Universe versus Mel
| November 10, 2017 | Posted by Melinda under Equine Endurance |
Let me tell you about how the universe took my weak-human plans and mopped the floor with me yesterday.
As part of my new “improved winter mental health plan” about two months ago I sat down with my clinics and planned mid-week days off November through the end of February. Approximately every other Thursday I took off, without pay (I’m a contract employee and do not get paid time off, so each of these days comes with a “cost” of several hundred dollars), with the express intention of getting trail miles in, reveling in the sunshine, or at the very least if stormy weather, having a day with childcare already taken care of to do WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT TO as a free women.
I’ve been practically rubbing my hands with glee as November approached and the first of my off-days approached. I credit my positive attitude towards winter this year because of these precious days off.
In November because of Thanksgiving holidays I took a single Thursday off. Yesterday.
The timing was going to be perfect for a long shake out ride on Farley to see what I had before Gold Rush Shuffle.
You see, I happen to know that one of the 50 mile days at the local post-Thanksgiving ride was probably going to be really short. Short enough I could probably enter Farley in it and we would do the equivalent of an LD that I knew she could do, with maybe a couple extra miles of me “hoofin'” it. And then…..I would have a 50 mile completion this year and if we happened to do enough LD’s next year during her retirement “just for fun”, we might be able to sneak another 50 and maybe still get a decade team.
It was sort of a sneaky back door plan. Yes she’s retired, no I don’t have goals….but if there’s a red shiny apple hanging on the lowest branch why not at least try?
As promised ML has been the priority for the last couple months. Farley isn’t doing much besides toodling around the arena according to my promise to her. Which is fine for doing an LD. But for a “we are calling it a 50 but it’s probably shorter” ride planned I wanted a confidence ride.
Yesterday’s Thursday off was positioned PERFECTLY for this confidence ride. About a month ago I decided that for this one day Farley had priority and we were going for it.
It was going to be tricky – it couldn’t be on any of our regular trails where Farley was going to sulky I had a couple trails in mind she hadn’t seen or had only been there once and had loved.
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Enter THE UNIVERSE stage right.
1 week prior to ride
UNIVERSE: What is this I hear of a back door 50 mile for Farley? That isn’t what I had in mind at all!!!!!!!! Let it rain let it rain let it rain. And yeah, forecasts are usually off BUT NOT THIS ONE. IT’S GOING TO RAIN THAT DAY….
MEL: Fine. I’ll drive 2/12 hours to a Farley-approved trail with excellent footing during the rain.
48 hours prior to ride
UNIVERSE: You are stubborn and foolish. Did you not get the hint this entire year? Every ride you thought you would do this year was cancelled and when you insisted and almost made it to a ride, Farley had to have hoof surgery. And now you think you will get the better of me with your secret 50 mile plan!!!!! Time for the husband intervention.
HUSBAND: I scheduled you to meet the roof repair guy at a time way-too-early-to-make-back-from-distant-trail-and-still-have-time-for-riding. OK thanks bye.
MEL: You’ve GOT to be kidding. Fine, I’ll….uh….do something closer and take chances with footing or uh…run or something.
18 hours prior to ride
UNIVERSE: STILL you defy me. I will not relent until you abandon all hope of a 50 miler and are committed to only LD’s in the near future.
DAYCARE: Ummm…I’m so sorry to do this to you but I have the flu and I need you to pick up Fig immediately and BTW I’ll be closed tomorrow.
MEL: (in a very tiny voice). Ummm…well…no trails…Maybe I’ll have a fun mom-daughter day and let her run around naked in the backyard naked in the mud or something and we’ll color together in color books and I’ll get some house projects done…and well ummm do something with my *day off*.
Morning of
UNIVERSE: BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
HUSBAND: Headache…must lay on couch…no noise or light…. and what’s for dinner since I will be home tonight after all?
MEL: *headdesk* *headdesk* *headdesk*
The single salvageable thing I did yesterday was have a 3 hour social lunch with 2 friends and a very well behaved Fig (at least for a 2 year old being forced to watch adults socialize and self-amuse). Which was great and wonderful and all that. But. A far cry to what I desperately hoped that day was going to be like.
I self-sabatoge a lot when it comes to not getting rides and runs in that I intended to do. But, this year and season has been the first time that I felt like outside forces were so totally stacked against me I never had a chance.
No back door 50 for Farley this season. I’ll ride the LD one of the days at the Thanksgiving ride, or maybe not. LD’s in both name AND intention for the foreseeable future if she’s game.
Happy now Universe?
Next special day off is early December. Crossing my fingers it goes better than this one.
You have my complete sympathy, Melissa. Sounds like you’ve figured out how to make lemonade out of the lemons life has a way of offering all too often. Hang in there, girl!
Thank you. I just keep plugging away!