Aerosmith: Global Warming Tour

Warning: non-horsey post! (I will update the equine parts of Wednesday and Thursday along with Friday's notes.)

I set off for Tacoma at 5.30pm, wearing non-horsey clothes (first chance I've had to wear my nice boots!), armed with food, snacks, water, maps, sunglasses, mp3 player and my ticket. The trip was essentially highway 3 south, to highway 16 east, to Interstate highway 5 north (via 705) with the Tacoma Dome exit not too far from where I would enter I5. The trip took about an hour and I only hit traffic about a mile before the Dome (and I'd seen it from the highway), as I was leaving I5. I wish I'd been the passenger going over the Tacoma Narrows bridge as I'd have loved some photos, it was spectacular and had a really good view over the water. The other thing I would have done if I'd had more time (and no poodle to think about) was leave earlier in the day and check out the attractions in Tacoma. I may have the opportunity to at least visit the glass museum next week when Lana collects her nephew from Tacoma (I am welcome to go along for the ride).

Parking was no cause for concern. I followed the flow of the other cars and parked at the Car Museum, directly opposite the Dome. There was virtually no queue to get into the parking or the Dome itself, as I was fairly early.

I found my seat...

This was my view of the stage

The view towards the back

Centre stage

The stage and roof - going up, as opposed to down.

Centre roof

The opening act was a band called Cheap Trick, who I (not a muso) have never heard of. The only song they played that I recognised was "I want you to want me", and only because I've heard several remakes! If I'd realised I wouldn't have enjoyed their set, I would have left a little later (though then I think I would have had a nightmare parking).

Finally, the lights dimmed and the show started!

 

Of the concerts I've been to, I'd class this one as the best, simply because it's a band I LOVE as opposed to tagging along with other people at shows with bands they love. I did really enjoy Guns N Roses (though the joke was it was only "Axl plus cover band") and Alice Cooper's stage show was incredible, but they just don't compare to a band who's songs you sing along to in the car because the CD is on repeat.

I expected traffic getting out and sat in the queue with the motor off while I ate my sandwich and drank water. I should have taken a book to read or something! Then, the people directing traffic at the exit and further up the road sent me in the wrong direction (to I5 North, rather than South). Luckily I had loaded google maps onto my laptop and could work out where I was and where I needed to go (all while stationary, of course). There was a little traffic on If but after that it was plain sailing the whole way home. I was VERY tired and considered stopping for a coffee at one of the many, many food places just off the highway, though my plan was to do that after I got out of Tacoma so I didn't get stuck in more traffic, then the opportunities dwindled and I was cruising homewards to bed. I think I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, somewhere around 1.30am. 

Set list:

draw the line
elevator
same old song
edge
oh yeah
last child
--drum solo--
ragdoll
combination
stop messin'
what it takes
legendary child
come together
rats
sweet emotion
walk this way

encore:
dream on
train

Awesome day

Today was awesome!

I had a really good sleep.

Josie decided to eat (all three meals!). She was a bit lacklustre yesterday (I think she missed Susan!) and didn't eat very much, which was worrying. Today, back on track and very happy.

The horses were brilliant.

Fon was attentive and soft. She did not anticipate and rush, she listened and did what I asked. She did not toss her head once when I walked her in connection. She did really good out/in work on one and two lines (like yesterday, I did some hip press). She waited for her walk-on cue when I got in the saddle. Her hind legs were right there when I asked for them. We walked down the end of the field and wove in and around the trees - she was a little looky but not jumpy or spooky and settled quickly, giving me some lovely head-down walk on a long/loose rein. Her right circles are going great. She was stretching down into the bit/bridle really well.
I need to work on asking her to come through (from a 'come on') through the change of direction transition. I focussed on that today and it really helped her.

Chico was right there, too, when I took him down for groundwork in his bridle. He put his head down before I picked up the reins. He did some lovely out/in in both walk and trot, with some steps of sideways as well. He was super to ride. I basically went straight into trot and explored what I need to do in changes of direction to keep him through in the transition. I also practised some turn on the forehand and attempted turn on the haunches (he saved my butt as I was only guessing at what I needed to do).

On the way home from the barn I was listening to the radio and heard them say something about a concert in Washington. Missed hearing the date but looked when I got home. Figured it'd be after I left for NZ (of course).

No.

Aerosmith, playing at the Tacoma Dome, 8/8.

Yes, 8 August.

Yes, tomorrow.

So, I have a ticket to Aerosmith's concert. TOMORROW!

I am so excited (to borrow a Connected phrase... "oh, really?").

I didn't take Monday off as Susan suggested, so I will do a short day tomorrow and a short/late day on Thursday (or maybe take Thursday off entirely).
Lana printed the ticket for me and talked me through getting there. Susan actually left some maps and info about the district on the kitchen bench, so I don't have to travel blind, so to speak. It will take about an hour to get there so I'll leave around 5.00-5.30pm (opening act start at 7.30pm). It's reserved seating so I don't need to worry about getting in early, except for navigational and parking purposes. I will take some food with me but might stop on the way if I see an interesting place. I think I will only be able to take my little camera into the venue (usually, cameras with removable lenses are not permitted).

In any case, it will be a fantastic night and I am really, really looking forward to it. All that's left (aside from getting there) is to make sure I don't get lost on the way home in the middle of the night ;)

I will catch you all on Thursday with some non-horsey photos! :D

House- and poodle-sitting

Today started early. Very early.

1.30am, to be precise.

Susan and I departed the house at 1.47am. She needed to be dropped at the airport transporter, that winds it's way to the airport for an hour and a half, in order to check in for her 6.00am flight.

Josie and I were back in bed by 2.10am. Josie actually came straight into the house, ran up the stairs and jumped onto the middle of *my* bed. She was almost settled in by the time I got up the stairs... After a quick  rearrangement, we were both fast asleep again.

My alarm came and went. I snoozed it a couple of times. Josie took full advantage of the sleep in, only appearing after I'd made bacon and eggs for (my!) breakfast.

We made it to the barn by 9.25am. I wrote up my new whiteboard with the Rems and feeds list, gave rems and turned all horses except Fonteyn out. Karen arrived and said she'd like to work with Sully. We groomed and tacked and headed down to the bottom field. It was nice for Sully to have some company and good for me to have Karen's eyes on me occasionally.

I like the way Fon goes in the halter and bridle combo. It gives me flexibility to take just the rope, just the reins, or both. It helps her bridge the movement patterns she knows from schooling with the halter to the way she needs to move in the bridle. She started off quite rushy but some combing settled her quickly. I focussed on the same things we did yesterday: soft transitions from one direction to the other, picking up her hind legs, connecting my elbows and giving her good outside rein support.

Karen worked Sully in the halter and on the lunge. He seemed to be going very well, from my very brief glances over when Fon and I were processing ;)

Lana called to say she would come and ride. I had just enough time to groom and tack Chico and do 15 minutes of groundwork in the bridle before Lana came. I only asked for him to be soft, releasing his head and neck, then out/in and over. He is getting into his groove and not pulling the reins through and 'dumping' on his forehand so frequently. He is also softer in his head and neck, and better able to change his head to the out and the in.

I attempted to take Josie for a walk on the trails with Lana and Chico but she was too excitable and pulled, so we left them to it and drove home. Driving is going well! I have not managed to get myself lost (only temporarily confused!) or onto the wrong side of a road. I'm pleased with that.

Tonight I took Josie to her puppy-training class over on Bainbridge. All the driving with Susan yesterday helped and we arrived early. It was quite different to the classes I used to take my dog to, 13 years ago. Next week is the last class so I will practice with Josie during the week.

Dinner was a tomato stew with beef, carrots, onions, squash, the last dribble of Chardonnay from the bottle in the fridge and herbs from the garden, served over rice. I'm enjoying a cup of coffee now (I'm love the "half and half" or "whitener", which is half milk and half cream - about 5% fat, compared to our full cream milk at 3.5% or so). There are some turkey & mozzarella sausages in the fridge that I will cook tomorrow and serve with salad, and maybe the rest of the beef stir-fried with veggies the night after that. I have missed cooking!

Hot hot hot

It was so. freaking. hot. here today. Unbelievably hot. Like... 33 degrees C with 60% humidity. Yesterday was probably 30 degrees, with 30% humidity.

It is supposed to be slightly cooler tomorrow (high 20s), then slightly cooler still for the next few days (mid to high 20s), which will be PERFECT for getting things done around the barn without melting.

This morning Susan and I went to the barn in the morning to give rems. We forgot the screws and screwdriver to re-hang Fonteyn's mineral and salt feeder on the wall. Sully's face was NOT raw, which means he had not been scratching it all against the side of the door frame - fantastic! Either the Lucas' Paw paw or the slightly thicker calendula salve (which I think must have a beeswax base), or the double-whammy, helped kick start some healing so he doesn't feel the need to scratch his face off... Yay.

I have not mentioned that Susan has had me driving all over the show, in prep for them being away. The change of perspective is really disorienting... I still reach for the gear lever with my left hand, I don't use my rear vision mirror consistently because I have to look to the right for that (at home, it's to the left, of course) and I tend to swing wide on turns to the left because I am not used to having half the car out that way. But, all in all, nothing major and certainly nothing dangerous or Susan would probably have a few more grey hairs ;) It's been great for me to sort out where places are in relation to other places.

Anyway! Taxi driver Helen drove Susan to Judy's house. I will stay there for a week, next week, between housesitting here and going back to Lana's around the 18th or 19th. Judy is away for a month so it will be helpful for her plants to be watered and that sort of thing. The house is - conveniently - not far from Peggy and Susan's place.

Lunch was the remains of Susan's pizza from last night (delicious) as I caught up with emails and finished off another book.

In the afternoon, Susan's taxi drove all over the show: we drove over to Bainbridge Island and the place I will take Josie to her obedience class tomorrow and next week; on the way back we went to Cenex to buy feed and WalMart to buy a whiteboard to keep track of rems and feed recipes, Central Market for more groceries and back to the barn to fix the feeder and hang the whiteboard. By this time we were both melting and sitting with the AC on in the car was positively lovely.

It was Lana's husband Ron's birthday. His three brothers and their families are staying there at the moment. Today was Ron's birthday party, at the pond at the bottom of their property. We arrived just after they'd sung happy birthday but with plenty of time to grill the home-made turkey burgers and talk to people. Josie had clearly stamped her mark on the card for Ron: I pulled it off her with two chewed corners. Thankfully Ron saw the funny side (the dog ate my homework, anyone?!). Strangely enough, the chewed corners were both ends of the flap:  given Ron is sporting one fibreglass cast on his right arm and a plaster cast on the left, with both thumbs  immobile, he was actually able to open the card. [Miss Josie had the right idea, after all.........] I believe I am still full from the food, which included peach cobbler, apricot cobbler and chocolate cake. So much for sugar free (but party food is for parties!).

Susan's task for the afternoon was putting together the booklets for the upcoming CRT 101 course in Wisconsin. I assisted with hole punching and putting the assortment of printouts in the correct order in the folders. It was, of course, still a million degrees and we were all melting (Josie included). Susan suggested a walk around 7.00pm, partly because Josie didn't help us run our errands today and needed some attention, partly because it was cooler out than in the house. And, my gosh, was it beautiful. We walked out down Liberty Bay and past the other marina. She pointed out the route we'd kayaked yesterday. We saw some lovely little houses with great views over the water. I found some very ripe blackberries (the first of the season) WITHIN REACH just after we turned around for home.

Bliss!

Git 'er done!

Today was a doing things day!

Susan and I arrived at the barn at 7.57 am, about 20 seconds behind Karen. Pretty awesome. Andrew collected the small sprayer and was there about 9.00am. Meanwhile I'd given rems and swept the tack room.

The first approximation of spraying the field commenced. Karen had mixed the minerals with water and devised a system to filter the mineral sediment left behind so it wouldn't clog the sprayer. After a few small hitches keeping the sprayer attached to the truck's hitch, they were off. I got Fon tacked up and took her down for groundwork and a ride.

I decided to stick her back in her CR halter so I could do two-line work (aka the 'leg yield' business), and also see how she was to ride with the rope and the rein.
Fon doesn't really like the handler to be snugged up on her halter but she coped very well today. She was also free through her shoulders and active with her hind legs. Over to the left (on a circle to the right) was easier than the other direction. Transitions to trot were good.

She was in a better headspace when I got on than she has been in the previous couple of days. Partly helped by me knowing what the heck I need to do!!! I picked up the rein and the rope for a few circles and changes of direction, then dropped the rein and rode her on the rope (which is only attached to the halter, so functions like a type of bitless bridle). I continued with changes of direction but focused mainly on travelling to the right, her sticky side. I still need to contain my outside rein more, though I am getting better. I am remembering to open my knees more frequently and also working out which leg I need to wiggle to speak to the hind leg I want to activate. I found she was very good with the rope: I suspect it takes away some of the "negative" associations of the bit from her prior riding. After riding on the rope for quarter of an hour, I picked up the rein and rode with both. Her head was softer and lower; I achieved something! :) She is really coming into herself and has good "energy" going on.

Sully has been scratching the side of his face on the side of his stall door. We are not sure if he's rubbed something that's irritating him, if the rems are bringing something out, if he's eaten something that's causing a reaction, or another thing altogether, but now it's raw and he's rubbing it so we have to devise a plan to deal with it. Currently the calendula cream is helping the wound but not the itchiness. Today I tried Lucas' Paw paw ointment. I will also take some of my inert moisturiser (which I am not going to use up before I go home but don't want to take home in luggage due to weight) and see if applying that several times a day helps him. If so, we could leave some out for the barn staff to apply when they bring the horses in at night and/or feed breakfasts.

I decided to lunge Sully in the cavesson today due to him giving me lip yesterday (I love that he feels good enough to give me lip, but he needs to learn to work through any lip-giving processes). He was very good. A lot better on his feet but still somewhat shorter on his right front (the boxier hoof which has been giving him more grief), though better after he'd trotted for a while. He listened to my voice commands and softened for some nice trot work so we finished up and turned everyone out with their fly masks.

I drove from the barn for all of our errands. We dropped a key off to the last place I stayed, collected my peanut butter from Lana's (I bought a huge jar which would last me through to the time I left), purchased feed from Cenex and checked the post box.

Once home, lunch was made and Susan and I discussed another "project" for me: contact the other two Working Students for their help in compiling the CEI Working Student Program. Basically, they want to formalise the system: add a description of the position and pre-reqs and an application form to the website, have a list of barn chores, the agreement of what the working student gets and what they do in return. A couple of emails later, I've started my end of the deal (I had already typed up the list of barn chores so the other two should not have to do much on that).

One of Susan's current projects is re-covering the chairs at their breakfast bar. She had the vinyl fabric and the staple gun the chairs had been taken apart, but she ran out of time to complete the job. I created the "pattern" and cut the fabric out while she started her admin for the upcoming 101 course. I held the fabric taut while she used the electric staple gun. She screwed the chairs back together. We both agree the chairs look spunky! and the colour (a bright lime green) is perfect for the space and the colours already in the house. Job well done!

Next up was miss Josie, poodle face, who needed a bath. It's about 90-something degrees Fahrenheit (30+ degrees Celsius) so absolutely the best time to be playing with water. Josie is currently dry and being brushed, she'll get dinner and then we'll head out to kayak on the bay for an hour before going to a local eatery for some dinner.

Tomorrow we'll have a few more things to cross off the To Do list, but probably going to be another cruisy day!

Update after our kayaking adventure:

We spent about an hour kayaking around the marina. We got to see several groups of seals basking in the early evening sun and bobbing around in the water, as well as a great blue heron (unfortunately no photo of that guy).
Following that we stopped at a lovely Italian place for dinner. I am STUFFED and totally happy right now. We couldn't have picked a nicer, hotter (30-something degrees C) day to get out on the water, which was quite calm (almost "glassy" in places) with the sun glinting like diamonds. It was absolutely gorgeous.