Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Grumpypants

I hate when one person in our kitchen is grumpy, because it makes everything awkward. The days when everyone is grumpy don't bother me as much because then we can all just be grumpy on our own terms and that is enough.

This morning, Jon climbed into S's dress while we weren't looking. I asked him to hold on until I could run and grab my camera out of my van and when I came back, Blake had climbed into my dress (which was big enough to fit a couple of him in it! It hangs off of ME nevermind skinny thinny Blake!), and they had stuffed the fronts of their shirts with something to make it look like boobs. Probably the best pictures ever... but I haven't had the time/energy to get them off my camera.

Also super excited to go whalewatching this weekend with the "Fab Five". :) Eee!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Noticing you noticing me...

Today, I wasn't thrilled by some conversation going on at work. I can listen to as much sailor talk as the next person (and I do, at this job), but when people start to get ignorant and intolerant, it bothers me.

There was some discussion going on about a homosexual couple that were using a surrogate mother to acquire a child for them to raise. I think that's fine - homosexual couples are as entitled to being parents as most heterosexual couples (and I secretly think a lot of them would make better parents than most heterosexual couples!). Someone commented that "the child wouldn't have a chance at a normal life" and if it was a boy "he would have no choice but to grow up gay"... GAH! I wanted to tear my hair out. I said something that shocked everyone there -- "I don't care if a child's parents are a man and woman, two women, two men, a cat and a dog - as long as that child is being loved and cared for, it doesn't matter to me at all!". Then I commented that I don't believe that gay is always a choice.

One of the women involved in the conversation is quite religious - but she is the sweetest woman. Her son is very effeminate, and knowing him and with the "gaydar" I have developed over the years, I would not be surprised if he came out. I don't speculate this kind of thing in regular conversation because what difference does it make? I also make it a rule to believe that someone is heterosexual as long as they maintain that front until they tell me or prove otherwise.

I think her opinion will change if her son comes out. I, too, had those same sorts of feelings when I was heavily involved in the church (though not intolerant, I was not for gay marriage, believed it was a choice, etc)... when I got out into what I like to call "the real world", lived, worked and played with some homosexuals, my tune really changed. They stop being a label or a "sexuality" and they become a real living, breathing, compassionate, loving person who will do anything for you. Then you have no choice but to change your tune - because seeing some of the heartache and struggles that I did, I know none of my sensitive, softhearted friends would honestly CHOOSE this path for themselves if they knew they could avoid all the hardships they were experiencing by choosing another path. Sure, some folks may choose to be homosexual, but I do believe in some people, it's hardwired in in advance, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

I think people don't like to agree with that theory because "what if my son grows up to be gay - that means I genetically caused that problem because they were born that way!". People don't understand that gay is not wrong. It's not a disease. It's not any more of a sin than lying, cheating or stealing - according to the Bible, all sins are equal. I believe in and appreciate a higher power - a God, a creator... but I don't agree with many involved in the churches who believe that gays and lesbians are second class citizens.

Anyways, GAH!

Then I had two mares in heat that I was working last night that each had my number. I have an old pinto mare in here called "Paint" that is in for training - just the basic stuff. The catch is that she's 10 years old and often when they're that old, left that long, and with an "unknown" background, someone, somewhere has completely ruined them by trying to train them. I don't very often see horses with the saddle on the first time that don't buck a little bit, but she was going crazy, AND she was coming right for me everytime she started. She had my number. I'm not scared off yet, but I am definitely wary that someone took this little mare out and hurt her bad. She is sweet to handle on the ground, not a nasty bone in her body without a saddle on - lets you put your hands all over her, but when the saddle was cinched up, that was an entirely different story.

Then Bronwyn tried to buck me off. She was being, for lack of better words, a little shit, and I had to stop her a couple of times and cool myself off because I was getting pretty pissy. I have to go back and examine why she's bucking, but my guess is not saddle fit or chiro pain -- I do think she's being naughty and that is the whole of it.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Finally, a day off!

I have tomorrow off but have an appointment with Dr Handsome for some puppies and also need to trim some feet and clean some stalls. We have potential buyers coming to look at our stallion and broodmare for sale. At this point, I would really just like to see them move - particularly to this client, because they have some mares by a stallion they used to own that would cross well on this stud, and because they have more time and money to market them than we really do. I've known these people forever and think they would make a great home, and hey - the price is right, especially for two horses of this quality!

I haven't ridden Bronwyn in almost a week (or has it been 2 now?) since my saddle broke, but dad and I took the stirrup "leathers" (nylon, actually) off of my synthetic saddle and put them on my leather and I think it will do the trick til I can get the other leathers fixed. I put Paint (a mare in for training) out on the longe the other day but she seemed off to me. Called her owner and he said that she's "always like that".... if she were my horse, I would not feel comfortable riding her like that. Heck, she's not my horse and I don't feel comfortable! Anyways, he said he would be over to trim her feet (we brought her over early to treat a wound on her fetlock) and I will put her out on the longe then to see if he still thinks that it's "normal". Got Rex worked the other day and found his "itchy" spot... makes him curl all the way around like a macaroni! It's cute to see a dog doing it but even cuter to see a 15.2hh colt doing it! Now that I have made the decision to geld (nothing to do with his quality, everything to do with my ambition for handling a stallion!), I am eager to get it done with, but the humidity here has made the flies terrible, so no go til September, probably... which will work because I will have finished paying off my Mastercard then! :) Yay.

The other night I was in the pool after work and heard splashing that wasn't myself or Shay, so I hopped out to find the source of the sound and found this goof striking the water to purposely make herself wet. What a doof!


Monday, July 21, 2008

And nobody cares at all....

I have a Dashboard Confessional song stuck in my head but the title of my entry is the only line I can bring the words to mind from. So hate that!

Today has been possibly the longest day in the world and it's not over yet. I still have to work a few horses before I can get some rest, so I shouldn't really be sitting in front of the PC right now, but I am still waiting for the heat to burn off at 8:30. Speaking of heat, I am so over all this hot weather. I'm ready for snow again. It's usually not this bad for me in the summer, but then for the last five summers, I have spent my work days sitting inside of an air conditioned office instead of running my butt off in a huge long dress with no air conditioning. The salad line lady said the other day I must have lost 30lbs this summer. I don't know if I have, I am angry at my scales right now (that's what I get for buying them on eBay for $2!), but I'll accept the compliments anyways. :)

Yesterday, the family and I went to King's Landing (I work at a restaurant there) for the day. They were re-enacting the pauper auctions that occured in New Brunswick around 1888 (Pauper auctions were public events where the poverty stricken of the parish were auctioned off to the household who would take the least amount of money from the parish's poor tax to maintain care of them. It appeared that many of them got worked hard and George Francis Train vehemently opposed them, calling it the "white slave trade" - it is unknown when pauper auctions were no longer held in New Brunswick but they were still being held into the 20th century. How's that for a history lesson?), and the acting was very good. We ate at my restaurant and my parents were amazed at my savvy ordering that allowed us to eat for about $50 at a "fine dining" establishment and for us all to be full (there were 4 of us). We didn't get into many of the houses which was a disappointment, but I have a staff pass so we will likely go back when the weather is a little less humid. It's just killing me right now.

I obviously have nothing interesting to say here - I'm merely filling time and hoping the weather cools down!

Also wanted to shout out to all the ladies at the bachelorette party I attended Friday night. I'm sorry me and the pregnant lady left so early but I had to get home to bed... eventually. Which I did... at around 1:30. I loves you Tiff, and I am super excited for Baby Deacon to get here!!!! I just wanted him to come bursting out of you Friday night and be like "HELLO AUNTIE AMANDA!". You are never going to be able to get rid of me when you have a newborn. :-D

And a little funny that I want to write here for my own remembrance - I finished telling Tiffany the heartwrenching and sad story of losing Angel and finding Bronwyn and as I finished telling her how important and wonderful Bronwyn is in my life, she says "So you're going to be really sad when I steal her, right?". That girl can make me smile!

Sunday, July 20, 2008

I kissed a girl...

Haha, no I didn't! But I bet some of my former roomies are going "Oh thank God. FINALLY!" Just have the tune stuck in my head. Catchy as hell!

I haven't had a lot of time to write lately, but I did hear back from that agent that had five pages of No One Else. She thanked me but told me it did not hook her immediately as she had hoped. I spent about 24 hours feeling sorry for myself, then had a chat with a few people about things I can do to make my manuscript more palatable and more easily digested when more agents ask for it. This includes cutting about 30,000 words out of it, which will be a challenge, but one I am up for.... if I ever get time to get back to that manuscript! So for now, I am putting a hold on the querying until I get that act back together and get a new query letter. THEN I will worry about getting published. I have joined a really great online writer's forum that actually has real professionals in the publishing industry on it that are very helpful.

As for everything else - nothing terribly new. I took Bronwyn out on the trail for the first time last weekend. She was a star, but we broke my saddle coming out of the barn (I am actually glad it didn't break on the trail though!), so she has had the last week off and I still have no leads on fixing the saddle. It's bumming me out majorly, but hopefully I will get onto things here directly.

We also celebrated our one year anniversary together and it has inspired some interesting writing coming out of me which is nice.

Speaking of interesting writing, I have this idea for a non fiction open letter to boys style book... and I even started sketching out some phrases and chapters in it but I HAVE to get back to work on No One Else - because if I don't, I fear I will be in big trouble with all these projects on the go and be a waitress forever. Further to that that I have about 10,000 words written on the second book in my Port Sentry Collection... Yep, I am in trouble.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

A few points, plus I've met my future husband!

Remember that guy I was saying I keep saying awkwardly weird things to? He came in and had a seat in my room and I served him and finally didn't look like a complete idiot the entire time I was interacting with him. It was nice not to be a retard.

On that note, I have found my future husband at work. He is the perfect body type (about 6'2", big solid guy), plays a musical instrument and the best part is that he loves cookies - probably as much as I do. He was with one of the minstral trios outside of the Inn where I was working the pub today and I went out to stand on the porch and try and get a breeze because it was sweltering behind the bar and they were sitting out there. Being the dork I am, I commented on the heat and he said he was hoping for a thunderstorm to break it. I told him he'd be waiting all day. The other guy said it wasn't the only thing he'd have to wait all day for - he also wanted cookies. I told him that was the good thing about working at the Inn - there never seems to be a shortage of cookies or sweets. He told me that I should have definitely offered him free cookies at that interval, but I did not. This is the same minstral that saw us in the river on Monday and told us we were disgraceful, I am quite certain. AND he plays the fiddle, which I LOVE.

Annyways - onto working at the pub today... not bad!

I cleared about $47 in tips which was INCREDIBLE for the pub and was fueled by an American fellow that tipped me $20 after he had a shot of whiskey and a beer - a bill totalling less than $10. He and his lady friend stood down in the pub and we must have talked for a half an hour about horses, dogs, training both of them, etc... then they went upstairs for lunch.. I didn't notice that they didn't tip me - well, I don't care if people really tip me in the bar as long as I make enough money for gas. Anyways, after their meal, they came back down and I asked how it was and they said it was great but they had forgotten to tip me and I said "Oh that's no problem" and he passed me a folded up American bill over the counter. I took it in my hand and figured it was a couple of singles or a five and he walked away. When I got a chance to open it up, it was a $20 bill! Woohoo, go me!

I do like working in the pub. My last customers of the day were RV'ers from Colorado who were camping in Moncton and weren't planning on visiting PEI - they ended up penciling it into their plans and gave me a $2 tip for two beer (not bad actually) and then when we were finished chatting, the fellow shook my hand and told me it was really nice to meet me and a real pleasure to talk to me. Maybe I am cut out for bartending! LOL

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Don't blink, everyone's watching..

So I have totally planned to write things about stuff that's been going on at work over the last week or whatever since I last wrote, but... I've realized it's not that important, and I can't remember what it was anyways!

Yesterday, we closed the restaurant early and went down to the river on site. S and A jumped in with their dresses on - I had already gotten changed and was just there to watch but ended up jumping in in my "wearing them home" clothes... which sucked, being soaking wet the whole way home, but it was worth the cool water and it definitely made the ride home more tolerable. It was pretty dead on site, but one visitor did walk by and started taking pictures of us. Then a fiddler walked by and stopped and creepily watched us from behind some trees, then he walked by us and told us we were "disgraceful", but in a playful way. I don't know who he was but I think he was young and cute, I'm not sure. I'll have to keep my eyes open for him. Someone also told me that the blacksmith is gorgeous and stealing all the young girls' hearts, but I guess I'll have to wait til Sunday when I get a chance to go out there on site and see!

Speaking of young men... there is a theatre guy that comes in occasionally and while I find him physically attractive, I'm not, like, glomming for him or anything. Anyways, every time he comes in, I say the STUPIDEST things... it's just embarrassing. Shay thinks it's hilarious because I am normally a pretty natural flirt, but it all goes out the window. Geeze.

Also, I have been cantering on Bronwyn. I loves her, she is fun. Shay got some pictures of her last night.


Saturday, July 5, 2008

I'm still kickin!

I'm still alive, I just don't have time to write... right now.