Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Forgot...

...to add that I finished the warp for my final weaving project 9 yards short of the black yarn. That's OK because that's the selvage and I'm making yardage that will be cut up later anyway; but that's bad, because... gee, I was kind of hoping to use it for the weft as well. No weft. We recalculated and discovered I actually needed FOUR cones of the black, not one. So my weaving project is on hold until three cones or pounds can be ordered. At $25 each. This had better be a damn fine lookin' coat when I get done with it because it's costing me a fortune!

Instructor agreed with me that the three of four fabrics are way too nice to rip up. So I'll try it on a smaller scale, and if I need more, I'll just dye more. Apparently she's not too worried about when I'll turn in stuff since she'll be seeing me all summer in the lab anyway.

The snotty part of the cold has left; all that remains is a cough. I can live with that. OK. It's beautiful outside. Go enjoy your day.

Happy/Mortified/Happy

I'm shocked to announce that my doubleweave project was accepted into the Artspace/Lima Spring Show. Blows MY mind. This is the first art exhibition I've entered in over ten years, and the piece that got in was my first-ever attempt at doubleweave (which is a very complex weaving method involving two separate warps being woven simultaneously on the same loom to get a double-sided interlocking piece).

My fibers instructor insisted that everyone in her classes must exhibit in at least one non-school show as part of the class curriculum. This show came up, so we all spent a good afternoon prepping up to three projects to submit. I submitted three: two of my surface design pieces and, as an afterthought, my doubleweave project. I wasn't sure it was worth submitting because of flaws I perceived. For example, when it came off the loom, it didn't hang straight. I had to do what you do to lace: pin it to the ironing table, stretch/pull/cajole it into shape, straighten it out, then steam it and let it set for awhile. (It's much straighter now.) I didn't think my selvages were aligned and that bothered me. But I like the piece and I put my all into it. I ripped back several times to correct seemingly tiny errors to make sure it was as perfect as I could get it.

Apparently nobody else saw the flaws (and my over-perfectionist tendencies were justified), because that's the one piece that was accepted--the other two weren't. (That doesn't upset me that much... I wasn't even expecting to get IN.)

Anyway, just wanted to share the little bit of good news for a change!

In class-related news, today our team did its presentation in C&I. I give 3 out of 4 of us an A+. The 4th guy... we don't know what to do about him. One guy handled the PowerPoint "poster" presentation and did a fantastic job. Another guy and I handled all the graphics for the game we designed--my Creative Partner (CP) put his all into his half and so did I and it came out killer. The 4th guy was supposed to provide the cards and interactive DVD. (We designed a game that fits the Scene It/Trivial Pursuit boardgame category, but with a twist... can't discuss it because we might market it for real). Since all of us got to look at the preliminary board graphics early on, I guess CP and I thought it was obvious what level of quality we were going for. Guy #4 assured us he could handle making the cards (2 x 2.5 inches) and, in his words, "a sweet DVD of movie clips". We even made sure he understood that the easiest way to do it was lay them butted up to each other, output one page, and trim them out. He nodded. Said he had it under control. Note that we didn't force him to do this--he offered to do this part.

What he brought this morning was a set of scissor-cut index cards with the information sloppily handwritten--scrawled--on them; a DVD with a list of links to YouTube clips that we had to be logged on to access; and a lame excuse that the bookstore didn't have anything "cool" so he just bought index cards. He even took it upon himself to change the names of the categories for the card sets and said he'd been thinking and it might be cool if we changed the rules yadda yadda. The three of us just stared at him like he was from outer space. Everyone got a copy of the Rules as we'd approved them together in our meeting so that we could familiarize ourselves with the way the game was played before giving the presentation. So we wouldn't look stupid.

I was horrified. But I didn't say a word. Nobody else did, either. We just went along and played up the good parts of the game, glossed over the cards, and prayed it wouldn't matter. Afterwards, I caught up with CP and found out he was equally horrified. We discussed how to handle it.

I just don't understand how someone can offer to do something, then so completely and utterly drop the ball with a clunk heard round the world at the last minute with no wiggle room for a more astute person to save the day. I was mortified.

But it's done now. And, who cares? I got into an art show!

Saturday, April 21, 2007

One Week and Counting

OY.

Only one more week. Think I can make it?

EVERYBODY screwed themselves on the Law exam. It was so bad, the instructor gave everyone an extra 15 points rather than have us retake it. I got like a 74. That's a C. After the 15 points.

SIGH.

Ironically, suddenly I'm doing very well in Econ. Acing the quizzes. Hmm. Could the change be due to the fact that he's forewarning us now, so that those of us who have to delicately balance study times actually have the chance to study? It's not that I don't bother studying... it's that I have to carefully plan my time slots and sometimes his slots and mine didn't correspond. I was going to study, but the quiz came a day early. You know.

Everything I've turned in for C&I class has received the total points possible. Aced it, aced it, aced it. My team meets tomorrow to wrap up our project. I spent all day on this blasted computer finishing the artwork for our game. It's pretty cool if I do say so myself. As long as the boys come through on their duties, we'll have it made.

As for fibers... suddenly I'm behind. Methinks it's a case of ambition being bigger than my ability at present. I'm not even halfway done with my warp—9 yards of 20 epi yarn at 32 inches wide, with a color pattern I could kill myself for doing... B is black, P is hot pink, V is variegated... it goes

B B P P V P B V V B P V P P B B

every 16 passes it starts over. Supposedly I'm doing an 8-harness wandering twill. With a stripe. OMG. I have to thread 8 harnesses. 20 ends times 32 is... a whole lotta ends.

It's supposed to be off the loom Wednesday.

Sure it is.

At least she doesn't expect it to be made into the final garment by then. That would be silly. I sewed the muslin of my chosen pattern. It fits my girth, on the first try. That should have been my warning. It's about a foot shorter than I wanted, and the armholes are too high up, and the sleeves are tight around the bicep—I hate that. So I have to dig out my old flat pattern book, make a new sloper, and design MY OWN pattern (which I should have done in the first place rather than trying to remake a commercial one).

The fabric I dyed for my surface design project came out absolutely beautiful.

Which is a problem.

Because now I don't want to rip it into 1/2-inch strips like I'd planned (then knit with them).

I might beg to rethink that project. Either dye more fabric, or do something with my yardage that maintains the integrity of it.

Again, due Wednesday.

And on top of all that, I came down with that damned sinus cold I've been carefully avoiding all semester. I GOT IT. Dammit. So I spent all day Thursday in bed asleep (until Grey's Anatomy) and lost a day of worktime.

Almost there. Just one. More. Week.

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Wednesday, April 18, 2007

The Point Is...

Frequently, after my parents died, I found myself wondering why we even tried... why spend all this time working, learning, perfecting our skills, and acquiring "stuff" when we're just going to die anyway? The knowledge and skills die with us and the stuff becomes somebody else's nightmare to deal with. So... why bother? What's the point?

It was a very dark place to be.

As I sit here with tissues stuffed up my nose (faucet caused by virus or allergies which I supposedly don't have), procrastinating yet again on my project due tomorrow, I find that I've answered my own question.

True, the knowledge and education held within our brains dies with us--if we keep it to ourselves. But if we share it, it lives on. We're supposed to hand down our education and knowledge to at least one other person (or more) so that the next generation will have it a little bit easier than we did. They won't have to learn by trial and error (hopefully); as Pat Parelli often says, "I made the mistakes so that you won't have to".

The knowledge that we take with us, I believe, is our spiritual knowledge. That comes in whatever form we choose. I'm not here to debate religions. I think we can learn from most religions and spiritual paths anyway. But the practical knowledge, our education, must be handed down.

Our skills, so carefully honed, must be taught to the next generation as well. The works we produce with our hands and minds must be put out there for everyone to share. (Think of the void in our lives had Da Vinci or Monet put their paintings in a closet or had Beethoven never had his symphonies played.) We are being taught by a previous generation, who learned it from a previous generation, and so on. We are simply conduits through which knowledge flows from one generation to the next.

As for our stuff, well... I think minimalism has its benefits; but I also think some of us just plain need "stuff" in order to feel good. But I advocate for clearing out the unnecessary stuff and keeping only the good stuff. Unnecessary means different things to different people; make your own judgement calls. I think we all on average could pare down a little. Maybe the question to ask as we stand in the store mulling over the next material acquisition should be: "what real significance does this object hold in my life? Is it necessary?" (Yarn being totally exempt, of course.)

I guess I've found a solid answer to "what's the point?". There IS a point. Maybe what we have to share seems insignificant or unimportant compared to, say, a cure for Cancer... but in the Grand Scheme of things, even the smallest micron has a purpose.

So that's my mission. I'll keep on learning all that I can. Meanwhile, I'll share whatever I can of myself--give it away so as to perpetuate the knowledge cycle.

It's the least I can do.

OK, I have to go blow my nose again and write this danged paper.


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Tuesday, April 17, 2007

OMG

Oh My God, I am SO behind on reading your blogs!!! I promise I'll get caught up... if not this weekend, then after finals. Oh My God, we're in the countdown to finals!!! Five more classes in Law and Econ to suffer through; four more C&I; three more fibers classes (six, if you count both but they blob together for me). Then finals. Then summer.

Oh My God, I cannot believe the news from Virginia Tech. Nobody wakes up on a Monday morning and thinks, "Oh, great, I've got a paper due in Class X then I'm going to watch my professor get their head blown off and maybe get killed myself". Terribly, terribly sad. Today, 33 families lost someone dear to them. My deepest condolences go out to anyone who knows, knows of, is related to, or is otherwise known to the victims of today's massacre.

Oh My God, it's 1:02 AM and I have a 9:30 class.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Quick Update

Daily Horoscope For 16 April 2007
There are productive changes indicated in the professional sphere in the two weeks from April 16. Interesting developments for a parent are also indicated.
Well, that's interesting. Classes are finished in two weeks, and my fibers prof told me I have free rein in the studio all summer if I want it. Interesting developments for a parent? Ummm...

So the quick update... went to Pittsburgh Friday for a Fibers Forum the next day. It was a whirlwind tour, but very inspirational. I feel like a different person. My traveling companions were my fibers prof and a Korean visiting scholar. We stayed in a Marriott (nice!) that overlooked the baseball stadium (opening night). The forum was just unreal. I'll go into detail later. We got home Saturday dinner time. I went to bed at 10:30 pm and slept until 11:00 am this morning. Now, of course, I'm so well-rested I'm not interested in sleep.

But since I have my long day of classes, I suppose I must turn in. That's all for now...



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Thursday, April 12, 2007

I Had No Choice

I worry too darned much. It's my nature, I guess. Mother always said I overworried. (They are always right, aren't they?)

I wound up having no choice in the matter of Law vs. Econ.

Meaning, I didn't have to choose one over the other. Law Prof had no problem with me taking the test after Econ. It was a non-issue, which I, of course, mentally blew way out of proportion and gave myself a conniption over it.

So, I went to Law, listened to the guest speaker; went to Econ, ACED the quiz because it was lifted from the quiz at the end of the chapter, so if you'd read it and done the self-quiz, you were golden (which I had); then I went back and took my test. I did OK, I think.

Hell, maybe I'll wind up pulling a B after all in BOTH classes.

I worry too darned much. I really have to stop this. But I thank you for your support and the "buck up it'll all work out" comments. It helps.

Tomorrow after class I'm leaving for Pittsburgh for a day. My fiber arts prof (K), a visiting scholar from Korea (whose name I can't pronounce), and me are attending the Fiber Forum at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts Saturday. It will be very strange sharing a hotel room with my professor. I know, she's just a person, but, y'know, weird. I haven't even met the other girl yet.

Two weeks left, then finals, then freedom (of a sort). Freedom from scheduled daily obligations. We don't want to tempt the Universe, now, do we? I plan to fill the void (left by 70 hours of schoolwork per week) with FUN stuff, stuff I WANT to do, not "have" to do. Like weaving for myself. Knitting. Sewing. Horseback riding and horseplay. Dyeing yarns and scarves. Painting. Sunning myself. Having a social life. In between cleaning and organizing the houses and finishing the Estate stuff, of course. But you know what I mean.

So, Universe? Don't get any ideas about rushing in to fill that void. I already have the Void rented out to other opportunities waiting in the wings. My Void has NO vacancies.

Have a great weekend, y'all. When I return, I'll remind myself to post my thoughts about Creative Abrasion. Laterz.


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Wednesday, April 11, 2007

All At Once

Why does everything always have to happen at once? Why can't things space out in an even and balanced manner?

I missed Law Exam Part II. That's bad. The prof is willing to let me make it up. That's good. I'll get penalized for taking it late. That's bad. But at least I get to take it. That's good.

But he wants me to stay after class tomorrow and take it.

That's bad.

Because I have to be in Econ right after Law. I cannot miss one more Econ class if I want to pass. So I HAVE to be there. Plus, we're having a QUIZ in Econ tomorrow. Which I cannot miss if I want to pass. I shot an email to the Law prof explaining this and offering to take it either immediately after Econ or during class itself but won't find out until tomorrow what the answer is. Which sucks, because he's kind of doing me a favor letting me take it at all.

So there's the dilemma—which class shall I fuck up? Law, or Econ? If it's a choice between which test I take at 11:30 AM, what do I choose? At this point, both classes are in jeopardy (thank God I seem to be doing very well in the other three). Me, the "can't believe I didn't get an A in this class" perfectionist grade-hungry student, sitting squarely at C-level in Law AND Econ with two and a half more weeks left to determine if I maintain that. There is still a chance I could pull myself up to a B IF and only if I:
  • attend every single class
  • turn in all the homework
  • do well on all the quizzes
  • actually take all the quizzes
  • read the rest of my Econ book
  • retain what I've read in Econ (Law is open book, so it's how fast can I find the info)
This sucks.

I'm SO way beyond ready to get out of these classes. I put in 8 hours on the loom today but I finally got the damn thing off the loom. Hurrah.

Must go read my Econ some more.

****
Y'know what?

I just realized, I really just don't give a shit what happens with those classes anymore. I made a huge mistake overloading myself, and apparently this is the price I pay. Live and learn.


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Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Long Day

Left for school around 10:15 AM. Missed Part Two of the Law Exam due to the LACK of parking on or near campus. Took me the entire hour when I should have been in class to get a spot—this is just wrong. And word has it that they are planning a huge construction project in the exact spot I've been saying for years would be perfect for a parking garage. Except it won't be a garage. It'll be another BUILDING. *sigh*

Made it to Econ. Lunch in the Union. Actually studied Econ during lunch *gasp*. Team project meeting at 1:30 PM. Got a lot accomplished. Bumped into Law prof—I'm not the only one who missed one of the Parts, which works in my favor. I think.

Got my surface design project hemmed, quilted and ready. Found out it's not due til Wednesday. Used class time to work on weaving instead. Darn near done with that project now. Wove until 5. Had dinner on campus. Wove from 6-10:30 PM. Realized I'd been on campus for 12 straight hours and the cats hadn't been fed since morning.

Came home. Wrote one-page paper for tomorrow's class. Too wound up to sleep.

Long day.

Y'know, I seem to recall, yes, there it is in my About Me blurb—this was supposed to be about my Forays into the TKGA Master Knitter Level One. Hmm. Seem to have forgotten all about that, and I only have until August before I have to renew it. *SIGH*

OK, must try to sleep now...

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Sunday, April 08, 2007

Woe Vent

If anyone can catch the fiber-related pun in the title, then you're obviously as sleep-deprived as I am.

I apologize for giving my readers horrible flashbacks to grad school. LOL! But really. This is just the test semester for grad school. I'm not even officially in grad school yet. But at least I know better than to overload myself.

I think.

Still haven't won the lottery. Some lucky person in New York won my $105 million. Darn it. (OK, it wasn't mine, or I'd have won it, but I really was hoping.)

School Update:
  • C&I: finished the Journal, turned it in on time
  • Econ: read all seven chapters, survived the test (I think I did well, I felt confident)
  • Law: grazed the chapters, marked the vital passages with P*st-its, survived Part One (Part Two is Monday)
  • Weaving (in the lab): spent an hour and a half calculating measurements for the doubleweave (to figure out what part of the warp to pick up to make the design fit), realized it was FUBU; spent an hour ripping out 5 inches of double weave (which is really 10 inches because it's, well, double); spent a good 6 hours re-weaving it with minor ripbacks because I kept screwing it up; repaired a broken warp thread; got about three inches past where I'd been when I realized it was FUBU and quit for the day (at 1:00 AM on a Friday night, boy, talk about social life)
  • Surface Design: did the quilting portion of the piece that's due Monday; only have to turn the edges under and finish cleanly. Sounds easy; except it's blind stitched by hand. Ow, ow, ow, carpal tunnel pain, ow ow.
Now if I can just get started on next week's crop of work:
  • write a Reflection for C&I on the team exercise we did
  • write a huge paper (when?!? class from 9-9 Monday) about my Two Great Innovations that was supposedly due the 19th but is suddenly due the 10th
  • read the rest of Law for the test (which is first thing Monday, for which I shall spend all day Sunday studying along with finishing Monday projects)
  • read three new chapters of Econ*
  • read stuff for C&I
  • finish doubleweave
  • I'm sure there is something I'm forgetting....
Oh, taxes. Yeah. Those. Well, I've done nothing for five years, collected no income. Except I'm trapped in a self-employment loop because right after I lost my job five years ago, I was still smarting over it, so I told the IRS I was self-employed, because I was honestly trying to start a freelance business and was too proud to say un-employed. Because I worked a whole nine weeks in the last five years (in 2002 and 2004), I had to claim the income; self-employed, home business (because I did it from home), expenses, etc. Then Turbo Tax made me take a Net Loss.

Therefore, I am forever screwed. I should have visited an accountant ASAP rather than try to get out of that loop by myself. I still have a week. My parents' accountant knows I'm on the way with my tax info from the past five years.

All of today was taken up by my horses. Toenail-trimming day for the equines. My apologies in advance if anyone reading this is a traditional farrier. I have become rather passionate in my endorsement of all things natural and sometimes I may offend traditionalists without realizing it.

An issue has developed with the current barn managers over my mare's ongoing lameness problem. I started studying natural hoofcare last year and took a few seminars, bought the equipment, but then the parents got sick and I discovered how much the farrier position hurts my knees and back. But I learned a LOT about how horses are affected by food, grasses, environment, different ground surfaces, chemicals, trimming methods, shoeing, etc.

When I got my mare May 2005, I wasn't expecting her to be lame two months later. It's been a long process. It involved seeing a couple of different vets, a chiropractor/acupuncturist, a nationally-ranked farrier, a psychic (yeah, don't laugh), having her xrayed, blood drawn, etc etc etc. They ruled out the Big Nasties: navicular, laminitis, founder, coffin bone rotation, cancers, other diseases. They diagnosed a little sidebone (ossification of the lateral cartileges) but nothing big enough to cause severe lameness (she looked like she needed a wheelchair at her worst). The farrier recommended shoes on all four feet, but our barn doesn't allow hind shoes and I'm philosophically opposed to pounding nails into their feet anyway, so that lead me to Natural Hoofcare and the AANHCP and my Natural Hoof Care Practitioner (NHCP).

My mare was trimmed to go barefoot. Barefoot trims are based on the way wild hooves look and function (wild hooves are self-trimming, and wild horses don't suffer the hoof problems domestic horses have). It looks different from the traditional farrier trim. In the Jaime Jackson method endorsed by the AANHCP, hooves are not trimmed to a specific, standard angle; rather they are trimmed according to how each individual foot angles (natural angle). One hoof might have a different angle than the other. It's hard to describe how it looks.

...The quintessence of the model is to mimic, through regular trimming, the natural hoof wear patterns that take place in wild horse country... it is a matter of removing what nature would have worn away under natural circumstances... the excess growth and waste material, that, just like iron shoes, hampers the hoof from functioning properly and growing strong. The wild horses themselves have proven that natural wear stimulates the growth of strong healthy feet. Likewise, the effectiveness of the wild horse model for improving the hooves of domesticated horses has been confirmed by experienced practitioners around the world.
If you're really interested, this article in the Paint Horse Journal explains it better than I can.

The object is to balance the HORSE—not the hoof, if that makes sense. Logic would tell us that Nature made things asymmetrical. The common method is to have the hooves look even with perfect industry-standard angles. But, let me ask you this: are both of your legs exactly the same length? How about your feet? Do both feet point perfectly forward, are all your toes a uniform length and shape?

Probably not. I know mine aren't. One of my knees kind of cocks inward (the opposite of bow-legged), and I stand like a duck.

Horses aren't made uniformly, either. So, why trim them so that the hooves ascribe to uniform perfection? Now hold that thought.

Her diet was changed to oats, mineral supplements and Organic Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar. NO sweet or pelleted feed. No sugar. No molasses. Also no chemicals. Natural non-chemical dewormer. No grass! It's because of the sugar factor. The thought was that my horse may be insulin-resistant—sort of like diabetic.

Within six weeks, her demeanor had changed, she was bright-eyed, happy, trotting, cantering, all but the smallest trace of soreness was gone. It took my NHCP a full year of correction through trimming (and diet) to get my mare about as sound as she could be (comfortable, pain-free, and rideable), and to develop a good hoof wall and thick soles. I thought we were on the road to recovery at last.

But the feeding regimen is a PITA for the barn managers. Our barn has also changed managers five times in six years. The previous BMs were very efficient and did what owners asked. The new BMs? I'm not so sure.

My mare has gone lame a few times over the past two years. Every time, I've traced it back to going off of her feeding regimen. They ran out of something so they switched to sweet feed in the meantime (because it couldn't possibly hurt the horse any, it's mostly corn, right? RIGHT. Which converts to SUGAR. And Sweet Feed—ahem, sweet—has molasses in the top five ingredients. AKA sugar.).

A couple of weeks ago, I got a call from the barn manager's manager complaining about my horse, she was dead lame, lying in the pasture for 4-6 hours at a time, could hardly move, and "you have to get out there and do something about her". I called the barn. I asked questions.

Yep. They ran out of oats, didn't bother to let me know they'd run through the five bags already, and put her on the house feed. Pelleted. Not sweet. So it's "better". Took her off her supplements, her ACV, her dewormer. So she'd been back on bad food for nearly a month.

Thus began the discussion. It is evident that it is becoming a clash of philosophies. BM is trying to convince me it's her feet, she's body sore, she's dead lame, it's probably navicular or laminitis and she needs xrays, and she'll probably need shoes and diet isn't the cure-all (it's a coincidence). I maintain that my NHCP and I ARE doing something, have been for nearly two years, she's made dramatic improvements (ask anyone in the barn who has witnessed it), put her back on her feed and follow the plan and see, and I can't do more than that until I'm done with finals in three weeks.

My NHCP is mentoring a practitioner-in-training who is within a closer travelling distance, so my NHCP-IT is handling the trimming with her Mentor consulting and overseeing. My NHCP-IT was out today doing the trims. My mare, oddly enough, looked FINE. The NHCP-IT commented that she was moving better than she was five weeks ago. She sure didn't look dead lame to either of us. She looked downright rideable.

Today, NHCP-IT and the BM had a discussion about my mare while she trimmed. I thought we were all on the same wavelength after she explained to him why we were doing what we were doing and how it works. It was all good—although he did comment, "you are aware that the angles are different on those front hooves", to which she replied with a smile, "yes" (because that's naturally how her feet angle). Then she left, and the tune changed.

I get the feeling that because she's in training, BM doesn't think she knows enough to know what she's doing. While I stood there shivering from the bitter cold (having much earlier lost the feeling in my feet), he proceeded to fill my ear with a half hours' worth of HIS opinion on what needs to be done, a rather scathing comment about the trim method, how it was pretty close to what he'd have done except he'd have done this or that (please note that the this and that is exactly what we DON'T want done because the thises and thats are what contribute to lameness in the first place!!!) and then he emphatically stated, "I don't care what she says, that horse is DEAD LAME" and provided me with "evidence". Funny. I didn't see any of that (neither did NHCP), and I was looking at my horse very very very closely.

Did I mention the BM is also a farrier? One whose main business income is from shoeing? And there is a baby on the way in their family? And that the mother is also a farrier/shoer, who in her current condition is no longer able to trim or shoe for awhile?

Hmm.

What irks me is that people are making decisions about my horse and changing things to suit them, when it is MY horse and they have no business interfering. Their job is to make sure my horse is fed according to my preferences, watered, turned in/out, and that the inside and outside environments in which my horse lives is kept safe and comfortable (no dangers that might hurt them). They are also to ALERT me to problems. That's it. ALERT. Not "make decisions about how to fix it without the owner's knowledge or input". I didn't decide to feed her some crazy diet on a whim. I'm doing it after much research and consultation with both my vet AND my trimmer (who are in agreement). I am most certainly "doing" something to help her. But there are no quick fixes. Transitioning to barefoot takes time; so does overcoming major issues related to the health of a living organism like the hoof. It happens gradually. Natural hoofcare only fails when people are too impatient to follow the program for the six months it may take (or longer) to see noticeable results.

Y'know, I bet these would be easier to read if I'd just post smaller chunks throughout the week rather than put in a marathon procrastination-by-blogging session. I'll try to do better. End of my rant. Time for bed.

*Source: AANHCP Press Release, 10.27.2006, "About the new AANHCP Natural Trim Guidelines", www.aanhcp.net

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Thursday, April 05, 2007

Hiya

Yeah, I'm still alive out here. School is kickin' my @$$ this week.

All weekend, I worked on my Journal for C&I that was due Tuesday. Three categories: Reflections, Creativity Workout, Team Work. Ten entries EACH. Three great ideas (problem solutions) per week. Times ten. We were supposed to be keeping the Journal weekly. *snort* Yeah, like anyone with five classes has time for that (except, I do manage to blog...). So I cobbled together the few entries I had made, scanned my notes to trigger new ones, and came up with 28 innovations in two days. (I surprised myself. Didn't think I had it in me.)

Basically, I wrote a novellette. Then I did the cover art (three-ring binder), laid it out nicely, blah blah blah. No sleep or fun for me. Turned in on time. Now I have seven chapters of ECON to read Thursday and two chapters of Law. Then on Friday, it's open book Law Test Part I (Part II on Monday), two essays. That's it, just two essays. Ecchhhh. Then, ECON exam right after that (multiple guess).

I have to say, I prefer a balanced test. I like some multiple choice, some true/false, some short answer and maybe an essay or two. All essay or all multiple choice can sometimes screw you up badly. Especially essays, if you have carpal tunnel and have a hard time writing script as it is, then you try to write under pressure and you find yourself struggling to write legibly. If I could type it, I'd be OK.

But I digress.

Then, I have to undo the huge mistake I made on my doubleweave wall hanging project for Weaving that's due, uh... crap. Monday or Wednesday? I fergit. THEN I have to finish the surface design thing. Due on the other day that the weaving thing isn't. <--that made sense, right?

So, I'm a little busy right now. Forgive me if I'm blogless for a couple days. All that typing last weekend plus handsewing my surface design thing have taken a toll on my hands. My carpal tunnel is acting up something fierce. Oh—and as far as knitting goes? Um... do I knit? I don't remember.

I'm off to bed now, and I'll catch up with y'all in a few days. Have a GREAT EASTER, eat lots of chocolate, and be safe.



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