'd had in Omaha (gym membership, unlimited text messages, etc.), but it isn't enough, and I'm not going to rely on "bonuses" from this company. I have a few things in the works, so keep me in your thoughts! :)
Speaking of money, OPPD was supposed to fax a "letter of credit" to my utilities company in Austin (so that I could avoid a $200 deposit), and they said they would take care of it. I got my first utilities bill in the mail the other day and my jaw dropped at the $318 bill. Bad news: obviously OPPD f'ed up. Good news: $118 electric bill really isn't too bad in this heat. I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I moved into that apartment. So I e-mailed OPPD and asked them to take care of it. Gave them my info, etc., sent another e-mail a few days later asking if they had taken care of it, haven't heard back. ARrrrgh. I'm going to have to call them.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Weird people.
Of all the responses I received to my post about wanting to ride a horse, I got a very odd one. Her e-mails reminded me of the e-mails you see so often when someone from overseas is trying to scam you. "Phone me ASAP", "I appreciate your confidences" etc. By the way she wrote her e-mails, I was certain she'd have an accent, but she didn't. I left a voice message for her, and she called back, but I wasn't around, so she left a voice message for me. She spoke very slowly, and it was really actually kind of creepy. I can't describe it. I had Michael listen to it, and he said she might just be elderly or something. I called her back today and we had a fairly normal conversation. I told her I had received a lot of responses, and she was curious from who (I could already see where this was going). I gave her the name of one of the local trainers, and she immediately said, "Oh, you don't want to go there." Ugh. I'm really tired of these petty, gossipy judgments towards others in the horse world. "If another trainer doesn't do things exactly the way I do it, they're wrong." It's so tiring.
So, I doubt I'll be going to her place. I'm not interested in working with trainers that bad-mouth others, though I'm sure most, if not all, of them do it to a certain extent. It reminds me of my first trainer, Pat. She was such a psycho, and honestly, this woman reminds me of Pat, so I think I'll keep my distance. Pat was extremely manipulative, and she would lie through her teeth if she thought it would get her what she wanted.
I've been riding (the bike) a lot this week, and it's going pretty well. One thing that really gets on my nerves is it seems many drivers are literally just waiting for us to make a mistake. I'll admit, some cyclists are idiots and think they own the road, but don't lump us all into that category, dammit. Every little teeny tiny mistake we make, and we get honked at or yelled at in some manner. It's annoying.
Soooo... I'm planning on coming up to Omaha in September. Yay! Not sure if Michael will be coming, as he has a business trip scheduled for the following week I'm going. I don't know the exact days yet, but I'm thinking maybe I'll drive up Wednesday the 17th and drive back on the 21st. I'll keep you guys posted! Saturday night, I think Becky and Eric are having their housewarming party, so I'm tied up for that night. Tonya, mark your calendar and we'll do lunch at least! Maybe invite some of the office girls, too. :)
So, I doubt I'll be going to her place. I'm not interested in working with trainers that bad-mouth others, though I'm sure most, if not all, of them do it to a certain extent. It reminds me of my first trainer, Pat. She was such a psycho, and honestly, this woman reminds me of Pat, so I think I'll keep my distance. Pat was extremely manipulative, and she would lie through her teeth if she thought it would get her what she wanted.
I've been riding (the bike) a lot this week, and it's going pretty well. One thing that really gets on my nerves is it seems many drivers are literally just waiting for us to make a mistake. I'll admit, some cyclists are idiots and think they own the road, but don't lump us all into that category, dammit. Every little teeny tiny mistake we make, and we get honked at or yelled at in some manner. It's annoying.
Soooo... I'm planning on coming up to Omaha in September. Yay! Not sure if Michael will be coming, as he has a business trip scheduled for the following week I'm going. I don't know the exact days yet, but I'm thinking maybe I'll drive up Wednesday the 17th and drive back on the 21st. I'll keep you guys posted! Saturday night, I think Becky and Eric are having their housewarming party, so I'm tied up for that night. Tonya, mark your calendar and we'll do lunch at least! Maybe invite some of the office girls, too. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)