Ride for Red 2011

Another Ride for Red horse show was successfully held yesterday, in large part due to our many volunteers (Jessie, Joan, Janine, Stephanie, Miranda, Clare2, Cam, Laureen and Nicole), as well as the cooperation of the weather, and of course the competitors who helped things to run smoothly

We had a few falls, but no serious injuries, and I didn't see any lost tempers or tears, which makes a horse show that much more enjoyable.

I hope to do the bookkeeping later today so Rob and I can take a donation to Canadian Blood Services on Wednesday. Update soon!

Thanks again to all who helped out, and if you have ideas to make next year better, please let me know!

Our next show is going to the Lara's show that I think is going to be on the 17th. Her barn is very close, and her shows tend to be low key, so a good show to go to in order to get experience!

Karen

Interesting....

Apparently there is a Mule coming to the show on Saturday. Nevermind that it is a HORSE show. I wonder what our horses will think of a mule?

Time to start crossing fingers that the weather will hold. Today sure is a nice day out.

Karen

Riding Attire Requirments

I realize I have been too lax in what I allow students to wear in lessons. If you want to perform optimally, you must dress for the job. As such we now have a dress code. The following video will show the allowed outfits:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaO8wexUjuQ&feature=player_embedded

Karen

Ride For Red coming up!

The Ride for Red horse show is only a week away...do you think it is possible that this weather can hold for that long?

I already have a few entries: http://rideforred.webs.com/entrylist.htm

Also looking for volunteers to do things such as:
1- concession
2- Jump Crew
3- in gate (must be able to yell)
4- Timer
5- Ribbon presenter
6- Clean/pack up and go home crew.

Volunteering is a good way to learn about horse shows, to make showing less boring for parents/siblings, and a way to get a reference on a resume for eventual job searches so you don't have to make up stuff. Part day or all day is fine.

This year I am planning to mail the prize money out, unless people want to donate it back to the show. I think this will make it less hectic for me, so the show office can more or less manage itself.

Let me know asap if you want to enter or volunteer!

Karen

This week in lessons

This week in lessons if we ride outdoors I am hoping to set up a bit of a jumper course so we can practice doing full courses, complete with a small combination. I see there is a chance of rain for Wednesday and Thursday, so then we will be inside were we will work on a shorter jumper course, but again doing a combination.

Two shows on the horizon for any who are interested: Heads Up! is this Saturday, and Ride for Red is next Saturday.

Karen

Life and Times

The Edmonton Journal featured dad in its Life and Times section today. They also ran his obituary as he wrote it last week. It was very long so we thought they would edit it, but can't find anything missing. He wrote his obit the day before he died. Can you imagine writing your own obituary? He also specified he wanted to be cremated with no funeral, just a memorial, which is being held on September 30 at the Uof A faculty club.

Mom is doing well. Kept busy returning her house to a semblance of order after my sister and her young kids left, reading cards and emails, and just trying to find her balance. Rob and I went over yesterday so Rob could do some minor house repairs and we had supper. It was odd being in the house without dad.

Prior to that Rob and I went to Seba Beach so I could learn the basics of sailing. I was surprised to realize I actually really like it, although figuring out how the sails should be set is far from intuitive for me, so my neck is sore for looking at the sails and strings! The instructor showed us the basic positions of the sails, how to tack and jibe, and we practiced some "man overboard" stuff where we dropped and come around to retrieve a life jacket. I was not so good at the retrieval part. I think if anyone was counting on my to hook them they would be at grave risk of being stabbed with the hook.

Karen

Joseph S. Nelson. April 12, 1937 - August 9, 2011.

Father, Grandfather, husband, professor, researcher, and third degree black belt karate instructor.

He taught me to think, to question, and to look out at the world with never-ending curiosity. He is gone in flesh, but not in spirit. Every time I look at something with curiosity, or impart some obscure bit of trivia, that is my dad.

I am grateful to my mom who had the strength to look after him in his final months and days, so he could live and die at home as he wanted. She was the last face he saw, and the last voice he heard, just as he wanted.

I am also thankful to all the doctors, nurses and support staff at the UofA and home care who gave him almost a year and a half of living after his initial three month prognosis, and did it with compassion and dignity. As well as to Dynalife and Canadian Blood Services whose support was also integral in maintaining his well being. And of course to all those who donated blood and plasma.

I will be teaching jumping lessons at 5:30 and 6:30 tonight.

Karen

Lessons cancelled tonight

Lessons are cancelled for tonight (tuesday). Sorry for the short notice Will explain later. Lessons will resume tomorrow.

Karen

This week in lessons it is once again forcast to rain, rain and more rain! I feel like a mushroom. Most of this week will just be dedicated to bringing horses and riders back from what turned out to be a bit of a break week last week...of course it was the one week we have been able to be back outside that you all decided to go away!

Karen

phobias

Apparently I have a phobia I didn't really know I had. I am not sure if it is a confinement phobia, or what exactly it is, but phobias aren't fun, and I never really understood them as well before.

I discovered my phobia while trying to get an MRI of my brain. Something that I need done, as as the health care system is so tiresome with waiting lists, we decided to go ahead and pay for it to get done. Not cheap, but hopefully worth it.

I was prepared for the "tunnel" and I don't think of myself as being overly claustrophobic (and they have a mirror positioned above you so can see behind you), and I didn't think the noises would get to me, so I wasn't overly worried.

The technician was great, and after about 5 minutes of questions, I was given a wrap around gown that could have covered 3 of me, and then led to the machine. It was more comfortable and less of a tunnel than I though, so I figured it would be a breeze. 22 minutes of getting to lay down and do nothing? No problem!

Once ear plugged and laying down, and suitably covered with a blanket, she lowered a helmet like thing over my head and wedged in some padding to help hold my head still. Still comfortable, and not as bad as I expected, so I was still feeling fine.

And of course you can't move once they start, so of course that is when you realize your nose/chin/forehead is itchy.

The first "scan" was short. 60-120 seconds, I don't remember exactly...and was just a solid jackhammering for the entire time. I am not sure why they bother with music head phones as the sounds are too loud to hear the music. After this was over I was still fine.

So on to phase two. This was to be a 5 minute scan. Started out with the jack hammering, but them progressed to "chunka chunka chunka, CLANK CLANK CLANK, chunka chunka, CLANK, CLANK, CLANK". And I started to get anxious. Then I wanted to swallow. I couldn't swallow. Then I felt nauseous...and still couldn't swallow. I could feel my heart rate climb, and even though I KNEW i was safe, I could not stop the over whelming feeling I WAS GOING TO DIE. I was shaking, sweaty and my skin was on fire. I could not convince my body to calm down.

Rational/shamtional, it didn't matter that people have this procedure regularly and survive, I could not talk my body down from this out of control panic and I am ashamed to admit I had to hit the panic button.

Did you know they can't just pick up where they left off? Fortunately they don't charge you for failing attempts either...because there is no way I could try again right away. I could hardly drive home I was such a nervous wreck!

But it opened my eyes to understanding panic attacks and phobia. it doesn't matter that you KNOW you will be ok, and can still think somewhat rationally, your body has other ideas and that is that.

Since that day, I have done some research, and I guess phobias are made worse/created by being allowed to flee a bad experience rather than resolve it...so it will just be worse next time. Great. But I think I narrowed down the root cause; I think it stems from when I was hurt in December and strapped to the back board/neck brace for so long my back began to spasm out of control and they wouldn't let me up nor give me much for pain medication (liquid children's tylenol) and I began to panic a bit then too.

So having my head locked in place for the MRI was likely a reminder, so even though I was in NO pain for the MRI, my body reacted like it was, and I couldn't convince it otherwise. Fascinating in a way....but not in a good way.

I figure I will help prepare for next time by eating chocolate while listenning to MRI sounds on Youtube and laying under the bed. Will it help? Maybe, maybe not, but sounds like a good excuse to stock up on chocolate!

Karen

It was nice teaching outside again this week. Hopefully the rain holds off long enough that I can do lessons outside tonight too, as I have no intention of building a course inside...so if we have to ride inside tonight I think we will just to lots of no stirrup work...and to make it fair to Joan, she can also ride backwards.

I see the forecast is for rain all weekend. I hope that changes otherwise I may actually have to clean house...and only a silly person cleans their house in the summer!

Starting to think about the fall riding schedule; I realize that with some of you growing up, and doing things like getting jobs or going to university, that you may not be able to make it out as early in the day, so you will have to let me know your fall riding time preferences.

I am likely going to take a week off teaching at some point this fall; either the week you all go back to school, or the week after the last horse show (Harvest). The horses will likely get that week off too, as I think they deserve time off that isn't weather or soundness related.

Karen

Having fun this long weekend?

The weather is trying to be somewhat good for this long weekend. It still can't seem to resist raining, but at least the days are mostly sunny and a nice temperature.

Rob hauled Clare over to Amberlea for the dressage show on Thursday; it looked pretty nice when we picked her up again on Sunday, but I guess the it was quite flooded Thursday and Friday.

On Saturday, Rob, Ginger and I took the canoe out on the North Saskatchewan for an all day boat ride. We hired Edmonton Canoe to pick us up at Emily Murphy Park and haul the three of us, the canoe, and our provisions down to Devon. It was a nice day to be on the water, but silly Rob got a bit of a sun burn.


I was surprised by the lack of plant life in the water. I guess the fish in the river are all carnivores, so they don't need plant life to do well, but we didn't see much for life on the water other than one beaver and a bunch of birds.

Ginger did well on the boat once she found her balance...and the copious dog treats we bought. She enjoyed getting out on some sand bars, although I think she was disappointed by the lack of smells on the little islands.

We were surprised that she didn't try swimming at first, but finally at our last stop near Fort Edmonton she got excited by some wake created by a jet boat, and she tried attacking the waves as they reached the shore, and then finally went for a swim.

I think the last time I was on the river would be about 30 years ago; it has changed! More big houses and more activity along the river. It was a little freaky to see the houses poised to fall in the river by Riverbend. The two new foot bridges across the water looked impressive and well used.

The other thing that surprised me was the 17+ dogs playing in the water at Twilliger park. Ok, the dogs didn't surprise me, what surprised me was the 4+ toddlers also in the water with the dogs. Who brings a toddler to an off leash dog park and lets them play admist the dogs? Particularly in water that isn't safe to drink.

We spent about 7 hours on the water in total. My bum was a tad sore, but I would go again. It was nice being on the water with no bugs, crowds or horses : )

On Sunday I taught, then we went to pick up Magnus from the show. Clare was happy as she was able to break 60% at training level! Last night we went to visit my parents and brother for dinner. Dinner was nice. Dad isn't doing so well and is back on regular blood and platelet transfusions. Summer time is not a good time to need blood as less people make donations (hint hint), so their time spend in the hospital trying to located a suitable match means it is an all day process. Dad's mind is still 100% though, so he was able to explain to me how fish can still live in water that appears dead to me.

Today will be a day to relax and then lessons tonight. Lots of people are away this week, so the lesson plan will just be something simple...maybe we will even get outside this week? Now that there are less mosquitoes being outside is much nicer! I can't get over how much standing water there is.

Karen