Friday, March 28, 2014

Reading Books and Working with Horses

I'll start with yesterday, the 27th. I started, and finished, the book "Divergent" by Veronica Roth. If you haven't read it, then go do so. I have not read an entire book in a single day in I don't know how long, but this is a book I wholly gobbled up. I'm so excited that I can't wait to get my hands on the next two books, even if the reviews for the final one aren't all that great. You know what, it's a book. Sometimes, by the third book (or later books, such as J.K.'s books), authors feel so pressured to make it perfect and find a suitable ending to wrap it all up without setting forth the ideal for a fourth book. (Unlike, J.K. who set it up for a whole new series... Ugh, seriously? I would have been happy with the ending and no epilogue.)

You want to talk about a series that just goes nowhere and feels like poo? Try reading the "Kushiel's Legacy" series by Jacqueline Carey. They're large books with relatively small print and up to 900+ pages in each book. Emotionally and physically draining, and that's just the first three. There's a second set with the same time line, though from another character's point of view. I really don't think I'm going to get to them. It's an interesting series, "Kushiel's Legacy", but you have to be ready to read and read and read.

Have any questions on what books to read? I can give you friendly advice based on what I've read. Want to know what I've read? Check out my Goodreads profile. I have a ton of books there, and that's not even the full list. I currently have 168 on that list and it grows every passing month. I even have a goal to read 20 books this year. I read 15 last year (just barely!), and thought I'd up my goal for this year. I even include the books that I have to read for class, since I do have to read them. Feel free to ask away!

Today, hubby and I went out and worked with the horses my in-laws have on their property. They're "ride-able," but probably not safe to ride. So, we're starting with groundwork for a while. Fun stuff and all, but it definitely wears you out fast. Especially when the horses just don't want to behave. It's also hard to focus on the massive beast when 4 dogs have decided that they 1) want to play with you/want your attention, 2) want to play with the giant beasts on the other side of the fence. The gelding that's out there is a total arse, but that didn't stop my husband from headbutting him or the mare we worked with. Pretty sure he's got a headache from all that mess. (He is passed out right now, sleeping off all his hard work. I feel like I barely did anything... At least I tried, since I've never "broken" a horse before.) Huh, should clarify real quick. They're already broken, but it's been a while since they've been ridden (since the original owner of the gelding got thrown almost as soon as he was on), so we're "re-breaking" them so they can be sold to people who want to ride them.

It's been two years since I've even really been around a horse, so today was fantastic for me. I was bucked off the last horse I was on (more like half-bucked and half-jumped/pushed myself off the horse), and had to get my right leg checked out because I landed hard on it and my back. I was totally fine, just twisted and tore a few things, which means more knee problems that I will have in the future. I learned from a young age that instead of falling off and possibly getting even more hurt, it's best to "push" yourself away from the horse. Yeah, there's still pain, but you're getting yourself away from the horse and there is probably going to be less damage than if you had stayed on. (I did the same thing on a golf cart three years ago... Totally different story there.) I honestly have missed the connection with horses that I used to get every summer working at a Girl Scout camp in Colorado, so today was fantastic.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

I'm a Terrible Aunt... Maybe not.

Okay, despite what I said in my previous post, I really do adore (on occasion when she's not a total twerp, like kids are) my niece.

She is quite the handful, my niece, and can throw the worst tantrums of any kid that I know. And she lies so much that she probably thinks the world revolves around her. Ugh, more than a handful sometimes, I'll admit it. (And I stand by the fact that her parents really need to spend more time actually parenting their child, whether or not they're actually together.)

Today, my niece was up in her room with the door closed. It's rare for her to be up there, let alone with the door closed. She's only 6, and something like that sets off warning flags in my head. I open up and yup, there she is, sitting in her chair and holding a bag of gummies that I know she's not supposed to have. I question her, not really interested in punishing her, mostly just want to find out what she's doing upstairs with candy I know she's not supposed to have. So I send her downstairs and to have a chat with her grandparents. I was correct in my assumptions that nope, she's not supposed to be eating that candy. She was given the option of time-out or a spanking for lying to me.

Well, that's what started a 45 (plus or minus a handful of minutes) minute tantrum and screaming this house probably hasn't heard in quite some time. She refused to accept time-out or a spanking for lying to me, and eventually got both (several spankings included, one from me and two or three more from grandpa). The name calling and "I don't have to listen to you" and "I hate you" cries ran on for a while. That was accompanied by thrashing, kicking her seat and anything she could reach, and banging her head against the wall as loud as she could. All we asked her to do while she sat in time-out quietly, which she claimed she couldn't do at the top of her lungs. Oh, and she only wanted to be alone, but wouldn't sit still in her chair where we would leave her alone to sit in time-out.

I simply laughed in another room because I had been like that at one time. I cried until I wore myself out and eventually stopped crying and making noise to serve my time-out. I know what it's like to be in that position. Of course, I usually got a spanking and sent to my room where I screamed and cried until I was ready to apologize.

Once she was done with the tears and the hollering, she apologized to everyone in the house and hugged everyone and all was well again. The time-out/crying spells are semi-regular when she's around, so it's nothing really new. The only difference tonight was that I was the first one to discipline her, which was probably a huge surprise/scare to her since I have only "laid" a hand on her to pick her up and put her back in her time-out chair for my mother-in-law. I've always been the "nice" aunt, the one who tried to calm her down, cheer her up, etc.

Ah, it was an eventful day. Look at me, writing three days in a row. Ha, that's amazing. Probably won't happen too often. Although, I do find this sort of fun. Maybe I'll keep it up. :D

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

I Try So Hard

I love my husband to death, I really do, but sometimes he can really make me feel sick to my stomach and want to do terrible things to myself. No, I'm not suicidal; as I explained to him, I'm far too much of a coward actually do anything. That and I'm sort of paranoid of various sharp items and blah blah blah. Basically, I wouldn't cause self harm because I'm unable to do that. (That and blood makes me sick to my stomach, and I either pale so bad that I have to walk away from blood/bloody topic/etc. or I pass out.)

So, that's my issue today. I feel utterly sick to my stomach all because of a particular topic we chatted about. I don't want to go into depth about it because I'm not entirely sure who does or doesn't read this. Yeah, I know, I'm being utterly vague for a blog that's about whatever I want, but I don't need this to work it's way to someone who will spazz out and ruin things for me.

Oh, and our "lovely" niece is back at the house with us. Spoiled rotten and throws fake tantrums just to get a rise/attention out of her grandfather and grandmother. She simply bothers my husband and I because no one will swat her butt when she needs it. Time out doesn't work for her, trust me, they've tried. The real fun thing about all this? Her gorram mother moved into the house that was supposed to be our after graduation, which is another story entirely, but has barely taken care of her six year old daughter. Hell, far as I know, this woman has rarely been in her daughters life more than she has to be. Our niece has been with her father (who doesn't do much on the side of child rearing either, but he's better than mom), or with her grandparents. And that's all I know for the last three years now. What in the world is wrong with this family? No ideal, but I know that I don't want my in-laws to do too much with our children when we have them. They've had several children, but it feels (mostly to me, and this is just my opinion) that they really don't know how to raise a child any more.

Good thing that happened today? I got to help my husband change the oil on our truck. Though, mostly I was the run-around gal. I did do him (and me, I suppose) a favor while he changed the oil, I cleaned almost all of the windows on the little Ranger. The only one I couldn't really get to was the back window on the outside because of the lovely headache rack that we have. Should go run it through a car wash, but since the door is a little wonky and doesn't seal properly. (This is what happens when I leave him alone with a friend of ours to fix the truck. It's okay, I still love him.)

Bleh, enough for now, I suppose. Don't want to bog y'all down with too much mess at first. There's probably plenty more of that to come.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Fresh Start

So, as the description says, this is pretty much an "anything goes" blog. Probably one where I just write to write and rant when I have nothing better do. Like now. Because that's how life is. One big boring thing right after the other.

Don't know what I'll post exactly, but it'll be pretty much whatever makes me happy for the day. Be it a short story I wrote, or perhaps a poem I'd like y'all to read. I'll probably blog about my life and the "horrors" that I have to deal with. (These "horrors" probably being nothing more than a 24 yr old whining about her life and school. I need to get it out somewhere, so here it is for now.) I'll try not to bother you too much about it all, though. My life isn't all that interesting sometimes.

I don't expect much in the way of feedback, since most of my audiences have almost always been silent. Which is nice and all, though I do miss the interaction and discussion. But if you ever so desire to write something, then feel free and I'll most definitely respond to you as quickly as I can.

Oh, and of course: I have a terrible time remembering to update, so you may not see anything from me for a while, but no worries. I'm still alive and well. Well, I'll be alive any way! :) If not, I give permission to whomever finds this blog after I die to write whatever your heart desires. Or something like that.


Until next time, my dears.