After the riding lesson on Tuesday, I scheduled an extra lesson to fit the dressage saddles I’d located. I want to make sure whichever saddle I choose fits not only me, but also Isis. A new (or used) saddle is a big investment (“cheap” means under $500). Arabians are notoriously hard to fit in saddles because they tend to have broad shoulders and round backs. Isis’ hunt saddle (made by Zaldi) is a...
Continue reading...October 2008
David Tennant quits as Doctor Who
Saddness. Much sadness according to a BBC article published on October 29: David Tennant is to stand down as Doctor Who, after becoming one of the most popular Time Lords in the history of the BBC science fiction show. read more | digg story Related Images:
Continue reading...Flashback
I used to work at a company called iPIX. Like many other companies, it was struck down during the dot-com-bomb of 2000-2001. My job there was my dream job — and it stayed that way for the first 18 months. After that, things went downhill but not for what I was doing, but just things in the company in general. Any IT or internet-based business at that time was a chancy place to...
Continue reading...Ping Ponged: Office Shuffle
I was in the office when Chuck opened the door. He was surprised, and oddly pleased to have his stuff shuffled all over the building. He was most impressed. Related Images:
Continue reading...Lying in wait…
I’ve blogged before about some of the antics we get into at work. We get our work done but we also have a lot of fun. Lately there has been a streak of pratical jokes.. Nothing bad. Just oh covering an entire desk with aluminum foil or filling an office with balloons (more on that later). One of the guys who has been involved with the practical jokes went on vacation a week...
Continue reading...Stella’s Vet Visit
Stella was really good at the vet’s. She seems to have calmed down and knows we’re trying to help her. She’s been quiet in the car and good about getting into her padded carrier. She let Dr. Kipp draw blood without too much fuss for the blood test. While we were waiting for the test results, a friend of mine arrived. She has an older kitty who gets subcutaneous fluids twice per week....
Continue reading...Courbette Magic Dressage Saddle
During my riding lesson on Tuesday, I did an experiment: I dropped my stirrup and rode as if I was in a dressage saddle. Big different on how Isis responded. When you ride dressage, your seat is different then when you ride hunt seat. In dressage, you ride in a “balanced” seat: you sit back farther so that your upper body is up and down instead of leaning forward. Your stirrup length is...
Continue reading...Stella: No UTI
Stella does not have a UTI: lab culture came back negative for anything. Dr Kipp thinks that Stella’s urninating is due to a progression of her kidney failure possibly also some senility. Stella has a follow-up visit tomorrow afternoon at 4:45 to check her blood work (luckily that test is only $25 instead of the $99 for the urine test). The blood work will also help us know if Stella needs to be...
Continue reading...Riding lesson
Isis and I had a riding lesson this afternoon/evening. I hadn’t been able to ride on Monday. I had to make up time from Friday when I left early to take Stella to the vet’s. My instructor asked me what I would like to work on. This was the perfect opportunity to work on problems pointed out by the show: How do you correct a horse who isn’t listening and is more interested...
Continue reading...Horse Show Report
Back from the show and man was I tired! I had been worried the show would be cancelled because of the rain we’ve had (plus the forecast). The show was on, luckily. I felt really good about our preparation for the dressage portion of the test. I was very nervous about the cross country part. We had only ridden on a cross country course once during the practise clinic a few weeks back....
Continue reading...Horse Show!
Well it poured last night. As far as I know, the horse show (Fossils over Fences) has not been cancelled. This is Isis’ and my first combined training show: dressage, stadium jumping, and cross country. We’re showing in the lowest level class, which means the jumps are options, the stadium course can be more like a trail class with obstacles instead of jumps, and the dressage test is done at a walk trot....
Continue reading...Stella’s vet visit
Stella was really good this time for the vet this time. The vet gave Stella subcutaneous fluids (Stella was great (boggle)) and also took a urine sample. The initial results at the vet’s office were inconclusive. She said that often cats with kidney issues have such diluted urine that you don’t get enough white blood cells to know for sure. We have sent off the urine sample to to be tested and cultured....
Continue reading...Riding Lesson: Share the enthusiasm!
Isis was *great*. I mean GREAT. We were relaxed and rode the dressage test twice. She did very well. She’s learned where to stop and could probably ride the pattern by herself (even though we have only ridden it like five times). She stopped square and stood quietly. Only pulled on me once. Big improvement. The second part of the lesson focused on jumping. Isis gets excited and tends to rush when we...
Continue reading...Concern over giant UK database
The BBC web site today reported that the Home Office of the UK is proposing development of an large communications database — greatly reducing privacy in net or mobile communications. The Communications Data Bill, due to be introduced in November in the Queen’s Speech in the UK, will create a database holding “communications information” on people’s phone calls, email, web browsing (pages visited, etc.) and other data. Allegedly, this database will not retain...
Continue reading...Archaeological Dig Uncovers Roman Mystery
Even though this find is later than my own period of interest (100 BCE to 400 CE), there are some interesting elements described. University of British Columbia archaeologists have dug up a mystery worthy of Indiana Jones, one that includes a tomb, skeletons and burial rites with both Christian and pagan elements. read more | digg story Related Images:
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