Priorities, Schmiorities...

In the "I couldn't have said it better" category comes this guest post from my pal Emme, who blogs at I Pick Crazy.  I met Emme through blogging, and have come to think we are twins who were seperated at birth. 

At one time or I think we've all felt a bit "not-normal" because of our obsession with equines.  Emme sums those complex  feelings of "otherness" up quite niceley in the following post:

This is what I hate:

That is a picture of the inside of a Toys R' Us store. See all those aisles filled with cheap plastic poisonous crap from China? I HATE IT!! There are also aisles of baby stuff; booties, onesies, cribs and strollers. Aisles of stuffed animals, and a whole section just for game stations. And inside the store, at least our local store, wanders a bunch of moms, some with kids and some alone. They stroll around, looking down every aisle, and seemingly enjoying spending their cash on toys that will break as you take them out of the mission impossible wrapping. I think if the actual toy was made from the same stuff as the plastic wrapping they would last forever! (I smell a conspiracy!)


Anyway; as I sped around the store looking for a suitable gift, I realized that although I have hated these places forever, I hate them more after becoming horse nutty. I truly can't stand it! As I was checking out, the cashier asked if I had a Frequent Shopper card, and I bristled and answered "no" in a voice that can only be described as Haughty. I realized my rudeness and stated "I will only come here under extreme duress." Really? Could I possibly have come come across as any more of a BeeYatch?


My kids are teenagers, 17 and 20, and so it has been a long time since I was forced to fake Toys R' Us enthusiasm, and I have clearly lost my touch. Let's hope that by the time grandkids come along (that better not be soon, ya hear?) I will have a semblance of self control and be happy to fake it again. I kind of doubt that since I have come to that stage of life where I am "honey badgering" a lot, meaning I don't "give a shit."


I have always had a hard time with the "Super Mom's," and never really felt that I fit in with the mom and wife crew. You know what I mean, because as a horse nut you probably don't either. They have long discourses on the benefits of Huggies vs. Luvs, and can tell you the nutritional value of any juice, and know the school secretary's name and bring in a cupcake for the principal's birthday. I have NEVER been the classroom mom, and I can't really blame that on working, as I bet I would not have volunteered had I been home. I am just bad at that stuff. Sure, my house is fairly clean (I NEVER make my bed) I cook on a regular basis, but I feel no passion for that stuff. I have never looked at juice from a nutritional stand point, and I just bought the diapers that were on sale. Our meals are quick and easy, except for holidays or when I feel inspired, and I keep finding new ways to combine laundry loads to save time. (wow, when read in a row like that, even I am shocked!)


But........... Pippi is on 12% protein, she has 2 supplements from Smartpak (SmartFlexII for joints and tendons, and SmartMuscle Stamina for Muscle recovery), she eats high quality grass hay, has access to salt/minerals, and two buckets of water that are cleaned and refreshed daily. Her stall is cleaned daily ( I NEVER make my bed!!), and she has her own run that she can access on her own. She gets all the shots (my sons are behind), sees the farrier every 6-7 weeks, the Equine dentist once a year, and a Chiropractor when needed. We massage and use muscle ointments on her regularly. I can spend hours in a tack store, love tack auctions, will get up at the crack of crazy to be a show mom when Pippi and Miranda compete, pay loads of money for boarding (not so much now, love you Donna and Kevin) and lessons, feed, and tack and etc etc. I will talk your head off about Pippi, and horses in general, and find myself a bit bored when in the company of non-horsey people for a prolonged period of time. Seriously!


All this came to a head today at Toys R' Us, when I realized what a nut I am. Can you imagine how crazy my priorities must seem to those women who love doting on and shopping for their kids, while I am all about my horse? I love my kids of course, and I love making them happy, but my own personal true selfish happiness comes from doting on Pippi, learning to ride better and just being at the barn. I am not just a mom, and the part that is not, loves horse stuff. And that part is growing bigger as the kids get older, and as they need me less the mom gets to take a backseat a bit more. Let's just hope I can fake it better when in the company of non-horsey friends now that I have some insight into how obsessed and nutty I must seem. I mean; what kind of a mother would rather shop at Tractor Supply for her horse than Toys R' Us for her nephew?


A Horse mom, that's who!

WOW! Just WOW! Monday Morning PSA...



NOT the enemy, although it bloody well feels that way some days.

 Ugh, I still have a bit of a travel hangover brought on by my business trip from last week and the whirlwind weekend of riding, soccer, and lacrosse combined with the lost hour of sleep didn't help. Damned Spring Ahead.  How 'bout we skip the springing ahead and just fall back in bed? Blech.

Anywho, had all kinds of things to share about the offspring, my first jumping lesson in over a month (Madame Mare was QUITE excited!) but have had very little time so that will have to wait.  Instead, I will share with you a very thought provoking post by my blogging buddy Emme, over at I Pick Crazy!

Many of us adult ammie riders struggle with our fitness, jiggly bits, and a habit of eating too much and exercising too little (who has the time and energy, what with careers, kids, and whatnot?)  We know too much weight and not enough fitness is bad for our health, and we know it affects our ability to be the effective partner we want to be for our horses.  It's the doing something with that knowledge that's the hard part.

My barn mate and lesson buddy Tamsin and I were joking about this very issue at our lesson this weekend, and then my buddy Libby and I were talking about it over lunch after we left the barn.  The irony here was that we were gorging on a Mexican orgy of burritos, Mexi-fries, and tacos while discussing the additional sub-cutaneous adipose tissue we'd accumulated and it's caseous appearance under our breeches.  Libby's a DVM/scientist/brilliant person, so if you'd like the layman's version, we were discussing our added winter layer of fat and the lovely cottage cheese-like ripples one sees under one's breeches.

Which is, of course, why I came home, got on the treadmill, and then made fried chicken, southern fried corn with bacon and cheesy mashed potatoes for dinner.  Followed it up with a sleeve of Do Si Dos and a sleeve of Thin Mints. Drat those Girl Scouts and my feeble willpower!  DUH!

So it was a VERY GOOD THING that I read Emme's post this morning, as I needed a bit of a shove back onto the path of healthy living.  I'll excerpt a bit here, and then you can link on over for the rest.  While we may not look like the one picture in the scan, it's not hard to connect the dots and deduce how the extra weight can affect our quality of life.  Again, there's no judgement here at AWIP.  I'm a product of Eastern European Sausage Snarfing genes, and have had eating issues my entire life.  Nobody is advocating thin = aesthetically pleasing, either for humans or horses.  My point, and I think Emme's as well, is that the best health you and your horse can achieve is good for both of you, and should be a goal for all of us.

Thanks, Emme, for the assist!

FATTY DEPOSIT SCAN BRINGS IT HOME

Recently an associate has had some unfortunate medical news, and the need for surgery has been proposed by doctors. Unfortunately this person is quite heavy, and with that comes several health factors. During a previous surgery complications arose, and so surgery at this point could be risky. Weight loss is imperative, might even effect the need for surgery in the first place, but will at minimum make surgery less dangerous.

This scan is of a 250lb female on the left, and a 120lb woman on the right.


Shocking right? Click here to read more.


Your's truly again.  Looks like I'll be having a salad for lunch.  Sigh.
Have a happy, healthy Monday.