Under the rainbow you will find...

Well, Orion is going to stay north for the month of July.  Its right near a bike rail-trail which allows for TONS of mileage to build up for the race.  It will be a little harder to build in the hill time I need, but I’ll get it done one way or another.  If he can go the 30 miles in a respectable time on the flat then I know he’ll do great with a few hills.  Besides, my goal is to get us both through it soundly and in good health more than to win the whole thing.

For two past nights I was lucky enough to get to ride in an Austrailian saddle.  I very much considered buying it, but upon discovery that it probably wouldn’t fit him well if/when he actually puts on some weight I decided to hold off.  Its such a great deal though!  Oh well, pretty pictures of it have been obtained and that’s good enough for now.  It’ll help me in my quest to buy one of my own one day.  Someday when I’m willing to take the time to learn to ride in it better – we had some arguments, the saddle and I, when it came to cantering/galloping and how I should sit in it.  Ah well.

 Last night Orion did 8 miles in an hour.  Alternated one mile trot, one mile canter.  All flat land, but still, a pretty good clip to be traveling at.  His flat land endurance is gonna be bomber in no time!  It will be a great starting point for working on some hills.

I’ve been thinking about taking some “off-the-grid” weekends here in the near future.  Keeping my cell phone and internet usage to a minimum and just taking in the things around me in full.  Really appreciating and enjoying whatever I happen to get into to the fullest.  Perhaps I won’t even write about them when the week resumes.  Perhaps I’ll just post a photo collage if I do communicate.  I haven’t decided.  All I know is I like the idea of being off-the-grid and away from the real-world entirely. 

The real-world is really getting to me lately.  The whole having summers off and having no responsibility during the “younger years” kind of ruins this real-world bit.  Summer is when I should be able to be silly, have fun, have no responsibilities…and here I am beginning my first real-world stint.  Don’t get me wrong, I like my job and I’m gaining incredible professional experience.  Buts its just hard integrating myself into a world of a little more permanence and less oh-I-think-I’ll-do-this-just-because-I-can-because-there’s-nothing-else-to-do mindset I’ve been in forever.  But I guess everyone hits this point eventually.  And having friends around me who love their jobs and find ways to balance real-world & play-world encourages me that I can, and I will find that before long.

I have a long weekend these next three weekends which is great.  Then after that I will have 3-day weekends every other weekend.  Hurrah flex-schedules and the government.  Granted I do miss the days of 4/10s and having three-day weekends all the time.  Though I wouldn’t have time to do what I want to as far as horses go if I got off later in the day.  Though my last government job that allowed 4/10s was also a position where I was outside all day everyday – or at least in a vehicle on my way to a sweet forested location.  Ah, the memories.  Makes me realize how many amazing opportunities I’ve had already.  How much professional experience I’ve built in my desired field.  Hopefully I can find my niche in the real-world for a bit while I figure out graduate school options.  I’m certain I can.  Off-the-grid weekends are bound to aid in putting me into this new real-world mindset.  Mini-vacations to put my mind at ease.  I can’t wait.