Chicago's Got Nothing On Wasilla

Windy city, indeed. We have a patio set that has survived at least 45 years. Last night the wind picked up the table and shattered the 3/4" glass top. Needless to say the chairs are not in their designated places either. The wind is supposed to calm down by Friday afternoon so we'll wait until then to pick up the pieces.

-5, feels like -18. Also high wind advisory

Ack. I've been visiting different stables in the area. One that I've ridden at twice does not have a heated arena. Weather information like the above gives me pause about returning there. Yesterday I rode at a barn with not only a heated arena but, drumroll please, indoor plumbing! Although a veteran user of port-a-potties, I was delighted to see not only a toilet but hot and cold running water; two barn luxuries which have been sadly missing from my life. Bet you can guess who's going to be getting my business. It doesn't hurt that I liked the instructor and her horse either. The first horse I rode at the "cold" barn didn't thrill me but I rode a different mare last week that I liked a lot more. Yesterday I rode a gelding and he was a very good boy.

I've committed to ride at the warm barn Friday and then will have a lesson at the cold barn Sunday. Hopefully I will be able to locate the girth extender that I accidentally left there last week. None of the horses I've been riding have the physique of the Belgian mare I'm used to. I used a 54" girth with an extender on her, whereas the girth alone was too large for the gelding. In somewhat related news, my saddle has fit these horses so at least I don't have to invest in a replacement.

Had a great Thanksgiving. I don't know if it was due to the convection oven, but the turkey was extra delicious.

Now I'm gearing up for Christmas. We were going to hang some icicle lights outside today but the high wind warning will probably kill that plan. Guess that means I should deal with some more of the boxes still scattered about.

The Neverending Move

Nobody should take this long to get re-situated. I've stopped trying to predict when we'll get everything done. I think we'll call a charity this week to pick up our donations and we will make however many dump runs it will take to dispose of the rest of the crap. We still have the sheds in the back yard to deal with.

I dropped by my former barn yesterday for their horse show/costume competition. It was so great to see everyone and visit with all the horses. Of course I brought carrots so they (the horses) were glad to see me. One of the girls dressed up as Minnie Mouse and had giant mouse ears for her horse. So cute.

I spend my computer time searching for furniture on Craigslist and have only managed to read blogs sporadically. I sure hope I haven't missed any fantastic news/stories that others have shared.

Here is a picture of the book boxes I unpacked a couple of days ago. Wish I could say that was all of them but unfortunately, not.

Bart is hoping Winston is buried somewhere under there.