Glorious Friday!

It is glorious because today I got to use a GLORY HOLE! hoooooooray!!!

In the morning, which started at the crack of dawn (7:30!!), Stig-Allen said I could finally have a glory hole! It was very exciting.  Martin and I were to be partners and make our bowls from the bubbles we had been making all day the previous day.  When Stig-Allen gave us a demonstration I got to make his punty and he said I did perfect :) thanks Nick!  A punty is the stick with a little glass on it that you take the piece off the blowing pipe with.  This is so that you can open up the hole in the piece or make a nice neck or something.  You also bring over bits (for handles or goblets stems or wraps) on a punty.  I made my first bowl and it was the size of a baby's fist... Stig-Allen said I could use it to store my thoughts! Sheesh.  But then he showed us this trick to gather more glass and thus make even bigger balls and even bigger bowls! I did it all morning and had great success and a great time! I get to see how they look on Monday!  After lunch I went to the cold shop and Tove showed me how to do deep cutting.  She asked me if I wanted to remake the bowl that broke but I said no, maybe later... I think it is just too soon, sniff sniff.  Haha no, I want to do something NEW! So I did lines with the deep cutting wheels!  First they were just straight up and down then I had to do crosses! I made 10 X's on this bowl.  Very tricky to make them meet! Next I am going to try a crystal bowl! 

After school I went to my riding lesson! I was a little nervous because this time it was to be all dressage (no jumping).  Not my forte really.  So I get there and see that I am to ride Lady... 

Pretty cute right?  Until she snarls at you and tries to trap you in the corner so she can eat you alive!!

Lady got tied up and then I did the most cruel thing in the world... I brushed her! 

And I tried to feed her pears!

Turns out she doesn't like pears.  Also, it turns out that horses in Sweden curl their noses up too!  Sheesh.

Here we are... ready for our lesson! Me and my Lady... sure to be a walk in the park... right?

Hell no!!! I see Pia and she goes... "this is Lady, she is a real Lady" and looks at me like I know what she means.  So I think oh, she needs gentle and consistent hands and probably nice leg and you know, how you would treat a lady...  Pia goes "yeah, she needs you to sit back real far, and your hands like grrrr (very strong and up) and lots of leg all the time!" then hands me a dressage whip.  OOOOOOkkkkkkkk here we go!  We promptly start trotting and keep trotting.  We had to do their forehands in off the track, their hind ends in off the track, serpentines down the rail and when I thought we were done and I was dying we had to drop our stirrups and do it all AGAIN!  We trotted for at least 30 mins! I was dying!! Pia kept saying "Theresa sit up and back... more leg, half halt her since she is so heavy"  yes, I forgot to mention that not only were were trotting for hours on end I was riding the horse whose head I swear weighs 200 lbs and she constantly pulling on you!!! I would half halt all I wanted but in 2 steps it was back to pulling.  My hands were dying, my arms, my core muscles, my legs, my ass... then we started to canter! Oh dear god! Lady has no mercy! We were to canter on a circle as slowly as possible.  This is all good and well when you aren't on gargentuan who can't hold a canter much less her own head up! This went on for about 10 mins and finally I had to stop and tell Pia that I was exhausted.  She goes "yes, you are quite red!"  thanks Lady!  Pia goes "Vagner is a better horse... not so heavy and haaaa (making an exhausted face)" and I agreed totally.  So after the lesson I could barely walk, barely brush Miss Grumpy Pants and barely climb into the car when my ride arrived! It was super sad.  I was sure I was going to die in paintball. 

I didn't post this yesterday evening as planned because I feel asleep at like 9 pm I think.  I got home, drank a glass of wine and cooked some rice and as soon as my food was done I was asleep on the couch.  I managed to wake up and shower and crawl to my bed where I feel asleep again while pretending to watch The Secret of Kell... I only got about 3 mins I think.  Paintball today was great! I was sore but it was great! I will tell you more about it later... also I had a very pleasant surprise on the bus ride home!!!!