to cheer up domane. my week as single mom, FT work and horses

Dummer&Drummer

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Sep 30, 2004
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here you are domane just to cheer you up, my week, a bad week for busy but must confess not far from a normal week.......

start of the week, late for work as per normal, not just 5 mins but the normal half an hour, luckily i found a job where my bosses start work later than me, unluckily for me it was the nhs :) so as per normal i dive through the door late, turn on the computer and chuck work all over the desk so it looks as though i have been slogging it, then go straight for the kettle. on the rare occasions my bosses get to work before me, barge through the door moaning loudly about traffic lol. straight from work, grap child, straight to horse - watch your daughter ride your horse with no stirrups and her shouting, see mom you do it like this, pull her off ;) jump on and belt over some jumps in canter (knowing that daughter has not cantered new horse yet) smile and say, see daughter you do it like this....:) untack clear away, which takes longer than the riding, go home silly hours and put the tea on, too tired to eat and fall into bed in the thermals your rode in

day 2, late again, chuck work around go for the kettle, work all day, sneak to the loos 10 mins before you are about to finish work, get changed and sit quietly in office watching the clock hoping no one notices that you have your waterproofs and wellies on under the desk lol ...really... dive out the door, another hour's drive home, straight to the yard, no child as being fed by sister for intake of meat and veg, get in horse, tack up in the rain and hack to the vets, fighting through the main road traffic at peak rush hour, back to yard, untack tidy up, grab hot choc, go home, fall on the sofa no point cooking for one

day 3, another hours drive to work, late again, though not quite as much, typical as bosses not in all day, bummer, they dont see you arrive nearly on time, do mornings work, realise that you have no food in the house, have no time to do shopping, dive to tescos to do weekly shop realising you are prob not home all week as at the yard and still have to eat :rolleyes: do shopping, feel happy you have brought lots of veg even though you wont be home to cook it at all but have lots of fruit (wonder why im loosing weight lol) happy you have the ingedients to make spagetti bolengnes - great to freeze as well - half way back to work realise you have brought no meat, mince included :rolleyes: leave work, another long drive, dive through door, chuck fruit in a box, dive out the door to prepare daughters horse to be tried by potiential buyers (big story there i cant write aarrr, i have fought to keep our pony to sell to a 'nice' family cough cough, i did not just write that) anyway :) ........at yard will get soaking wet and will get home at silly oclock, but at least i have food in the fridge even though i wont be home to cook it this week and it will go off by the time i get round to it, i feel better though, lesson thurs night straight from work in prep for sunday sj comp,

friday - i may be home after work.. YEY.. but oh no my house needs cleaning i have no clothes to wear and there is mud all over the hall floor - but home to eat a weeks worth of vegetables in one go......

saturday, up by 8am get in horse lesson at 8.45, bum at yard, daughters lesson at 11.15 clear up (another few hours gone) go to see parents just to let them know you are still alive, back to yard, daughter has lesson on new horse at 4.15, clear up, gossip, another few hours, saturday night, home exhausted.........

sunday - i stay in bed till 10 YES, but oh no not this weekend, down yard 7 am muck out get horse ready, load up off to first sj comp away from home, smoke lots all morning shake like a leaf, get dry mouth, but thats ok as i remembered to get lots of drink to take and a yummy pack lunch i brought this lunch time when i went shopping, even though i did forgot my meat, i remembered the important stuff like, fags chocolate and drink!!! do sj comp, get a clear round (ha hopefully) lol come home muck out trailer, feed horse sort out the car, get home prob when it just getting dark, cook tea, iron work clothes school uniform, fall in to bed.......

and now we are back to day one... do you feel better domane!!!!! ;) oh and inbetween this answer silly comments from family and non horsey friends like - why have you been single for the last two years do you not like s*x anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!
...................lol..................arrrr............. :)

and i would not change it for a thing :) well a bit of s*x once a year maybe nice ;) my week lol

anyone else's life like this lol ????
 
good call , i think lots of us will relate to this manic routine

& its more fun than sitting watching the soaps on telly!!

although when it rains for 3 days solid you do begin to wonder!
 
also , you know when you are a busy horse owner when you are so kn*ckered on saturday morning , that you put your coat & wellies over your pj's at 7am cos you feel guilty if you don't get the horses turned out , turn horses out , remove wellies & coat & get back into bed!!
 
lol after running around like a headless chicken this morning, and kissing my DH goodbye, I realised I wouldn't be home for more than 30 minutes until 9.30 tonight..

Thankfully a meeting cancelled from tonight so I'll be home come 7pm after collecting my daughter from a party. :)

I soooo know how your days feel! Just not got a horse in the mix - yet! :p
 
err ONE lol :D - well actually just sold mine, rupert, got new share one for me and daughter, drummer, and still in process of selling ash, daughter's pony,

so technically when all done, just drummer and we may half loan a schoolie for amy as well, well hopefully :)
 
Isn't it amazing how we all cope - When I was younger - horse at livery just myself to look after I couldn't imagine coping with children, husband, career, house and more horses.

But you do cope! And when things are tough - just think they can only get better!

Spring will be here soon!
 
what is it about the NHS ? My mother used to work for NHS, across 2 local hospitals so used to manage to fit in doing horsey stuff before, during, and after work as she went to and from the hospitals (yard was en route :) ).

Amazing how she used to have to go between the 2 sites at around half 3 in the winter (getting in time ;) )

she's retired now - and probably has less time, but has the horses on the doorstep (literally when they are in !).
 
Just had to share something that one of our dear clients told us (and tells others):
"When I feel like my life is the pits I just give LMS' husband a call & find out how things are going with them. That usually cheers me up because his life is so topsy turvy, some sort of unwanted drama going on but yet they still keep their chin up & have a smile for everyone."

Before I married my husband I thought my life was mundane. Now I feel like I'm living a soap opera! If I ever wrote down everything that goes on, I could package it, sell it & make a fortune in the soap opera industry!

I feel like one of those blow up clowns that you punch & they just bounce back up.:rolleyes:

After our last crisis (hubby was in the hospital), I was keeping some people in the loop of how things were on a daily basis. And described our life as a roller coaster, so at that time we were at a low point but now the car is going up again.
 
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Why cant I have a daughter that is well into riding that she would come up on a night and at least ride Rhi. Sounds like it would help a lot. Also once sorted must save cash and learn to drive :D


Sounds like anything can be achieved
 
Sometimes it's good to take a break when things get too crazy and you no longer feel like doing anything.
I took 3 months off from teaching & excersice riding and am just getting back into it. My husband was ill and is finally back on the mend. The only contact I had with the horse world were with my two mares that got fed by me & the help of my 2 boys.

Years ago when I was a DIY stable, (we were 3) one of the young ladies found it (life in general) too much at one point and asked me if we could work out a schedule.
What we did was for 5 days(Mon to Fri) I'd do morning chores (her horse & mine) and she would do evenings. Then the week after we'd swap.

She really appreciated it & I accomodated her until she was back on track.
 
That's a great recitation, Dum&Drum, but remember if you are actually 10 min. early but no one is there to see it, :( , you must brag up that you were there 'since the crack of dawn' for the extra credit! At least that's what I do...

Our office has one lady who has a terrible guilt attack if she is late (no one cares) and always stops for pastries that morning! So then everyone knows for sure that she was late :D


I love the picture of you throwing the files around to look busy, I usually have one open when I check the NR forum twice a day!
 
Oh my God D&D!!!! What a week!!! :eek: There are so many elements of your life that I can relate to! I nearly fell off my chair laughing so yes it certainly did cheer me up.....


....... then I thought......


..... if YOU can cope with all THAT, why can't I???

I do appreciate the gesture though..... :)
 
gosh this says a lot for NHS workers (i too work for the NHS) . I spend so long with the horses that on the odd day I am on time for work people as what I am doing in early :rolleyes: Unfortunatley my boss knows about the horses so cant away with groaning about traffic, although I do sometimes blame the children saying they lost lunch box etc :p
 
Dummer and Drummer...your week sounds a lot like mine... only I don't have the child to worry about;)

Sunday: Finish night shift 08.00... dash home to bed. Sleep til 12 (who needs more than 3 hours?!) Get up, do essential cooking, washing and ironing. Get to yard for 3pm.

**Muck out three stables and put ready for night. Notice tractor bucket full of muck, take tractor to muck heap and empty. Narrowly avoid knocking down trees/fences/animals/children with tractor. Skip out menage (four horses in there!), Skip out paddock (two). Realise no haylege accessible- take quad to shed, load with four bales, pull muscles in back and stomach, dump in hay store. Fill haynets. Chuck half a bale of hayledge at Prince, whole bale at boys in menage. Fill water buckets/troughs. Get Dolly, Carlito, Shetland and Donkey (share a stable!) in. Change rugs on Dolly and Carlito. Check rugs on three who stay out. Make up feeds for all and distribute. Collect buckets and wash. Set fair, and go home.**

Arrive home 7pm, cook super noodles and eat. Check in with NR.
*Feed 20 cats. Clean out cat litter. Feed dog and walk. Feed Parrot.*
Fall into bed at 10.30pm, exhausted.

Monday. Day off. Ha Ha. Do food shop, all housework (gets done once a week if it's lucky!) Fill car up with petrol. Wash and iron uniforms. Make half an hour to see/speak to one family member or friend. Horses- **repeat as above** Other animals- *repeat as above* Check in with NR. Fall into bed at 10pm. Exhausted.

Tuesday. Get up 05.30am. Arrive work 5mins late (NHS!;) ) Get telling off 'cause, typical, Sister is on duty. Work with older adults with mental health and physical difficulties until 2.30pm. Change into stinking horse clothes in staff loo, causing snorts of disgust, drive to horses- **Repeat as above** Arrive home 6pm. Eat whatever is in fridge. *Repeat as above* Check in with NR, get engrossed, go to bed at 11.30pm. Exhausted.

Wednesday. Repeat of Tuesday, only manage somehow to be on time for work.

Thursday. Repeat Tuesday and Wednesday. Can't imagine I'll be on time for work.

Friday. Get up at stupid o'clock, considering don't have to be at work at sparrows fart. Be at yard to meet and greet farrier at 08.00am, expect him to not turn up til 09.30am. Get Prince in and make attempt at cleaning off muddy legs. Make a start on chores. Pacify Dolly and Carlito who don't understand why they haven't gone out.Smile sweetly at farrier when he arrives. Get three sets and a trim done, muck out all stables and leave ready for night, turn Dolly and Carlito out once feet done, turn Prince out once feet done. make up all feeds and leave ready for night, skip out menage and paddock. Fill all water. Haul haylege over from shed to store. Empty tractor onto muckheap. Leave yard by 2pm, fly home, swallow sandwich, race to work, arriving by 3pm. Work until 11pm. Get home 11.30pm Sort out house animals- *repeat as above*. Fall into bed at midnight, exhausted.

Saturday- Get up 07.00, be at yard by 07.30. Change rugs on Dolly and Carlito, turn out. Turn Shetland out with Prince. Let Donkey out of yard to wander where she wants. Muck 3 stables out and leave ready for evening. Skip out menage and paddock. Drag haylege over from shed. Ensure all horses have sufficient haylege and water for the day. Make up feeds and leave ready if time.
~~~:D :D get Dolly back in at about half ten, spend an hour and a half grooming, leading out, doing groundwork or (if saddle has arrived!) riding... turn Dolly back out:D :D ~~~
Realise it's later than I thought, leave yard, race home, spray on a shower, throw uniform on and go to work. Arrive work 15mins late at 1.30pm, with horse sh!t still under fingernails. work til 9.30, the whole time being aware of the permeating smell of horse and donkey pee wafting from self. Arrive home 10pm. Do animals..*repeat as above*. Check in with NR. Fall into bed somewhere around midnight having sunk a bottle of wine whilst on NR because it's Satruday, damn it!:D ;)


Funny how NR always manages to get checked in with, but house work, cooking and eating are sadly neglected isn't it?!:D
 
Do you know I tried to work out my hectic week but to be honest I could not compete with all your hectic life's. I only work 3 days a week so I get to spend more time with my horse. I dont spend much time on housework as I dont live to exist I live to enjoy my life. Dont get me wrong I am not living in a pig sty. I just have the bare essentials to accessories. My admiration to you all who work full time and keep family, house and horses.

Mental note - See Doctor and tell him not stressed just pi**ed off with working.:D
 
Miriam said:
Domane reading all this I think we should work for the NHS :p

Oh good God no! I worked for them in Ipswich for 4.5 years in administration.... only escaped last March and just starting to get my sanity back!!! They are currently having a restructure entitled "Agenda for Change" and re-assessing and re-grading all roles from top to bottom - and my goodness, is it causing some problems.... I'm glad I got out, the job I did was downgraded... I would have been up the proverbial creek.....

..... the things I haven't learned about bladders are just not worth knowing though :D

(No offence you guys still there :rolleyes: )
 
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