The blog is BACK!!!

What I am listening to: Talk by Coldplay
What I am reading: 7th Heaven

I hope this won't be too long of a post, but there is a lot to fill everyone in on... lots has happened since my last blog post nearly four months ago. I had a lot of reasons for not filling in on the blog, but they are very complicated and stuff I don't want to get into on a semi- public level.

Updates:
Smiley is back to full work now!!! We started trotting under saddle in late December, cantering in late January. He was very, very naughty for a great deal of the time, and finally, in the middle of February, David and I made the decision to step up the work and then at the beginning of March, to go back to almost full work. He needed something to think about and do, so we started lateral work and such. I took him to the CdK clinic last weekend and Charles was very happy with him, especially on Sunday.

Venturo and I were asked to be second level demo riders at Equine Affaire in Pomona with Charlotte Bredahl (1992 Olympic Team Bronze medallist), so we got a chance to ride with her which was very educational and fun as well. We went up to her facility in the Santa Ynez area in mid January and rode with her prior to Equine Affaire, and then hauled down to Equine Affaire the first weekend in Feb. to the actual event. He was SO good, and despite the large crowds and distractions, did some very nice work. At the end of February, we had the Midwinter Dressage Show- our first at second level. The first test was not so good, but we ended up with a 63% on Sunday. I've been taking him to all of the Charles de Kunffy clinics and really noticed a difference in him since I have been doing so.

We also had a show this past weekend. We only got in on Friday and Sunday. On Friday I rode second 1, and felt it was one of his most solid tests ever- we got a 64%, but I was really happy with the quality of the work in the test. On Sunday, we did second 3 and ended up with a 63%, but I felt that Friday's test and Saturday's schooling sessions were of a higher quality.

School is also in full swing this semester. I am taking International Politics, Politics and the Environment, Environmental Science and Resource Management, and Psychology. My favorite class is International Politics and my least fave is... well, perhaps I shouldn't say that. I don't really have a least favorite though.

Today, I don't have class, since it is "Cesar Chavez Day"... thank goodness... I don't think I could have dealt with it after being at a horse show for five days and getting some sort of stomach flu the last day of the show.

Also, I have been religiously following the Presidential Primaries... Decision 2008, You Decide 2008- whatever you want to call it, but I am ready to make my OFFICIAL endorsement of a candidate... it would have come in January if I would have been blogging in January, but it has to come now.

I am going to endorse BARACK OBAMA for President

haha... I figured with everyone and their brother coming out to endorse a candidate, I might as well jump on the bandwagon.

More tomorrow (I promise... I really am back!!!)