Rocky times (Updated)

So, I rescued a horse about 5 years ago. His name is Rocky, and 6 people had attempted to start him by the time he was 6 years old. I was number 6, and I only got the opportunity to do so by promising that, if it didn't work out by the end of the summer I would drive him to the livestock auction myself. It did work. After 3 months, he was stuck to me like glue, and would litterally do anything I pointed him at. One time I walked him up to a giant log (chest high to him) and, because I didn't ask him to stop he started over it. Not jumping, but walking. The poor thing got high centered because I didn't ask him to jump it. ever since that day, I was mindful of being clear with my directions to Rocky. He was so badly abused and fearful when I got him, that re-homing seemed unlikely, but at the end of the summer, I found him a home in Oregon. I drove him up and they got along great. Last year, they called me and wanted to give him back. They had too many horses, and if I would take him, he was mine. He is mine. I also have too many horses, but, with Rocky's violent history, I would NOT let just anyone take him. So, I have been conditioning for endurance with my friend Elly, and half leasing Rocky to a woman I give lessons to. Everything has been fine... then there was yesterday. After a nice slow ride with elly and Jasper, I decided to do some arena work with Rocky. It went okay, he was wiggly, but I haven't asked him for much straightness lately. Then, when I asked him for a canter, everything fell apart. Not just at the canter, which he took like a champ, but when I asked for collection, he shut down. Got mad even. Fought contact, and refused to perform. Then he planted his feet and started rearing. NOTHING that a horse does pisses me off more than rearing. It is nothing but a terrorist act. The problem is he has NEVER EVER fought me in any way. I was dumbfounded and heartbroken. So, after a near death experience for my right arm (which got tangled in my right stirrup leather the third time he cam up and my foot flung the iron out and up), I got him calmed down at a walk. Then, I set him up in a chambon and lunged him where I discovered that he won't take the canter with his head down. Aha. found the problem. I know that no one is perfect, but it is heartbreaking to find that such a heroic little horse felt that he had to fight. He is normally so passive, and he must have felt so trapped. So, my goal is to canter him freely in the pasture until he is comfortable, then slowly add areas of collection. He is the last horse I want to fight with. Especially since he is the kind of guy who will let you walk all over him, and take advantage of him. I feel terrible that he had to tell me so loudly. I apparently have not been listening to him. Since he is okay with everything else, I asked him for more than he felt he could give. I would post his whole story (the before-I-got-him-story) but it would break my heart right now, so I'll get to that later. UPDATE: I now ride Rocky in a rubber snaffle bit. He has really become so much more elastic and finds contact much more easily with this bit. I sincerely reccomend them to anyone having head/neck/collection and/or fight issues with their horses.

I want to start...

...a garden. I have a small portable greenhouse (a shelving unit with a jacket), and I want to start some seeds. I don't have a great place to plant them, so I am going to plant in containers. I have tomatoes (for a topsy-tury upside down thingy that I am excited about), corn, pumpkins, green beans, herbs, and some pretty flowers. sounds nice, right? Well, I have NOOOO idea how to grow a garden. I have a black thumb in the extreme! I know I can grow things. I had a plant that I grew off of a cutting and kept alive for years...till my magical mommy got ahold of it. It saw her, and died, I swear. So, somewhere I have the talent, but I don't know where. If anyone has any suggestions for me, feel free to let me know; I need all the help I can get. UPDATE: I really want to start a garden this year. But, again, I really don't know where to start. Seeds? Tried that and it turned into a sad science experiment wherein no matter how much or little I watered my plants, how much I lovingly talked to them or hatefully screamed, they all looked like 6 foot tall bean sprouts. Not one of them got past the Cotyledon stage, though all grew very tall. Am I plant retarded? Well, I bought a juvenile Lavendar plant...she is the first in my garden this year, let's hope she is the first of many healthy plants that love me!

So, I got my laptop back today. Soooooooo happy about that. It feels so nice to be mobile again. Maybe I do have an electronic addiction, but I need it. Really I do.
I got another financial blow today: I was sent to collections on a charge that I never once received a bill for! NOT ONE FRIGGING BILL. From a hospital ordeal that occured in 2007. Yes. Two years ago. I had to apply to have the hospital bill comped, and was approved. Done deal? Apparently not. I had another bill through the actual doctor that I finished paying in September of 08. So, I am PISSED, and going in to the hospital tomorrow with my angry face on!


I hate money.

Working on a Masters in Procrastination

Well...here we go. That's right, I am supposed to be doing homework right now. Yes my instructors are the kind of sadists to assign boat loads over spring break. Yes, it sucks.
Why do homework, when there is a perfectly good excuse to avoid it? I set this blog up about...um...2 weeks ago, and I haven't written a single thing! And a lot has happened. First and foremost, my lovely shiney laptop crashed. Thank God my Boyfriend (peter) has a computer genius for a brother (tony). Tony couldn't fix it for me, but he knew just what to do: call hp and see if it is a common problem. Yes it is, and they would be delighted to fix it for me. YAY. Sent laptop in, and 3 days later (yesterday) the Fedex man brings it back to my house...when I am not home. No big thing, he left a note on my door saying that I could pick it up at Fedex between 5 and 6.
Meanwhile, I had one of my lessons (a 13 year old girl who acts like she might be turning 9) wants to stay and "help" for a while. When she gets here, I find that "a while" is from 1 pm to 5. Oh Joy, I get to babysit for 4 hours, I really need to think about charging more. Then my evil side kicks in, and I remember that the stall we kept our future hamburgers in needs to be cleaned. SO, I sent her to do that, knowing full well that it would not get done because she can't focus. But, it gave me time to finish all of my chores and to chase the little butt-head pony around the pasture, because he for some reason seems to think I have gained an obscene amount of weight, and I need more exercize. Got him. Saddled him, and I took the girl out into the field to have a nice lesson in the sun. Not too bad.
Then, we got back to the barn, and my Mom called.
"I went to put some money in your account and the girl, thinking I was you, told me you were 500 bucks overdrawn."
"no F-ing way," says I, "According to my records, I should have around 35 dollars."
Not much, but not 500 bucks in deffecit. My Lesson leaves, and I go to the house, log on to my internet banking, and lo and behold, I am in hock up to my eyeballs and beyond. After further examination, I find that I was charged 8 overdraft fees, totalling 300 dollars when I already had 434 dollars in my account. Yup, I had money, and they stole it. That, the money I spent unaware of the situation, and the 6 more fees I was charged when I DID go into overdraft (a total of 525 dollars in fees), left me up a creek without a paddle. I called the 1-800 number, to no avail.
"you have to call your bank, we can't do anything for you."
I call my bank here in moscow,
"you started your account in California, so you have to call that bank."
I call that bank, get the manager and she will NOT give me my money back.
"we don't see it as a bank mistake, it's simply a misunderstanding."
Did I mention that this has happened before? Three months ago, I had the same problem, called the 1-800 number, and they said:
"We are SOOOOO sorry. Here is all of that money back, and we appologize, it will never happen again."
BULLSHIT!!!!!!!!!!
So, back to the bank manager, she won't give me all of the money back, but she can reverse 170 bucks worth of the fees, and in 60 days she MIGHT be persuaded to reversae 75 bucks more. WHOOOOOORE. I realize it's not entirely her fault, but this is REDICULOUS. I am taking that 170 bucks and starting a new account somewhere else.
US BANK IS A BUNCH OF FRIGGIN THIEVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have you forgotten my laptop? I haven't. I want one nice thing to happen today, so I go to fedex. They tear the office apart.
"can't find it, let me scan the paper."
"Good idea idiot!"
Turns out my laptop is in Lewiston. What sense does that make? They come to my house, write me a note, and then take the damn thing all the way back to Lewiston.
"all our packages go back to Lewiston." says the frizzy haired incompetent behind the counter that I now want to jump over in order to RIP HER FACE OFF. Again, not entirely her fault, but she could have said that in the first place.
Moral: I hate Fedex, I LOATHE USBank, I love hp, peter and horses....I need a nap, and a diploma, so I can get on with my life!!!!!