Happy Holidays to one and all!

It's been a while since I've posted, but life has been been so busy. My day-job computer project is going at full speed, and the horse business is picking up. Our horse show at the beginning of December went very well, and my student WON one dressage class and got a fourth in another (both classes had more than a dozen riders), and my daughter E got a third and a fourth in the same two classes. We were very thrilled and excited for both of them. E's jumping classes were ok (she didn't place and the classes were big--over 30 riders each), but it was good practice for her horse, and she is working on getting him ready for the show in January.

My mom is here visiting, and will be staying until January 6th. Since my dad died three years ago, she has lived by herself, and I think it's been harder on her than she thought it would be. I see more age-related issues now than I have before, and it does concern me. I'll just have to keep a close eye on her and see how things go. She does enjoy coming to visit us (she lives in the midwest) and see E do her horsey thing. California is also a great break for her from the winter weather--snow and ice and cold are no fun for anyone, especially seniors.

Since this is a somewhat eclectic post, I have two more things to say.

ONE:

This is what I would like for Christmas:

This is what I will probably get:

TWO:

In the midst of the computer project from hell, I spend a lot of time "clicking and waiting" while doing the setup job for new machines. This gives me time to look at a few things online and I have been re-reading the lunacy that is the result of the Bulwer-Lytton fiction contest. (http://www.bulwer-lytton.com) If you're not familiar with this, it was started in the 80's by a professor at San Jose State University who has apparently been fascinated by the works of Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, and English novelist from the early 1800's, who wrote the novel "Paul Clifford" that began with "It was a dark and stormy night." For the contest, you have to write the worst possible first sentence of a novel that no one would want to read. The results over the years have been VERY funny. Here is one of my favorites, the winner from 2006:

Detective Bart Lasiter was in his office studying the light from his one small window falling on his super burrito when the door swung open to reveal a woman whose body said you've had your last burrito for a while, whose face said angels did exist, and whose eyes said she could make you dig your own grave and lick the shovel clean.

If you need a good laugh this holiday season, check out this website. You won't be disappointed.

Have a great holiday and I hope you and yours are happy, safe, and warm!