Busy Week
I had a lesson on Wednesday and rode outside in the snaffle bridle. Monaco was pretty awesome, and we played with his gaits a bit, making his steps elevated and collected. We also worked on tempi changes, starting with 4s, going to 3s, and ending up with 2s. Tempi changes are a pain in the arse. With each change, his body lengthens out just a bit more, and there's not enough time to collect him back up, so each change gets harder and harder... sorta like a spring that's been stretched out. By the fifth change, I have to overexaggerate my own body to get him moved over for the change, and by the 7th change, we're almost totally out of gas. All of this while trying to maintain a constant tempo and without losing a beat. Tough work if you can get it.
After my lesson, I checked my phone and found out that Aaron was over at my Pat's house, helping his fiancee with her new old kegerator that she'd picked up from Craig's List. So I headed over there, had some barbecue, and helped them finish off a couple of growlers from Lucky Lab. I love that I love hanging out with my brother. We yakked well into the night and finally left around midnight.
The next morning was jury duty. Fun. Not. I finally got called up to be on a jury for a criminal prostitution case. I didn't actually get selected to be on the jury, but I had to sit through the selection process. I know it was my job to be impartial and stuff, but someone should have told that girl to wear something other than a hot pink and black checkered suit and big hoop earrings. To complete the picture, her hair was pulled back tight and tied into a big blond poof. It's horribly stereotypical to say, but the whole prostitution thing did not seem that out of reach. I was very, very glad not to have been selected, particularly since when I went back to the main jury room, they'd already selected everyone and sent the pool home.
That night, Aaron went off to a Collaborator judging (he's still getting used to Rob Widmer just being this guy that shows up at the Oregon Brew Crew meetings), and my sister came over to plan my parent's 50th wedding anniversary party. We talked about invitations and RSVPs and menus and flowers and music and all that fun stuff. All of this while I'm not particularly happy either of them. But what can you do? It's family and all. Later, Aaron got home, and we walked over to the Horse Brass and back.... it was a perfect summer night.
Tonight, Pat's DJing at a club, and it's an event he's been working on for a while, so we're going to go and show our support. It's not completely my scene, but his friends are pretty awesome, so it should be fun anyway.