Breathe in... Breathe out... Breathe in....

Alright, I'm better now.

So Billy was gone for *4*, count 'em, *4* hours today... From 12 p.m. to 4 p.m..... RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STINKIN' DAY. How much does that ruin a day? And he has similar plans to work tomorrow, too. Whatever. This is what I'm sayin'--Even if I was lucky enough to secure a sitter so we could actually go somewhere, say, for Valentine's, it doesn't mean that he won't have to drop everything to go do something work-related. Does anyone catch the gravity of this???? This means that from now until the end of this job, we make no plans that can't be immediately forgotten about. I won't say this is any sort of an epiphany, I'm just restating it in case y'all had missed it the first 100 times I complained about it.

Okay, so I'm NOT better now, but I'll move on.

Melinda was feeling pity, and offered up her oldest son to watch kids so I could make good with my plans to get the heck outta Dodge. Mat showed up only a few minutes before Billy got home. I was seriously doubting I had time to make it to Franklin before they closed (at 5, with a 30-minute drive to get there) and with enough time to drool down every aisle, so I opted to go riding.... which, in my opinion, was the better of the two choices, even if I do love every little thing about wandering aimlessly around a tack shop.... The ride was nice, if not a little cold (we weren't dressed well for it as we were told it was warm out and it really wasn't). Basically, Mat and I rode Moe and Trinity (respectively) around the side yard at the walk to the point where Trinity stopped spooking next to the road (no small feat) and I said she was done because she had done well. It wasn't an exciting ride, but it was a RIDE. For not having been ridden in about a month and a half (Trinity) to a few months (Moe), they were pretty even-keeled. It was almost like meditation for me. I need riding as much as, if not more than, I need T-tapp.

But then I forgot I was supposed to pick up my typing tonight. Gah! Off I go driving to Patty's, blasting Nicole Mullen and singing at the top of my lungs--despite not knowing the words because I've only had the CD for a few days. Somewhere along the line I start thinking of one of my best friends, Beth, who lives all the way over in Kalamazoo. I think about her and how much I miss her, and how much I'd like to just keep driving and go see her and all of her beautiful babies.... Maybe someday soon I will go. Maybe seeing her and laughing/crying with her will help me. Not that Beth ever cries.

Coming back to tonight, I'm in a better mood after my horse fix and some time in the fresh air. I'm thankful that Mat came down to see me, even if he didn't really want to. I'm thankful that Mitchell and Marissa came to visit--since they don't very often--even if Billy got overwhelmed and Mat ushered them home sooner than they wanted to go! (Sorry, Mitch!) I'm thankful I can vent my frustrations here and people can take it for what it is: Just that, a vent.

Here's to tomorrow: A long T-tapp workout in the morning, church, a visit with my friend Marilyn at the tack store, and maybe a short ride if I'm lucky.