What an absence!

Wow--it is not often I do not make a blog entry for FIVE DAYS! I guess that demonstrates how crazy this week has been. From Wednesday until last nite, I was in Chicago for a conference that made my eyes hurt with boredom. Since I have gotten home, I have been going a mile a minute trying to get it together.

The nice part about the trip was that we stayed at the Silversmith on Wabash--what a nice nice place. Aside from one bellman that was a peckerhead, everyone was so helpful, it is a beatifully remodeled historical landmark and they had cheesecake and warm cookies in the lobby at 9 pm every nite. That is my kind of hotel! And about 12 cushy down pillows and the best down duvet ever, it was wonderful--and two TVs, that sort of thing turns me on. I really enjoyed staying there and will definitely be back, which is not something I say very often. I get in ruts and just stay with them--I usually stay at the Chicago Hilton because I can always remember where the entrance to the parking garage is. That is the kind of rut I get into. The Silversmith has only valet parking, so I don't even have to worry about that crap--another point for them.

I also got to have dinner with Jodi Wednesday nite, which is always delightful. She was in town the first half of the week for a training session as well. Lorna and Stacey were supposed to join us, but Lorna got sick and could not come.

Since I got home, I have been playing catch up. Today, Radar had a little workout, and the man I knew when I picked him up from the trainer is BACK! All that trail riding was letting him get a little lazy, but we worked it all out today and I just loved every thing about him again. I have never known a horse this young to be this easy to get along with--he is lazy but will go when you push him to do it. He is like a robot almost.

Barry also got the big tractor into the dealership this morning, which is a huge weight off my shoulders. Hopefully they can get it straightened out without breaking me, but I don't know how much I trust them---God knows they ran me around on my lawnmower for all this time. It is a start though. We are picking up our gravity wagon tomorrow---it has been at Head's house since we bought it, as we had to borrow a big enough trailer to haul it home. That, some errand running, specific Xmas gift getting and more freaking laundry is on tap for tomorrow. There was also some mishap during the week that allowed all the back pasture horses access to the middle pasture, so that has to be sorted out and them all put back where they belong as well--with those due for the second round of PK1 shots to get them on the way. Some babies need boosters as well, so I guess we will be playing in the mud sometime tomorrow.

It has been raining for several days and you will NOT hear me complain about it a bit. It does complicate moving round bales of hay which really needs to be done since Barry is going to be on the road all weekend. If it cannot be done, and I am sure it cannot, I guess I will be even more grateful for LeaAnn, as she can Gator square bales all around as needed until that situation resolves.

We are scheduled to leave Thursday nite for the NCHA Futurity--at least to get to St Louis to sleep for an early flight Friday morning. Then we are on for about 56 hours of fun, debauchery, and other misdeeds with Missy and a secret guest-- I CANNOT wait! It is so nice to have something to look forward to like that.