Well, I have all of YOU to thank for my horse’s expensive taste! 
So considering the deluge of rain we received up here over the weekend, I took the time to make my excursion out to the fabulous new tack store Bumpkin and Farfel kept telling me about.
Boy where they right!
My goal was to find a jacket and some breeches, so I purposefully donned my favourite blue show shirt and headed out. Despite trying to keep my journey a secret, Alice seemed to know what was happening from a far.
There I was trying on jackets, having selected a nice dark green one, when suddenly I heard this cultured, feminine Isabella Rosellina type voice in my ear saying “no, no, not that one” says Alice. So I try another one, this time a nice blue herringbone Grand Prix jacket, quite nice really (hmmmmm goes Alice), so then the sales lady hands me this very nice dark navy blue one and ta-da! It fits like a dream (“Ahhhhhh that is the one” breathes Alice) and sure enough, I look at the tag and it’s a Pytchely!!! Lovely lovely jacket. Dark blue, fitted, looks great with my shirt and a spare tie I had brought… Sold!
Next were the breeches - modeled the greenish beige TS’s (the other ladies in the store seemed to be enjoying helping me with this part ) and they were very comfy, also found a beige pair of Pikeurs which I liked even better. So a pair of each (no sound from Alice)
I wandered around a bit and checked out the boots, which is something else I need. Saw a lovely pair of Effinghams (“Very nice” according to Alice). But then I made the mistake of picking up a pair of Dehner field boots, “Ahhhhhhhhhh” goes Jair, “OOOOOOOOOOoooohhhh!!!” breathes Alice. “ARRRGHHHHHGGGG” says Jair as he sees the price tag.!!! Down goes the beautiful field boots as Alice twists her nose into a moue of disappointment over his shoulder.
All’s quiet as I start to settle the bill with the saleslady, trying to remember which credit card I didn’t use to expense my business trip last week, when all of a sudden Alice gives an undignified squeak of excitement in my ear and disappears. For behind me He Who Bought Alice has entered the store!
After perusing the local Golf Pro shops my s/o returned to pick me up. While I finish with the saleslady, he wanders around the store idly looking at things, when suddenly from the bridle section, he speaks up “Alice doesn’t have a show bridle yet, does she?” uhmm no I say, strongly suspecting he is suddenly hearing Alice’s sultry tones in his ear. She’s a sly one that girl. But before even Alice could say another word, the saleslady deaks out from behind the counter and glides up to He Who Bought Alice’s shoulder, knowing a good target when she sees one, and begins firing questions at him about Alice, in the most skillful of ways so as to ensure he realizes just what a special and deserving girl she is! As the lady brings down some bridles for our inspection, I can hear Alice starting to breath more heavily, particularly when the lovely Edgewood ones come off their hooks, but then her squeaks reach almost obscene proportions as the most glorious of Hadfields bridles is shown to us, with the magic words directed at my partner of the likes that “a special mare like Alice deserves only the best” “yes yes yes!” shrieks Alice, followed by “Buy Buy Buy!” well, ok, maybe that was me, but good lord!! Was it ever a beautiful bridle! DMK and Duffy weren’t kidding when they said they were superb! It’s a lovely rich havanna colour in the raised, padded fancy stitched variety.
Before He Who Bought Alice (HWBA) can even blink a matching pair of reins is added, followed quickly by “Oh, did you say she was doing hunters?” from the saleslady - “she’ll need a martingale then”. No actually, I say, I don’t think so (“Yes I do”, says Alice) “Yes she does” says HWBA (who probably doesn’t even know what one is 
but such is the stength of Alice’s persuasion) Plunk goes the matching martingale as it goes onto the counter with the rest. Alice is positively squealing in excitement by now, as her benefactor pulls out his plastic with the saleslady practically ripping it out of his hand lest he change his mind. Jair meanwhile shuffles off to another part of the store trying really hard not to hear what the damage is as its rung up on the cash register. Alice however is ecstatic 
So there you have it!
Jair will now be attending the show grounds in his navy blue Pytchely jacket, medium blue dress shirt with just-for-Becca Ralph Lauren tie, a pair of greenish beige TS’s and a Hadfields bridle wearing horse!! Duffy will be proud! 
High Ho hunters away!!!
[This message was edited by Jair on Mar. 19, 2001 at 03:36 PM.]
I am not whispering bad things to Bambi. I am being nice to him. I maybe am telling him he has funny name for a boy but I am German und it is maybe OK in North America for a boy to have girl’s name?