Weekend plans

The ladies got together tonight for food and hilarity, but I feel antisocial.  I wanted to stay home and have quiet time.  And exercise.  Despite a phone call from the hard to resist Liza, I changed into exercise clothing and went out to jog.  Today was Week 1 Day 3 of Couch to 5K.  For me it was the hardest day of the three.  I'm pretty sure that's backwards.  Shouldn't it get easier as the week goes on?  It didn't though.  I'm glad I have two days off before my next run.  (Heh.  Look at me say "run" like I'm doing it for more than sixty seconds, or at more than a slow shuffle.)  Of course, I plan on riding, hiking, and doing some home maintenance this weekend.  I may not be that much more rested on Monday.  Bricklaying is easy, right?

JD had some powerful cravings going on.  I think the extra exercise he's been getting is the source of it.  He went out and brought home four flavors of chicken fingers.  I normally love buffalo wings (and close relations) but today my reaction was "Enh."  They were okay.  I probably would have been happy with a cheese sandwich.  The ice cream I served myself after dinner hit the spot more accurately.

The four flavors, for the record, were Thai (I'm not sure what made them Thai), garlic parmesan, Old Bay, and Buffalo.  The Buffalo flavor was completely unBuffalo-y.  The Old Bay was super salty.  Garlic parmesan duked it out with Thai and lost.  Thai won easily.  I generally am biased toward Thai food so I should not have been surprised. 

After dinner I came across these links on a mailing list:

http://www.usef.org/documents/disciplines/dressage/tests/2011trainingLevelTest1.pdf
http://www.usef.org/documents/disciplines/dressage/tests/2011trainingLevelTest2.pdf
http://www.usef.org/documents/disciplines/dressage/tests/2011trainingLevelTest3.pdf

I have no intention or desire to show, but looking at the tests inspired me to be a bit more formal in my riding.  I was already planning to ride tomorrow.  Now I'm going to ride with a plan.  I doubt it will all come together in one ride, but I'd like to ride some patterns with Pluto.  There are a lot of things to remember.  The pattern itself, of course.  But also accurate transitions, keeping a good rhythm, staying focused (and keeping him focused too), maintaining good and therefore effective posture*,  and using the arena well.  By which I mean not turning our circles into eggs, going into corners, and not drifting off straight lines.

Plus, you know, getting the horse to actually trot and canter on command.  That's a biggy.

*Dear Every Rider:  don't slump!  You can't use your hips if you slump!  I will prove it.   Stand erect, with your shoulders back.  Now, do a few pelvic thrusts.**  Note how easy it is to move your hips forward.  Next, slump a bit.  Try the pelvic thrusts.  Not so easy, is it?

**But it's the pelvic thrust that really drives you insane. Let's do the Time Warp again!