My December.

It still hasn't begun to feel like the holidays. I guess as a Midwesterner at heart I will never get used to celebrating Christmas in a warm, sunny climate. We've tried our best to make it feel more festive but the cold seems to be a vital element for truly believing that it is the end of another year. The tree and decorations help but it's just not the same... or maybe it just gets that way when you get older?

Rowan is still only about 85% but I've started working him for thirty minutes everyday. He hasn't gotten worse (albeit he is on painkillers) but he hasn't really gotten better. He blocked sound in his left front which suggests that it's his feet that are bugging him-- potentially his shoes? He has never had them before. When he's due to be re-shod I will have the farrier put rubber pads between his shoes and feet, perhaps the extra cushioning will help him not be so tender. Despite my misfortunes with Rowan there has been a general outpouring of support from the other girls, almost all of whom who have offered their horses to me while they are traveling for the holidays. Another woman from the barn is going to bring one of her horses over for me to ride until Rowan is 100%. The general outpouring of generosity from the girls has made me not feel so taken advantage.

This week I started working for the vet-- hello working 7 days a week, goodbye sleeping in. But I'm not going to complain, that's what I told myself. I need to pay for Rowan's outrageous vet bills in some manner and this seemed to be the best option. Yes, I am probably overworking myself but essentially I'm getting paid to learn veterinary medicine firsthand, potentially the most educational thing I've done since graduating AP.

Last night we had barn crisis, one of the horses started colicing around dinnertime and the vet had us walking him for 20 minutes on / 20 minutes off until midnight. When we checked on him at 11pm he was down in his stall and another emergency vet call had us calling the P's to trailer him to Gainesville where he had emergency surgery. Scary. From what I heard today he's doing alright... but being a horse owner...this stuff terrifies me!

I've received lots of brown boxes in the mail over the past few days and finally it's not so empty beneath the Christmas tree.

Lately I've been thinking about future plans and have somewhat formulated a letter I would send this professor at Harvard that is involved with literature that would be somewhat interesting grad work for me. Honestly, Harvard? I'm not quite sure that's my bag of candy. But, as I've said, who knows where I'll end up?

I'm still waiting for the mail. But at least I'm not waiting for phone calls anymore.

And, I've officially been here for three months.
Happy Holidays/Birthdays kiddos.