Are you all into horses, Christi?

That question was in my comments. I was going to answer it there, but my answer was so long that I decided it deserved a post.

I've been riding horses since I was a baby. All of my earliest memories are on horseback or somehow surrounding horses. When I was growing up I used to joke that we kids would starve before the horses would. That's how it was, the horses came first and we did nothing else. All of my friends had horses. It kept us out of trouble.

I was away from the horse world for about 5 years. The five most miserable years of my life. Not just because there were no horses, but also because there was no horse-therapy. It sucked.

The kids are about as into horses as I was as a child. They like them, but not the work. They do the work because they have to, like any chore. They take the horses for granted because they have never been without. They seem to understand that no matter how tired we (humans) are, the horses depend on us. The husband, he hates them! I tried to find a nice guy who liked horses, but all the boys I've dated that liked horses don't like girls ;)

As for me, there is absolutely no place I'd rather be than at the barn. Except for maybe at a horse show.

All Quiet on the Homefront

Not a whole lot has been going on. We're gearing up to start the new show season. The fun: new clothes, hours in the barn again, the successes. The not-so-funs: sore butts from riding, empty bank accounts, hours lot to the barn. I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be. We have a show scheduled for every weekend from the last weekend in April through September. Let's see how many we make it to.

Digging Around

I've spent some time digging around for info on my horses' families. Maybe it's because spent so much time no know my own dad, but I feel like I should know a little something about their parents.

Bluberi Moon, whose father (was) Zion Son King and mother StrawberiShortcake, is the mother to my SuchaFancy Bailey (I didn't name!) and her father is Short of Socks, son of Socks of Doc. Te Party Time, a non-relative is the daughter of Te Two Eyed and Storeys Delight. She is also the mother to a yet-unnamed baby, fathered by In Good Taste.

So there! Now if there are any other curious horse-googlers out there, maybe they'll find me and we can swap pictures.

I Know Things

Today I issued a challenge to a friend to count backward in Spanish. She asked for a second to think about it. I spouted it off before she would get a word in. Knowing I do not speak Spanish, she asked how.

When I was a kid we were taught numbers to 10. Bored one day while on my horse, I practiced doing them backward. So, I said, I recite them like I would the lyrics to a song.

"OH!" she says. "So you know them like I know the alphabet."

$49.35

Gas is almost 3 bucks again! I filled up at the pump near my house, which is often the last to go up. I paid 2.60-something a gallon. My truck, with a 28 gallon tank, and a 19 MPG average, needs a lot of gas.

This new gas station has a $50 limit on credit cards at the pump. They blame it on the banks, but I've never seen it elsewhere. Not even on the other branches of this station in town. Needless to say, at this price I often hit that limit. Today I was was sure that I would because I was at 1/4 of a tank.

The pump stopped at $49.35. I briefly felt like I was in a reality show and I had won the jackpot.

EnV

I finally bit the bullet and replaced my phone tonight. It was hard because (1) I'm really bad with change and (2) I'm really hard on phones. My current phone phone no longer charges a battery, drops calls, and barely get a signal. This is, no doubt, a response to the frequent trips it has taken to the pavement.

I knew I didn't want a Motorola. I used to have one and hated the menu and the phone. I was lukewarm to Samsung, having had one bad experience with a battery hog. I have always enjoyed my LGs. Problem is? The phones out right now suck. Unless you want a Razr (they are junk) or a Chocolate (junk), you are pretty much SOL. I briefly considered the shock-proof one, but is was made by Casio and ugly.

So, I let my friend be the guinea-pig. She got an EnV about a month ago. She still loves it. So I'm giving it a 15-day run. So far, so good. I'm texting, which I have never gotten into before. We'll see how long the novelty lasts. I purchased insurance based on my track record. So far my disappointment is shutter-lag on the camera. I'm used to shooting with a Nikon D200, so I am not surprised.

I even bought the husband a new (albeit cheaper) phone. And I hid the receipt.

15 Reasons Why Marrying Someone Twice Your Age is a Bad Idea

My husband is 18 years older than me. My good friend married someone 15 years older than her. We have a lot in common.

1. They call your music 'crap' that makes their ears bleed.
2. They stop growing hair on their heads and start growing it on their back.
3. Suddenly it is your spouse that 'walked 10 miles to school - uphill - both ways'.
4. You see an old dude at the store and can't remember if he's a friend of your spouse -- or your dad.
5. They feel the need to parent your friends.
6. They feel the need to parent you.
7. When you have a night of drinking and partying they watch patiently from a table instead of joining you.
8. They gripe at you to pick up your clothes.
9. And clean under the bed.
10. They cash in their retirement counting on you to support them in their Golden Years.
11. They see no humor in you kissing them in public - and then calling them Daddy.
12. Sex is suddenly PG13
13. Yes, they get wrinkly down there... and sag too.
14. You're 31 when they turn 50, that's just gross.
15. Suddenly the novelty of being a trophy wife wears off and you are just another bad late night joke.

And who said Anna Nicole had it easy?