Sunday, May 30, 2010

My First Camping Trip...


I am home from Camping! (And have met the newest edition to the Family the WAY too cute puppy! I am sure Puppy Training will be getting many a blog coming up...) But yesterday and today was Camping. Yes, a short trip, but one doesn't want to go overboard, what if I'd hated it?

I didn't. Quite liked it really, but I was with some wonderful people, which completely made the difference. Horsetrainer Mel, Bronco Jen, Mr Awesome and his Wee Lad. (Who, at 5 both outrides and outcamps me.)

Here are some important handy Tips for Camping:

1. There ARE Bears out there. Not theoretical Bears, but real Bears. In fact, one half of the Info board is dedicated to Bears. And what to do if you meet one.

Mostly, it seems to say, it will come down to your Luck and the Bears Mood.


The other half of the Info Board is dedicated to a Map of the Trails you will ride on. As you can see, this map has been MAULED BY A BEAR. Which is disturbing in itself, besides making the Map incomplete.

Doesn't matter much as the Trail markers are also incomplete. This means you will get lost, which only adds to the fun. If you could eaily find your way back to camp, why, your ride might be cut short those last several hours, as you try and find the thing again.

And hope the Bears have left it in peace while you were riding blithely thru the woods.


There are a couple things no camping trip should be without. Cell phone reception so you can Twitter pictures and say things like "HEY! We are here, does anyone know where this IS?" which may help you get back to camp. And may inspire responses like "Looks like the woods where that Gingerbread House was"

And Coffee. I don't drink coffee all the time, and when I do it is pretty entertaining, ask anyone who has seen me on it, but you NEED it while camping, mostly in the mornings, because you will not have slept in your tent all night, having forgot the ten pillows you generally sleep with and having woke up every ten minutes to Something Outside the tent Snuffling.

You can't go BUY this coffee, no shops in the woods and all. And you can't plug in the coffee maker, there being no, well, PLUGS. Or coffee maker. You need someone to make a fire, and then BREW it in a pot over the fire.

It will be the Best Coffee You Have Ever had. Trust me on this one.


I had planned on riding Chanel, a bay mare that I have ridden before, but right from the start she was a first class brat. I tried, but something about being in a new woods, on the trail and on a horse who seems intent on bucking me off, wasn't working for me.I needed to show her who was in charge and make her behave.

I failed.


And it was my mind that failed, not my riding. I need to get past this fear of riding, and horses. Oh yes, it's there. I worry about getting hurt all the time, about not being able to manage the horse, about not riding well enough. And it's my mind that is failing, not my riding. Melissa told me this too. And she would know.

My horse friends are Very fun, and the back and forth is hilarious, they can take as good as they give, but when it come to the crunch, when I need them, they are dead serious. And instantly.

Mr Awesome, who owns Chanel got on her, after a few bucks when it became clear I needed help, and rode her off to make her mind. I got back on, but after a few more bucks, sitting, spinning and swearing not withstanding, I couldn't do it. We switched saddles and he gave me his other horse, a grey gelding named Lefty, who is as solid a trail horse as anyone could wish, and I concentrated on going up hills (Fast and leaning forward) and down hills, slower and leaning backwards) and sitting UP and on my butt the rest of the time, and did quite well. These aren't, mind you, pony rides around a ring. Serious trails, and hard riding, for long hours.

I love it.


But I need to get over this fear.

It's all in my head. And I need to win.

Love and Camping,
Lorraine

123 Comments:

At 20:33 Blogger Dragonsally said...

I'm glad you enjoyed the weekend, despite the threat of big, snuffling map eating bears.

You make me feel there might be hope for me yet - its fear that's kept me off horses, after lots of nasty falls and being dragged along a few time with my foot stuck in stirrups. This means you are awesome and inspirational.

Oh, btw, the first photo is broken.

At 20:34 Blogger Dragonsally said...

Huh, photo is not broken anymore.

At 20:35 Blogger Craig Steffen said...

Sounds like you had a fabulous time. Yay!

Bummer about the horse not behaving. It was very nice that there was a solution in reach.

But you're learning with each trip. Now you've done trail camping and riding on a good, dependable horse. Next time, or next next time, you can try doing it again with a less-than-perfect horse, and try to learn that skill. Greg Louganis didn't hit a perfect dive the first time. It's a matter of learning and refining and increasing your toolbox of skills.

It's quite a tribute to you as a person, really, that you're going so far outside your comfort zone. You have God-like competence and power in your day job, and dealing with airlines. Many many people would decide never to go beyond those boundaries. You do, on a regular basis. In the game of life you've already won.

At 20:41 Blogger DataGoddess said...

Yay comping success!!

The riding confidence will come, with experience. You are one bloody-minded person, and I mean that in the best way possible, you don't give up!

At 20:47 Blogger AletaMay said...

Great photos. Great post.

I love that you had such a great adventure. I used to camp often. Minus the horses. I hope I get a chance to spend some nights in a tent this summer. I think pretty much anything cooked over a fire while camping is the best ever.

At 20:48 Blogger AletaMay said...

Oops. Ticky box.

At 20:49 Blogger Jess said...

Fear and failing let you know you're learning something. You don't overcome fear so much as you learn to walk through it, you know? If that makes any sense.

I am tired. Getting ready to go on an adventure of my own, which won't involve camping but will nonetheless seem Adventurous. To me at least. I'll send postcards.

At 20:50 Blogger Jess said...

(And seriously, I guessed puppy. Someone owes me money.)

At 20:51 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Thank you! It is true, I am at the top of my game with my job, and music for that matter, not a stage made I wouldn't go on. (Forgot to mention I played around the fire last night WAY cool)

But I think, with horses, it's good for me to be on the bottom, new, and having to learn from the ground up. Or from the horse to the ground, as may be.

I think I am learning you dont' GET things just because you want them, you have to work, sweat, fear and yes, fail.

I think if I could get rid of this fear, work thru it, there's a lot MORE I could DO...

At 20:51 Blogger Beez said...

Ah man, now I miss the camping more than ever.

Cowboy coffee WILL be the best (and most necessary) coffee youve ever had.

Q, you will conquer the fear. Look how far you've come already, and sometimes, well- sometimes horses will be stubborn buttheads just like people will, only bigger.

Bigger, not bigger buttheads. Humans ALWAYS win at being buttheads.

At 20:53 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Well, Jess, I dont' owe you money. Seriously! But have a great adventure!

It was a puppy, Boss has wanted one for a while but didn't want to buy from a breeder, he wanted a rescue, and another white shepard, so we've been watching...

At 20:58 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

It;s MARES that are buttheads. Female. Don't like riding Mares. Too much like US.

Now geldings are male, but they have their....Well, you know, they dont' have them....(I slay myself!)

At 21:08 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hell, I'm impressed you went. I don't trail ride. I've never had a horse that was good at it. I hated field hunting, beyond issues of cruelty to foxes, our home hunt dogs were massive failures. Once a fox ran thru the group and none even followed.

I didn't mind cross country in my eventing days but that was because of the jumps. I hated interval training for cross country fitness.

I think it sounds like you have a great group to go with. Switching horses is no big deal I think. I expect with {good} experiences the fear will go away.

I can't really tell you how to deal with fear except have good people behind you and express when you are afraid so they can make informed decisions. I started riding at 6 and honestly never felt fear on a horse until Lance hurt me badly several times in the last couple of years. Then I didn't even realize it was fear I was experiencing. Even now I'm not afraid when I'm on and an issue happens, it's after I think what COULD have happened.

I think you did amazing!!

PS, sorry if this makes no sense. I rode my butt off this weekend, WAY overdid and my back was in spasms by the time I got home. I took a BIG muscle relaxer and pain pill and I'm drunk as a skunk. BTW there was a freaken horse at the clinic who make Lance look small. Over 18.1 hands, for reals!! Holy crap!! I could have walked under him without ducking my head. Least he's narrow and uphill in build. He sort of looks like a giraffe.

At 21:14 Blogger Phiala said...

Funny, Q.

It's good to always have a new challenge, something to make you stretch.

At 21:22 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Thanks Vinity, you are dead on, about having people around who can make the call to switch horses.

They were right, today, and my ego doesn't have issues with saying so.

I so wish I could have rode when I was a child. Loved horses since I knew there were horses. I came late to it, but I will get over this.

Mistress, you can call me funny if you want to, makes me happy really. Challenges are what makes things COOL.

ok, scary as hell, but cool.

At 21:24 Blogger Phiala said...

No, the funny remark was for your "mares vs geldings" comment!

Taking on new challenges is, well, fabulous!

At 21:29 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey, I defend the mare!! A good mare will bond with you in a totally different way than a gelding. Heck, I had 40 years of NOTHING but mares and it was Lance, my first gelding, with QUIET bloodlines who hurt me. LOL But you are right, I think not having to deal with hormones is prolly a good thing. {don't tell Vin I said that}

At 21:33 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

AH, Mistress, I get it now!

Well Vin, it's MARES who give me the problems. I stand by my statement they are way too much like US...Give me a gelding any day.

(And may I point out Lance is a 17 something hand gelding, warmblood trained for dressage and the show ring??? Not sure what my point is but I Wish we could ride together, you could teach me so much!)

At 21:47 Blogger Siri said...

No good, Jess - you didn't mention a puppy until the tweets were there. You don't win.

At 21:52 Blogger Beez said...

Sally, i was thinking that with the kinds of spiders and snakes y'all have in Oz, I would take the bears any day or night.

Bears are actually pretty easy and they are usually scared away pretty easily too....and Pearl would have been a deterrent because they -really- want to avoid larger (noisy) dogs.

Keeping food away is key. In canoe country, we used something like this- http://canoecountry.com/pdf/twotree.pdf
(Figure 14 for us).

One ripped-open tent taught us to hang the toothpaste up in the food pack too :P

At 22:07 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Of course Beez has tangled with Bears. But I really need to meet someone who WALTZES with them...

At 22:11 Blogger Beez said...

Nooo, the point was NOT tangling :P

Walzing -w- bears is best left to professionals. Are there Bear Whisperers?

At 22:12 Blogger Jane said...

Learning something new and especially something that scares you - not a bad way to make life exciting!

I didn't guess puppy...

At 22:13 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I had thought maybe we could get together for this funky festival in Banner Elk called the Wooley Worm festival. I think you'd really like it. The whole town doubles in size as people come to race Wooley Worms and it has an art festival. It's not that far from your dads. I thought you could go see him and I'd grab you there but then I realized it's the weekend before the House on the Rock American Gods gig {that's why could go to that}

At 22:26 Blogger Jess said...

No, Q, you don't owe me money. But someone does. Whoever the bookie was on this one.

Tweet schmeet! I totally guessed puppy with my thought glands, while staring at my laptop screen. Which may as well be tweeting. One day they'll have an app for that. Mark my words.

Why can I never get packed for anything before midnight the night before?? Argh. Want bed now.

At 22:26 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Beez, there was a guy who did. With grizzles. They killed him. Point made I guess.

Vin, the WORM FESTIVAL? You are clearly on too much pain meds! Lol! I love it, keep the comments coming!

Fiends, do welcome Vin, she is my very fine Horse Friend who knows more about proper riding than I ever will.

Vin, weekend before HOTR I think I will be in Ireland, but keep thinking. Are you coming to HOTR?

At 22:27 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Not mind you that I am against the WORM FESTIVAL, just the timing..

At 22:42 Blogger Beez said...

Are Wooley Worms the same as Wooley Bear caterpillars?

*cries*

Boohoo...no HoTR here. I had to decide to put the funds toward winterizing the house-NOT-on-a-rock.
It's Spawn's b'day weekend too, so I really couldn't see my way to ditching him and Hunny and going myself, especially since they both really wanted to go too, so we will all stay home together.


(bah! This Responsible Parent & Girlfriend gig is a pain in the arse sometimes.)

At 22:50 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey everyone :WAVE:

I wish I could do HOTR. I meant on my comment I could NOT come to HOTR cause of the Wooley Worm festival. If we're in the country {Oct tend to be travel month for us} we try and do that. It's a blast. Do you guys have Wooley Worms? They are actually a Moth/ Caterpillar creature. Colored black and brown. They say you can tell how the winter will be by the color rings. Black=cold, brown=mild. So if the winner of the weekend is black head, then brown then black it means cold snap, mild winter, ending cold. It's a riot. They race worms for 2 days. Takes about 5 minutes a race. Winner prognosticates. Last fall we had a freak snow storm and the poor worms were too cold to run well. Here's a couple of pics from few years ago. My son's worm from that year, Cheeky Monkey http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd280/Vinity2/DSCN0377.jpg

and the racing board
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd280/Vinity2/DSCN0370.jpg

We stay in this great Inn on Beach Mountain that has a haunted room.

Ireland sounds fabulous. I adore Scotland but we've never made it to Ireland. You are doing the con, right?

At 22:56 Blogger Beez said...

aHA! Wolley Worms are indeed Wooly Bear caterpillars!

At 22:59 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Beez, I think Woolly Worms and Wooley Bears are the same thing. Can you see the pic? They are sweet critters. We go hunting the grounds around our Inn the morning before then make a big ceremony setting the critter free at the end. They don't seem too traumatized. A LOT of people come. I think they get between 35-45k on average. It's been going on for decades. I think it started as a fund raiser for the elementary school. It's still held on the school grounds right across from Lees McRae {sp?} college.

At 23:04 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

I am absolutely adoring my friend Vin posting on Pain Meds...

We have never had anyone expounding on a WORM FESTIVAL quite like this before! Vin, you are making me laugh! Which is good!

I am not quite sure I am buying a worm festival as a reason for missing HOTR tho...

Regarding that HOTR, any Fiends here who get denied, it's getting close to full, write me, and I will try and help that.

At 23:17 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm gonna be so embarrassed tomorrow. I'm about to pass out anyway.

I thought HOTR was full?? Oh man, now I'm tempted but I don't think I can arrange to leave the farm for two weekends!!

SO going to bed now. Night everyone. Hope all people with kitties don't get peed on. If I lay here much longer I just might. LOL

At 23:27 Blogger CarolAnn said...

I'm glad you had a good time. We used to trail ride when I was a kid. It was great fun.

We had a horse who's goal in life was to find a low hanging branch and scrape you off. I'm surprised I don't have a back full of scars, but I did learn early to wear a heavy enough shirt when I rode him.

You should get Boss to call Pterry and find out what the Secret Horseman's Word is. ;)

At 23:29 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Don;t be embarrassed, we were well entertained! Weren't we Fiends? And all you said was cool!

I am for sleep my ownself..'night all...

At 23:29 Blogger CarolAnn said...

Also meant to agree about the coffee. It's late, there are lots of cocker spaniels crashed around me and I need a do over for this week.

I should probably go camping even if I don't have any horses anymore. :)

At 23:39 Blogger Dragonsally said...

Hi Vin -good to meet you.

Beez, you have some pretty damn scary snakes and spiders too. As for bears, all we have are Drop Bears. They're not that scary. see here

At 23:52 Blogger Beez said...

*grin* I do not want nightmares about red-eyed Drop Bears. Hard enough fending off Killer Rabbits in my sleep.

At 00:24 Blogger spacedlaw said...

You'll do it, of course!
It's good that you enjoyed yourself despite all this.
I'd love to see puppy pictures.

At 01:50 Blogger vampi said...

wooly bear festivals:) they had one in ohio growing up. the weatherman dick goddard would alway be the emcee. i assume it still happens, but i haven't lived in ohio in years.

riding and camping sounds fun. love fire brewed coffee, best part of camping. i don't think i mentioned it before so as to not freak you out, but last time i went camping, we were awakened in the night by 2 racoons fighting in the campground. i was sleeping with my foot touching the edge of the tent and they landed on my foot an i screamed bloody murder. it's funny now, but i was so very much not amused.


i lost my phone.
freaking out.
not sure, but work might make me pay to replace it :(

At 05:41 Blogger Marjorie said...

Looks like lots of fun!
Quick tick - I shall be back & read the comments properly later. I have to go to the seaside now:-)

At 10:18 Anonymous Sister Tracy said...

HOORAY for YOU CAMPING Lorraine! I am so proud of you! You hit right on the biggest thing for me: the coffee problem. I actually got a guy into our group because he LOVES to get up before dawn and start big roaring fires. And another girl whose idea of fun is roasting coffee beans over said fire and brewing us coffee. Strategic Recruiting I call that!
I can't imagine you being afraid of Horses. Can't you just make yourself BIG?? Works just fine for the Cats, arch your back, poof your fur and NO ONE messes with you....it's all in your attitude!

At 11:23 Blogger LihuaEmilyP said...

Nice to know you had a good trip!

At 12:15 Blogger dabbler said...

Happy Memorial Day, with special thanks to Lys and others who have served our country not just with words, but with their bodies, minds and spirits. As much as i am sometimes ashamed of my country's actions, I am moved and grateful to all our veterans, present and past.

At 12:17 Blogger dabbler said...

And thanks to Vinity, for reminding me which color on wooly bears predicts which sort of winter. Maybe this time I will remember....

At 12:58 Blogger Jill said...

Erm. There's something vaguely unsettling about a trail map that's been mauled by a bear. Kinda like a shark cage with a big chomp taken out of it.

This'll keep you safe. MAYBE.

Yeep.

Although - and you might call me blood-thirsty - I don't usually feel TOO bad when someone gets attacked by a critter when he or she is out in the woods. If a stranger were roaming around MY property, I'd probably get a bit violent myself. I never blame the bear/cougar/gator in those types of situations.

Along those same lines [soapbox beneath my feet], I feel not one ounce of sympathy for the bullfighter who recently was gored through the throat by a bull. The bull, who has no choice about being in the ring, was trying to survive. I find bullfighting abhorrent, so I tend to cheer for the bull.

You want a fair fight, get two humans in a ring together for a fight to the death. Although I'm sure there would be hue and cry about that being murder. Because killing a bull for no other reason than making a kill isn't murder. Yeah, sure.

[stepping off soapbox]

At 13:17 Anonymous Joypeg said...

Beez, when I saw your post I remembered a great photo I'd seen a few years ago, and lo, it's still on the web. Here's your bear whisperer:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/06/060613-cat-bear.html

At 16:10 Blogger Beez said...

I love that picture! Jack the Cat rules!

At 17:36 Blogger ariandalen said...

"Yay!" for a positive camping experience first time out! I've been camping at many S.C.A. events, but I've never made campfire coffee as that's not my first choice for caffeine. In fact, I've only had hot coffee a handful of times. Not that it makes a rat's ass difference to your experience. ;)

As for the problems with your horse, ::shrug:: we're all works in progress. We need challenges, otherwise we stagnate, and Nature hates stagnation almost as much as a vacuum. Just my two cents.

Wow! A fat and happier Magic! I can see why you call him a pudding, but I think that won't last long. A concrete example of the Magic Love can work, as well as the love Magic has worked. Yay, verily, Lorraine!

And, just for the record, my guess was wrong. On the other hand, I was prepared to be wrong. :)

Vinity, haven't I already handed you your very own white, buckled jacket? I thought I had, 2-3 months ago. Hmm...here's another just in case. Personalize any way you would like; that's what Fiends do. ;)

At 19:58 Blogger Jess said...

Happy Woolly Bear Fest to all. May the Great Caterpillar bring you something nice, as he pitters down your street at midnight on his million woolly feet.

So here I yam in Adventure land. Wish you all were here, as it's galleries aplenty and you'd like it. I only took a few pics today, mainly of things that amused me. Better ones later. But the first person to guess where I have gone will not owe me a million billion dollars for Guessing Puppy. That's a little present from me.

Hint: it is bad to walk Route 66 with footstrain. Drive instead.

At 20:20 Blogger Siri said...

If I were a betting woman, Jess, I'd say in the vicinity of Albequeque, New Mexico.

At 20:24 Blogger Jess said...

Nope. :)

At 20:26 Blogger Beez said...

Jess, are you on the Giant Route 66 Yard Sale route? The One from Elkhart to Atlanta Ill.?

At 20:57 Blogger Jane said...

Santa Fe? Maybe Montana...

At 21:46 Blogger Na said...

\o/ Glad you had a fun first campout, Lorraine, and kudos to great friends who take you on such an adventure.

Wooly Bear caterpillar racing!? I feel like I've heard it all, now.

Jess, I'll send you the $1 coin I found in my pocket yesterday, if you like. (I didn't guess anything, certainly not Puppy, but having found money in a coat pocket, I still feel like I won something.)

Roswell, Jess?

Howdy, Vinity!

At 21:47 Blogger Na said...

oh, tick.

At 21:50 Blogger Na said...

Oh, Roswell's not on Route 66, nevermind that...

At 22:23 Blogger ariandalen said...

Hmm...I was thinking Roswell, NM, too, but if Roswell isn't near Route 66...
Still, you don't find that style of pottery just anywhere; only in the U.S. Southwest. Siri just may be correct with Albuquerque, NM.

I don't have a map handy, but it might also be Sedona, AZ.

Guess we'll just have to wait.

At 22:27 Blogger Beez said...

I have bough Hopi pottery and Zuni jewelry from River Traders in Dundee Illinois (also with shops in Santa Fe).

I think Jess is foolin'. :P

At 22:52 Blogger ariandalen said...

Aw, come on, Beez! Our Jess would never do something like that! ;)

At 22:58 Blogger ariandalen said...

Jess is in Flagstaff, AZ. The photo of the alien has a big sign in the background that says "Hotel Monte Vista."

Google is your friend.

At 23:23 Blogger Beez said...

Ariandalen wins!

At 00:14 Blogger Jess said...

Congratulations ariandalen!! \o/ That was quick. You do not owe me a million billion dollars. And I suppose I'll release the rest of you from debt as well. I feel magnanimous.

No, seriously, Beez. We're here. Mr. Jess's folks wanted to see the Grand Canyon. So that's tomorrow. After that: big giant crater. We're gonna look into all the holes.

Lowell Observatory is the coolest place ever. I saw Globular Cluster M-13! Spaaaaace! Wooo!

Bed now. Don't let the woolly bears bite.

At 01:02 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

I hope you all had a nice day.

I just jammed with Jason Webley, Sxip Shirley and Amanda Fucking Palmer.

That made it a sort AMAZING day.

"play some Irish, we'll follow you"

I think I will just sort of sit here and smile for a bit....

Not going to forget that one. BEST. MUSIC. EVER.

At 01:08 Blogger spacedlaw said...

Hooo, sounds like a wonderful time indeed!
How I wish I'd been there.
I trust Jason is feeling better now.

At 08:52 Blogger Laura B said...

Glad you had a good time on your camping trip!

Around here we just have festivals celebrating things like strawberries, pumpkins, mums, banana splits, even sauerkraut...but no woolly bears. Too bad. I used to play with them as a kid, now I just try not to run over them on the road.

Headed to Hypericon this weekend. Should be fun!

At 08:59 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Morning! Sleepy morning.

Having a nice tea while watching the Bengals go batshit crazy. One of them brought an aloe plant into the sunroom. Yes, the entire plant. I laughed so hard. I think it was Mim, and she is now hunting it.

Didn't know they made good prey.

At 09:08 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Where is everyone? Did you notice I had come out and now have gone away to hide?

Work shortly...Going to be a good day and a finer evening.

At 09:09 Blogger Phiala said...

Hiding, that's it.

Or maybe working, it being the first day back in the office after a long weekend. You don't want to hear what I'm working on, trust me on this.

And listening to EvelynEvelyn radio on last.fm.

And watching it rain while my shoes dry.

At 09:15 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

EvelyEvelyn radio is the best! Exactly the perfect music, been listening a lot myself!

Working, yeah right. No one is working today.

Wait, I need to be. Rats.

At 09:16 Blogger spacedlaw said...

No I am here, snatching precious internet moments in between telling off mad scientists.

At 09:17 Blogger Phiala said...

Hey! I'm a mad scientist - what's wrong with that?

At 09:23 Blogger ariandalen said...

Cool night, Ms. Fabulous. Very cool! :)

I didn't know that aloe vera plants could be stalked, either, but you learn something new every day. :)

At 09:27 Blogger spacedlaw said...

Well I don't have to deal with you, that is the good part. (Unless you happen to have pt in a bid to the ESA Climate Change Initiative and I missed that bit of information). I am dealing with prima donnas here...

At 09:27 Blogger vampi said...

today, everything changes at work. please think nice soothing thoughts.

At 09:27 Blogger vampi said...

today, everything changes at work. please think nice soothing thoughts.

At 09:29 Blogger spacedlaw said...

Soothe, soothe soothe.
Hugs.

At 09:32 Blogger Jane said...

Sending soothing thoughts your way - and be careful, it's Tuesday...

At 09:38 Blogger Phiala said...

What, you don't think dealing with me would be an improvement?

I don't have a bid in to the ESA. I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to take money from foreign governments.

Vampi, all will be well, just chaotic for a bit.

At 09:39 Blogger spacedlaw said...

You are a prima donna too?

At 09:40 Blogger Phiala said...

Not a prima donna, just a mad scientist.

At 09:45 Blogger spacedlaw said...

Then that's okay. Mad scientists are a little ind boggling but it's the prima donnas that get on my nerves.

At 09:51 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

After last night , I am seriously thinking of going Diva. Does that fit in between Mad Scientist and Prima Donna?

At 09:58 Blogger spacedlaw said...

You could never get THAT capricious. You are far too sweet. While I am sure you can be mischievous, I feel certain you can't be capricious. I just can't see you as a total brat.

At 09:59 Blogger spacedlaw said...

And you ARE already a diva. Anyone who has seen you play a room knows this.

At 10:00 Blogger Phiala said...

It might, though I think it goes more like:


Mad Sci ----|
         |---Prima Donna ----|
                              |-----Diva---|


A Venn diagram would be better, says the mad scientist, but this was easier to draw in ASCII art.

At 10:02 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Loves a Prima Donna too.

I heard that in a song once.

At 10:19 Anonymous Wendy Withers said...

I'm pretty sure there's a worm/ caterpillar festival somewhere in Louisiana. We don't need much of an excuse to throw a party here. I'm spending the morning drinking coffee and writing short stories. Only two more days until school starts again.

I'll have to keep in mind about those aloe plants. My cats love chasing around tinfoil balls. Maybe the dreaded aloe plant would be an even more worthy foe.

Hope you have an awesome day at work and don't spend too much time in hiding!

Oh, and there was no tubing on my Atlanta trip. Just three whole days of snarking and complaining from my friend. I was very glad to get home last night.

At 10:47 Blogger Chantrelle said...

Man, you lot are chatty! Have to catch up on you all today.

So let's see. We drove 9 hours each way for a day and a half of camping. It was 100 degrees at the peak heat of the day and high 40s at night when we were trying to stay warm and sleep and there was a rattlesnake in our campsite. BUT we had a great time and Ben had a blast. I think w/out ben it would have been a crappy trip but he had so much fun.
Our campsite was gorgeous. The night sky was amazing. Ben climbed every rock in sight. I made great food on my coleman camp stove and Ben learned to use his telescope.

We stopped at Domingo's in Boron each way for great mexican food. Ben got a sticky hand from the vending machine and it was an elephant to match the Evelyn Evelyn shirt I made him!

Good times. Will do more crazy road trips w/ the fam.

OK, thread hijack complete! ;-)

At 11:02 Blogger Na said...

Will keep you in my thoughts all day, vampi. Luck!

Lorraine, what a splendid musical evening! Hope all are still bathing in the glow.

Robyn, sounds like a perfect weekend. Wendy, oh dear, not so much, but glad you made it back okay.

Flagstaff, Jess and Fiend-in-Law! If you see my parents, say hi! :P Have a marvelous time at the Canyon. And if you want any food/ale recs for Flag, I'd love to send you some.

I missed that the wall said "Monte Vista". When I was young, once upon a time, and lived in Flagstaff, chairs and booths at the Monte Vista were all covered in dark red leather, and the pool tables were covered in red felt. I thought it looked like a David Lynch movie.

At 11:34 Anonymous Wendy Withers said...

Na: I am now considering my writing/ drawing time before going back to school in two days to be my dream vacation. Just finished the first draft of some nerdy Wil Wheaton/ John Scalzi/ D&D fanfic.

At 11:49 Blogger Na said...

hee hee - I saw the art and the posting about that. Have fun with it! And please share when you can. :)

At 12:45 Blogger AletaMay said...

Arrgggg! Working from home today and my Internet went down. Very Frustrating.

On the up side Evelyn Evelyn tonight! Yay!

At 12:49 Blogger Chantrelle said...

You're going to love the show Aleta! It exceeded my expectations. The chalice of knowledge is brilliant. Many inside jokes have come out of that.

Trying to get everythign clean and put away from the weekend. Still haven't read any of all y'all's comments.

At 13:07 Blogger Marjorie said...

Oh yes, you'll love the EvelynEvelyn show - it was great when I saw it, even tho Sxip hadn't made it due to the ashcloud...

I just got home after spending a long weekend with my parents . Tired, but I had a great time. Will blog it, with pretty pictures, as soon as I have time.

At 13:37 Blogger vampi said...

you know what sucks, i know what's coming down today, but only management knows. it's the anticipation of the announcements and the people i know are losing jobs that's just killing me inside.

also Marjorie, i read that as Sxip was not there due to alcohol, and thought, that's weird for a rock start.

alos, how does one pronounce sxip? i've been mentally saying "six-ip" but i'm thinking that's probably wrong.

At 13:38 Blogger Chantrelle said...

It's just like Skip. Only cooler.

At 14:32 Blogger Arwenn said...

Vampi - That's awful! I have no doubt that you will be as comforting and gracious as you can be and that's honestly all anyone can ask. It's a horrible situation and having been on both sides I'm not really sure which was harder emotionally, being let go or being one of the few who still had a job as friends left around me. I hope it's over soon! And, many years later, the memories are still painful but both experiences were valuable lessons.

At 14:34 Anonymous Kate Bee said...

I feel compelled to share - I am afraid when I ride. Fear to the core. But I found a gelding friend named Harvey who at first babysat me and now takes care of me, little celebratory spooks are welcome. We've been together ten months and I rode in my first horse show in April. Third place for equitation over fences and lots of fourths for hunters over fences. He has taught me the true meaning of perseverance. Everything horsey just takes time. Lots and lots of time. I will be thinking of you as I ride tonight, feeling the fear trickle in me as we jump. :)

At 17:05 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sounds like people had an eventful memorial day. I pretty much just lay down all day resting my back.

This link is for Jill. ITA about the Bull fighting. My sister sent me this and it just made me sad. This horse, Merlin as unbelievably amazing and I can’t believe they waist this talent on something so cruel. It’s bull fighting on horse back. At least the horse isn’t hurt in the vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgG_Gwy7Ysg

ariandalen you might well have tried to get me with the white jacket. I’m hard to catch :D

Kate Bee, I like your story very much. I think the BEST thing people can do is be very actualized in their needs and fears on a horse and get really good people behind you. Unfortunately most horse people are not that ………I don’t want to say not honest, but somehow, as they have to make a living selling horses and teaching lessons, they manage to justify stuff I just couldn’t. I know a lot of trainers I have no idea how they sleep at night. I think as a rider you have to be plain about “this is my goal. These are my fears.” I see so many trainers allow riders to buy the wrong horses, with the thought, with enough training board and lessons this will work. I have been very lucky to have a bubble of friends where what was best for the HORSE always comes first and that includes the RIGHT owner match. And another issue, it doesn’t matter how much $$$$ you throw in the horse world, NOTHING takes the place of actual HOURS in the TACK! OOPS….seem to have climbed on the soapbox without realizing. Sorry folks.

At 18:08 Blogger Dragonsally said...

Robyn, it looks like your camping weekend was amazing too. That snake camouflages really well...I'm glad you actually saw it before someone stood on the poor thing.

Vampi - hugest of hugs for you. Such a tough situation to be in, the knowing (at least when its bad stuff)

I really really want to go riding again.

At 18:39 Blogger Siri said...

I did say "vicinity" of Albuquerque, NM, Jess. Flagstaff is just up the road apiece from Albuquerque, NM.

In Southwest mileage terms, that is.

At 00:23 Blogger Jess said...

Nope, Siri, you lose. You wouldn't take my telepathic puppy guessing, so I won't take your Southwestern miles. :P

Jam session! That is very cool. :)

Na - Boy, seems like everyone I know has parents in Flagstaff, or once lived in Flagstaff. :D We have been to the Beaver St. Brewery and to Mountain Oasis already. The latter had nifty art by Erica Vhay hanging. So where else should we go?

Canyon was big and canyoney, and I don't mind telling you I've done some bad shit to my ankle. Should not be walkin' on this thing. But I press on, because it is an adventure.

At 00:24 Blogger Jess said...

Hmm. Let's try that link again:

Erica Vhay

At 00:56 Blogger Na said...

Flag is a hard place to live when you're trying to make a living, so "parents live there" or "used to live there" makes natural but sad sense.

Beaver St. is tops for ale and many victuals, I'd say. :) I recommend La Bella Via (south of the tracks) or Kathy's Cafe (north of the tracks on San Francisco) for breakfasts. Macy's is excellent vegetarian fare and coffee, if you like coffee. There used to be another cafe called Morning Glory Cafe, which was run by a group of midwives, so I heard tell. Salsa Brava for Mexican food, and Roma's for pizza.

If you get a chance, check out Dragon's Lair, if it's still there. Used bookstore with lots of antiques/curios also for sale.

If you have time, too, see Lowell Observatory, which is where Pluto was first spotted, and they've got some cool science exhibits now.

And the hiking! So much nature. Wouldn't know where to start, but if you're ankle is hurt, suppose that's not a great idea. :( But you've seen the Canyon. Magnificence.

Here, all the snow is melted off again, and looks like spring has returned. *emotes gratitude*

Vampi, hope you're doing okay.

Night/morning, all.

At 01:56 Blogger Jess said...

We did Lowell last night-- that was a lot of fun. Planning to go back tomorrow. :)

Wish we had time for more. Crater tomorrow, might do Sedona, too. Not sure.

Check out my Mystery Bird. I think it's a Western Scrub Jay.

At 03:47 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Well, don't think we won't have things to write about tomorrow...Being on stage live with Amanda, Jason and Sxip is really every bit as cool as you think it is. Pretty damm powerful bunch.

Must nap now until 7. Which appears to be three hours.

Damm again.

At 05:24 Blogger Phiala said...

That does sound awesome - I look forward to hearing about it once you've gotten your three hours of sleep.

At 09:08 Blogger vampi said...

oh wow! that does sound really spectacular:)i' hoping there is some pictures or video posted somewhere :)

At 09:58 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Not sure three hours of sleeping was exactly enough. Can't think why, had 5 hours each night for the two before that.

I shall now nap until 1.

Band is off to Chicago tho in the new van and the old one is off to Omaha.

At 10:00 Blogger dabbler said...

Wow! What a lot of cool places people are/have been, and how many exciting things are happening.

Hugs to Vampi...that's a tough role to be in, but it will hopefully feel better once the announcement is made and things are out in the open.

We spent a quiet weekend, but had a spectacular meal at a local BYOB, Majolica. Had been meaning to get there fir a couple of years (since it opened) and finally did when Mark met the owner bartending at a different place, because she can't afford to pay herself out of the business yet. That made us decide we had to get there soon, both to support the business, and in fear it might be closing. We'll be back.

Best part of the meal...an amuse-bouche of cantaloupe sorbet, a very crunchy piece of bacon, and a little puddle of cinnamon oil. Amazing!

At 10:19 Blogger vampi said...

"BYOB, Majolica"

i've watched too much antiques road show because i thought "bring your own bisque"


i have a feeling work is just going to suck for a while. just found out i am losing 4 part timers at the end of june. and i cried when one oft he people who was let go came over to me. i'm still crying just thinking of it.

At 10:29 Blogger Phiala said...

Vampi, that does most definitely suck.

*hugs*

At 10:29 Blogger Chantrelle said...

Can we plan the next Fiendom Come to coincide w/ an AFP tour? I didn't think the show in SF could have been better but with Lorraine on stage as well!?? Awesome.
And love the booby-grabbin' picture ;-)

I had something else to say, but lost my thought. Need more tea. Ben just headed off to school. I have all the stuff from camping clean, just have to get it all stashed away in the attic or garage.

At 11:39 Anonymous Wendy Withers said...

I think FabLo and Amanda Palmer should jam out in New Orleans.

Look what we have to offer:

Culture.
Parties.
Parades.
Tons of music venues.
Me!

We can have a Fiends Second Line!

At 12:38 Blogger One Sock Short said...

Crawl-by tick. Wonderful weekend with Marian Call (at my house!). This woman is a Fiend. She just doesn't know it yet. And she is probably going to be playing near you soon, if she hasn't already. Going to see more Fiends and Evelyn Evelyn tonight.

"I think I am learning you don't GET things just because you want them, you have to work, sweat, fear and yes, fail." -- Wise words, O Wise One. So far I've only internalized the first part. Lots of work to do to really internalize the second.

At 13:44 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Three hour nap did not work or at any rate it was not enough...

Back to work.

At 15:45 Blogger One Sock Short said...

Siri - Are you going to go see Marian Call tomorrow? Are you? Huh? Huh?

*end hijacking*

At 16:17 Blogger Jane said...

Vampi, so sorry you're going through that.

Jess, too bad about the ankle :-(

Saw SATC2 today. Don't is all I have to say about it.

At 16:46 Blogger Hellie said...

Even John Corbett doesn't redeem it? (Oh I love Chris-in-the morning!)

Lorraine, I think reading about you playing with AFP & co made me dream about seing her play - dreamt I was in an old style theatre but with a big yellow carnival ride instead of normal seats for the audience. We each had a candle lit-pod at the end of an arm to sit in; we whirled around & up & down as she played- Most fun dream ever!

5 days of holiday begin tomorrow, we're going to the seaside to see b/f's dad. He has a gorgeous crazy dog, he's a ridgeback but likes to sit on me. Ow :oD

At 16:56 Blogger Jane said...

No, even John Corbett doesn't help. Not enough screen time and CB shouldn't have been talking to him anyway...

At 19:16 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

New blog and pics are UP!!!!!!

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