Time to celebrate!

All right, Spring Break is finally here! I get a week off classes, although not off school in general since I'll be doing a lot of school work. But it's so nice to get that week off! I had a test today in physiology and I know I aced it! I think they wanted to give the class an easier test because the first two had such low averages. I also decided to drop Organic Chemistry for sure because I don't need it. One less stressor!

My riding lesson on Wednesday was, again, awesome. No more jumping, but we did some dressage, working on laterals (a new termed I learned for stuff that I had already been doing). We did some stirrupless riding, two point at the walk (I'm still sore from that today!). Then we did some bending, walking and trotting around in a circle. We did some cantering, but not much. I rode this big paint draft cross, he was so big and smooth. Responsive to aids, but not as sensitive as I like (well, what can you expect from a school horse? he's pretty good considering). Then we started working on laterals - half-passing, shoulder in, etc. I got a couple of nice compliments from our instructor - first she put me on the horse that had supposedly acted like a "dick" earlier, because she figured I could handle it. He was fine, no problems, though. Then she said that she didn't know what I was doing in the lesson program, that I should be one of the trainers! That was very nice to hear. I have a lot to learn, but it's nice to know that all my riding has paid off and is obvious. It's been a long time since I've done laterals, and even longer since I've worked on bending (not as applicable on the trail). My muscles knew what to do, though, and I haven't lost the touch for being able to tell when they're legs are crossing over under neath me. Hard to explain, but I can always feel when those legs cross over like they're supposed to!

We're going to have a lesson next Wednesday during spring break, but only 2 of us plus our instructor will be there (usually 4 students). So we thought we would do some polocrosse, and have a longer lesson. Start on the ground to get used to the net (stick? whatever it's called), then get on the horses and try throwing the ball around. I'm looking forward to it! I also met someone recently that lives about an hour away who has horses and is willing to let me ride one of hers. That's too far to go every week, but I think I'll go next week and get to ride on some trails! She's really into competitive trail riding (CTR) and endurance, and CTR being my true love with riding, I'm looking forward to riding with her.

Have a great weekend everybody!

One week later...

Whew! Another week of ups and downs! It looks like I will be doing weekly posts (as opposed to more frequent), now that the school year is in full swing and I feel like I'm in over my head! Today I had a Calculus test (that I feel like I failed), and 5 references due for a Physiology paper. Since I had the Calculus test today, I didn't start looking for the references until I got home this afternoon. Fortunately, they weren't due to be uploaded until midnight tonight, and it didn't take as long as I thought. Apparently there is a lot more information out there about calcium-gated chloride channels then I thought there was. Go figure.

My husband and I were having a fight all week... we finally worked it out yesterday, so that was very stressful. And I was stressing about money (of course), and not doing well in school. I failed my organic chemistry test and my physiology test last week. Got an A on my bio test though! I wouldn't be so worried about the organic chemistry test because there will be a large curve, but I was almost 10 percent below average. Physiology I can drop a test, and pull up my grade from my last test (a 65) with extra credit. I have another Physiology test this Friday, and no other test(s) this week! So I can focus on studying for Physiology. Of course, that's what I thought I would do for calculus this week, and that didn't go so well...

Ok, onto happier things. And why I'm not as stressed out anymore. I met with an academic advisor today, and got a lot of things cleared up for what I have to do to become a teacher. The bad news: I didn't have to take Organic Chemistry and Calculus. The good news: I won't have to take Physics like I thought I did! When I got to UMD, I thought that the only option in the education department was for Biology, and that I would have to pretty much do a double major in Biology to fulfill the requirements to get into the program. But I talked to the advisor for the Ag Science and Technology major, which has the option for pre-education. He told me that the new Ag Ed track in the Education department just requires an Agriculture BS (like Animal Science, which I am). So if I can just make it through this term, next year should be a little easier and I can pull my GPA back up again! I came home so much more relieved - no more fighting with my husband, calculus test over, and school stress decreased.

Tomorrow I'll be helping with the 4-H horse bowl, on campus all day. It should be fun, but it's already almost midnight and I haven't gone to bed yet... so I'm going to be tired. But I'm looking forward to it. The Collegiate 4-H club is selling grilled cheese at lunch, but I already told the coordinator that I would help out with the horse bowl, so I can't help them with that fundraising. They'll also be selling baked goods, so I made some brownies they can sell. Actually, I made two batches. One for me and my husband, one for the 4-H club! They are tasty. And I made them out of a box!

We got all that snow Monday, and then it was 60 degrees today! So Wednesday, when I would normally have my riding lesson, the arena was a mess and we couldn't ride. Our instructor took us into the barn office and she went over some of the basic rules of polocrosse. We looked at some of her photos on Facebook (of polocrosse), and watched videos on YouTube. The club has been trying to do more polocrosse going, and I've been interested, since I had a lot of fun when I played polo. So that was really interesting. A lot of similarities, but a lot of differences. A true cross between polo and lacrosse!

Ok, it is midnight now. And I need to get up at 7am. So bedtime. Enough writing.

Another Friday, Another 2 Tests...

These past two weeks have been insane! In my last post I mentioned how I had been sick. When I went to the health center that Wednesday morning (over a week ago), I had a fever of 103 F! Tuesday night and Wednesday were the worst. I was taking tylenol, but didn't want to take too much; my husband the medic said I should only be taking the tylenol every 6 hours (they were very high strength), but they were only keeping the fever down for about 3 hours. So I was trying not to overload my liver with fever reducers, but I was desperate for relief. We didn't have a thermometer, so I don't know what my temperature was at that time, but I bet it was around the 103 it was the next morning. I didn't get a note to get out of classes, but they did run tests to confirm I had the flu, and not something else like mono (since I've never had it before). My friend from back home came in Wednesday, and I picked her up from the hotel where the conference was being held, after she checked in. We both came back to my apartment and fell asleep for like 4 hours! She was jet lagged, I was sick. Wednesday was supposed to be my riding lesson, but I was in no shape to go, no matter how much I wanted to. Thursday I was feeling better (it helped that my husband came home that night), and Friday I didn't have a fever, although I was still sick with stuffy nose and very draggy. I only went to one class Friday -Physiology - and we had a pop quiz! I hadn't done the reading, but I got full points on the quiz, from using my common sense and memory from Anatomy class.

My friend and I went into DC on Saturday, and spent all day there. We went to the International Spy Museum and the National Art Institute. The Spy Museum was very cool, although maybe not worth the $18 to get in. National Art Institute was free, of course, and very educational. I felt so sophisticated. I was still recovering from being sick, though, and was completely exhuasted by the end of the day. My friend and I were worn out and falling asleep at my husband's friend's house, where we went for dinner and watching movies. Sunday I took her to the airport (awwww, so little time), then started studying. I had a biology test Monday, which I think went well despite not having been to class all the week before (on account of being sick). I had two tests today - one in organic chemistry, one in physiology. I don't think I aced either one, but I don't think I bombed either one. Organic Chemistry was worse, of course, but there will be a curve at the end - everyone's in the same boat as me... Organic Chemistry is VERY hard! I am so relieved that those two tests are over, I was very stressed about them. I didn't have enough time to study. Wednesday I had my riding lesson (the first one where I got to ride, yay!), and so didn't get home until almost 8. Then I had to do my biology and calculus homework. Monday and Tuesday I had done some studying, but not much, so most of my studying for the two tests were last night. And that's not exactly good study habits!! It's over now, though, I'm so relieved.

So Wednesday was my first riding lesson, it was so much fun! I almost always have fun riding, but this was an extraordinary day. I jumped for the first time! I've never jumped before... except that one time in my western saddle... that was just bad. I didn't do amazing, but I didn't fall off, and my instructor said I did "good." She was just so happy that the 4 of us in the lesson know how to ride decently well. That's why we're in the B lesson! Ha ha. I'm still sore, though, two days later... I haven't done that much two-point since I was playing polo!

Well, I'm all caught up, and hopefully life won't be so crazy the next couple weeks, and I'll do a better job of keeping up with my blog.