Winter break

I still have about ten days before the spring semester begins, but the most wonderful part of winter break is behind me. Generally, the part where I basked in the glow of having nothing to do and happily read plotty novels and polished off the box of wine Amanda and I bought at dad's over Thanksgiving. Now I'm starting to feel a little impatient. All this inaction is getting to me.

To remedy my lack of Stuff to Do, I tried to bring Diddy over to a Lawrence boarding facility. My plan was to pick up the trailer in Kansas City, drive to Abilene for the weekend, then pick Diddy up and take him to K-State for the boarding stable's mandatory Coggins test, wait for the results and head home. However, Saturday I got stuck in the snow just trying to drive down the gravel road at the barn leading to the trailer parking area. I had to dig myself out with a shovel. (Great exercise, by the way.)

The next day, the barn owner called to tell me she had pulled the trailer out with her tractor so that I would be able to hook up. It had snowed over night, but I still didn't think I would have any problems. This time I got hooked up all right, but had to dig out the TRAILER in order to get the rig to move.

Feeling proud of myself, I started out of Kansas City and, merging off the entrance ramp onto westbound Highway 152, I slid slowly across three lanes (empty of traffic, thank goodness) and into the median, where the Nitro came to rest on a pillow of snow. Nothing was damaged, but apparently the ten minute process of being winched out of a ditch by a Kansas City towing company costs one $200.

Unhappily, I drove on home on clear roads at 50 miles an hour, but there's no way I feel comfortable risking a similar experience with a horse in the trailer. So there will be none of that horse moving until the spring thaw, as far as I'm concerned.

I'm currently sitting in mom's kitchen, draped in blankets with my feet resting directly on the heating vent. I might wait out the worst of this week's cold in Abilene. I can't imagine even the toughest little riders being interested in lessons Thursday in the record-breaking cold, but I suppose I could be wrong!

I spent a little Christmas money on some black suede snow boots, complete with faux fur. I love them, despite the fact I've been told they make me look like a bear hunter. New shoes are the ultimate cure to the anxiety of grade anticipation.