The big fall, part 3

It has been one week since my accident with Scout and the first day that I didn't take morphine. The first day after surgery, my leg was swollen to the max and every where hurt. I haven't noticed any effects of the morphine but without it, I am trembling and have severe headache and pain. Since I have to go back to work tomorrow, I need to be less drugged. I did take a half of an oxycodone, however. I find that if I take half as much, twice as often, I don't get as sick to my stomach.

 I have taken up residence in the recliner chair. It's so hard to get my bottom comfortable.

Terra is my constant companion. Poor Buddha, she gives him the evil eye and won't let him near me.

This is my view nowadays. I've watched lots and lots of movies and worked out lots of Sudoku puzzles. I doze a little but unfortunately, I've never been a good sleeper.

 Lisa stopped by the other day with a DQ chiller, yummy! (( thanks!)).

 My mom came down last weekend and ended up staying through the week to help me out.

Sorry for the blur, Sandy turned to look just as I clicked.

I have yet to visit the horses. It's a loooong walk with no place to stop and sit. I'm afraid I will lose my balance and fall down and not be able to get back up. I fell once when I was letting the dogs out the front door but I was able to use the door frame to pick myself back up. It's hard to get help when it's 4:30 in the morning and the dogs are crying to go outside. Fortunately, I can just let them out by themselves to do their business.

I never realized how handicapped a broken ankle makes you. I can't carry anything, do anything, etc. etc.

I go back to the doctor on Thursday.

I am praying for a miraculous complete recovery by then.

Is it nice in your Snowstorm, Freezing your Brain, part 4

Can it get any worse? It could!

Last night, on my way home from work, I made a water run. It took me three stores before I found water for sale. I bought about 13 gallons. That way, I could give the horses some water.

The freeway was good driving. There were a few ice patches but they were off to the sides. Then, as I climbed the big hill and turned off on my exit ramp, disaster struck! The ramp was complete slush and ice. I hit it going sixty miles an hour and what's worse- there was a car in front of me that had skidded out and was lengthwise across the lane. I didn't even see it in the dark until I was almost on it.  @#%&^%!!!!!!!

I hit the brakes and skidded. I turned my car away from the other car, barely missing it, and swerved back out onto the freeway lane. Luckily, no one was in that lane. Whew! I released my held breath, straightened the car, and drove around the sideways car in the off ramp. There was a pickup truck ahead of me now that had pulled out from in front of the stalled car. He drove down the lane, crossed the intersection, and turned off onto the shoulder of the highway. I have no idea if the other car had hit him or not. I never stopped. I was in too much shock at the near miss. I chugged home and counted my lucky stars! I think my Sube has saved herself this time.

It reminded me of another time, a couple of years ago, when, right after Christmas Eve church services, my three children and I were heading home on snowy roads. At the same off ramp there was a three or four car accident that my daughter, who was driving, nearly missed getting into. Quick thinking on her part, steered us around the scattered cars and we headed to the next exit ramp, taking the long way home.


I called the plumber again, and again no answer, and then I called another and another. Finally, we got one who said they could come out on Wednesday afternoon. They've had over 2,000 calls in the last couple of days!

At least it's in the 30's today, although the wind is blowing fiercely so it's still very, very cold!

Hurry up Spring!!


Is it nice in your Snowstorm, Freezing your Brain - song: Sweet thing (Reprise), artist: David Bowie, album: Diamond Dogs

Down on my knees

This weekend really went down hill for me. Let me start at the beginning...

I belong to a "Girl's Club" of ex-employees of a certain company that I once worked for, actually, my first 'real' job. These employees were a close group so when several of them quit, they started a club for ex-employees. I used to tease them, asking if I could join them and they always said, "when you quit". Long story short, I eventually did quit and am now a member although I always seem to have plans whenever they get together so I'm not a regular and don't often get the opportunity to visit with the girls. Every month there is a luncheon hosted by one of the members. May was my month to host the luncheon. I chose a Chinese/American buffet. My mom had planned to come to town for the lunch but she got hurt and couldn't drive down. It seems that she fell when she went to pick up a heavy watering can and hurt her arm. She assures me she is okay, however. (?I hope?)

I audited a trail clinic at an arena in Albuquerque. I would have attended with my horse but I already had the luncheon set up so I only managed to see the last hour or so. There were trail obstacles set up and each horse and rider were given the opportunity to negotiate them. I would have loved to join them. But I was able to get ideas to use at home too.

Here's a bridge crossing and a not so anxious bridge crosser.
This gelding looked amazingly like Annie.Here's a different way to lay ground poles.
I missed seeing them taking the little jump but I can't see any issues here; it's so small.
I want to make one of these. I can just imagine how the horses think it's a monster. Again, I missed seeing them work with it so I wonder how they all did. It was very windy when I arrived so one standard had already blown down.
I appreciated seeing what I did of the clinic and I received a handout of possible obstacles on the ACTRA trail rides. Most of all, I was glad to find this community arena in Albuquerque so that when we have snow and mud at home I can go ride there.

The next day, the plan was to meet at a trailhead in the Sandia Mountains and go for a short trail ride, using the newly acquired skills of negotiating the obstacles. I was excited to go because my older son completed his Eagle project there, a foot/horse bridge, and we would be crossing it with the horses.

I had been tossing around who to bring. I considered Annie because I wanted to see what she would be like out on the trails. I thought of bringing both Nadia and Scout because I like to ride Scout and pony Nadia. But then I thought it might be too much to have an extra horse along in the group so I settled on just bringing Scout.

Sunday morning, I fed the horses and then loaded all kinds of stuff into my truck: water, buckets, hay, whip, long lead, brushes, saddle, blanket, bridle, helmet, and anything else I could think of. Jeez, it's like the first trip out with the new baby!

I waited until Scout had finished eating his breakfast and then caught him. I went over to the trailer and proceeded to lead him inside with grain as an enticement. He loves food and will go anywhere for a bite. I buckled him to the trailer tie in the front left corner of my new (old) stock trailer and turned to walk out and close the middle door behind him. He suddenly pulled back and the bungee trailer tie I was using stretched and stretched and then broke! I was in shock! I had assumed that the bungee would give a little and pull them back but it just wasn't made for that kind of torque, I guess. Bad, bad idea!!
Scout began running backwards out the full length of the stock trailer and fell out at the end. He lay on his side in a heap and then he got up and stood there shaking. Needless to say, I stood there shaking too. I looked him over for wounds. He had scrapped his elbow pretty good leaving some hair on the door. He had a small swelling on his forehead too. Thankfully, there seemed to be nothing serious.

I decided to reload him. Reluctantly he came up into the trailer but he immediately backed out again. I did get him to load a third time but again he ran backwards out. I feel so completely inexperienced about trailering. Now I've got my so-so trailer loading gelding terrified of the trailer. I was at a loss as to what to do next. I decided to put him away for the day. I'd spent several hours working with him already and had missed the ride anyway. I led him up to the trailer step and jumped onto his back to ride him back to the barn in his halter, bareback. Boy was that a big mistake...

but not for the reason you might think.

He is great in a halter and with the grass all around he was happy to stand around and eat. What happened was, when I threw my leg over his back, my bad knee cracked and I had intense pain, blacking out pain, and waves of nausea. I was able to scramble up the rest of the way and then I sat there, fighting the sensations of wanting to throw up and seeing stars. I wondered how I was ever going to get down. I let him graze while I pulled myself together. Then we rode to the barn and I was able to open the gate and ride through to the barn where I went up to a fence and stepped off. By this time, my leg was feeling a little better. I put him away and went to my house thinking that it probably was a good thing I hadn't gone on the trails and had this happen.

I considered going to Urgent Care, I hurt that bad, but decided to wait and make an appointment during the week.

Down on my knees - song: Buddha of Suburbia, artist: David Bowie, album: Buddha of Suburbia

Pour me out another phone

This morning, as I was going to school, the craziest thing happened to me.

I was traveling down the highway a short distance from my home towards a stop sign at the intersection of two highways when my phone signaled that I was receiving a test message. Since I was slowing down, almost at the stop sign, I decided to read it. I know that isn't the smartest thing to do but there was no one in front or back of me. It is illegal to use a cell phone in town but it isn't against the law where I was at. I was most likely guilty of careless driving, however. Anyway, as I was cruising towards the stop sign, slowing down, reading the message on my phone, I suddenly noticed movement right in front of me. I looked up and almost freaked! A big pickup truck was right in front of me, coming across the road diagonally! He took out the stop sign just in front of me and zoomed past into the parking lot next to me, stopping at the end of the lot in some trees! If I hadn't been going so slow he would have hit me! As it was, he ran the sign completely down and there were tracks all the way across the lot. This all happened about 3 feet in front of my car. I don't know how he just missed the telephone pole next to the stop sign either! I can only guess that he was traveling eastbound on the main highway, fell asleep, and turned the vehicle slightly south into a direct path diagonally towards me as I was coming north on the side road. He was traveling quite fast and there were no brakes applied or evidence of swerves in his path. I am very thankful there were no other cars around at the time and I am EXTREMELY thankful that I had slowed down to read the text. This is the very rare occasion when cell phone use was not detrimental or the cause of an accident. Quite the opposite, in fact.

I noticed that they put the stop sign back up right away but you can still see his path. I took this photo this afternoon. It had been raining but I don't believe he skidded out, do you?

I don't know if he hit anything here but I'll bet that was part of his front grill work!

Pour me out another phone - song: Drive in Saturday, artist: David Bowie, album: Aladdin Sane