Started out with a quick lesson from Sis on how to hold the reins while Stanley waited patiently.
And off they went at a walk...
Then to a trot and later a canter!
It was a pretty sweet brother-sister bonding moment!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Riding Lessons on Thanksgiving
Motocross Boy hasn't sat on a horse in a very long time. About 2 years I think and the last time wasn't a great experience. This time was better!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thanksgiving Dinner
Thanksgiving doesn't mean dressing up much when it's just the 4 of us for dinner but it does mean eating good food!
We started in late afternoon with some shrimp and cheese.
Daddy and daughter took time out for a hug.
And then the serious eating began.
With plenty of good drinks too!
Equestrian Girl made an awesome cherry jello that was just the right touch of cold tang to all the hot turkey foods.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
The Pony Club
There used to be this TV show called The Pony Club that Equestrian Girl liked to watch when she was younger. It was about 3 girls and their horses.
This is her version of the pony club. These three girls were unstoppable at Spur this year and pretty much took the top 3 awards in every single pleasure class in 13 and under. What was cool is that they are such good friends and were always proud of each other for doing well. Slick Girl - in the middle - also rides the speed classes and took several championships there as well. Irish Girl may very well have won the overall pleasure award if she had stayed for the last show - she was neck to neck with Equestrian Girl going into that last show.
Sadly, Irish Girl will move up to the 14-15 year old age group this year but I bet they still remain great friends!
This is her version of the pony club. These three girls were unstoppable at Spur this year and pretty much took the top 3 awards in every single pleasure class in 13 and under. What was cool is that they are such good friends and were always proud of each other for doing well. Slick Girl - in the middle - also rides the speed classes and took several championships there as well. Irish Girl may very well have won the overall pleasure award if she had stayed for the last show - she was neck to neck with Equestrian Girl going into that last show.
Sadly, Irish Girl will move up to the 14-15 year old age group this year but I bet they still remain great friends!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Big Prizes
Equestrian Girl was really proud to win the over-all Pleasure Champion Award at Spur this year and we were proud of her too! It's a pretty big accomplishment considering she was competing against ALL ages and many very good horses.
This tack trunk is WAY heavier than it looks.
What a proud smile!
This young man won the over all SPEED Championship award. He got a set of pole bending poles and bases. I heard he was really happy since he's been practicing with pvc pipes stuck in traffic cones.
Equestrian Girl and the Speed Boy. She's 12, I think he's 15 or almost 16.
Friday, November 26, 2010
The Perks of Horse Showing
A LOT of time and effort goes into showing horses (not to mention money). We work really hard all summer keeping Stanley conditioned and in great form for every show. It pays off immediately when we see the blue ribbons roll in at each show but the BIG perks come at the awards banquet.
Last Sunday was the awards banquet for the open series we do: Spur of the Moment Horse Club. This is the series that both me and Equestrian Girl showed in and had a blast!
Last Sunday was the awards banquet for the open series we do: Spur of the Moment Horse Club. This is the series that both me and Equestrian Girl showed in and had a blast!
The tables were overflowing with booty!
The kids were joined by Slick Girl on the left to check people in and give them door prize tickets. Stephanie, the treasurer for the club kept a close eye on them!
Equestrian Girl getting one of her favorite awards - a framed professional photo collage of her and Stanley at one of the shows this summer.
I was very proud of Equestrian Girl and Slick Girl for not being afraid to get up in front the microphone to announce the winning door prize numbers! Most kids HATE public speaking (most adults too) even if it is to just announce numbers. So much for my kids being sheltered home schoolers!
Equestrian Girl won a ton of stuff including jackets, sheets, stadium chair, etc., but she was also the BIG winner - she was the overall Pleasure Champion and was awarded the huge tack trunk with the embroidered top in bright pink!
I didn't make out so bad either. I won a hat can, a framed photo of me and Stanley showing, and this embroidered horse sheet - which we REALLY needed so I was glad we won 2 of them.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Health Care Reform
I don't often talk about my job. While it gives me a good income and most of the time I really do like it, lately it's been not so much so. I can thank Health Care Reform and President Obama for that...
Dear President Obama,
What were you thinking?? Pushing Health Care Reform through like a freight train was a bad, bad move. Not even considering the costs involved which is a concern for everyone, do you have any idea of the extra work this involves for the average grunt? I work for a fairly large health insurance company that has already been doing many of the things legislated for years but now it's law so we must do them DIFFERENTLY. For all the changes that MUST go into effect 1/1/11 we've had approximately 6 months to get them ready to go live and in many cases, it's much less time than that because your government failed to offer any details. Do you know how much programming has to be done? How much material must be re-written? How many phone calls we get asking about it? How many people are totally confused?
In July my group customers had to apply for subsidy money for covering their early retirees - they'd be fool not to do it. But THAT was a ton of work for their administrators and required multiple reports from me with claims estimates on those early retirees - who aren't exactly easily identified! Next I had to have them all sign agreements to GET the data they will be required to submit to the government in hopes of getting a handful of that money.
In August I had to find out when the group's plan year started. Is this their renewal year, their deductible year, their fiscal year? What if all three dates are different? And of course, my company wasn't just satisfied with them TELLING us their plan year, they had to prove it - just in case your government didn't believe us/them. We needed documentation and certification.
Next was "grandfathering". This was a brilliant idea. Groups who are broke and have had to make benefit reductions in the past 8 months have to also add MORE benefits to their plans (that increases costs just in case you weren't aware) 1/1/11 but the groups who are surviving okay and haven't made any changes can delay adding those benefits until 2014 or when they next make changes. Again my company is no way going to believe groups just telling us that they deserve to be grandfathered and they must again "certify" that they really can delay adding those special benefits - just in case your government didn't believe us/them.
Now getting back to having 6 months...in reality it was much less. We had groups with plan years starting 10/1, 11/1 and 12/1 that had to implement the changes THEN and not wait until 1/1/11. Are they actually compliant? Well, on paper they might look like it but I'm not so sure claims will actually process correctly. Who is going to be in trouble here?
Honestly, I'm getting tired of working like a dog to implement this mess you created and I'm sure thousands of other health insurance type people across the country would agree. I don't think any of us wants to see anyone go without medical care but seriously, you have a huge population of us tax paying people that are stressing out to the point of wanting to give up....
Not liking you much these days,
Michelle
Dear President Obama,
What were you thinking?? Pushing Health Care Reform through like a freight train was a bad, bad move. Not even considering the costs involved which is a concern for everyone, do you have any idea of the extra work this involves for the average grunt? I work for a fairly large health insurance company that has already been doing many of the things legislated for years but now it's law so we must do them DIFFERENTLY. For all the changes that MUST go into effect 1/1/11 we've had approximately 6 months to get them ready to go live and in many cases, it's much less time than that because your government failed to offer any details. Do you know how much programming has to be done? How much material must be re-written? How many phone calls we get asking about it? How many people are totally confused?
In July my group customers had to apply for subsidy money for covering their early retirees - they'd be fool not to do it. But THAT was a ton of work for their administrators and required multiple reports from me with claims estimates on those early retirees - who aren't exactly easily identified! Next I had to have them all sign agreements to GET the data they will be required to submit to the government in hopes of getting a handful of that money.
In August I had to find out when the group's plan year started. Is this their renewal year, their deductible year, their fiscal year? What if all three dates are different? And of course, my company wasn't just satisfied with them TELLING us their plan year, they had to prove it - just in case your government didn't believe us/them. We needed documentation and certification.
Next was "grandfathering". This was a brilliant idea. Groups who are broke and have had to make benefit reductions in the past 8 months have to also add MORE benefits to their plans (that increases costs just in case you weren't aware) 1/1/11 but the groups who are surviving okay and haven't made any changes can delay adding those benefits until 2014 or when they next make changes. Again my company is no way going to believe groups just telling us that they deserve to be grandfathered and they must again "certify" that they really can delay adding those special benefits - just in case your government didn't believe us/them.
Now getting back to having 6 months...in reality it was much less. We had groups with plan years starting 10/1, 11/1 and 12/1 that had to implement the changes THEN and not wait until 1/1/11. Are they actually compliant? Well, on paper they might look like it but I'm not so sure claims will actually process correctly. Who is going to be in trouble here?
Honestly, I'm getting tired of working like a dog to implement this mess you created and I'm sure thousands of other health insurance type people across the country would agree. I don't think any of us wants to see anyone go without medical care but seriously, you have a huge population of us tax paying people that are stressing out to the point of wanting to give up....
Not liking you much these days,
Michelle
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