Big Changes in the World of Rachel!

I know I have been guilty of neglecting my blog and I do apologize but when I tell you everything that I have been up to in the past two weeks you will understand, I am sure. So I logged 51.5 hours at my internship in my final week and as a result, did not see my baby boy until Friday. My mom came Friday to help me move out of my old apartment and in to Chateu De Meg et Rachel (pretty sure thats ala french, latin, spanish and eglish, but get over it). My boss let me leave early on my last day and my mom and I went to see my new office. Then I took her to visit her Grandson (Granite Obviously) for the second time. She loved him although she was intimidated. I measured him, and he is 16.0 hands at 2 years and 4 months old. He looks so mature and he has really stated to come around.

Weekend before last was filled with movers, sweat, and stress. Thanks God my roommate felt like paying for movers (god knows I dont have the money!). My new apartment is super cute and so close to Granite's farm (11minutes). To continue on with the monumental life moments, I started my first full-time job with a salary and benefits in the career field in which I was educated. I loved my first week!

So check out the pictures... Granite has begun to lunge in his bit and bridle!

Baby boy in his bridle

My new office (see Granite's picture on the wall)

Granite working like a big boy!

Hand Grazing is all we can do in the 100 plus heat!

Starting to forget what my pony looks like...

I haven't seen Granite since Sunday night. I don't foresee getting to see him again til at least Saturday. I am so sad about it, since he is so young, I always think that he will forget me! I am packing for Saturday's move tonight. Tomorrow, my mother is coming to town and she will be helping me finish packing and start cleaning the old apartment. The movers come early Saturday to take us to our new home! Hopefully, I can go see my boy and show my mother his new farm after we have most of the big stuff moved in. My mom has only met my horse once, when I was recovering from surgery and it was raining and muddy and she certainly didn't get to see his personality. I really mom has a chance to get to really know him this weekend, but it is going to be crazy busy, so who know! I will update you on the moving progress on how Mom and Granite get along.

Too busy, way too busy...

So I am too busy to write.

I have 45 hours of internship to finish by Friday (as of 11pm tonight). I am working in every waking moment to try to get this accomplished so that I can start my new job on Monday without this hanging over my head. I did mention that I am moving Saturday right? Yea, I haven't packed a single bag! I am SO grateful that my Mom is coming into town Friday to help me! But, either way, I am working 13 hour days until then... That means I probably won't see my poor pony all week. I am an awful Mom. At least I got to see him 5 times this weekend!

So abbreviated version of a post is going to be this-- Farm sitting went very smoothly. Very well mannered equines!

My photog friend just sent me the huge file of pics and I figured to hold you folks over until my world slows down, I would share some of the prize pics (even though, I am starting to think that 'hanoverian' they promised me is actually 'mule'-- check out those ears!)...

Also: I measured my boy on concrete and standing square: 16.0 at the wither and 16.1 at the butt at age 2yr 3m.

OH- one more thing, Granite's trainer just started a blog: see the "blogs I follow, and you should too" Its called Rooster.

My whole family

OK, I don't really have time to write right now, but my photog friend came out to take some pictures of Granite (I want to blow up a black and white for my new office) and she got one of my whole family...

I am in love

Yes in love, with the new Town where I will be employed starting August 3rd! I went there tonight for a board meeting and I love the building, the people, the atmosphere. And listen to this little morsel of wonderfulness-- I get dental too! If you knew me, you would know how I am about teeth... so YAY dental! Anyway, I think I am going to fit in just peachy and my office has a window. Bring it on Baby! Tomorrow is my last day at my part-time job and I have 66.5 Hours left to put in at my internship (although I only have one week to accomplish this). Plus we are moving a week from saturday, thank god for my roommie or I would be trying to pack the whole house next Friday night... EEEKKK!

In other news... I over slept this morning so Daphne had to stay at the house-- I usually take her to D's farm to play with her brother and 4 other dogs while I am at work-- but she was great for Roommie and apparently kept Roommie's dog entertained while she was trying to pack. So this may work out well for everyone when we move and it would be difficult and time consuming to take Daphne to daycare at D's farm.

I didn't have time to go to the farm tonight with the board meeting, but I went out yesterday. I put Granite's saddle and girth on and walked him around and let him graze. He was such a champ! I then lunged him and worked with him the the large arena for a while. He continued to knock my socks off, and let me tell you about his extended trot! Good lord, I think he may accidental be a dressage horse. NO Granite! Be a hunter for mommy, PLEASE! I followed this great work out with a Granite shower and he was SO good. He stood in the cross-ties and generally made me never want to put him on Craig's List :)

Farm sitting begins tomorrow... wish me luck!

Farm Sitting Chronicals, Part I.

Last night I went out to my new farm to learn the feeding routine as I will be babysitting 9 equines this weekend. She sent one to training and two are going away for the weekend with her, so I am left with Granite and 8 others. She only has 5 stalls (even though there is room for at least 3 more) and she uses a John Deere 4-wheeler thing to put the poo in then I can easily drive it out to the pit where she dumps it. Only three horses will be in during the day and everyone is out at night. Only those 3 and Granite get fed dinner, everyone else only has breakfast. This should be a cake walk!
I was in a rush to get home and help roomie pack last night so I only groomed Granite. He has sores on his Jaw from the fly mask. It is totally my fault b/c I left it on for 2 days, but I thought it would be OK since it is padded. I feel soooo horrible, but I am very grateful that the owner of the farm noticed and took it off for me. I guess he will have to deal with flies in his eyes b/c I am NOT willing to let him get rubbed raw again. Poor baby horse!
I have a dinner date w one of my co-workers after work but then plan to go work with Granite before I go home and pack some more... I will let you know how it goes. For now, here is a picture of me and the big man that I took yesterday evening.

Daphne is SO going to have to get a job...

Roomie and I went to look at our new place last night. It is 11 minutes closer to my new job & Granite's barn than our old apartment is. The place is bigger (at least the floor plans say so) than our current place, but it felt small to me... which could be the fault of the ugly furniture they had in the model apartment. Either way we paid 123$ to apply to live there. They will probably turn us down considering Roomie was laid off from her teaching job and I make next to nothing as Town Clerk. It will cost us over $1,000 to move in and over $700 (not including utilities or Daphne's damage) to move out of our current Hell-Hole. I am panicking!!! I have no clue what I will do to cover all of these expenses when my new salary will barely cover my usual monthly bills. Not to mention this place is slightly more expensive (which I hope is offset by the gas savings). I am grateful to have a roommate, but I feel like I hold her back because I just want something cheap when she really wants something nice. Either way, we are going to do this even if I have to borrow some of the initial money from her. So now I must log over 100 hours at my jobs by next Friday in addition to packing to move on August 1st! I start my new job August 3rd. I may die of some sort of panic attack. Hope you won't miss me too much.

In better news, I am going to the farm today to learn the feeding routine. I will be feeding Fri-Sun and hopefully putting a nice chuck of cash toward next month's board. Also, my current boss at my internship ran the idea of doing some contract work for her by me today! These two endeavors could be a total savior for me. If I could manage to work off most of Granite's board every month by feeding or cleaning stalls or even exercising, and I can pick up some weekly hours contracting for my internship City, I may end up OK after all. I also applied for a scholarship today that may cover my last semester of school. If all of these opportunities combine, I may have the perfect storm on my hands and be able to sustain my current lifestyle! Wahoooop!

Well, sorry for the short and worrisome post today, but I am training my replacement in less than an hour and I want to get caught up on some work first. I will let you know how it went at the farm learning how to take care of all of the critters.

PS- If you think of any more clever ideas that can help me earn some extra cash on top of my 40hr a week job Tuesday night class & saturday class (not to mention night meetings for work)... please share them. I told Daphne she needs to start checking craig's list for work or at least a man to take care of her and mommy ;)