Hi There

I had planned to write an amusingly-phrased update of our two horses (both fine), but I’m so tired I can’t see straight. Two weeks and counting of antibiotics and OTC pain meds will do that. Dentist again tomorrow at 9 am to discuss plans. I’ve already been to the ER the Sunday before Christmas, seen the dentist once, and visited the endodontist for a failed root canal redo. It’s been a lovely holiday season around here.

The good news is that I may have been wrestling with a low-grade tooth/jaw infection for a while, possibly years. That’s good news because fixing it might go a long way to invigorating my attitude. I might finally have the enthusiasm to work with Rodney and the energy to tackle horse shopping.

As I said elsewhere, my teeth have always been bad. OTOH, heart, skeletal, digestive, etc. systems appear to be ticking along without much supervision. So that’s good.

G’night. It’s daylight as I write this, but it’s bed o’clock somewhere.

A Book By Its Cover

cov Black Beauty threads

“That which is no longer necessary becomes art.”
Source forgotten.

I have gone on record that, far from dying out, the codex will flourish in the Internet age. Freed from the pressures of mass information delivery, books will be created with an eye to art.

It has begun. Penguin Threads features embroidered covers on classic works: Little Women, The Wizard of Oz, The Wind in the Willows, Emma, The Secret Garden, and Black Beauty. The originals are, “sketched out in a traditional illustrative manner, then hand stitched using needle and thread.” The commercial covers are embossed to follow the contours of the embroidery.

Short of putting the book in your hands, I cannot adequately convey how cool this looks and feels. Even the title on the spine is raised. The inside of the covers shows the reverse side of the embroidery, down to knots and loose threads. Someone had fun coming up with that idea. The paper, printing, and graphic design are in keeping with a beautiful, touchable book. The artist for the Black Beauty cover was Jillian Tamaki.

Now that I have this fancy copy, I’m not sure if I will reread the story. It isn’t the happiest of plots. However, makers of beautiful books need to be encouraged. My purchase is a vote for art.

The series is worth checking out if you have any interest in books, book making, graphic design, or crafts.

Coincidentally, The Wall Street Journal appears to agree with me on the longevity of the codex, Don’t Burn Your Books—Print Is Here to Stay, January 5, 2013.

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RS cat paws

Let Me Win

Rodney's Saga FFD1On Friday, I dusted off the dress uniform and broke out the brass to represent at a funeral of a woman close to our department. She approached everything in her life with gusto. Among other activities, she was an athlete at and motivational speaker for the Special Olympics.

During the service, two of the speakers cited the Special Olympics Athlete Oath:

Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.

While this woman did not compete with horses, Special Olympics does have an equestrian competition. Not to be confused with the equestrian segment of the Paralympics.

As a motto, this beats the pants off the Olympic creed (From here. Found on PDFs at IOC site):

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.

No. The goal is not to take part. Not one person in the 2012 parade of athletes was there because she thought London was a fun place to visit last summer. Even the most Eddie the Eagle dressage/jumping/eventing rider cherished a faint and secret hope that he would have the ride of a lifetime. Everyone who has ever competed in a backyard schooling show has imagined what it would be like to step on to that podium, to lead that victory gallop. If that is true of us average riders, how much more so for Olympic athletes? You don’t get to be the best in your country, and therefore on an Olympic team, by cherishing your collection of participation awards.

Yes, cheating is bad. Yes, there are more important things in life. Given a standard level of decency, the goal of competition is to win. The Special Olympics has that right.

So, funerals, bad. Inspiring messages, good

(This is the curse of a daily blog. Everything becomes content.)
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RS R&G resting

Calendar Planning

I am compiling a perpetual reference calendar, see below, for major horse shows and events. The specific dates may wobble from year to year, but the placement is usually constant, e.g. the first Sunday in May.

Partly, the goal is to use the list to keep abreast of major happenings in the horse world. First, to feel ever so slightly more connected to the wide, wide world. Second, being every so slightly more connected may help me get back into marketing articles. Third, failing this, perhaps I will get post ideas.

Mostly, it’s a list. Making a list warms my little OCD heart.

What have I missed? Specifically, Haynet & other international readers: Help me redress the US bias of my list. What is the big national show for your breed/discipline in your country?

April
American Invitational show jumping
Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event eventing

May
Kentucky Derby racing
Devon Horse Show hunter/jumper

June
National Appaloosa Show

July
Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show saddlebred

August
Tevis Cup endurance
World’s Championship Horse Show saddlebred
The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration®

September
American Eventing Championships (2013 listing)

October
All American Quarter Horse Congress
Pennsylvania National Horse Show hunter/jumper
The Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show®
Washington International Horse Show hunter/jumper
Alltech National Horse Show hunter/jumper

November
National Academy Championship Show saddlebred
US Dressage Finals, new in 2013

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RS thing in the box

Not So New Resolution

Let’s harness the power of opensource humiliation:

Rodney's Saga soda gut
Say what you want about accepting one’s own body, this is just sloth. Therefore, I am joining the mass of Americans in vowing to use this year to Get In Shape – or at least lose this sucker.

Exercise Plan: Move daily.

Step one – Walk. The shepherd [Dog Walks] has taken the place of the mare [My Two] as my excuse for taking walks around the field. Swim. This has the added advantage of getting me out among the three-dimensional people. Stretch.

Definition of mission success: Close to daily for walks and stretching. Solid on 3x week for swimming.

Step two – Stir in cardio and strength work. Consider finding a sport, an exercise class, a non-couch/computer activity. Sit-ups.

Step always – realize that this is not wasted time. This is an opportunity to live in my body and not just in my head.

Diet Plan: Eat three meals. Don’t eat junk.

Advantages – I have an excellent, in-house chef who is willing to make my breakfast before he goes to work, leave a sandwich for my lunch, and make restaurant-quality dinners when he gets home. Yes, I’m lucky. Insanely so. I tell him that regularly.

I only drink on special occasions or indulge in the occasional half glass of something, usually a beer/wine cooler in the summer. There be lots of calories in booze.

I don’t gorge on chips or dessert. If I snack, I tend to reach for crackers, olives, raisins, nuts. Mostly I don’t snack.

Except …

Disadvantages – My weaknesses are Coca-Cola and chocolate bars, including M&Ms. What I lack in range of vices, I make up for in quantity. This’ll be trouble.

Psychological Tactics: The above picture is going on the fridge.

Caveat: Only a few days ago, I promised that my posts would be at least tangentially equine [Mark II]. This is. I should diet for my health. I should get fit out of respect for myself as a whole person. However, I’m doing it to ride better.

How much does riding motivate your diet &/or exercise?

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RS lap dog

There are days when it’s just too difficult to get out of the chair.