Monday, October 10, 2011

"What did one bowling pin say to another? Hey, you're a knock out!"

So, my weekend was good! It started with a jumping lesson at the barn with Poseidon.  I tried to take a picture of us together because my hair was really cooperating for once but my hands smelled like apples and he wouldn't stop trying to eat them... but its pretty cute anyway:
 His head is about the same length as my upper body! 

The lesson didn't go so well, I had a depth perception problem all day.  Now, I know this is a common minor problem for me on a regular basis but Friday was really bad, I was bumping into everything.  And, it turns out when you are jumping you should be able to tell how far away from a jump you are while galloping up to it.  If you can't grasp how much ground your horse is covering, or how quickly they are approaching the jump chaos might ensue.  Or at least loud cursing as you keep missing the distance to the jump over and over again.  Luckily, Poseidon was good, jumped from each bad distance I got him to because for some reason I had him on an over 12' stride length.  Good idea? NO! What was wrong with me?! Finally, at the end I got it fixed and we jumped around well and understood each other better... thank goodness it didn't end how it started!

Afterwards I went bowling with Bjorn, his dad and Martin at the bowling alley in Nybro.  Here they often have bowling allies under swimming pools... which seems weird until you remember they are actually shaped very similarly and I think they might have this set up at the Biltmore Estate... maybe?  Still odd seeming to me.
 Anyway, when we got there it had just started "Disco Bowling" with black lights, disco balls and club music.  Not what we were expecting.  Also, unexpectedly to me, there was no alcohol... which is pretty crucial to good bowling I feel.  We all had different approaches to our throw/roll/toss whatever.  Bjorn literally held the ball with the back of his hand facing the pins, threw the ball and then ended up in some sort of weird squat at the end of the lane... I should have taken a video I have never seen anything more absurd!  It was hilarious!
 Martin had a very graceful proper roll.  He did a few practice swings (what do you call it?!) and then walked up in long steps, swung the ball and even had the little foot twist to the side thing that you see in movies!  He was the best one of us... really good.  His scores were nearly twice mine!
Afterwards we watched some soccer (Denmark vs Cypress)  and then partied some with some of the older students who oddly live in the student house.  It was nice to hangout with different people, and even Sigrid and Vegard got to come out for a while! 

Saturday I took it easy, cleaned, gymed and made an amazing dinner!
 Smoked salmon, oven roasted potatoes with thyme and green beans!!  Very tasty :)

Sunday morning I got up early for a "Blueberry Jumping" day at the barn.  It is an internal competition at the barn, against only people who ride there.  I was a bit nervous because I hadn't ridden Poseidon in this kind of event before, he likes to stop at jumps and I didn't think Pia was going to be there.  I had gone to sleep thinking "horse in front of your leg, sit straight over the jump, short canter, hold his mouth, use your whole leg, and don't stop" over and over and over again... it was a lot to think of.  But he was such a cutie when I saw him the morning I decided it was OK to have to think all that to get to hangout with him. 
 Everyone helps set up the course in the big indoor ring.  This is it set around 30 cm for the small ponies.
 Here is the course broken down... thank goodness the jumps are numbered when you ride or I would have forgotten I think! Lots of short turns, bending lines and changing directions.
 It turned out that Pia was there to help before we went in the ring to compete.  Of course Poseidon stopped at each of the warm-up jumps.  Nothing like making me feel confident! Then Pia said something along the lines of "you are a good rider, just ride, don't think, you don't need to" and it all worked out!  I went in the ring, jumped each jump from the perfect distance, never touched a rail and calmly but quickly took care of business!  I was so proud of myself and Poseidon!
 We did 70cm and 80cm (around 2'9") and did very well in both!
 I got a random stranger to take a picture of us... not, the best pose but still it is better then the first picture.
Isn't he adorable?!

I usually call my Mom after a horse show to tell her how it went, I still need to, time keeps escaping me!

 I also had a melon mystery this weekend.  I bought this melon, I had no idea what it was... It was mixed in with all the other melons and I decided to go for it... 
 It is kind of exciting to cut something open and have NO IDEA what it is going to look like!  I have never seen a melon with seeds like this... Why are they in that weird shape?
It tastes kind of like honey dew and cantaloupe together, I mean honestly do melons really ever taste that different?  But I have cut it all up and am enjoying snacks of melon and brie from time to time!  Does anyone know what it is?  If it something super common I will be disappointed haha. 

All in all a pretty good weekend.  Nice weather, good friends, sweet horses and tasty melons... that actually sounds a bit weird out loud...

Also, I seem to have miscalculated the 7,000 views... I don't know how I managed to convince myself that was the case... But, thanks for the views anyway!!!

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