While it’s a holiday week for most, this is always one of the busiest weeks of the year for me. When you work mainly in social media, the holidays are busy. Plus there’s that pesky Black Friday Sales List that I have managed to bring upon myself like a lifelong curse, and yes it will be back this year. It might not be as ridiculously mega as it’s been in years past just because I truly don’t have 6+ hours a day to babysit it, but I’ve already been spending a fair amount of time gathering sales and the drafting process starts today. The first iteration of the list should be up by Thursday morning, so keep an eye out for that.

Since that’ll take up the whole end of the week, lets get caught up on all the other goings-on, shall we?

First and foremost: Mina update!

She has continued to improve day over day since she came home a week ago. Her attitude and demeanor are totally back to normal, she’s been eating great, and as of today she’s down from 5 medications to just one (and just a couple more days of that). She doesn’t have that TBI wobble anymore, and her back legs are getting stronger. The left hind is almost back to moving and holding weight normally… it’s pretty darn close. The right hind has been much slower, although it’s definitely still shown improvement. It was basically a dead fish floppy limb and now she’s able to brace it against the ground some, and she’s trying to move it when she’s walking.

She still can’t get around on her own, we’re utilizing the harness to assist her, but for a week it seems like pretty good improvement. She has a check-up appointment back at UF today, so we’ll see what they think of her progress.

I also got a new addition to my tattoo collection last week.

About a month ago my intrusive thoughts said I needed bangs and a tattoo, so naturally I did both. They were both fabulous ideas. I love the bangs, and I finally got the tattoo I’ve been thinking about for a long time. It’s Throne of Glass inspired – my favorite SJM series and my favorite characters were Manon and her wyvern Abraxos, so I went with Abraxos (and his flowers of course) and 13 stars to represent Manon’s coven, The Thirteen.

My appointment was Wednesday night and we didn’t even start until after 8pm, and ended up going until almost 11. We got a lot done in that session considering how big it is! It’s pretty much the whole front of my left thigh.

I’ll go back in a couple weeks so my artist can finish it… guessing we’ve got another hour or two to finish the bottom and add the rest of the line work detail. I love love love it though, I’m already thinking about what I want next. The only bummer is that I have to stay out of the pool until it’s all done healing, so I’m on hiatus from my 3x a week swims for a while. Genuinely sad about that, but in the grand scheme of things it’s short term.

Of course, like a day after I get a bangin thigh tattoo, Florida decided it’s winter. I have been DISPLEASED. We had a couple nights in the 30’s, which I feel like it’s godawful early to be that cold in Florida. I’m not into it whatsoever.

It’s warmed back up a bit now, but next week is supposed to be cold again, perhaps even with one night getting near or below freezing and the high being in the 50’s. What. The. Actual. Florida. Hardest of passes, my dude. I am an IGUANA, I want to be WARM. Why was summer 6 months long and fall was like a week?

Ya know who loves this weather tho? Our resident PA-bred boy.

He’s continued to really love his new turnout situation, and now that the worst of the bugs have retreated he’s spending less and less time in his stall. It seemed like he was really only coming in to eat his grain and alfalfa, so I moved all that outside (it’s dry season now) and I’m not sure that he’s been back in his stall since. He grazes, he sunbathes, he naps… but he’s suddenly a real outdoorsman, and I’m super pleased. He’s had so little turnout in his life, seeing him settle and relax into just being a happy outside horse gives me some feels.

The extra grass has also really upped his dad bod status.

He’s starting to look downright chonky, such that I’ve been able to cut his grain back and he still looks like he’s gaining. Super pleased about that too! Hopefully now that it seems like his system and metabolism have caught up to the sporthorse lifestyle I’ll be able to keep cutting back the concentrates, and he’s eating more forage.

Last week I also had a jump lesson on Presto, which was heavy on the rideability. There were cloverleafs, there were circles of death, there were tight rollbacks. Thank goodness we’ve finally figured out the flying changes because it was not an easy exercise with all the turning, but it was beneficial for both of us. The overarching theme was “leg”. This leg. That leg. More leg. Leg.

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This week I’ve got another jump lesson on the docket today and then a XC school again on Saturday. I was serious about going out every couple weeks and doing a little bit of XC so that I can get back in my gallopy mojo again. Season is quite literally just around the corner.

Which is maybe why one of the consignment shops I follow in Insta really got me in a weak moment.

The pic doesn’t do it justice but it’s a brilliant bright royal blue Horse Pilot jacket (with elbow patches… I do love a good elbow patch) that somehow fits me like a glove. It was a wicked good deal and I don’t even feel bad. Do I need more jackets? Sure as shit don’t. Does it please me? Absolutely.

I don’t really need anything as we go into Black Friday this year… I’d like to re-up my Farrier’s Formula if I find a good sale, otherwise I’m really just keeping my eye out for gifts. That doesn’t mean I’m marked safe from literally anything, but I’m gonna try my best to resist. Thoughts and Prayers.