knock, knock...

Hello? Does anyone read this? Comments are nice...(from any body)

As promised, here are some photos of our new barn.

This is the south side.

The front, this side faces west. The white door is the leading door to the tack room. The Xs on the door will be painted green to match the rest of the barn.

A view of the stalls (before we swept...). Those babies took seveal weeks to install. Nice though.

The hayloft with some hay... Yum!

Flag's 12ft-12ft stall.

For now that is all. You like? Took lots of time to make it our "dream barn" but we got there in the end. Take care!

-Aidan

There have been a few things I have not written about that I think maybe would be fun to hear about. First was the blind tractor-driving contest Duncan and I won.

The contest was a game at the annual barn party we attend, about a month ago. There were cones placed in a lumpy circle, the point was to guide the blindfolded driver through the cones as fast as possible and while missing as many cones as possible. So I was the voice and Duncan the driver. We won against about 12 teams, one of which was my parents, but only won by one second. It was a blast and the prize is pretty awesome. The next event that might be fun to account is testing for my dragon patch in kung fu.

The morning was comfortable, but my stomach held butterflies, as it always does before any sort of test. We got to the school and watched the kids test, they all did well and passed. Then it was our turn. There were eight adults testing for various levels, three for dragon patch, two for yellow sash, and three for blue with brown stripe. We did our forms and the higher-level people did the weapons and forms with funny names (like black tiger comes out of the cave). Then we spared! That was awesome! Sifu Jeff put me with the two highest level, and best fighters there. It was two against one, and I was the one. It was the best sparing I have ever done. I even got a few hits in on the better fighters. Oh yeah… Well, I passed and so did everyone else. It was a good day.

Here are some pictures to show that day of the barn party and the kung fu test.

Duncan and I while doing the tractor drive. At this time we did not think we had a chance to win. Little did we know...

The prize we won. What is it you ask? It is a weather vain (sorry for my spelling) that goes on top of our beautiful new barn. I will post pictures of it in due time.

Duncan doing the staff.

Me, doing the thrid set (form).

-Aidan

September 26

It is the first day of the year we put the blankets on the horses. It is a foggy and cold day. Boo to an early winter.

Today I met with some people from my Chem. class for our exam tomorrow. It was really odd because all of us, there were four of us, did not know until today that we were all home schooled through high school and for three of us from the time we were little. Anyways, we were talking, mostly about chem. but sometimes about other things. We all have a lot more in common than I thought. For one example, we all come from military families. Well, the conversation got to our families, and eventually some stories that we have been told about them were brought up. So that would explain why I have been thinking about long past generations of my family.

My great grandfather, so my mother’s father’s father (phew) was a doctor in the Civil War. He wrote in a journal very faithfully while he was in the war. We have a copy of the journal, but the real thing is in a museum. If you can make out the handwritten entries it is exceedingly interesting. Anyways…After he had been in the war for a while he was in a hospital working when there was a cannon ball that when through the wall and took his arm off. After that incident his journal is much harder to read, due to the fact that his writing hand was now gone. After the war (his side lost, btw) he came home to find a wife. By this time he was well in his 40s and the woman he picked to be his wife was only 14. She however has a much different story…maybe in another entry I will tell you all (if you are not board out of your mind by this one). My grandfather was born when his father was 73 and his mother was 40 (hence why I can say my great-grandfather was in the Civil war that was 145 years ago, not my great-great-grandfather…because he was old when my grandfather was born). Bon Burt was his name. Great man. So much to say and find out about my family…

I suppose I will stop while I am ahead. See you all later.
-Aidan

Faith

Oh yeah...this is the life.

Does it get any better than this?

My eyes are swollen and red, my face is scarlet… Yes, I just had me a good cry. Maybe you will think it is a silly reason to cry. Maybe you will feel the same as I do. Maybe you have even cried for the same reason. Well, to put is all into a compact sentence, it is hard and downright painful to be so far from someone you love. Knowing they are busy, and too busy even to talk with you much, but also knowing that they feel the same for you as you do for them. Wanting nothing more in the world to be near them, yet are kept so far.
So there you go. This is why I cry.

Ha ha ha.

Uno Mas

I am here to tell you all that there is a new reader joining our midst. *Raises hand in recognition* Yup my sister is going to try and keep up with my blog goings on. More later, right now I will attempt to go outside with my brother and try to not cut anything off while doing kung fu. Byes.

-Aidan

Ambitions

I have always looked at the ladies I had wanted to be like. They are the ones who keep a clean house (all the time), their books all in order so they know just where it is when it is called upon, and never seem to have a bad word or thought about anything. Now that I am nearly a “lady” myself I recognize that the way these people appeared to be really cannot be true. No one can be perfect and even if they were trying to be perfect they would just go crazy with their inability to do so. Therefore, so as to keep my sanity, I have decided to no longer seek perfection but to sent limits and goals for myself. Such as to read all the books I have put into my ever-growing list, try to keep the dirty clothes off the floor (sometimes I must confess this goal is not reached), be kind to people even if they did not show kindness to me, and try to make the best of everything and everybody I come across. Sometimes I am tested. Sometimes people do not show kindness and I want to scream or lash out. At other times I have had a long day and I want to throw my clothes on the ground and stomp on them. And, of course sometimes, the TV is much more tempting than a novel. Well I think I will go pick up my dirty clothes, talk nice to Gloria, all while reading The Magicians Gambit. Bye to all!

-Aidan

If someone says they will work for 30min and they take a 20min break does that mean they only have to work 10min?

She is dynamite

TNT (aww) after my first (or second) photo taken with my new sexy camera. Oh yeah...

Up next on CSCO...

Well, I should maybe update on what's happening here in Colorado. On Saturday morning I will test in kung fu, then in the afternoon there is an anuall barn party thrown by our barn builder. We will go to that, and maybe even take the horses.

Flag and Rosie have been acting well, but Rosie did have a stupid moment a week or so ago. She spooked at a car and bucked my little brother off. Now he will not ride again, and she has me on her bad side. She will not buck with me on her unless she likes to see Aidan's full and scary wrath. If I do hit the ground due to a horses stupidity I will just become mad, and take it out by running their feet into the ground.

Anywho... This Friday I want to go bowling or maybe see a movie. For, only one day a year I get to say what we eat, and what we do "for fun" but this year will be different, because we are missing the "mullah" for outings. Maybe we will have some friends over to watch Pink Panther movies and play a board game. Sounds fun right?

This morning I woke early to the sound of thunder. It has been spitting little rain dropplets all morning, it would be nice if the sky opened up over our land, which happens to be very dry.

This "labor day weekend" we worked. My father had Friday off, and then of course Monday too, so we got the barn DONE, except for the staining, but that is very near done. We also have to buy and put in mats in the stalls. Our horses are going to be spoiled... Wait, they already are.

We were riding on Sunday night right after we finished the stalls, and I walked Flag into the ally way, he was clam, smelling, looking, but Rosie would not walk in, she thought is some sort of very large trailer, or at least that is how she treated it.

Well, today my classes are not in session. We get to skip a lab *cheers* and have only a lecture on Thursday. We will have our first exam on the 20th, but I think it will be pretty simple. I like the prof, but he seems to be too original. He follows just what is on the power points (yes, he explains, but he is not too interesting), and he seems to repeat the same little story, about elements that were made but cannot be proven because their life span in only a few seconds, so they are not offical as of yet, but he has told that story every single class. I will keep tabs on if his reputation stickes and he keeps telling is every class. More about the class...I like my lab partner, but she seems lazy. There are a couple other people whom seem to like to share notes, and see if I got the same answer on my homework. Ah well, it will all take some getting used to. All in all, I cannot wait for next semester when I can take more and other classes. Fun fun!

Today the house tax people are going to show up to make an estimate on what our taxes will be. *sigh* as if we need to poor more money out, for something like taxes, sheesh..jk jk. We have been cleaning, and now I am supposed to study. Well my books are open, my pentel sharpened, and notebook ready, but I have yet to start. Last night I worked while on-line with Choux, that seems to make it easier to keep on track. Like I have a study partner, and we are at a library or something. It is just easier.

Well, for now I will leave you all in your deep thought. Take care.

>>Aidan<<

My latest post is NOT a goodbye, simply a thank you, you are in my thoughts type of post.
-Aidan

Thank you Emily for being there and being someone I can always talk to.

Thank you ALL for having great, and sometimes funny xangas and blogs when I need a good laugh and for being good people!

Thank you Taylor for takin care of a very special horse!

Thank you Choux for telling me (And Flag too!) I am beautiful.

Thank you Shannon for being a GREAT TEACHER and giving me talent I did not know I could ever have!

Thank you everyone in Texas who gave me friendship, and peoples here too!

As Time Tickes

It is a normal day in Colorado. That means sun, and lots of it. Even though the sun is out most of the day, it still can be chilly to the point to cold.

People are about, busy with their lives and seemingly too preoccupied to notice that another day is going by. Classrooms are filled with some eager students, some not so eager. Streets are lined with cars, filled with three dollars a gallon gasoline, that are zipping their occupants to and fro. Homes are filling out their roles as the place people come to at the end of the day.

Here is a happy place. Though every place can be happy if a mind is set to the act. Yes, even disaster areas can have some happy moments.

Life is sweet. Just as I enjoy a horse’s friendship, some people enjoy writing, or racing fast cars.

Life is like the wind, ever blowing, growing then falling, starting then dieing, whispering then singing… Sit back, enjoy. Remember it will only last a while, then it is over. *tick-tock, tick-tock*