What A Week!

Pick your favourite:

1) Last night I took apart a bridle and gave it a good cleaning. It had been hanging in my "tack room" which I share with a 1973 Buick Skylark (nice!) and a 1990 Honda FourTrax. The bridle got mouldy. It happens. It had been my show bridle. I could never afford silver so I settled for a fancy braided browband. The King looked handsome in it.

I hated to clean it actually. Even though I give my tack a little scrub often, there was still some of Champ's dirt stuck to it. I could still faintly detect his smell. Sad, eh?

At least I know that at age 35 I can finally take a bridle apart and put it back together. That's a curb bit. It's for well broke horses only. The coating has flaked off, leaving the sweet iron underneath exposed, which in my opinion is better. Not a pretty bit but great for neck reining, riding one handed.

My son displays the Chicago screws that hold it together. Always make sure they're tight!

The browband is a total pain to clean but it's worth it to do it right.

There it is. All it needs is the curb strap attached to the top rings and it's ready for a horse to stick his head right in. I oiled it while watching ER on my one channel.

2) Speaking of ER which I haven't watched in about two years....John Stamos is on that show. He'll make an appearance on Hick Chic next week...

3) Got two new tires yesterday. At Cute Mike's Tire Shop. I love Cute Mike's tire shop. It's an old building with various antique items and curiosities everywhere, like a badly blown out tire, a little toy Jeep like the one I had when I was three, an old Coke machine, and hot rod pictures everywhere. No nekkid skanks. Hot rods. And did I mention Cute Mike? Man, this shop has the best looking Tire Busters in town. Cute Mike is blonde (not my type but I can make exceptions) and he's got the prettiest blue eyes, cute like you wouldn't believe, all married up, super nice, always manages to work the phrase "my wife" into the convo, polite, funny...and guess what lifting tires all day does to a guy's arms. aaaaagggghhhhhhhhh. I love going to Cute Mike's tire shop and wish my truck had ten wheels. My husband always sends me there because he says it's good for my brain. I love my husband too.

4) My old cat set himself up under the heat vent at the front door yesterday and that was his spot. Sleep, eat, sleep, box, sleep. Meow. He is really slowing down. That's what cats do when it gets to the end. He's walking crooked and I suspect his hearing might be going too. We could have a week, we could have a year with him. Love him while we can.

The girl went to get her homework and this is how I found her! I left them like that. I had to.

5) Little fire at the studio last night. Started in the upstairs bathroom exhaust fan. The whole place is false ceilings. We are SO LUCKY that it was contained and didn't spread. The damage is minimal and there won't be an insurance claim, but there's gonna be a little visit from the fire marshal (fahhhr mahhhhrshal). Here's the thing: I am so stunned, and ashamed of myself, that I never once looked around to see where the smoke alarms were. Turns out, there weren't any. Oh my sweet GOD. No fire extinguishers either. HOLY ####. I watched my dad's shop burn down (with my GTO in it) when I was 16 and it was traumatic. We're lucky. It got caught, nobody got hurt, and we learned a lesson. SERIOUS WAKE UP CALL. Kids, go check your alarms. DO IT.

6) My godbaby KK told me that Johnny Depp was on TV last week, on something called a Teen's Choice Award. Turns out, teenagers choose Johnny.

"Heidi. Call me. I just got this surfboard thing and I have no room for it- can I keep in your barn over winter?"

KK is not an Orlando fan. I like Orlando. A lot. I have no idea if he's a good actor; he looks great on a horse though. I can't wait for him to turn 30 so I don't feel so...lecherous...

7) Here's my children's exterior decorating job for Halloween. They want to keep it there all winter! I'm pretty lazy; they might get their wish.

8) This is the boy's lunch bag. Nice, eh? Try again, kid!

9) Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward and RONNIE JAMES DIO (I capitalized his name because he's little, like me, and we deserve capitals) are heading out on the road next year, calling themselves- get this!- Heaven and Hell! They are doing a tribute band act to themselves! Jethro says Dio invented throwing the horns. Heck yes!!!

10) Next week: writers, cats, a lie, and a list of my crushes over the years.

This should keep you busy for some time. If you can't pick a favourite come back later and pick more favourites! Heck, it'll be here all weekend! You've been a great audience! Woooo!