The Waiting Game

Well, we're still waiting for the phone call to go pick up the keys and sign the lease. Sheesh. This country is so full of contradictions; hurry up and wait being one of the most frustrating! Sometimes I wonder if anything will ever happen. My mom had a sign in our bathroom when I was growing up that was so true: The hurrier I go, the behinder I get. :) How is that possible? I don't know, but it's so true!

So, I've designated today my get caught up on rest day. And guess what? I was awake at 5 a.m. So, I'm up and hoping to get sleepy enough to go back to bed and sleep some more!
Even though we aren't moving this weekend as we had hoped, there has been other positive things happen: 3 of my colleagues and I submitted a proposal for the TESOL conference in Boston for March 2010 and it was accepted. Although we may not be able to get it completely funded, it is an honor (only 25% of all submissions were chosen) and we will find a way for me to make it!

More good stuff: Nelson put shoes on a horse for an endurance owner/rider last night who has had a lot of problems with lameness due to poor shoeing (mostly cutting the heels off!). He put St. Croix shoes on with pads (needed a 2 degree wedge pad on one foot to get the angle to match) and padded them with EquiPak. He was able to buy EquiPak from the track's farrier section. The guy who is acting as head farrier currently (though we don't know if it is official or not) did not know the difference between EquiPak, Superfast, SilPak, etc. These are all hoof products made by Vettec and which Nelson has lots of experience with. And this is the guy running the show. Unfortunately, when Nelson was there, he ran into the woman with whom he had an interview for the job at the Federation. She was showing around a friend of hers, someone who it seems she would like to have the job. We are a bit concerned if she is on the up and up. We are taking another proposal, CV and letter to the chairman and the Federation manager just to make sure they are all aware of his availability and superior qualifications. I guess earlier in the year, they hired a guy from South Africa who left after a month because he hated it here. Gee, why not do the smart thing and hire someone who has been here a year plus and plans on staying? Go figure! In any case, Nelson has decided to freelance until something happens....he's going to do some horses for Peggy at Al Samriyah and she is promoting him to the sheikh who owns the stable next door and to the new manager of Al Shahaniya Stable. Nelson would prefer to do endurance horses anyway. He did a great job on that horse last night as everyone stood around shaking their heads, thinking Megan (the owner/rider) is crazy. This is the opportunity to see exactly what he can do and how well the horses he shoes can do! :) And they will...if they don't, it won't be for lack of good shoeing!

So, that's what's happening up to today. I'm having a hard time adjusting to life without a horse and riding again.....sometimes missing Malik is an ache that is impossible to shake. Waiting for the opportunity to own and ride and compete a horse here is going to make me insane. I guess I just need to go out and go for "hack" at the stable one day soon. Maybe that'll keep the English teacher from losing her mind permanently. :)