... but I'm going to tell you about my weekend anyway.   My blog, my rules. 

So, Friday was a new Battlestar Galactica.  I am addicted to this show.   It is frakin' good, people.  Watch it you must.

Saturday, 2.0 and I (2.0 is a new friend/character-  she has the same name as a former friend of mine but is a new and improved version) went dress shopping.  She found one; I did not.  But the best part was that she took me to this cool jewelery store in Chapel Hill, and all the jewelery was 50% off, and I got 2 new pairs of earrings.  And also run on sentences. 

Overheard in 2.0's wicked cool car:
2.0:  I said shit before and was worried you might be offended.  (Everyone who knows me, stop  with the laughter!)

WG:   I like Tori Amos, but I never understand what her songs are about.
2.0:  I make something up.  It's better that way.

Q:  One time, when Cdub was over, did Orion try to eat the same piece of fuzz off of the carpet 4 times?

A:  Yes.  He would taste it, decide it wasn't food, and spit it out.  Then, he would see it again and, apparently forgetting his previous experience, would repeat.  He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Q:  Speaking of Cdub, did she tell you she wants to build her own home entertainment system hooked to a computer?

A:  Yes, yes she did.  Immediately after she told me she couldn't figure out how to work her new cell phone.

Q:  Did you recently have a conversation with your father in which he tried to convince you that arsenic was biodegradable?

A:  Yes, yes I did.  He did not believe me that this was not possible since arsenic is a.) toxic and b.) an element.

Q:  Interesting.  So, you tell him how to do police work, right?

A:  No, never. 

Q:  So, when Bud bought the timeshare in Maine so that he could spend a week skiing, did you tell him that he could go to Sunday River, which was supposed to be a great ski area?

A:  Yes, and he told me I didn't know what I was talking about.

Q:  So where did he go skiing when he went to Maine?

A:  Sunday River.

Q:  Did you spend most of yesterday clicking on the pictures on this website and laughing, even though you know that the original flier was made by an autistic boy looking for his stuffed frog?

A:  Yes, yes I did.  This one is the best. 

Q:  You do realize you're going to hell?

A:  Yes.

Q:  Did you suggest to the safety department that Paige's father should have a new nickname?

A:  Yes, yes I did.

Q:  And what is it?

A:  Babu

Q:  ??

A:  Long story

Q:  Did you tell Jasper he was a good boy because he was eating yesterday?

A:  Yes.

Q:  Did he look at you like you were crazy?

A:  Yes, yes he did.

Q:  Is this format designed so that you can string together a bunch of unrelated stuff and call it an entry?

A:  Certainly not.

Last night, Cdub and I met Cool Boss and the entire Cool Boss family at the state fairgrounds for the 22nd annual Southern National Draft Horse Pull.  Prior to the pull, there was a Coon Mule Jump.   (TRgirl:  And was that fun?)  Anyway, here's a picture of one of the lightweight teams.

The winning heavyweight team pulled 10,000 lbs successfully, and pulled 10,500 lbs about 15 feet.

So, this weekend started off badly.  I had to tell Cool Boss that I was sick and needed to go home (he knows the particulars, and was very understanding, one of the many reasons he is Cool Boss).  Then I called Cdub and told her I needed to have lunch with my friend.  Her only question?  "Where?"  She met me at Olive Garden for Soup/Salad/Breadsticks, and then I went home and took a nap.  That night was the  draft horse pull.   Cdub and I stayed until the end (well, not through the awards presentation), but the Cool Spawn were tired, so the Cool Boss family left.  (I am told Cool Spawn fell asleep in the car on the way home.)   Then, since she would not have made it home in time and hadn't set up a tape,  we watched Battlestar Galactica. 

Saturday I woke up feeling better and ended up going shopping for dress shoes.  While at the mall, I decided that a pedicure was in order, and whilst my feet were soaking, the (what is the word?  nail tech?  I don't know.) talked me into a manicure.  But I did end up getting shoes.  Shoes on sale.  Then, there were more shoes on sale, so I bought another pair.  Yay shoes!

Wait, the shoes were after TRgirl called me and told me that the week they are going to Nags Head (The BIL"s parents have rented a house) is the week I am in Baltimore giving a presentation at the Batelle conference.  Stupid career advancement interfering with fun!

Sunday I got the ingredients for sausage and artichoke soup, and made a pot for during the SuperBowl.  MW joined me for the game and the soup.  I was rooting for the Pats, but I was hoping for a better game.   Also, Paul McCartney as the halftime show?  Did that not scream, "Who is the least likely artist to be found offensive?" 

Anyway, the insomnia came back last night, so y'all almost got a post at 2 AM.  (I played word games here instead.)  I decided that a workout might help fight that and allow me to sleep tonight, so I went to the gym this afternoon.  Actually, I had told Cool Boss I'd rather go walking at Lake Johnson, but was worried about being out there in the dark by myself.  I checked  my phone after I left the gym, and there was a voicemail from 2.0 asking me if I wanted to go walking.  So I did.   Fingers crossed, I will sleep tonight!

So, yesterday was 2 years since the accident.    I didn't realize this until today.  Today was a riding day, to replace last week's missed lesson (it rained all day).  When I got there, I saw I'd be riding Bruno.    (Note:  Laura, who is standing next to him, is about 5'10").  Heather said, "How do you feel about a bareback lesson."  I agreed, and then said, "You realize this will be my first bareback." 

H:  Ever?
WG:  No, since...
H:  Ah.

It took me three tries to get up on his back.  (You cannot mount Bruno gracefully without the benefit of stirrups.  You have to jump up, land your belly on his back, and swing the leg over.)  At first, I was a little nervous, but we just walked around the ring for a long time.  I began to feel quite comfortable, and we even tried a little trot.  As Heather said, this was a big hurdle for me, so I spent much of the lesson with the aforementioned grin.

Also?  Steph is in town again, so Cdub and I took her to my favorite restaurant.  This time, we did not treat her to an Australian drag queen movie, however. 

So, last night I had another lesson- this was instead of the Thursday lesson, because I had book club.  I rode Solie.   We even did some no hands (and no lunge line) work up in the round pen.  The bareback lesson apparently had quite an effect- I felt much more confident, and according to Heather, looked more confident as well.  The best exchange of the night follows.  (Well, some explanation first.  I've been having a problem wherein instead of keeping my weight centered over the saddle, I am shifting it to the right.  The conversation occurred at the sitting trot.)

H:  Are you thinking about your weight?
WG:  No, I'm thinking about how this is totally the wrong bra for this.
H:  That is definitely not what I expected you to say.

... that you may or may not know about me (idea stolen borrowed from many other bloggers).

1. I don't like raw tomatoes.  I've tried, but no.  I will eat them cooked, however.
2. Because of this, I do not own ketchup.
3. I don't like raw onions either.
4. Jasper is named after this Canadian National Park, which I hope to visit in the near future.
5. Orion was named (not by me) after the constellation, but I like to tell people he was named after the electrode company. 
6. I am a natural blonde.
7. Also, the hair is naturally curly.
8. I love coffee.
9. Most of my friends are older than I am. It's fairly evenly balanced right now.
10. I like North Carolina, but I miss New England.
11. I do not miss New Jersey.
12. Except for the pizza.
13. I will not wear clothing with obvious branding.  If you want me to advertise for you, pay me.  I will not pay you for the privilege.
14. I am horse mad.
15. I consider myself a dressage rider, even though I have ridden in exactly 2 about 7 shows.
16. I prefer a paper planner to a PDA.
17. I drive a Nissan Sentra Ford Escape.
18. I bought it because it fits me I love it.
19. I'd like something bigger, but whenever I drive an SUV, I miss my car.
20. I cannot parallel park.
21. I love bridges.
22. My favorite pizza toppings are pepperoni and mushrooms.
23. I love to cook.
24. I am a good cook.
25. I don't cook for just me.
26. I cuss like a sailor, especially when mad.
27. There is one word I do not use. Ever. 
28. I went to Annapolis for a year.
29. Leaving was the best decision I ever made.
30. I love hardwood floors.
31. I have never lived anywhere with them.
32. My beverage of choice (non-alcoholic) is Caffeine Free Diet Coke.
33. There really is no alcoholic beverage of choice.  I vote for them all!
34. I have been to Spain, Germany, the UK, Mexico, and Canada.
35. I am the oldest of four.
36. The youngest and I are separated by 14 years.
37. Parties make me nervous.
38. But I force myself to go.
39. I have a good time once I get there.
40. I love road trips.
41. Actually, I love most trips.
42. Only one of my cats has front claws.
43. But that's OK, because the other one is the one with teeth.
44. I take hot showers. 
45. I cannot grow ferns.
46. However, I have no problem with African violets.
47. You want me on your trivia team.  My mind is an amazing repository of useless knowledge.
48. I am repulsed by and drawn to snakes.
49. I would like to get a fish tank again, but am afraid Orion would knock it over.  Or drown in it.
50. I hate hamburgers. I started eating them again after 20 years. No idea why.
51. But sometimes I crave a big, juicy steak.
52. I make my bed every morning.
53. I have a weakness for chocolate.
54. And a certain Van Morrison song.
55. No, I'm not telling which one.
56. I love Italian food.
57. And Mexican.
58. And Thai.
59. I'm meh on Chinese.
60. Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby is the best ice cream ever.
61. I also like mint chocolate chip.
62. But so does Orion.
63. I love cities with good public transportation.
64. I don't understand why one would drive when that is an option.
65. I am allergic to shellfish.
66. I wasn't always.
67. My Epipen is in my purse.
68. One of the reasons I love to go see my aunt in Culpeper is because I can curl up on the couch, reading and drinking coffee, all day.
69. I could do that at my house too, but I don't.
70. My aunt's house feels more like home to me than my parents'.
71. I have been known to go days without eating meat.
72. I love shoes, but also love being barefoot.
73. This works out well, as Jasper likes me to scratch him with my toes.
74. I am not very good at sleeping.
75. I prefer white wine to red.
76. I would love to study linguistics.
77. My sister and I shared a room growing up.
78. I can't imagine not having siblings.
79. I am very close to my mom.
80. Not so much to my dad.
81. My comfort meal is grilled cheese and tomato soup. 
82. I am the only member of my immediate family of legal driving age who doesn't drive an SUV. Now Bud and Goose don't.
83. My mom and I are the only ones whose vehicles aren't blue. There are only 2 blue cars left.
84. My favorite breed of dog is the Cardigan Welsh Corgi.
85. I am a very good cashier.
86. When I give a presentation, I have to have a plant in the back of the room telling me to slow down.
87. Because I can talk very fast.
88. I insist that people use coasters in my house.
89. Even though I hate my end tables. I have new end tables. I like them.
90. I am terrified of fire.
91. I had more fun and did less work as a grad student than as an undergrad.
92. My favorite city in the U.S. is Boston.
93. I spent more on video games than gambling in Las Vegas.
94. I want to go back and do more hiking. 
95. Cdub and I like to get to the movies early so that we can play House of the Dead. 
96. We suck at it.
97. I know from personal experience that when you are in a wheelchair, people pretend to not see you.
98. I was probably the same way.
99. I love buying makeup.
100. I don't wear it often.

(I am trying to explain to Cool Boss that he may have to stop in this weekend to refill the reservoirs for a project we are working on.)

WG:  So, it's looking more and more like the 2L reservoir we need will not come in before this weekend.

CB:  You ordered it already right?

WG:  Actually, no.

CB (laughing):  Well, now I see why it's looking that way.

Last night was the 13th annual Triangle Water for Life event.   I am on the planning committee, so last week was quite busy with the last minute stuff.  This year we had a new venue and a new caterer.  The event went well- the new venue seemed quite popular.  I had a wonderful time.   Here I am with fellow book club members.

We raised $77,000 to fund drinking water projects in India, Bangladesh, Honduras, and Ethiopia.  I made my first ever live auction purchase, The Bayou by Susan Hecht. 

I was drawn to it when I first saw it, and made the final bid on it (Note:  this was my only bid on it.  I had talked myself out of it.).   I am planning on hanging it in my living room, above the couch. 

So, last week I didn't post after weigh-in, because I had a gain.  A fairly significant gain.  But this week I stuck to the plan, did what I was supposed to, and lost that gain plus an additional 2.6 lbs.  Total loss is now at 10.6 lbs.

Orion had his dental cleaning yesterday, and they had to pull 2 teeth.  He's still got a long way to go to  catch up to Jasper:  28 vs. 5.  I have to give him antibiotics for 10 days and pain meds for 4.  Jealous?

Yesterday, Cool Boss and I were cleaning up the warehouse, and the dust gave me an asthma attack.  Now, my asthma is pretty much under control, as indicated by the fact that my inhaler was 2 years out of date.  Cool Boss had to go home and get one from the Cool Wife.  I am fine, in case you are worried.

Cdub has been sick for 2 days now.  Which should keep her out of the grips of the Skeleton-masked thief, who is striking near her house.  Be careful, Cdub!  I think laughing at him, while appropriate, would also be ill-advised.   

On Saturday, I had my first ever Pilates class.  I am hoping the Pilates will improve my riding and allow me to ground-mount, which is required for my dream riding vacation in Banff. 

Anyway, it's a lot of ab work, which I need.  However, I have scheduled my first regular class (Saturday's was a slow-paced primer) for tonight.  Tomorrow I am riding.  Wednesday I may be begging for the wheelchair back.*

We went hiking on Saturday out at Umstead- it was one of those warm-even- though-it's-February days that we get here in NC- I was warm enough in jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt.  It is still apparently too early to see snakes, which is OK with me.  I took my camera, meaning to get pictures, but forgot. 

The Water for Life Event wrap-up dinner was also this weekend.  We go over things we need to improve and ways to make more money.  My main concern was that we have a menu placed at each table, so that I know if the salmon being served has shrimp on it.** 

*no, not really

**Babu probably had something to do with that.  He's always trying to kill me- turning on the heat before the dust is blown out, inviting me to the Chinese buffet.  Y'all, he's in the safety department!

I had a doctor's appointment today that ran late, so I missed Pilates.  I did make it to Weigh-in, where I found out I lost 0.8 lbs.  That's actually quite good, when you consider the loss of 6.6 lbs. last week.  And all of the going out to lunch with my co-workers.   And eating out Saturday and Sunday.  Y'all, I am a very bad dieter.