So, my insomnia is back.  Why?  Most likely due to my current mood.  (Current mood:  Wickedly insecure.)  My goal tonight is to not even get into bed before 11.  (Usually, I am in bed by 10:30.)  So, I must find things to pass the time.  Now, I could read the current book club book, but I still have a week.  And also, 1.5 hours tonight.  And, I know the ending.  (Actually, that brings up a story from when Angeler and I went to London.  We toured the Tower of London, and the Yeoman Warder who was leading our group around asked me where I was from.  When I told him Raleigh, he looked at me solemnly and said, "Next time, take the high ground at Gettysburg."  Also helpful if J.E.B. Stuart is not out gallivanting.)  Anyway, you would think that, since I don't actually have to be at work at a specific time, I could just sleep in a little.  You would be wrong, because Jasper understands what the alarm going off means, and I can hit snooze, but then I've got a little black cat on the bed mewing in my ear (also?  His breath?  Could strip paint.)

So, Amalah posted pictures of her pretty new car (scroll down) yesterday, and while that car is cool,  it made me realize that at some point the most important thing in a car to me became cargo space.  Seriously.  I want a Subaru Outback.   Or, Cool Boss has a Toyota Matrix, and it's cool.  And have you seen the new Nissan Quest? Sweet!  Y'all, it appears I have lost my mind.  Although, this is probably due to the fact that every time I want to buy something large (e.g.  a new computer, a grill), I have to call Cdub and bribe her to take me in her minivan.  I really appreciate the help, but it'd be nice to do these things for myself. 

So sleepy.  Only 1.5 hours left...

From a co-worker:

"I've given up looking for logic.  It just gets too frustrating."

This weekend started out as most of mine do- house cleaning.  (Well, after a trip to the library.)  It was different in that usually I don't have to pull the kitchen sink apart because it won't drain.  (It turns out that cabbage is not a good thing to put down the garbage disposal.) 

Saturday evening MW came up, and we joined the Wild Women for the Tift Merritt concert at the North Carolina Museum of Art.  This was MW's first WW event.  Hopefully, he wasn't scared off by the copious amount of food (group picnic!) wine (always wine!  And some mixed thing!), chair shifting, and hugging.  Tift was great- if y'all are not familiar with her music, do check it out. 

Also?  It turns out that MW does a pretty good George W impression.  I cannot decide if this is charming or terrifying.

Sunday, Kat and I went walking and then hung out at the pool for a little while.  While at the pool, we had a discussion about the two children who were there swimming, without their mother.  I was of the opinion that they shouldn't be there, and I would not send my kids (I'd say the eldest, a boy, was about 8.  The younger one, a girl, was 4 or 5.) off to the pool by themselves.  Kat thought it appropriate, as the boy was watching his sister.  Also, she does not believe the mother can swim.  (Because I could swim before I could walk, people who cannot swim are baffling to me.)

Ri stole rubber bands from both MW and Kat, so it was a good weekend for him.  The concert threw off Jasper's bedtime routine (we didn't even get home until after 11!), so he spent Sunday recovering from that.  He can deal with his teeth falling out of his head (current count: 4), but going to bed after 11?  Madness!

There's this thing going around the blog world called the interview game.   Zoot was interviewed by Bad Penguin, who was interviewed by Blue Poppy, etc.  Anyway, when  Zoot posted her answers, she offered to interview others.  Since I am shy and retiring, I was all, "Pick me!  Please?"  Anyway, here are her questions and my answers.  Any of the five bloggers who read this here thing and want to play, let me know.  Rules at the end. 

Dear Boys,

I am sorry I made fun of you the other day.  (I didn't know you guys were reading.  Thanks!)  Thank you for the mouse I found by the bed this morning.  But mostly thank you for not putting the mouse on the bed.

Love,

Watergirl

When I pulled up at the barn today, Dylan (Heather's son) met me at my car, like he always does.  I opened the door and said, "Can I have a hug?"  He gave me a big hug and said, "I love you sooo much."

I am a crazy cat lady.  Earlier this evening, I was sitting at my desk.  Ri was sitting on my desk.  He quite deliberately knocked some papers off into the garbage.  I said, "Orion!  Why did you do that?  And don't even tell me you didn't mean to, 'cause that's a lie!"

So, I just spoke to mom.  The conversation went like this:

Mom:  So, what did you do today?
WG:  Well, first I spent 2 hours at the barn getting Solie ready for tomorrow.
Mom:  Why were you at the bar with Solie?

Today I rode in my first show of the 2005 season, at MacNair's Country Acres, a big, fancy, expensive barn about 10 minutes from my house. (No pictures, as Heather and I were there alone.)   I rode Solie, and we had good rides and got decent scores from a tough judge.  We placed 3rd in our Intro A class, and 6th in our Intro B class.  The A test went better- we were tired in the B test.  I am pleased with how it went, especially for the first show.   We have things to work on, but that's to be expected.

Best judge's comment?  "Nice pair."  Yep, he and I have a history, but, as Heather put it, "You like each other."  Yep, he's my Old Man.  (He's 21.  Lifespan of an Appaloosa?  25-30.)

So, that's the good.  The bad?

1. Solie whinnied at another horse just as we rode past the judge.
2. My forearms are burnt to a crisp, and I will have the worst farmer's tan ever once it heals, as I was wearing gloves.
3. Strange bruise on my calf, probably from the stirrup leathers.
4. The brief period (<2 minutes) in which I was Waterworksgirl.  Disaster averted because Heather is a good friend.

Heather's take on the show is here.

So, in checking my visitor stats tonight, I see that someone hit upon my site when they searched (using yahoo search) for "awesome boys bedroom".    Actually, they got sent to this page.  Now my boys are awesome, and they spend time in the bedroom, but not like that. 

Now that I think about it, were they looking for awesome boys in a bedroom, a bedroom for an awesome boy, or an awesome bedroom for a boy? 

Mesh underwear and riding are not the best combination.

Y'all, Mandy is currently in Peru, working at a community center tutoring underprivileged kids.  The center was held up at gunpoint on Friday.  The entire story is here.  Do help if you can.

So, I haven't really updated lately.  I've been busy with work, and my PE application, and my TiFaux'ed episodes of Into the West. 

I spent the last 2 days at the NCSU library, doing an industrial wastewater literature search.  It's like being a grad student again!  But with more money!  (Actually, that's a good description of my job.)

I've put the PE off a year longer than I should have, but the application is now moving along smoothly.  All my references are lined up, transcripts have been requested, and the MA Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors should be forwarding my Proof of Licensure (as an EI) to their NC counterpart.

I was worried about the references part, but everyone I asked was willing.  I got a range of reactions, from,  "You're sitting already?" to "It's about time."  One of my ex-bosses said that he would only recommend me if I promise not to break his streak.  Everyone he's endorsed has passed the test on the first try.  (Note:  Don't actually want to take it twice.)

I've ordered my basic study books (and threw in a Tift Merritt CD).  They'll be here next week.  And then?  Studying.

I cantered today, for the first time since my accident.  (This site has animations of the different gaits of the horse, in case you are unfamiliar.)  I've never felt as secure at the canter as I did tonight.  Heather was even talking about the possibility of riding a Training Level test in a show later this year.  (Currently I am riding Intro level tests.)

Saturday, even though there was stuff I should be doing, I went shopping (sales!  massive sales!).  I didn't get much- just a summer bathrobe.  But still, it was fun. 

Sunday was the Second Annual Castle Farm Schooling Show.  I scored dressage tests and judged the stadium jumping and cross-country, as well as scoring combined tests and eventing.  I put my 45 sunblock on in the morning, but should have reapplied.  Little bit of sunburn on the neck. 

That night, I drove down to Sanford to meet MW for dinner (we both had busy weekends, and he was all, "Let's meet halfway for dinner on Sunday."  Brilliant.)  (Of course, the restaurant I picked (based upon what was clearly the worst web search ever) was non-existent.  There was another one in its place, but it was closed.)  MW had passed some other restaurants on the way, so we went to the Sagebrush Steakhouse.  I recognized the road it was on- I had driven down it to meet him for our first date.  (That time?  There was a cub scout providing music in the parking lot.  This time?  Not so much.  He's slipping.) 

Anyway, I did get to see more of Sanford, which is a nice little town, with excellent buildings downtown.  Also houses like this.  NC has many of these little bungalows, and I love them.  (Oh, and yes, I would take down all the wallpaper.  And replace that red countertop.  And I am totally putting rocking chairs on the front porch.  Of the house I am not buying.)

Yesterday, my PE study books (and my Tift Merritt CD) came in.  UPS delivered them to the office at my complex.  I went to pick them up after work, and (after handing me my packages, which you will note had my address on them) my complex manager said, "What building do you live in?"  When I told her, she replied, "Well, be careful.  I'm having maintenance put down Snake-Away.  I walked out onto the patio of Unit B today and almost stepped on a copperhead.  Animal control came by and got it, and they said the snakes are on the move."

The snakes are on the move?