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Aug. 23rd, 2011 08:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
which_chickCouple of notable events today.
Yes, but I was hoping it would all be resolved when I updated. I am not that lucky, though, and events are dragging out beyond my patience.
Here's the current sitch: D's father in law said he would make good on repaying the unfairly-cashed C check if I would go to the bank and drop the issue. I said that I would do that as soon as I received the money from the unfairly-cashed C check (an amount of $237.03). D's father in law said I would have that money on August 18th. I do not have it yet, so have not yet dropped the issue with the bank. Actually, I need to talk to him again to see what the deal is. *sigh*
I suspect that the reason for lack-o-resolution is that on Tuesday last (the 16th), C's older brother (and legal guardian, as it turns out) died by drowning in the Yough, right in front of C (according to sources close to the deceased, who asked off work to attend the funeral). For realz. I imagine that this has thrown the issue of my missing $237.03 into rather less prominence for those concerned but not, y'know, for me. I didn't know the older brother. Not my problem. The $237.03, however... my problem.
D and wife S are not going to be employed with us for very much longer. We feel that employees should show up to work on time and D/S are not managing that with any regularity. We also feel that they're padding their hours, dawdling, and generally not being worth their salt. Done now. They will discover this tomorrow at work.
In more interesting and timely news, the 4-H children did not die again today. We went a paltry 4.63 miles in 1 hr 8 min, which is not really fast enough. We need to be going faster than that. We need to be going 6 mph. I had Alannah, Jaycee, Olivia, Waylon, and Trys. (Waylon is, regular readers will recall, the soul who didn't make it all the way last year. He's not really making an effort at conditioning this year, either.)
On the plus side, several things.
First off, Alannah opted for her English saddle today. She rides Western in the show ring and she rode Western yesterday to condition on the grounds that maybe it would be more comfortable for her. It just sucked. She can't post in the Western saddle so tries to sit the trot (problematic as speed increases). In an English saddle, you just post faster and bigger and it's fine no matter how fast you trot, so definite advantage there. Also, the western saddle she has slides up onto Callie's neck on downhills while the English one does not.
Alannah allowed as how the English saddle felt "more secure" with the faster trotting. (Trys and I have been pitching her this line of reasoning every time we see her. I'm glad she's catching on to it.)
Secondly, she did not cry today. Partly this was because we did slightly slower trotting than we'd been doing but also partly it was because she was making an effort at not crying. (Bravery: Yet another "fake it till you make it" skill.) I think at least some of the progress on the non-crying front is because her posting is getting better by leaps and bounds. Also now she's willing to trot six to eight strides downhill to stay with me. That's huge progress. Uphill trotting has moved from "OMG NO WAY" to "not optional" by fiat and that's going pretty well, too. ("Look, Alannah, uphill trotting just *feels* faster and more powerful because the horses have to work harder to go up the hill. They're not really going any faster than they are on the flat." <-- this is true. However, it also acclimates her to the feel of bigger trotting, which we will take advantage of on the flat here in a week or two.) Finally, I've discovered that if I keep her occupied (talking and listening) during the trotting parts, she has less attention to devote to getting nervous. She can post steadily and not-whine-much for 3/4 of a mile of sustained medium-slow trotting. (We're going just a hair faster than I'm comfortable sitting on Whimser.) By the third set of 3/4 mile trots, her legs are getting tired and her form goes south and she gets more nervous but it's OK because the horse is more tired and not as pissy about tight, extra leg at that point.
Thirdly, there was another accidental canter set (of four or six strides) after which child noted, "I tried to sit up straight and stay relaxed like you said and it wasn't that horrible. It's less bouncy than the trotting. I might like cantering someday." Ah, child, you might indeed.
Fourthly, there was a small lack-o-stopping incident wherein Alannah ran Callie smack into Whimsy's big, white butt. Alannah was losing it.
A: "She wouldn't stop! I tried pulling back and she..."
Me: "Calm down. Look, you ran Callie into Whimser's butt. That's what I have been telling you to do if you have an issue and can't stop your horse. That's the CORRECT thing to do. And you did it. And then what happened?"
Alannah: "Callie stopped."
Me: "Is that what I said would happen?"
A: "Yes."
Me: "And how is Whimsy doing? Did she panic and buck me off?"
A: "No. She just stood there."
Me: "Did she look mean or kick at Callie?"
A: "No."
Me: "Have I been saying all along that it would be A-OK to run into Whimsy's butt if you really needed to stop and couldn't?"
A: "Yes."
Me: "And so today you did. And it was OK, like I said it would be. Ready for more trotting?"
A: "I think so."
(Whimsy is a damn trooper, is all I can say. Go Whimser!)
Yes, but I was hoping it would all be resolved when I updated. I am not that lucky, though, and events are dragging out beyond my patience.
Here's the current sitch: D's father in law said he would make good on repaying the unfairly-cashed C check if I would go to the bank and drop the issue. I said that I would do that as soon as I received the money from the unfairly-cashed C check (an amount of $237.03). D's father in law said I would have that money on August 18th. I do not have it yet, so have not yet dropped the issue with the bank. Actually, I need to talk to him again to see what the deal is. *sigh*
I suspect that the reason for lack-o-resolution is that on Tuesday last (the 16th), C's older brother (and legal guardian, as it turns out) died by drowning in the Yough, right in front of C (according to sources close to the deceased, who asked off work to attend the funeral). For realz. I imagine that this has thrown the issue of my missing $237.03 into rather less prominence for those concerned but not, y'know, for me. I didn't know the older brother. Not my problem. The $237.03, however... my problem.
D and wife S are not going to be employed with us for very much longer. We feel that employees should show up to work on time and D/S are not managing that with any regularity. We also feel that they're padding their hours, dawdling, and generally not being worth their salt. Done now. They will discover this tomorrow at work.
In more interesting and timely news, the 4-H children did not die again today. We went a paltry 4.63 miles in 1 hr 8 min, which is not really fast enough. We need to be going faster than that. We need to be going 6 mph. I had Alannah, Jaycee, Olivia, Waylon, and Trys. (Waylon is, regular readers will recall, the soul who didn't make it all the way last year. He's not really making an effort at conditioning this year, either.)
On the plus side, several things.
First off, Alannah opted for her English saddle today. She rides Western in the show ring and she rode Western yesterday to condition on the grounds that maybe it would be more comfortable for her. It just sucked. She can't post in the Western saddle so tries to sit the trot (problematic as speed increases). In an English saddle, you just post faster and bigger and it's fine no matter how fast you trot, so definite advantage there. Also, the western saddle she has slides up onto Callie's neck on downhills while the English one does not.
Alannah allowed as how the English saddle felt "more secure" with the faster trotting. (Trys and I have been pitching her this line of reasoning every time we see her. I'm glad she's catching on to it.)
Secondly, she did not cry today. Partly this was because we did slightly slower trotting than we'd been doing but also partly it was because she was making an effort at not crying. (Bravery: Yet another "fake it till you make it" skill.) I think at least some of the progress on the non-crying front is because her posting is getting better by leaps and bounds. Also now she's willing to trot six to eight strides downhill to stay with me. That's huge progress. Uphill trotting has moved from "OMG NO WAY" to "not optional" by fiat and that's going pretty well, too. ("Look, Alannah, uphill trotting just *feels* faster and more powerful because the horses have to work harder to go up the hill. They're not really going any faster than they are on the flat." <-- this is true. However, it also acclimates her to the feel of bigger trotting, which we will take advantage of on the flat here in a week or two.) Finally, I've discovered that if I keep her occupied (talking and listening) during the trotting parts, she has less attention to devote to getting nervous. She can post steadily and not-whine-much for 3/4 of a mile of sustained medium-slow trotting. (We're going just a hair faster than I'm comfortable sitting on Whimser.) By the third set of 3/4 mile trots, her legs are getting tired and her form goes south and she gets more nervous but it's OK because the horse is more tired and not as pissy about tight, extra leg at that point.
Thirdly, there was another accidental canter set (of four or six strides) after which child noted, "I tried to sit up straight and stay relaxed like you said and it wasn't that horrible. It's less bouncy than the trotting. I might like cantering someday." Ah, child, you might indeed.
Fourthly, there was a small lack-o-stopping incident wherein Alannah ran Callie smack into Whimsy's big, white butt. Alannah was losing it.
A: "She wouldn't stop! I tried pulling back and she..."
Me: "Calm down. Look, you ran Callie into Whimser's butt. That's what I have been telling you to do if you have an issue and can't stop your horse. That's the CORRECT thing to do. And you did it. And then what happened?"
Alannah: "Callie stopped."
Me: "Is that what I said would happen?"
A: "Yes."
Me: "And how is Whimsy doing? Did she panic and buck me off?"
A: "No. She just stood there."
Me: "Did she look mean or kick at Callie?"
A: "No."
Me: "Have I been saying all along that it would be A-OK to run into Whimsy's butt if you really needed to stop and couldn't?"
A: "Yes."
Me: "And so today you did. And it was OK, like I said it would be. Ready for more trotting?"
A: "I think so."
(Whimsy is a damn trooper, is all I can say. Go Whimser!)
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no subject
Date: 2011-08-24 12:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-25 04:34 pm (UTC)You are a fair teacher - rock on \m/