Economics and English and Statistics, oh my!

Where has Girl been?

Struggling.

I decided to cram everything I didn't want to take at Difficult Liberal Arts College into one semester. Taking these classes at Small Community College SEEMED like a good idea in December, when I was bored out of my skull. I mean, they'd be easier than at DLAC, right?

Well, yeah.. They were/are. But when you stuff your schedule full of them...

Damn this teenage reasoning.

So for the past week and a half, I have written 2000 words worth of guided journal entries, a final grammar exercise, a paper on China's economic boom, a paper on central banking, two article reviews on China's credit card monopoly and what banks can learn from Apple, and an article summary on teenaged drinking in Ireland. I have taken a Trig test and a Statistics test.

And I would like to say, I'm fried.

Two more papers to go (8 pages on teen drinking and 3 pages on the difference in the 2001 or 2002 recession and the current one with reference to government interference), four finals to take*.

On top of that, my finals schedule worked out with my final 8 page paper and three tests... All on Monday. Two of them at 1215. Luckily, I can move the hard one to Tuesday.

Deep breaths, deep breaths.

If I don't spontaneously combust, you will have a hilarious story of innovation, manholes, and one nutcase of a pony next week.

Until then,
Girl**

*currently in Statistics, Trigonometry, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and English Composition II.
** lacking in basic planning skills.

Read more...

Horse Did What?

Horse will be off until this fall due to messing up her sacrum in the great suicide attempt of 2010. She should have a full recovery.

After I came home, I started working with her again. I longed for several days, and she was very well behaved on the ground and on the line. After the third day, I got on for about fifteen minutes. I walked her around, working on suppling her.. Easy stuff. She was a little fussy, but I chalked it up to being off for several months.

Any horse is bound to be a little cranky after "early retirement".

The next day, I put her on the line. Still good. I climbed on.. And she did not feel like any Horse I'd been on earlier. She refused to go forward and, within fifteen minutes, resorted to rearing. Except, she didn't have the strength to hold both of us up in a rear, and before you could say "I think she's gonna.." and before I could bail off, we went sprawling on the grass.

I bounced up as my baby scrambled to her feet. We were both shaking, and she walked to me, quivering but quiet. She put her head on the full length of my body, blowing nervous air on my hip as I scratched her head and neck. She was terrified, and I felt sick.

Something was wrong.

Well, remember when people were telling me she was just being bad? They were wrong. I should have had her looked at sooner, but I'll admit, there was a part of me that thought maybe they had a point.

On the day the barn stood still last summer, Horse damaged her sacrum on her left side, which caused the flip in December. My biggest regret is not listening to her sooner and thinking her misbehavior was just bad manners.

How many "bad" horses would there be if we would slow down and listen? How many dangerous habits have we fostered because we didn't step back and see the signs?

Granted, there are some bad apples in the bunch.. Ponies too far gone or genetically wrong. But I can't help but think that Horse would have become one of those if we'd pushed her.

-- Girl

Read more...

Haiku's First Haiku

It's a crazy plan
Of playing genetics with
A man in a can.

Read more...

What up, readers?

Today, I looked at my blog's stats just for fun. 841 views in February!

I was all happy about this and relayed my excitement back to my mom.
"Yeah, at least half of those were your parents.."

At least a fourth of them were probably myself, editing or trying to find some inspiration. Or egotistically reading my own work... :)

But for that elusive 25% of you, this is a thank you for reading. For those of you that comment or email me or remind me in class or mention it at the Backyard Barn.. It's awesome to know someone's reading about my teenaged reasoning and ill-behaving horses.

Yes, I am a bad blogger.. Somewhere Down the Centerline's level of activity is a bit like a roller coaster. But roller coasters are fun, right? Right?

Oh, and make sure to send me your own blogs. As you all know, I'm a procrastinator to the max, and blogs are the perfect way to pass the time.. :)

Later! -- Girl

Read more...

Cantzing and Other Exciting News

1 hour 21 minutes ago, a big day ended.

Now, to horsemen and women of many years, whoop de freaking do. Canter isn't that exciting. For a seven year old.. Totally different story.

"And if you ride really balanced for me today..."
"I get to cantz." She whispered, as if afraid to say it any louder. As if any loud noise might change my mind.
"Canter, and yes."

Cantzing before today has been a mystical, magical thing that the "big people" do. Despite her excitement, she has her reserves.

"On the longe line?"
"Yes."

And with that satisfaction, she goes to buckling her girth.

Later, I hoist her up in the saddle, noting that she's growing. Again. You don't realize how much munchkins grow until you throw them up into a saddle every week. Granted, her legs still don't go past the saddle flaps. I notice this as I adjust her stirrups, feeling slightly queasy.

She's ready, she's ready, she's ready. I breathe out. Am I?

I wonder if this itching fear goes away in time. There's a precarious balance with kids and ponies, and there's a huge responsibility when you have someone else's baby on an 800 pound animal with a mind of his own. Now, I know they're going to fall. That's inevitable. (The first and last time this Little fell, she bounced back up to my arms, clinging monkey style and sobbing.)

Even then, you want each first time to be the best time and to build from solid basics. When you introduce something new, you get a definite feel for how secure that foundation is.

I hope her foundation is unshakeable.

We start doing stretches and no stirrups. Trotting in airplane, hands to the sky, hands on her hips. She trots stirrup-less, no hands. We both swallow our concerns.

And she canters a step, nerves ricocheting in every directions. I think some of them might be mine. "Tell you what? We can play games if you promise me you'll canter at the end of your lesson."
She nods, mouth in a solemn line.

At the end of her lesson, the barn is crowded. Another rider came to play in some of our games; more wandered out to watch. Five or six people, eyes trained for her first real canter. But after an hour of silly games, she and her pony are relaxed and ready.

I clip on the longe line, reminding her about her heels. Fussing with her stirrups.
And she canters and she canters.
Until I say, "Time for free time!"
"Can I canter more?"
"Uh, no? You already cantered."

The whole barn high-fives her as I thank the big Man upstairs for another quiet beginning.

Cantz? Check.

-- Girl

ps, Baby Mama just came today to be bred.. If you didn't know, the baby daddy is Sir Sinclair from Iron Spring Farm. The baby will be born in the H year and will be named Haiku. (That's Baby Mama's name backwards. Horse's name is her mother's name in Old German.) Everybody think pink!

Read more...

The Reason Why

Tiny girl, tiny pony,
Round and round they go.
Tiny girl, tiny pony,
Too fast and then too slow.
She says whoa, and he speeds up,
A kick and he slows down.
Keeps going straight when asked to turn.
When coaxed forward, he turns around.
She begs for right, and he turns left;
She pulls left, and he tugs right.
If she gets him on a circle,
He counterbends just in spite.
A plastic bag becomes a ghost,
But whips have no incentive.
He can only stand a fly at most;
Flailing kids ain't so momentous.

And in the middle of the ring,
Holding her breath and feeling heady,
Is a Girl with a whip in hand,
Tilted back and at the ready.
She stares at uplifted heels
And powerful prancing pony,
Slumping shoulders, open fingers,
Bending elbows, still so bony.
And she worries, and she fusses,
Fixing stirrups countless times.
Tries to signal to the pony
To be supple, sweet, and kind.

Tiny girl, tiny pony,
Round and round they go.
Tiny girl, tiny pony,
Too fast and then too slow.
And then one moment cuts in time,
Where they stop and walk and trot,
Sublime.
And in the moment, love is found.
A breath expelled.
A truth, profound.

Thelwell again. Go look him up.

I need to stop procrastinating papers. But until then.. :)
-- Girl

Read more...