Oooohhh…I like the Oaks. There is almost unlimited warm-up space there, at least on the grass. I am hoping to get to show there this year. Who knows though…no one from my barn seems to be able to decide what shows to go to. 
Thanks everyone for the encouragement! I’m feeling much better today. 
AAJumper - That sucks about the job offer! 
The indignity! I’m sure there is something out there at a more generous firm. Have you tried monster.com? I got all kinds of great calls on my resume when I posted it on there, and you can be very specific about your salary/benefits.
As for my horse hunt, I am kind of at a loss for where to start, but if anybody has any suggestions, please let me know. I’m afraid it will be more like shopping at Mervyn’s 
than South Coast plaza, but here’s the details:
Purpose: Lower level eventing
Qualities: Sound, sane, bold and loves to jump. I am willing to work on problems with dressage, but not with a stopper.
Height: 15.0 hands and up. (I am only a measly 5’2")
Breed: Preferably TB, Appendix Quarter, or Quarter but I’m not too picky! OTTB is fine as long as they have had some retraining.
Age: 10 years or under
Price: $5,000 or less
Green is fine as long as they can walk, trot, canter and are ready to start jumping. I know my price range is really low, but that’s all I got right now! Any suggestions would be appreciated. My e-mail is in my bio!
Weeble, sounds like you are going to have fun! Pebble Beach is such a beautiful area! I’d like to show there someday…unlikely though, because of the distance. Good luck at the show! Don’t forget to give us a full report when you return!
Beezer and Merry…good luck this weekend! I imagine Temecula would be nice this time of year. I have never been to Galaway Downs…is it nice?
Nothing exciting going on here…just the daily torture of engineering work. Blech. Things have been going well with Cypress. This is the slow part of the week, when I don’t ride (Sunday-Tues), but I get to ride tomorrow! 
That totally helps to break up the week. When I don’t get to ride (on my usual days, Wed, Fri and Sat), I get really grouchy (and really annoyed w/the weirdos at work)…anyone else have the same problem?
Yeah baby, way to go!! We kept a jingling. See MO it really does work. Can’t wait for the barn party.
Ahhh Chef, shouldn’t that be Bint Grace than the ++++++++++?
Oh right Merry, tell coreene about swarthy man in Mummy…Sidling off, coreene picks up the phone. She has to find out who this man is, she is intrigued…
And where is elizabeth?? Are we, ahem, tooo busy to stop by?
Suave you are taking that psych stat because of ex-t right? Hopefully it’s not us?? 
Just saw a pic of Melissa Cardenas, shall i post it??? 
I did, I did!!! Wty bounces all around waving her COTH cap in beige…It’s really nice, but no, screen names aren’t on the back. Across the back is the web site for COTH.
Oh bumpkin, hope Poncho gets better soon. But those do take some time, so be prepared.
elizabeth, ohhhhh have a wonderful weekend. That is such a beautiful place, and well, sooooo romantic.
coreene, that is a GREAT picture. It says it all… What a perfect match!!
are you around? Just wondering 'cause I remember you said you were @ the Oaks this week…did you show yesterday (Sat.)? We did and it was SO much fun! The grass fields were not sloppy at all – it was fun to jump in the downpour! Just wondering how you guys fared over in the hunter rings…
This is a pic of us…it was very dark and pouring rain so it isn’t exactly the clearest of things…
[This message was edited by dmj on Apr. 08, 2001 at 08:27 PM.]
So coreene, when poor old Ed is attacked by some crazed person saying they are from the Ca. Clique he’ll understand?
Ah Merry, brass usually get a lovely green patina to it. Should look stunning!
Alf, The Oaks (aka Blenheim) shows are wonderful. And if you want a giant grass field, that is definitely the place to go. The jumper arena are set up in the middle of a gigantic grass field, and the warmup area is basically wherever you want to ride outside of the rings. It is great…no crowded warmup rings! They also have shows that run for 2 weeks. I’m supposed to go in July, and I’m looking forward to it. There is fun stuff to do in that area, like going to the beach or to Laguna. They have a really cool art festival (called the Sawdust Festival) that features local artists. My friend and I went to it after our morning jumper classes. Plus, Laguna is a really cool beach town, and it is only a half hour from the show.
Your honors … the prosecution, she rests. 
Thanks Suave and Bumpkin and Heidi! I’ll see if those places have a website. One place that looked good was the Howard Creek Ranch in Westport. Unfortunately, we are only staying one night, which is sort of a bummer.
Wow…I just realized that Coreene and I registered on the COTH BB on the same day! It’s sort of like having the same b-day.
Okay, I admit it…I am bored…really bored. I’m tired of drawing lines and labeling them!
Not to get off the subject of bits and things, but does anyone watch the Iron Chef on the food network? It’s a crack up!!
Willem’s great friend Diamond, who used to show in So Cal as “Class of Diamonds” (big fat Dutch WB jumper), is now 23 and goes everywhere with his owner’s husband in a wonderful yee-ha western saddle.
Willem is insanely jealous. I am sure that, deep down, they all want to be cowboys for at least one day. Just think - the silver conchos, the jingle jangle jingle, Trigger, Silver, Scout …
He did wear a western saddle once that I know of, and looked like the world’s biggest quarter horse. But I have often been tempted to get another western saddle for the longer trail days.
Then again, I will probably get a suede polo saddle instead. Like riding in an armchair…
Divoza only does plumes in white/red and white/blue. Am unable to find plumes in the US.
Merry, you guessed it. Be my luck the T is lurking…opps hush my mouth 
I think I got off cheap. My splits the 1st week were $280. and $350. respectively. Although, I do think trainers need to itemize their splits like we do for expense accounts. Don’t you think? I need to know what I am paying for their hotel, meals and “entertainment” LOL! I wannna see how they prorated it. Why not take it a step further and put together a T & E policy. Heck, why don’t we go one step further and put together a Customer’s Bill of Rights
Where’s Trusty Rusty with the Margaritas when you need her
Speaking of which, every Friday nite is GNO (girls’ nite out) at the barn rather (apres ride)
and it’s Margaritas galore (Sister to Pussy…ok ok too many James Bond flicks of late ). I guess I’m getting a little tired
Suave, you blew off Bill Gates for a date? Girl we need to talk!! Muttering to herself, wty knows this group is primo for a road trip!! Plus now poor Suave is spending even more of her life on the road.
So, elizabeth have you narrowed it down? Mapquest can sometimes take you the round about way to places.
Hmmmm, looks like that old sibling rivalry is rearing it’s head. Beezer drowning Merry’s Breyer’s, let’s see. Pulling her Psyche 101 book from college. No, nothing in here about drowning sister’s plastic horses. Might have to go to the index. 
Wouldn’t it be nice to go visit weeble? Coreene pet leach attached, A/A, Suave (one more road trip),elizabeth (you can bring your Breyers), rusty (faithful blender in hand)Beezer & Merry (you can bring QHSM). They have a lovely jumper ring for the WB pinto mare. And Merry, Hammie would enjoy loping around the hunter rings. The Winne would be there, sounds like almost a day at the beach?
A very belated congratulations to Rusty WTG
OHHHhhhhh Merry! The heck with Brandon Frazier. The Arab is da bomb Mix a little Crouching Tiger stuff (desert chase scene) and By Jove. I think we’ve got something…
The Ex T now referred to as the Golf Cart Queen was not the reason for my psych test. It was merely a formality of a particular company who wants ensure that we’re all ideally suited for the job. I tubed on the math but what was interesting is if I had done well on the math…I’d wouldn’t be ideally suited for the position.
[This message was edited by SuaveReno on May. 09, 2001 at 12:40 AM.]
Suave, you have me rolling with the various trainer types. Personal fav is “the chemist” thank you chef!
Poor Merry, no cake…How sad her own sister forgetting her birthday. Oh sure Beezer, now the car is packed with gifts. Curbs jingling, chants in full swing. Well, we will work on a cybercake for you. And as our B-day gift, we will inundate Erin with emails. “We want our Queen back!!!”
Willem says thanks for the compliments, and to tell you that he loves to pose for photos.
BTW he is 18, will be 19 this summer. After the article in Equus about rabies shots, and the thread I posted here the other week, and a chat with my vet, he had a rabies shot on Wednesday. And then thought “Duh, why didn’t you do this before?”
And then, hello Orange County, is it just my house or is it raining everywhere else, too?
We have a 2 day Robin Serfas show at our barn, which I shall go and watch as soon as I can shed the bathrobe etc.
Merry, let me know more about Arthur when you put him up for sale.
PONCHO - YOU’LL BE DANCING SOON!!!
