Getting There

It's taken me quite a few days, but I am finally starting to feel better and recover from having the flu.

Monday I stayed in bed all day and just rested and slept. Thank goodness N was able to take care of Emmy and Cool at the barn for me! Tuesday I still felt pretty terrible, but the aches and chills were gone and I was feeling bad for having N take care of two extra horses for 3 days in a row, so I dragged myself out to the barn to turnout and clean stalls. That about did it in for me, I barely made it through the stall cleaning before I was totally wiped out and ready to go back to bed. I think I've spent a half an hour every day since Sunday just soaking in a hot tub and trying to feel better, this has really been terrible!

Yesterday I was feeling sick in the morning but I started to feel better as the day went on. I managed to finish some Christmas shopping (its amazing what a hot peppermint mocha from Starbucks can do) and make it out to the barn to turnout and clean stalls. After all of that, I still didn't quite feel like death again yet, so I decided to push my luck and try riding. I set up a little 4 stride line of cross rails for Cool and rode him and jumped him through it. He was actually pretty good for having nearly a week off of work! He cantered the line in about 4 and a half strides when left to his own devices, so I held him back and made him do it in 5 strides instead (which was really tight but I don't want him learning to just RUN down the lines). That was actually the first line that I've ever jumped him through and I was very pleased with him! I've been having some trouble with his left lead though...I'm wondering if it's just s strength issue? Or maybe even something in his stifles? Like a weakness that is starting to come out because he's building more muscle else where? Some days are better than others...but Wednesday was definitely a bad day for the Lead Fairy. Either way, I was SUPER pleased with the way he handled jumping his first little line!

Of course, after riding I felt like dying again. Clearly, that was just too much to ask. I managed to make it through teaching my evening lesson on Emmy and then went home for a hot shower and some sleep! I think I was totally passed out before 9pm. Today I felt even better than yesterday, although my lower back has been killing me since riding. Am I really that out of shape from being sick/just in general? This is so pathetic of me...

I didn't ride at all today because my Thursday lesson (that I teach) asked to move their lesson up an hour and half, which was great for my evening but it cut into my plans to hack Emmy a little. Oh well, hopefully the world is still around tomorrow so that I can ride her a little, it's been way too long! Emmy behaved well for both of her lessons, it makes me proud of her to watch her tote around walk/trotters, even if she looks at me like she wants to kill me sometimes. What a good girl!

In personal news, my grandmother is still hanging on, which is good because I am going to try and go see her Saturday. I've been holding off because I didn't want to give her any of my germs and I wasn't feeling well enough to make the hour and some drive home to meet my mother to go visit her. My grandmother has been having good days and bad, but the doctors have informed everyone that there is nothing more they can do and its just time to keep her comfortable until the end. My grandmother said something to my mom the other night when she was upset, comforting her and saying that it was alright because shes "had a long life." What a dignified woman, even down to the very last. I hope that my siblings can all make it back in town in time to see her also, I know it would make her so happy.

Wishing you all the best of luck for the "end of the world" tomorrow...

Peace.Love.Ponies.