I have been up to no good!

Well not really!

I have just been busy!!!!

First, I have been taking riding lesson's so Sissy and I can have some fun.

Last weekend was really the first time I rode her comfortably 

in our own pasture!

I don't have pics, as hubby just does not think to get the camera

and I have way to much to concentrate on while riding.

At my lesson, I had a big confidence boost.

We have been doing a lot of trotting,

and PISSY SISSY does not like to do that much.

It is work to her.

But, I MADE her continue! 

We worked through it!

YEAH! 

I know now, that the most I am going to get from her is a lot of head tossing

rather than being tossed on the ground. 

So we saddled up.

Went into the pasture.

Walked her up to an over turned feeder.

And got on!

I had left the gate open!

Big test!

She wanted to go out the gate!

I did not.

I WON!

With a lot of head tossing

and volunteer side passing,

I made her stay in the pasture.

We walked all over.

She exerted more energy trying to be the boss.

Finally after about 45 minutes, she GAVE IN!

She let ME take her where "I" wanted to go!

No Arguments!

The weather has been pretty crappy since then.

WIND! WIND! and MORE WIND!

So I have not rode in the pasture since.

But believe me.

Nothing is holding me back now!

Every nice day that we have we will be riding!

I need the exercise, and Sissy needs the miles.

We are both novices.

She knows all the ques!
She is awesome with leg ques.
I just need to learn how to use them!

So on the cruddy days, I just go hang out with her.

I am down to one horse again, 

because I wanted to concentrate on just Sissy this summer.

I am determined to be able to ride her out on trails,

which I know she LOVES, and I do too, but

she has to get to where she will listen to me

and not want to be the boss.

Hence the lessons.

So when I hang out with her, this is what we do:

Better to see the new grass growing!

I think she is near sighted. Does not need glasses for distance.

Bet if she had a book she could learn to read! LOL

Tonight we took a walk around the place. 

Had to walk on the road to get to the neighbors driveway to make a loop.

Then walking up the drive, there was 6 horses on one side of us,

charging the fence,

and two on the other side wanting to say hello.

Sissy did some snorting, 

but she 'listened' to me!

I was on the ground. Not in the saddle.

She listens well to me on the ground.

I just have to get it that way in the saddle.

POSTAL SERVICE has never heard of CUSTOMER SERVICE!

Ok, this is going to be my 

FIRST

RANT!

On March 26th I ordered some CD's from AMAZON.

I love to order from them.

BUT.....

When you put in your shipping address

there are two lines.

So...

I use our PO BOX on the top line

and my street address on the 2nd line.

BECAUSE....

I don't know how they are going to ship it.

 AND the FIRST line should be the default line?

RIGHT?

WRONG!

ALSO if you order from Amazon, and use FREE SHIPPING,

it will go by way of the POST OFFICE!

If you pay for shipping, or have your item shipped to you in 2-3 days,

It goes by UPS or FEDEX.

Well HOW WAS I TO KNOW?

It does not say ANYWHERE On their website 

HOW THE F'in they are going ship your items!

If it goes by way of Post Office they need to use the PO BOX.

If it goes by way of UPS or FEDEX 

you need your STREET address!

My order arrived at the Umatilla Post Office on April 2nd.

By the 9th I thought I better check the tracking because I am thinking it is taking a heck of a long time.

On April 6th the PO sent it back.

BAD ADDRESS was the reason given.

I just came from the PO and am more pissed off than when I walked in.

They tell me that if it has:

"ADDRESS SERVICE REQUIRED"

on the label, they have to send it back.

I explained a month ago I got an order from AMAZON and they

had written in large letters on the box, 

PO?

So what is up with this shipment?

I was given the response that

"IT WAS A COURTESY TO ME"

WTF?

(They have done it numerous times for me in the past!)

I also called Amazon to tell them to take that off the shipping label because it is causing HUGE ISSUES!

Today I was told if I have a receptical at my street address they would of delivered it.

I TOLD THEM, that when I set the PO BOX up, that I COULD NOT

get mail at both address's!

I got the deer in the headlight stare!

and an explanition that I could get mail delivered any where I wanted to:

Both places.

Another town, ect.

THAT IS NOT WHAT I WAS TOLD!

Next Amazon does not TAKE THE FIRST LINE of the address!

OH NO!

They take the Freekin' SECOND ADDRESS LINE!

Again: WTF?!?!

Now my order is being returned to 

AMAZON

I have already PAID for it!

I will get a refund as soon as it hits their warehouse,

(so they say)

Provided it is not a "BAD" address, 

and I have had to REORDER my items!

When Ordering from AMAZON, I find that going through

third parties is NICE!

I KNOW they will ship via the post office,

AND I get my items a lot quicker!

AND, usually cheaper too.

I should of done that to begin with!

As far as the POST OFFICE IN UMATILLA goes,

I am sick and tired of all the different stories I get,

It is not like we have just moved to the area!

We have been here for

30 FREEKIN' YEARS!

It WOULD NOT Hurt my feelings if the POST OFFICE WENT out of business!

Their customer service Stinks!

AND the town of Hermiston is not any better!

You walk in there, and NO ONE SMILES!

Only one gentleman is kind, and friendly.

The rest of the counter people act like they are DEAD!

NO EMOTIONS! 

NOT EVEN A SMILE!

NOTHING!

They act like ZOMBIES!

I wish UPS would set up a MAIL DELIVERY service for LETTERS!

Because you know what?

I WOULD USE THEM!

Can't tell I am terribly upset can ya?

Reading Material to Help Me Learn to Ride.....

You can get the book here.

I also want to take this opportunity to THANK EVERYONE that

has commented on my posts about SISSY MISSY and PISSY SISSY!

ALL your comments have been very HELPFUL!

Reluctant Cowboy

KarenV

Laughing Orca Ranch

Gail

Cactus Jack Splash

Jocelyn recommended this book to me, and so

I not only bought this book, which is book number two,

I also bought the original book Sally Swift wrote by the same title.

I have been reading the books, (only because I got book 2 in the mail first),

and right now I am only still in the anatomy of the body and how the 

Foot bone is connected to the

ankle bone, 

and the ankle bone is connected to the 

shin bone, 

and the shin bone is connected to the,

knee bone, 

(Well you know how it goes....)

Anyway, I can't wait to get to the nuts and bolts of Centered Riding.

I do not dare skip a word though, because I might miss something 

very important.

So far all of what I have read,

MAKE PERFECT SENSE!

This helps out ANYONE that rides. 

These books are not just for beginners.

Because I have been reading this book, 

is most likely why I stayed in the saddle on my 

Trotting lesson!

LESSONS! LESSONS! LESSONS!

Ok, First...MY APOLOGIES for taking so long for a post. 

Just that time slips away so quickly, and with the time change

we are busier than normal.

Don't ask me, doing what? because I could not tell you. 

At the end of the day, I know it was a busy one, and I am tired!

Anyway, after getting quite dissapointed in PISSY SISSY, I finally am back on the 

schedule to take lessons.

YEAH!

Last Tuesday was my first lesson in two years.

The first round of lessons, gave me the knowledge to work Sissy from the ground.

She listens to me 99.9% of the time from the ground.

NOW....my lessons will consist of Riding and getting Sissy to listen to me from the saddle!

Here we are at my first lesson.

We only did walking and changes of direction.

These pictures are from my second lesson.

Sissy appears to be paying attention as well. 

This lesson was geared towards trotting!

Oh Boy!

(Excuse me, while I clear the room. One of the dogs just passed gas, and it has taken all the oxygen OUT OF THE ROOM!)

Ok, I think I can breathe now....

My instructor (Click for her web page.) is just awesome!
She is very patient with me, and knows how to teach.

So my second lesson consisted of 'Trotting'!
Yep!
Me?
I was so nervous. I know that the trot is a very hard thing to accomplish,
and I was afraid of being bounced out of the saddle.
But I got better, NOT GOOD, but better.
At least I stayed in the saddle, and that was one for me!
Sissy could even anticipate when the time came to trot,
and I would only then have to say, "trot" and she would do it.
By the end of the lesson, though we walked around the arena, so that
Sissy would not anticipate all the time.

At one point I was giving her mixed signals and we were all over the place.
She does have a good WHOA which I am thankful for.

Then at the end of our lesson, my friend that went with me, her daughter and her horse
came down to the arena, and Sissy, being the little socialite she is,
started to act up, because she wanted to see her 'buddy', and
my instructor guided me through some circles and had me stop
with Sissy's back to them.
Nice and quiet!
Sissy did not even care after that.
I was so thankful that this happened at my lesson, so that I know what to
do the next time.

At one point in the lesson,
I was stopped,
sitting on Sissy,
my instructor asked me what my goal was.
I told her that it was to ride Sissy by the fall, comfortably.
"BUT", I said, "I won't ride in the wind, or rain."
She gives me a funny look and said,
"Sissy does not know when it is windy out, or when it is raining.
It is just a part of her environment and if I ONLY ride when the weather is nice
then "I" am teaching her she can't ride in the wind and rain."

It all made so much sense to me that I just cracked up laughing so hard.
Really tickled my funny bone, because she was RIGHT!

I was teaching my horse to be a fair weather rider!

It is not like I have to go for an hour ride in the wind and rain,
she told me,
just a 15 minute ride would work,
but I was to get out there and ride, ride, ride!

So, I have not ridden since my last lesson!

But I will! The weather has been pretty windy!

I just do not feel comfortable as of yet, to just go get on her.
But I will! I KNOW I WILL!
The day is around the corner!

Pay it Forward Craft Exchange CHALLENGE!

I have finally received my gift from Deanna Miller over at: "Deanna's Blog" 

She sent me the cutest coasters made in fabric of my favorite colors, of reds, pinks, purples, and oranges.  It is really amazing because when she had asked me what my favorite colors were I sent her a list because I like them all!  Well I'll BE, if she didn't go and find material with ALL those colors in it! 

Now aren't those just the prettiest?

I thought this would be quite fun to do. SO.....I have something special to send to the FIRST THREE bloggers to leave a comment............IF...you are one of the first three to comment you will need to follow these instructions.....So read carefully......

1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me.

2. If you are one of the first three to make a comment, you are a winner! And you then agree to post this challenge on your own blog, meaning that you will pay it forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your 3 friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember it’s the spirit and the thought that count!

4. When you receive your gift, blog about it! If you are not one of the first three to comment on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same! It's all about paying it forward.

Please make sure you send me a valid e-mail address to my e-mail at hrhjody at gmail dot com once you comment so I can get addresses. If you are not one of the first 3 to comment, comment anyway if you post this on your blog, so I can check it out! I am always in search of new, fun blogs to read.