Friday Fun Day

Okay - we need a Friday Fun Day post to make us all smile.  Well, maybe not all of you.  But my horse friends should get a giant kick out of a collection of my favorite horse jokes these days.  These all made me smile and some of them were downright true!

Like this one.  Every flipping time.

And this one kind of goes along with the first one..

Sorry the print is kind of small on this one.  But it is worth enlarging using whatever means necessary as it is hilarious and so so true.  Our Giggles, when we had her, this fit her to a T.  And the gelding.  Wow - if you could read Rye's mind...

Every new horse owner needs to learn this lesson.  Because it is true.  And you will all end up with more than one.   They are like the potato chips.   

I can't relate to this one, but Libby can.  She and her friends are always posting pics like this and I just picture our three knothead ponies in the pasture pulling the same stunts.  Derping for the camera, except for Cutie the Diva, who has to try to look gorgeous.

I almost didn't post this one, because I don't want to offend any non horse people.  Because I literally have had people call me concerned that my horses were laying down.  But at least they didn't comment and try to act like they knew something.  When they very obviously don't.  Read the comments.  And remember, horses do indeed NEED to lay down to sleep.

Okay, besides the fact that this pic is just kind of funny.  The text....gasp....I'm laughing so hard.... Libby, is this you???

In direct contrast to this one...

So this one literally made me laugh out loud.  I never was the "dress up to impress a boy" type to begin with.  And that skirt is entirely too short, but the bottom picture.  Now that's funny.

We all have had THAT trainer.  And the sucky part is - they were right.  Our legs felt that lesson..

I sent this one to Libby and she laughed.  A lot.  We don't braid, but we band.  And for some reason, my daughter that can ride anything, struggles with banding.  She just needs practice.  And a mother who isn't a perfectionist and takes over for her.  

Okay, I have to share this one for two reason.  One "OMG spotted babies they are soooooo kyoottt!!!" And that is the truest statement ever.  Give me money.  I will prove it. 

I don't jump (other than a stray log here or there or the occasional stream - not by choice), but even I can see the humor in this one.  

Enough said.  If you're an equestrian and you've taken a lesson, you can relate.

I included this one for two reasons.  One - because it is so true.  Two - I wanted all my non-horse friends to grasp the fact we horse people do in fact have to clean our gelding's penis from time to time.  Yeah.  And you thought you had a difficult hobby.

Raise your hand if you can relate?  Except mine should say, and then my kids started showing horses.  Well, and the whole part about a social life would have been a lie.

It's okay, I understand.  It's about education.  I'm sure I say lots of dumb stuff about your hobbies too.  I once asked someone "who caught the deer" about a deer head in their home.  All the big bad hunters got a chuckle out of that one.  "You don't catch a deer, you shoot it."  My response, "Well, if you were a real man you would catch it and slit it's throat while it flailed and kicked and tried to get you off its back."  I'm not sure I won that argument.

Want to test this theory?  Stop by to just say hi to your horse on the way somewhere in "good" clothes.  

Every single time we are in the wash rack.  My advice - invest in a hose boom for home.  It is amazing.  And takes away their power over you...

Okay, I can include this one because I was that idiot once.  Only I bought a yearling.  And had to be slapped upside the head by someone.  And I actually knew something about horses (had them as a kid) and I still wasn't ready for a young horse.  Why do people have to learn the hard way?

Yep...

Why does this one make me laugh so hard? I can almost hear him saying it. 

All people who have ever sold a horse can relate to this one.  I'm so responding to the next inquiry this way.  

And last but not least.  I have to leave you with a happy thought.  A smiley thought.  A warm fuzzy.

The Cost of College

So...  Sophie and I were visiting yesterday after school and I was telling her that I think she should look into a career as a lawyer.  She's smart as a whip and I've never met a child more skilled at trying to get her way or getting people to think her idea was their idea.  I won't call it outright arguing (which she does her fair share of) but the girl can wrangle a conversation better than a steer wrestler in Texas.  (My very own clever analogy - use it at your own risk.)

So she's kind of going along with the idea and then I tell her how much lawyers can make.  Because, I have a little experience in that area these days *cough*, and she was like "wow!" and lawyer sounded like a better and better idea to her.  She tells me she's going to be a lawyer and not share any of her money with me for all the times I didn't buy her what she wanted, with a smirk on her face so I realize she is just trying to get me going.  So I smile sweetly and tell her, "oh of course I wouldn't want any of your hard earned money, honey."

Then she asks how you become a lawyer.  And I explain about college and law school, bar exams, etc...  And she says, "do teachers just pick who they think should go to law school/college then?"  And I respond that anyone can go to college, you just have to pay for it.  She gets a horrified look on her face and says, "well, you'll help me pay for it, right?"  And with a smirk I say, "Of course, and you can pay me back when you make the big bucks being a famous lawyer."  Ahhh... parenting.

Today's quote of the day, for no reason other than I like it.  It has absolutely nothing to do with this blog, but everything to do with my life and how I choose to live it.

It's the blog nobody's been waiting for.

I know that the marathon posts aren't anyone's favorite, but as the blog is mostly a personal journal I can't skip it.

I'm so thankful to Lindsay for driving me as I am definitely directionally challenged.  We were so proud of ourselves as we found the Depot and were ready to run an hour and a half ahead of schedule.  We were sitting there waiting for Jessie and talking with her telling her how to find us.  Finally she called saying she was in the lobby by the packet pickup sign.  We went into the building and found the sign, no Jessie.  So I called her again and she said she was leaving the bathroom.  So we looked for the bathroom and Jessie asked exactly where we were and I happened to mention crossing the rink.  To which Jessie said, "Wait, are you in Minneapolis or St. Paul?  The half marathon is in St. Paul!"  We grabbed the nearest race volunteer and discovered we were in the wrong city at the start of the 7K, not the half.  So off Lindsay and I went for the right city and the right race.

We arrived in plenty of time.  Parked in the ramp we had a parking pass for (funny how that pass didn't work at the other race location) and were ready to go.  We headed to the start and the cold was pretty difficult, but not unbearable.  It didn't take long and we were off.

The start wasn't awful. In fact by mile 2 I was really settling in and it was going well.  I had started in the 9 1/2 minute mile group but had let them pull away and had seen the 9:55 pacer pass me as well.  I didn't really know where I was but knew I was ahead of the pacer for the group to finish at 2:15 so I just kept plugging away.  Mile 3 seemed to drag on forever and I was getting pretty discouraged. When all of a sudden I saw the mile 5 marker ahead.  Somehow I missed the mile 4 marker and had actually gone 2 miles.  Whew.  By mile 6 my sock had twisted and was driving me nuts.  So I had to stop at the turn around (the race doubled back) and take my shoe off, my socks off and put them back on.  It didn't help.  In 20 feet the sock bunched again but I had to just put up with it.  I couldn't stop every 20 feet.  So I tried to just put it out of my head.

And then I took off for the last portion of the race and discovered that the first half had been with the wind at my back. That wind was raw.  The gloves I had taken off quickly went back on and my face quickly became numb and windburnt feeling.  It was not a pleasant sunny feeling day anymore.

I was glad to see the mile 8 marker but again the mile 9 marker seemed elusive.  And then I saw the mile 10 marker ahead.  The race went much faster when I did 2 miles at a time apparently!  Mile 10 sucked.  No two ways about it.  My legs were tired there were tons of hills and uphill grades the whole race and my legs were reminding me that I hadn't run outside except for ONCE since October.  I walked a little and ran some more.  Ran through mile 11 and mile 12 came.  I had to walk again.  Just when I had made the decision just to finish at a walk a perky young thing in a hot pink tutu came by and said, "You can do it!  Only 10 minutes left, just push!"  Or something like that.  Really I was just thinking she was too chipper for mile 12.  But I picked up my feet and started plodding along again.  I slogged through mile 12 and was never so happy to see mile 13 and then the finish line ahead of me.  I found that last little push, finished strong and was never so happy!

When I finished my official time was 2:12:26 which was a personal best for me, my previous best being a 2:16:07 at the Women Rock last August.  I was shocked to discover how quickly I had been going.  And believe me when I tell you I can feel it today.  But races for me aren't about times and running fast.  Lindsay and I were talking about it on the way up and she really said it best.  Like she said, and I'll try not to get it wrong, "Running these half marathons isn't about the time.  Strength is about doing whatever it takes to finish and then doing it again."   Through the good runs, the bad runs, and whatever comes your way, you dig deep and find the strength to run again.  She had it exactly right.  It isn't about what the clock says.  It is about whether you can do it all again another day and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Thanks for the words of inspiration, Lindsay!  And thanks for being the voice in the back of my head reminding me not to concentrate on the little things in the race.  We discussed how much of a race is mind over matter.  When my ankle tightened up at 1 mile, I remembered that would go away.  When my knee hurt at mile 2, I remembered it would get better.  When my sock bunched and felt like a rock in my shoe, I was able to put that out of my mind and just keep running.  You're an inspiration!

I also have to thank you for the laughs.  And laughs.  And laughs.  Seriously - my side and my cheeks still hurt today.  And the pictures!  You gave me memories! I never took a one!

Thanks Jessie for helping me train and motivating me to get my butt on the treadmill even when I wanted to pretend it was too cold, windy, too snowy to work out.  You're an inspiration!

Thanks to my kids for putting up with my workouts and for supporting me as I trained.  And Sophie - I'm looking forward to running with you!

Ryan, thanks for being my supporter and your advice on how to fight the little aches and pains and keep pushing through the workouts. You keep me honest.

To all my friends who texted me and wished me luck or commented and congratulated me, thank you!  Your support means so much!

It's on to the next race.  Time to dig deep and sign up for the next one and get back to training.  That is, after I can feel my thighs again.  Note to self, the way to combat leg pain from a half marathon is not to go riding on a young lazy horse who takes a ton of leg to even get to trot.  No pain no gain - right?

I'm so thankful that I get to share my running with these two pretty ladies!  Thanks for being there for me girls!

It's how you make them feel...

Yesterday I shared this quote with my class.

Then I had them journal about the little things that people around them do to make them feel special.  Next we discussed as a class what the quote meant to them, what it meant to me and how we can make others feels amazing and important.  And they wrote their ideas down on paper for a bulletin board in the classroom.  They had amazing ideas!!  I can't help but share a few here to remind all of us that it just takes a short moment to make someone's day a little brighter.

*Give thanks
*Write a card
*Get to know someone better
*Say "hello"!
*Address people by their name
*Stand up for someone
*Help them fix their mistakes
*Remember their birthday
*Help someone carry something
*Hold the door for someone
*Listen to what people are saying
*Share
*Forgive and forget
*Say please and thank you
*Send a happy gift
*Cheer someone up
*Give them a hug
*Tell someone you think they are a strong
*Look at them when you talk to them
*Tell the truth
*Ask someone about their day

And then I came across this one and it really was a powerful message from a young person.  "You should treat every goodbye like you may never see them again."  Today, let's try to help others feel special, feel important and of course feel loved.  And by all means, treat every goodbye as if you may never see them again.

Why??? For all that's holy, WHY?

Seriously, anyone that knows me knows that I love Oreos.  Preferably double stuffed.  But I like the vanilla and chocolate equally.  Dry that is.  But if I'm going to be dipping in milk, than it must be chocolate.

And I have a serious love of cookie dough.  I'm a little ashamed, but a little proud, to say that I ate a whole box of preformed frozen band fundraiser cookies, before they made it to the oven.  Not in one sitting, I'm not GROSS.  But over the course of a couple months, they disappeared one, sometimes two at a time.

Then Oreo had to go and make these.

Don't believe the naysayers.  They lie.  They do not have an overwhelming aftertaste.  And hell to the no they don't taste like coffee.  I DESPISE COFFEE.  What a bunch of crackpots.  They are delicious.  Amazingly delicious.  To the point that I won't be buying them EVER again.  I can't have them in my house.  I just can't be trusted.

I try to make it up to myself telling myself that my new infatuation with raw cauliflower or raw broccoli for lunch evens out the half dozen cookies I can eat in one sitting.  But even I can't rationalize that one out for long.  And there are only so many extra miles I'm willing to put on the old treadmill.  But these are worth a trip to the grocery store.  Maybe they won't be around long?

And maybe you should just try them for yourselves.  I mean, after all, I do like these too...

Things that make you happy.

Today's question of the day on KROC was "Things that make you happy".  They got a lot of the legit things that make you happy but then they shook it up to ask, what are some weird and random things that make you happy.  So I'm going through my list in my head on the drive and thinking, blog!

When you start thinking to yourself about what makes you happy, the first thing that crosses your mind are the big things.  Like, my girls of course - they make me happy.  We laugh together a lot and I can't imagine life without them.  And my amazing boyfriend makes me happy and makes me laugh a lot.  We can find humor in almost anything. Seeing my nephew makes me happy and thankful.  Who knew something as little as watching someone's hair regrow could make you so deliriously happy?  I'm happy with the positive changes I've made in my life,  I'm happy with my job (most of the time - we all have "those" days). And I'm happy with my family being healthy, my friends being there for me, my car not dying on me and my house being a safe refuge for all of us.

But then I tried to think of weird little things that bring me joy.  It isn't easy!  You know I love my pinterest and ecards for those little funny pick me ups.  Blogging makes me happy.  Running sometimes makes me happy.  But what little things??? Hmmm....

Organizing things makes me happy.  Nothing says a happy Melissa like cupboards and closets all neatly in a row.

Hoodies and jeans make me happy.  My favorite day of the work week is Friday simply because of casual Friday.

Cadbury eggs make me happy.  It's a darn good thing they are only available once (sometimes twice if you count "scream eggs") a year.  Or I'd be doing a lot of the running thing.

Random texts or comments from people I haven't heard from in a while makes me happy.

Seeing posts about my friends finding happiness or being happy makes me happy.

New shoes make me happy.  As long as they are sneakers.  NO DRESS SHOES - dressy shoes make me sad.  And mad.

The smell of horses makes me happy.

The smell of fresh cut/baled hay makes me happy.

The sound of horses chewing makes me happy.

Getting into the middle of a great book makes me happy.  Finishing the book brings a feeling of disappointment though.  It's bittersweet.

Chinese food makes me happy.

When people remember something I've told them or something that I like, it makes me happy.

When customers leave a note or tell my boss that they had great service, it makes me happy.

Hugs.  Hugs make me happy.  I love hugs.  Best part about teaching elementary - free hugs every day.
Electric blankets in the winter make me happy.

Colored pens and mechanical pencils make me happy.

Dt. Mt. Dew and Milk Duds make me happy.  I'm trying really hard not to have either!

Riding a smooth, steady western pleasure jog makes me happy.

Beating a level on that stupid game Frozen makes me happy.

Watching Pixie the puppy go nuts after her bath or crazy for a treat makes me happy.

Hot chocolate makes me happy.

Okay, I'm going to have to stop.  When you really get going, the list starts to become endless.  May your lists be endless and your happiness plentiful!

So much laundry...

...so little time.

Seriously, how can a household of four make so much laundry.  It isn't us adults.  And I wear 2 outfits almost daily.   Workout clothes and dress clothes.  But I still can't even being to match the "little people" in my house.  I will wash their clothes, ALL their clothes, one weekend and by the next, their bins are overflowing and I'm at ground zero of laundry.  I swear it is like a laundry apocalypse in my laundry room.  You could hide a body in the mound of Justyce, Crazy 8's and Aero wear they create.  I even tease that they have to be bringing home their friends' clothes to wash.  Or are they trying clothes on and taking them off into the laundry bin? I give up.