23.04

Time for bed.

But before I go… it’s been a day of sorts.

My afternoon meeting finished waaaay later than planned which meant I didn’t get back to the yard until 18.50.

On arrival I had a quick chat and mickey-take (them taking it out of me) with Karen and Laura, a look around the inside of their partially refurbished lorry and…

19.00 – changed, grooming Vin when Laura arrived to help(?). Then Christine arrived to show me a video of one of last weekend’s dressage tests.

19.15 – Vinnie groomed, tacked up and being sat on… There’s something nice about riding under floodlights on calm, dark, winter evenings. I don’t quite know why, perhaps it’s the isolation? Because being under lights does, in a sense, isolate from the rest of the world.

I had to cut things short but I really needed to ride. It’s the first time I’ve been sufficiently motivated since Beech was put to sleep. It was some kind of a step.

With Vinnie untacked, groomed, rugged up and munching on his bin of haylage I drove in to Detroitwich to pick up The Lovely S.

While waiting for her arrival I rang daughter and made her laugh so much she contracted hiccups and was almost sick. She says I’m mad (in a bonkers, rather than loco kind of way). I think this is a term of endearment.

We arrived home (via the chip shop) at 20.45, ate our gastronomic delights and watched two episodes of Heroes.

And now I sit here wondering if this was the kind of thing our ancestors had planned for their future generations all those centuries ago?

Well, at least I’m still keeping up the equestrian skills – to levels they could barely imagine – but the rest of the evening? Try explaining that lot to your great- great- great- great- great- great- great-grandfather.

And now it really is time for bed (said Zebedee).

I have forfeit the nightly race in to bed; The Lovely S made it in first – but only by default (so I hope the victory tastes bitter and unsatisfying in her mouth).

B.