Out sick

I haven't had the flu in a long, long time.  I think I last got it in 2009?  At least that's the last time I remember being bundled up in a blanket with tissues and wishing for the sweet oblivion of death.

On Sunday I was sneezing a lot.  I'd body clipped my horse the day before, so okay, allergies flared up.  I have allergies year round so I stepped up my allergy meds but nothing happened.  What the heck?  I was dosing like it was the height of spring and I was still sneezing and going through a box of tissues.  It didn't register yet that something was different.  On Monday I worked from home since it was snowy.  I sneezed a lot and started to cough.  Hmm, maybe not allergies?

Body clipping, not for the faint of heart

On Tuesday I woke up with a real cough and decided to stay home so I wouldn't get my coworkers sick.  One of them has a brand new baby so that wouldn't be okay.  I took some Robitussin and messaged my boss to say I would be on and off due to cough syrup.  General policy, I don't do analytics while drugged.  I always regret it when I look back.  And then I conked out at my desk.  I seriously put my head down and fell asleep.  When I woke up, disoriented and with a crick in my neck, I was quite sure I was sick.  I took my temp and yup, low grade fever.  I was also nauseous which is fun.  I gave up on work, huddled on my couch with multiple blankets, and accepted my status.  Yuck.  I barely moved all through Wednesday.  Fever broke Thursday morning and I felt normal again on Friday, so I don't think it was a full blown flu but it was a virus and it was not friendly.  I continued to stay home on Saturday since I really didn't want to share whatever I'd had.

I finally left the house on Sunday after a whole week spent at home.  Cabin fever barely covers the state I was in.  I was so excited to get out that I went to the barn despite the fact that it was spitting snow/sleet/rain and some of the roads hadn't been treated yet.  I wanted to see my pony!

Pony was so happy to see me that he cantered up to his gate despite the neighbor running the snowblower behind me.  It was cute.  He stood at the bottom of his field, snorting and watching the snowblower.  Then he decided the cookie was worth it and jumped into a canter to book it up the field.  Got to me, stopped, threw his head all the way up, and let out this huge HONK at the snow flying through the air.  He let me put his halter on but he was quivering.  Thankfully years of ground work kept us safe as he pranced sideways to keep an eye on the neighbor.  Clearly a very dangerous demon.

Okay, I'll admit it, the long hair does make him look more like a Friesian

I spent almost an hour grooming him.  I'd thought he'd been ridden most of the time I was out but I found out both of his lessons didn't happen.  Ugh.  I curried and curried while he wiggled around.  I like to curry him loose in the aisle because he can point out exactly where there are itches.  I dressed him for lunging because he'd apparently had almost as long a break as me.  Loose side reins kept the sass monster focused and while he threw his head and jumped about a bit, he didn't haul me anywhere.  I worked him till he was blowing a bit and he'd lost the quivering, losing his mind look.  Then back up to the barn for his blanket and back into his field.

Tonight I can actually get on him and get him really over his back.  The break was a bit of a blessing in disguise since he'd acted like his back was tight when I rode him before I got sick.  He's using a lot more topline, it's not unexpected.  He looked quite loose and happy after he got the bucks out on the lunge.  A day or two in downtown and we should be ready to get back to work.

My spring shows are starting to open.  We've got feet of snow on the ground, but it appears that winter really is going to end.