Super Day off

This is still Chuckles writing this blog, so far ;) 

The B/CS finally got rain!!!  Yea! 

The best part about rain is that A stays home. 

It's not like she actually needs an excuse to stay home, hasn't taken anytime off in at least 2 weeks.

The show was cancelled because of footing and with tomorrow being Super Bowl XLVI maybe A will slow down for a minute.  I think mom said something about stuffed jalapenos.  Yum!

So A gets a day off.  Maybe we can some of the stuff around here done, all this rain lately has left a lot of mud.  Best part of being a grown-up, on your days off you get to catch up on work at home.  Fun! fun!

Since we aren't going to get any pictures from the show this weekend

here are a couple pictures from a recent outing to Meadow Creek.

Anchored Down & Horsing Around / Tales From the Other End of the Horse

I, as in Chuckles, have decided to create a second blog called "Tales From the Other End of the Horse" so as to rededicate this blog to it's intended purpose, A and AnchorEquestrian.  Especially now with business is doing so well and A is having so much fun doing it.  Besides, maybe this way we can get A to start writing and she can explain to all of us what exactly we are looking at!?!

And whether or not 'Dressage' is actually French for "boring." 

Like I said, business is good and even though I'm not sure that AE is "making money," A is happy and the bills get paid.  I'm not sure what else we could ask for.  Isn't that what we all want?  A job we love to do and to get paid doing it?

YES PLEASE!

This past Sunday, January 22, AE had like 10 students and 12 horses, or something crazy like that, out schooling Pine Hill.  I really wish I had gone to take pictures but I am not quite yet accustomed to these early, EARLY!!!, hours they get started.


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There are a couple more schoolings and shows coming up and I plan on being there to get the pictures.

In the meantime if you are looking for me, I'll be here and there, check out "Tales From the Other End of the Horse."

Aggie Ring

I signed up to order my Aggie ring!  Whooop! I go January 27th to get sized and pay for my ring and then Aggie Ring Day is March 30th.  So mark your calendars.

I've never been one much on jewelry (rings, watches, necklaces, ect.), but this is one that I can't wait for. I think my parents are worried that I'll end up wearing my Aggie ring about as long as I wore my high school class ring, but there is a difference.  My high school ring didn't require much of an effort to earn, but my Aggie ring I've had to work my ( | ) off for.  Add to that the fact that the Aggie ring is a very visible connection to other Ags.   I'm really excited bout this milestone because for me it has been such a long time coming and yet it seems like only yesterday that I decided I needed to finish school.

Speaking of school.  I have to start back this week.  Thankfully this semester I only have class on Thursdays and methods hours Mondays and Tuesdays (actually in the classroom).  I'm also having to take a class online to finish up my required science hours.  I've taken a lot of math and science classes but somehow managed to take some that didn't work with my degree plan.  That has more to do with the fact that I was a Business management major before deciding I would be better suited to assigning HOURS & HOURS of daily homework.  *Evil Laugh*

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I'm sitting here now getting my stuff ready for school, working on defensive driving, and of course this blog.

Yea for defensive driving!  It's fun stuff, let me tell you.

Be The Match Bone Marrow Donation

My donation is done, and the stem cells have been sent on their way.  I am hoping that the cells have reached their destination and the recipient has received her transfusion.  Unfortunately, as I mentioned before I won't know anything for at least 30 days and it will be at least a year before I know her status.

I'm still a little sore today, specifically my knees ache.  Not from the donation but from the medicine that remains in my system.  As far as the donation sites in my arms, I can't even tell where the needles were.  The nurse that put the needle (blood out of my left arm) and catheter (blood back in in my right wrist) was awesome.  He did a really good job that at first I wasn't even aware that he had even stuck me.

During the donation, I was talking to the nurse and he mentioned that when he first started doing this in 2001 he could count the number of donors that came in a month on one hand.  Now he says there are 4 or 5 donors a week.  He also mentioned that when they first started taking the donations they were not necessarily as nice to the donors as they should have been.  As the science has progressed and these organizations have started to recognize the benefits of taking the donations in this manner (through the blood draw) they have also started to really pamper the donors as much as possible.  I would have to agree with his statement because while I may have been achy and sore, anytime yesterday during the donation I asked for anything there was at least three people willing to get it for me.

We were also entertained by the day 1 resident that was in the lab observing.  This future doctor kid was awkward at best.  He kept asking the patients that came in, "So what are you in for?"  I was waiting for one of the old guys to tell him "I just wandered in to see what you were doing."  At one point this doctor was asking a patient what exactly the symptoms were to his cancer.  The patient looked at this kid like his was crazy and A and I couldn't help but laugh.  When the patient finished telling him, the kid looked at the guy and said "Tell me how you say the name of your cancer again."  I wish I could have taken a picture of this guy's face because it was priceless.  Confusion and worry.

Well like I said, I'm done!  I did my best to add some positive thoughts to my donation because I'm sure this lady could use all of the help she can get.  Where ever, who ever you are, I'm rooting for you!

Now only time can tell.

Have you signed up yet?  You should.  You never know who you could be helping.  It could end up being someone you actually know.  It could even be a kid that turns out to be the greatest president we've ever seen or someone that decides to create flying cars.  Be The Match.

www.marrow.org

Bone Marrow Donation: Day 5 Injections & Donation

And so it begins.  We got to the hospital about 8a and by about 9:30a I had received the last round of shots, talked to the doctor again and am hooked up to the aphoresis machine.  I hope I used that right, but if not, I'm talking about the blood draw machine.

They say I'll be here for a minimum of 4 hours, and while I don't mind I already feel bad for A because what is she supposed to do?  Sit here and stare at me?  Well that's what she is doing and it's kinda creepy.

Everyone that has been involved in this process has been great, seriously.  Anytime I've needed anything or had a problem, they have been right on it.  If you haven't signed up yet to be a donor yet, I'm not sure what you are waiting for.  They (Be The Match) go to great lengths to take care of you so that you can help take care of someone else.