I am the proud new owner of a Mountain Horse (jacket)

I had hoped to ride today but there was still snow in the arena, and ice, snow, and icy puddles on the road.  Instead I held Pluto for the farrier while he got his bi-monthly mani-pedi.

Would sir care for the apricot scrub?

You can't really see it in the picture but Pluto is in fact standing on ice and slush.

After completely failing to ride because of my fear of Pluto slipping and falling and losing his grip on reality, I decided today was a good day to go to Dover.  Dover is a saddlery.  Saddleries sell all sorts of horse and riding related items.  I got Pluto  an exercise rug, purchased in lilac to cover his delicate heinie and my chilly thunderthighs.  I stopped in the helmet department and picked up a velvet helmet cover and a waterproof helmet cover, both intended to try to keep my noggin warmer in the winter.

I also found my winter coat!  It has pockets.  Oh so many pockets.  Hold on a sec while I count.

Eleven.  It has eleven pockets.  It has pit zips.  It has snaps in the back to loosen up the bottom so it fits when you get in a saddle.  It has reflective strips that you can reveal on the arms, should you so choose.  It has corduroy just on the inside of the neck, for coziness.  It has a flap with a label under it where you can write all your information, so should your broken body be found somewhere, the authorities can call home and let somebody know to put in a claim for the life insurance money.  There are little zippers at the wrist so you can easily put gloves on and then tighten the coat down over them.  It is made of super durable cordura, and it is so warm that I had to change the air temperature in the car from warm to cool.

And last but not least, it was $100 off.  Woo!

This may be the most useful, most me-like coat I've ever purchased.  I hope it survives.

I stopped for groceries after that.  By this point it was nearly 3 pm and I was starving, having missed lunch so Pluto could get his nails did.  I picked up some quinoa.  "Quinoa?"  I know you are saying.  WTF is quinoa and what kind of yuppie is she to buy it?  I'm glad you asked.  It's a pretty tasty grain-like seed.  You cook it like rice (pretty much exactly) and it kind of looks like couscous.  (If you don't know what couscous is, I can't help you.)  I'm eating it because it's tasty.  Also, fairly high in protein.  Tonight I ate it with leftover chicken and broccoli in garlic sauce and it was DELISH. 

However, there was one minor technical problem.  You have to rinse it before cooking.  I only had a one cup strainer of the correct mesh width.  So I figured I'd rinse one cup, add it to the broth I cooked it in, then rinse the other cup.  But the broth wasn't boiling yet.

It got a little 'splodey.

Also this afternoon I determined that Dory likes hummus.

I don't know if it's all hummus, or just the spinach and artichoke flavor that she likes.

Beauty is concerned by this development.  What if the cats want to eat HER hummus?