A Breakthrough!

Since I've joined a gym, the dilemma has been getting home to let Z out and exercise her, then feed her, make sure she's done her "thing" and then bundle her back up again in the crate while I go work out.

I feel guilty having her in the crate all night (granted, she's sleeping), all day while I'm at work, then AGAIN while I'm at the gym. A couple times I've blocked her in the kitchen for short periods of time, but the last time I did it, I didn't think it through...took her down to Crystal Lake and threw a stick in the water for her for half an hour, then came back (she DID pee) and threw her in the kitchen. Well, when I got back she'd emptied her bladder on my floor - but, it was the linoleum floor so that was better than on the wood. Anyway, that put the kibosh on leaving her out for a while (even though it was my fault :).

Well, since my foot's been hurting (I accidentally did a 10K a couple weekends ago) I haven't been walking her; merely throwing the ball in the yard for her all the time...she didn't get much play-time in yesterday before it was time to head to the gym, and I was feeling guilty, so I left her in the kitchen - "blocked" in with 2 of my cheapy Ikea chairs. I took the rugs out and put her dishes up (the less the temptations the better) and left her a rawhide. I got back in an hour and a half to a busily chewing dog and a clean kitchen!

I was VERY proud of her. She is almost 11 months old (this Saturday marks the official date) but nonetheless, it's a bit nerve-wracking leaving a puppy out in the house - albeit a small part of the house - while I'm gone!

Anyway, I just realized I never posted her 10-month pictures, so before she turns a month older (and therefore I have new ones - yes, I'm "that mom") here are some images of my pretty girl...

(The last one is the image my mother thought HAD to be entered in the fair back home...so we'll see how it does. Yes, I realize it breaks the omnipresent Rule of Thirds - but let's be honest, rules are meant to be bent, if not completely broken, right?)

Horsin' Around...

While I watch one of the myriad of episodes featured on 2007's Shark Week, I'm sipping a beer and recovering from my gym workout today.

In addition to bench, flys (flies?), incline press, and abs today, I've added 2 new leg machines (for inner/outer thighs). Whew! Even with the addition of horseback riding into my exercise regime this summer, those things kicked my...legs...today.

Also, I'm working a lot harder (able to work harder?) on my arm muscles, so it's an all-over makeover :)

So, why all the working out - as well as the addition of the new machines - you might ask? Well, I need to strengthen everything for rehab in order to be able to run again...and the inner thigh machine is strictly for the 2 horse shows I have coming up in the next 2 weekends...well, ok, to be honest, if I'm working the outer thighs, I need to balance, but mostly I'd just like to have the leg strength to get good rides out of my mounts this weekend (and possibly next).

Yes, I'm riding TWO horses at the Crow Wing County Fair...my new horse, Ky, was so well-trained back in the day that even after sitting - unused - in a pasture for 4 years, he's doing VERY well with flexibility and collection. (Not to mention being steady as a rock and taking his leads consistently.)

I'll also be riding Joon, my mom's horse, even though it's been Mom who's been riding her for over a year and getting her in shape enough for me to even think about bringing her into 2 english classes. She's doing much better - still not consistent with giving me her leads right away, but I'm confident that even if we don't do everything correctly we'll still have a lot of fun.

The last time I did this much riding was the summer I came home from Spain and lived at Mom & Dad's while I job-hunted online(via dial-up, no less). It's a lot of driving, but it's fun and the weather's been great - so getting to relax on the lake isn't bad, either!

Hopefully I'll have plenty of non-geeky pictures to share after this weekend's events...oh, and another thing - Mom thought I needed to enter some photography as well. Should be interesting. I want to have fun and get back to my horsey roots, and then I'm looking forward to an Oof-da Taco (in essence, a walking taco on a fried flatbread-type shell). YUM.

Hasta la later -

A Horse! a horse, My Kingdom for a Horse!

Since even before last fall - when my horse was put down at the ripe old age of 27 ½ - I've felt horseless. I hadn't used Kamell (the old boy) in a few years because he was retired, had a bad leg, etc.

Well, the equine gods have smiled upon me and presented me with my very own, very LARGE new horse!

(This post has been interrupted by a very important team meeting...)