Various things plus SPN
It's been pointed out to me that I've seemed unusually irritable lately and on reflection that's probably true. I don't handle extra work hours very well, especially during the spring when so much of my time at home is a race to find and destroy weeds before they flower. The thing that tips me over the edge is probably the extra driving and the days on end away from home rather than the work itself. Of course, a few months ago I was feeling sub-par because I had too much time alone at home with too little work, so it would appear it doesn't take much to go over the line one way or another and I need to manage it better in any case. I think my compromise country/city life is not very sustainable and I'm not sure what to do about it, since I definitely, definitely don't want to live in the city, but my experience in NSW of moving to a real country location wasn't very satisfactory either due to the reduced social opportunities. Anyway, my apologies if you've had the misfortune of my company in the last few weeks. I will make sure to be more harmonious in future!
I thought my 31-year-old horse was dying yesterday (which would have been a good thing, since I'd rather he picks the time than I have to do it when he can't eat any more). He pawed at the ground for a while, then lay down and went very still, then his legs started to jerk quite high off the ground. I just watched from a distance, since I figured he would prefer to be left alone. When I eventually walked part of the way over and called out, he got up and cantered off, looking perfectly fine! Maybe he had a small stroke? In which case maybe it's time for me to make that decision after all, since I wouldn't want him to become incapacitated on one of those days I'm not here. I see my vet this week for the Appaloosa's skin cancers (sigh), so will discuss it with him then.
I thought SPN 8x01 was a strong episode and am prepared to wait and see on the big characterisation issue that a lot of people don't like. I don't like it either, but I'm willing to give them time to explain! My favourite part (even better than the hug) was Dean saying "our deep abiding love for each other"! Kevin looked great with his shorter hair. Sam's long straight hair is surprisingly going to have to grow on me.
After getting inspired by a newspaper article, I gave interval training my first ever serious try yesterday morning and had sore muscles already by afternoon, so it must have done something! The program was a very simple sprint for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds (x10), sprint for 20 seconds, rest for 20 seconds (x8), sprint for 10 seconds, rest for 10 seconds (x6). I didn't get all the way through any of the repeats, my sprints didn't stay sprints for 30 seconds and my rest intervals were usually longer than they were supposed to be, but it's a start. I'm normally very lazy about picking up my pace while jogging, since I don't like it to feel too hard, but the sprinting was kind of fun for the first five seconds or so!
One of the many evenings this week I was at my mother's house instead of my own I saw the first episode of Living With the Amish on SBS, which is available online in Australia for the next 11 days. Six British teenagers stay with Amish families for six weeks. I'm quite drawn to the simple rural lifestyle of the Amish and was fascinated to see their beautiful, unadorned homes. If only the lifestyle wasn't based on religion and didn't involve strict gender roles, and education that stops at 14 and emphasises only what you need to know to do manual farm and home labour! Yesterday I watched the previous series, Meet the Amish, in which Amish teenagers and young adults go to the UK, available on YouTube. In the first episode I was really struck by how polite and seemingly accepting the Amish were, but by the last one I was sad and cringing at them telling British girls that women were created only to be helpmates to their husbands. I like that they believe baptism should be reserved for consenting adults, at least, but they've got them thoroughly indoctrinated by that time.
I thought my 31-year-old horse was dying yesterday (which would have been a good thing, since I'd rather he picks the time than I have to do it when he can't eat any more). He pawed at the ground for a while, then lay down and went very still, then his legs started to jerk quite high off the ground. I just watched from a distance, since I figured he would prefer to be left alone. When I eventually walked part of the way over and called out, he got up and cantered off, looking perfectly fine! Maybe he had a small stroke? In which case maybe it's time for me to make that decision after all, since I wouldn't want him to become incapacitated on one of those days I'm not here. I see my vet this week for the Appaloosa's skin cancers (sigh), so will discuss it with him then.
I thought SPN 8x01 was a strong episode and am prepared to wait and see on the big characterisation issue that a lot of people don't like. I don't like it either, but I'm willing to give them time to explain! My favourite part (even better than the hug) was Dean saying "our deep abiding love for each other"! Kevin looked great with his shorter hair. Sam's long straight hair is surprisingly going to have to grow on me.
After getting inspired by a newspaper article, I gave interval training my first ever serious try yesterday morning and had sore muscles already by afternoon, so it must have done something! The program was a very simple sprint for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds (x10), sprint for 20 seconds, rest for 20 seconds (x8), sprint for 10 seconds, rest for 10 seconds (x6). I didn't get all the way through any of the repeats, my sprints didn't stay sprints for 30 seconds and my rest intervals were usually longer than they were supposed to be, but it's a start. I'm normally very lazy about picking up my pace while jogging, since I don't like it to feel too hard, but the sprinting was kind of fun for the first five seconds or so!
One of the many evenings this week I was at my mother's house instead of my own I saw the first episode of Living With the Amish on SBS, which is available online in Australia for the next 11 days. Six British teenagers stay with Amish families for six weeks. I'm quite drawn to the simple rural lifestyle of the Amish and was fascinated to see their beautiful, unadorned homes. If only the lifestyle wasn't based on religion and didn't involve strict gender roles, and education that stops at 14 and emphasises only what you need to know to do manual farm and home labour! Yesterday I watched the previous series, Meet the Amish, in which Amish teenagers and young adults go to the UK, available on YouTube. In the first episode I was really struck by how polite and seemingly accepting the Amish were, but by the last one I was sad and cringing at them telling British girls that women were created only to be helpmates to their husbands. I like that they believe baptism should be reserved for consenting adults, at least, but they've got them thoroughly indoctrinated by that time.