Semmieke Rothenberger and Golden Girl

Nice pony, nice freestyle, but what an awesome seat this young girl has!!!! She's making waves in the dressage world...

Looking forward: What next?

What's new with me?
So I'm now moving about without any trouble except the occasional twinge and a dislike for riding in my car. I think about riding Riley again, and I'm not fearful, exactly, but I'm also not eager to ride outside again. I suspect I just need time in the saddle and a few normal rides before falling back into the routine. I'm not going to rush it, but I suspect I'll be in the saddle at the start of next week. Short stints.

What's new with Bob?

Bob is doing well on chemo, so far no serious side effects (awaiting results from his second series of blood tests), and his skin is improving.  Bob and I are going to a 2-day cutaneous lymphoma seminar in Philly early July. One of the top specialists in the country, Dr. Rook from UPenn, will be speaking.

 CTCL in the media
I read something interesting on a CTCL listserv thread talking about CTCL in TV and literature. It's a rare disease so any mention is noteworthy. Turns out  James Gandolfini has received critical acclaim for his performance  in the 2012 movie Not Fade Away. The movie was set in the sixties and he plays an abusive father who has cutaneous T-cell lymphoma -- at the time, this was a life-ending disease. To prepare for the role, Gandolfini interviewed several people who have CTCL, and one of them posts to a CTCL listserv. When Gandolfini's death made the news, the listserv member posted about his experience working with him. He said that JG was a down-to-earth fellow and nice to spend time with, and he was keenly interested in understanding what it's like to have CTCL. I didn't watch The Sopranos (saw a few episodes, maybe) but hearing this made me very sad for his loss, especially at such a young age.

Ooooh, I want you all to see this video!

"Jane Lavington teaches Clydesdale dressage horse Boston the big trot" from horsehero.com.

Bounced outta the tack Part 4: Riley regretful?

Ri and I in 2009: We have HISTORY.

I fell of Ri on Thursday. Friday I didn't leave the house. Saturday afternoon, Bob and I went to visit him and pick up the clothes that I'd left at the barn. I said hi to some of the folks who'd last seen me sand-covered and flat on my back in the outdoor ring.  I was moving slowly, but on the mend, and told them so.

BTW
After "the incident" we decided to turn Riley out more regularly, at least when the weather and footing allowed. Ri had been turned out Friday and Saturday morning, so I expected to find a mellow, dirty horse.

A Greeting
I turned and walked toward Ri's stall and said "Hey Ri!"   He was eating hay, but when he saw me he came right over and.... He nickered! Ri never nickers. He also looked anxious. Bob was there, and we looked at each other. I patted him through the stall bars and he stood near me for a few minutes. He was wide-eyed, I swear.

Was he waiting to be fed? No. The horses had already been fed. As I stood by his stall, someone came to talk to me, and I got distracted. When I came back, Ri was back at his hay net and barely looked up when I called him.

I'm not sentimental, and I'm not suggesting... I don't know.... Who knows what horses see, or understand. Last time he saw me I was down and distressed, and someone else untacked him. Harv is very tuned into people, and a little insecure -- if he whinnied I would not be so taken aback. But Ri? He's friendly, but confident and independent as horses go. That whinny, the anxious look, are not part of his daily schtick.

I don't believe horses "love" us the way we love them. I do think horses know when someone is hurt, and when people are fearful or serious. Maybe somehow he knew something 'bad' had happened. I wonder.

Dressage Chronicles Book Two: A Matter of Feel

  "True wit is nature to advantage dressed,
what oft was thought but ne'er so well expressed."

Alexander Pope

Available from Amazon.com

This is part two of my review. Read part I too, if you like...

Alexander Pope, an 18th century poet, is known for his wit and his moral vision -- while "moral vision" is a heavy term to use for this fun novel,  I still think a Pope quote is the a good way to start a review of The Dressage Chronicles, Book Two. First and foremost, TDCB2 is a novel that will delight and resonate with dressage riders everywhere. Karen McGoldrick finds those shared experiences -- the struggles, the worry, the love, and the passion of horses -- and writes about them in a way that engages us. As Pope says, "What oft was thought but ne'er so well expressed!" That's a good reason to love a book.

But for me, the best part of the novel is Lizzy.

The main character Lizzy is a remarkable person, er, character. It is a rare and wonderful thing to view people with a kind eye -- to look past the exterior of how people appear and try to understand their fears and motivations. Lizzy is an old soul in this regard, with a 21st century take on Pope's "moral vision." She has a strong sense of right and wrong, tempered by kindness. Even as the people in her life create difficulties for her, even as they are dismissive, and sometimes cruel, she gets annoyed, sure, but she also tries to understand them.  Her insights bring  depth to the story and our understanding of the characters. Her sense of humor and self-effacing style make it easy for us to relate to her.

And WHAT characters! The characters in the Dressage Chronicles are initially the recognizable stereotypes -- the rich owner, the dressage diva, the "star" working student, the ill-mannered but talented Grand Prix stallion, the famous but unscrupulous trainer. But as the story unfolds, we see they are real, and nuanced, and undefinable, just like real people (and horses) are. They have strengths and weaknesses and personal histories that we can only guess at. The characters surprise us.   That's good writing.


The story: Lizzy's saga continues
 I'm happy to report that in Book Two Lizzy is meeting interesting people and learning her sport. Her struggle with the walk pirouette is an education for me (file under things-to-remember-when-I-get-to-the-upper-levels). Lizzy gets a love interest -- such distractions!  And she sees first-hand the seedy side of upper level dressage competition.   There are several story lines that highlight different horses and characters. It's a treat to share Lizzy's world, from  farm life, to competition, to dating and romance, to learning to deal with challenging people.  In this second book of the series, there is a stronger element of mystery and suspense. It was good, because toward the end I could not put the book down. It was bad, because I skimmed one of the subplots that I was enjoying so I could find out how it all turned out.

  I might have read Book One because it is a novel about dressage, but I loved Books One and Two because I have so much fondness for the characters - the people and the horses -- and because I love a good mystery/crime storyline. I'm now hoping for Book Three, where we finally get to see Lizzy and Winsome on the journey to their goal.

Bouncin' outta the tack: Part 3B

You might be thinking, this is much ado about not-much, and you would be right. Thank heavens! The ambulance trip was the right decision, I think -- at my age, and with my medical situations, it was the safe choice. And the outcome was good! I'm happy to be just a whiny middle-aged dressage rider with a few scuffs and bumps.

The whining continues
Aside from the fear, and the pain, here are a few things about my trip to St. Lukes Bethlehem that I could have lived without.

1. Sand, everywhere! It dripped from my clothes, my hair, my boots, it was in my ears. I left deposits in the ambulance as it  sifted out of skateboard (AKA stretcher). It was on the sheets in the emergency room -- which they changed twice--and it surrounded the chair where my sand-covered shirt and purse were. X-ray room? Ditto. Everyone that walked into the room said "Hey, what's with all this sand?"
2. Embarrassment. A young resident had to remove my sweat-saturated socks and breeches -- a task with a high ick-factor -- and exposing the new underwear style I was trying out to reduce chafing-- boyshorts.  Never did I imagine this unflattering display. Poor guy. 
3. Re-dressing. Getting dressed to go home, my only choice in my rapidly stiffening and painful state was to put on the same wet, sticky breeches and socks I'd worn in. They did give me a hospital shirt to wear so I did not put on my sand-and-sweat-saturated LL Bean polo.
4. My own whining. I was terrified of being touched and resisted when they suggested I 'move this' or 'press against' that. I announced I had brittle bones (cripes). I informed them I was anemic. I said I had restless leg syndrome.  I showed them my broken finger (see, the same horse has already broken something!). I was super-weenie. 
5. Confused thinking. ER staff asked me to describe my pain on a scale of 1 to 10. I could not pick a number. "Is 10 pain I have actually felt or pain that I can imagine?"

For so many reasons, I'm not wanting to repeat this. In another post I'll share my concerns about riding again.

My advice? If you're over forty, try to avoid this "falling" phenom and fly instead. Like Ford Prefect said in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy -- if you want to fly, "The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." We should all try that sometime...

Bouncin' outta the tack, Part 3

Ri's been known to buck under saddle...

Recall that Riley and I parted ways last Thursday, and (at my request) I was carted off in an ambulance; see Part 2 for background, but here the story continues...

Waiting for X-rays
The Emergency Services  at the hospital were in overflow, and the wait for x-rays was longer than usual. I was placed in the "psych room" normally reserved for the mentally derailed -- and in my state,  this was arguably appropriate. Lying flat and with only the ceiling lights in view, I panicked quietly. Was my hip broken? Some kind of hairline thing? Or just bruising/trauma?  I recalled a fellow boarder who fell from her young horse several  years ago. She cracked her pelvis and was flat on her back for six weeks. No work. No riding. No going to the bathroom without assistance.

Occasionally I'd attempt to move. Yep. Still hurts.

I called Bob at work. He works an hour away, second shift, and was in the middle of a lab test. I texted a friend, who assured me she could come to the hospital right after work -- so I called Bob back and told him to stay put.

X-rays
After about forty minutes,  I was wheeled off for diagnostics. Several X-rays later -- hip, spine, ribs, I was relieved to hear nothing was broken.  My left side, hip and back, still hurt like the devil, but knowing nothing was broken made it easier to work through the discomfort.  Still, the first few times I sat up I felt dizzy,  like I was going to black out. I did not have a head injury, so this might just be part of getting knocked around a bit.

I was handed a prescription for percoset, warned that the next few days would be worse, and sent on my way. Hoo. Ray!

Bouncin' outta the tack, Part 2

Riley as a yearling, practicing his moves.

Well, this is bouncin' out of the tack, part deux. Thursday afternoon, I rode Ri in the indoor and decided to finish our ride in the outdoor. I'd just sent my entry into our first schooling show of the season and wanted to get him in the outdoor ring and footing. Things went well. We did a lot of canter work, no incidents. There were others in the ring too.

Not sure what happened. Walking along one end of the ring, cooling out on a long rein, something spooky outside the ring scared the horses. Two horses scooted forward. Riley startled but then took off bucking. My last thought was "Why's the saddle so far away?" And I came off.

A not-so-happy landing
Don't remember how I landed, but my left hip was buggered up. I was lying on my back like a big fat bug, and when I tried to sit upright my hip and back HURT -- and a weird kinda pain at that, deep and sharp, but also "stingy" in one area. In my younger days I would have gotten up, through the pain. Now, at 51, with osteopenia (low bone density), I'm more cautious. Folks were there to help, and did all the right things. I tried to sit up again, and again it HURT. Back down I went, staring at the sky.  One more time I tried, using a different method. I made it up but there was the pain, and I felt dizzy and nauseous. Back down. I was made comfortable. I had an umbrella placed over me to shield (the sun was blazing) and a makeshift pillow under my head. It was a short wait for the ambulance.

Where's Riley in all this?
Oh, not that I was too concerned at the time, but Riley (who has not had regular turnout since October) did not go crazy once he was free of me. He trotted in a big circle and came to a walk, right in the area where the spook occurred. He was fetched easily by another rider.

EMTs arrive
The ambulance came. The EMTs saw I was able to move fingers, toes, talk, perform basic limb movements, all good signs. They informed me, as I laid in the sand with my umbrella, that I was not in Cape May and there are no margheritas. They strapped me to a giant skateboard. They took me to the emergency room.

Stay tuned for Part 3...

Prix St. Georges explained

I enjoyed this guided tour of Prix St. Georges. Beautiful venue, horse, and nice commentary.

A certain kind of photo...

There is a "universal photo" that horse owners recognize instantly. Like this one...

Do you recognize it?

• Enlarged head distortion
• Grazing environment
• Mouthful of grass

That is, the photo that you take when no one is around to hold your horse. 

Bouncin' outta the tack

Ri used to start his trotwork feeling a little dead -- dead to the leg and hand, and we didn't have anything like real trotwork till half-way through our ride. Things are a-changing. Here is footage of some of our initial trotting after the walk-work. It's still a little stiff and sticky, but it's a different kind of stiff/sticky, what I call a hovery trot -- some suspension, but the balance is horizontal and not real supple. When I asked for more forward he flattened out, and I was getting bounced out of the tack which wasn't helping. One thing I have learned: Transitions are never wrong. I started to do transitions to break things up a bit. The transitions helped quite a bit -- It's not just Ri that needs to warm up! I find that transitions help me to relax more and open my thigh, and this frees him up to move more freely and quicker in the hind leg.

Rambo flymask for great eye protection

This is my favorite flymask for my horses the Rambo Plus Flymask, which I got from Smartpakequine.com so that I could exchange it without paying shipping if needed. This is a HORSE Size and it is generously proportioned for 17.1H Riley. The black band has something in it (not wire) that makes the mask stand away from the eyes. Both my horses have had mild eye injuries from fly masks, so this one is my choice...

The Dressage Chronicles Book Two: A matter of finding time to read!

Karen McGoldrick and Gia
Photo by Alicia Frese

People who read BTB regularly know that I'm a big fan of the first Dressage Chronicles novel by Karen McGoldrick. In my last review of Book One I gushed -- and for good reason. Karen McGoldrick (KM) is a real dressage rider who can write, and I'm a "discerning" (picky) reader. I was among the folks who begged her publicly on Facebook to write a sequel, and KM stepped up to the plate. When the second book in the Dressage Chronicles series came out, I could not fill out the order form fast enough.


Horse stories: My share of disappointments
When it comes to horse stories, I have no ability to suspend disbelief. One technical mis-step, and I mentally check out. In War Horse, I was dismayed to see the "newborn foal" looked to be about two months old. In a novel I read recently (one that was not really about horses), a horse trainer was teaching her stallion "the dressage steps." Unlike these posers, KM has established her dressage street cred with her own riding resume -- she's a USDF Gold medalist and "L" judge, and she operates a training facility, Prospect Hill Farm in Alpharetta GA. It's not surprising that she's produced a novel that gives us an utterly realistic, insider perspective of the sport.

Well. Maybe it's juiced up a little -- but in a  good way ;-)

The Dressage Chronicles series is more than just horse stories. KM's writing talent rivals (and surpasses) books from the big publishing houses, at least what I've read while hanging out in airports.  Nowadays most fiction -- even the well-written stuff --  is highly formulaic, with characters are straight from central casting. I've read quite enough about the fiercely independent (always beautiful) female reporter;  the dark mysterious police detective with the murky past;  the wives and husbands in a mid-life crisis; the teen coming of age; blah, blah, blah. The same familiar tropes are trotted out, even if the cover looks different.

YAWN.

The review
Truthfully, I'm about half-way through Book Two, so it's a matter of making time to read before I can write a real review. I'm riding, I'm working, I'm lifting weights, and I'm falling into bed with about 20 minutes of reading time before I nod off. And I have to tell you, it is hard to put this book down, even when I'm exhausted.  My thoughts so far -- I LOVE IT. Lizzy is back and in form. There is no "sequel letdown" in Book Two. Karen is capturing my equestrian wanna-be-diva world, tossing in humor and pixie dust and a handful of shavings, and handing it back to me in a readable, thoughtful, entertaining format. Next go-round, I'll tell you a bit about the plot and how Lizzy's doing. Here's a teaser: Lizzy, working student with Grand Prix aspirations and a talented mare,  has a love interest.

A love interest? No! Lizzy remember your goals!

Stay tuned for part II of my review. If you can't wait and want to buy it now, go to Amazon.com

Harvey and the tall grass

Just snapped these shots at the end of the day today. Harv is lovin' the tall grass...

Spurs that jingle-jangle-jingle

Spurs are apparently Riley's wake-up call. This year, he has NOT seemed like a horse on limited turnout. Quite the opposite, he's been a bit too relaxed about our riding sessions. And you know First Level, relaxation needs to go hand-in-hand with ENERGY. The canter work -- well, you saw it, it's been a bit luggy and pokey.  I had been using just the whip, and we take a good twenty minutes to "establish the monarchy," as an acquaintance says. Here you see us at the start of a series of walk trot transitions, demonstrating the incorrect response to the whip. It's the horsie equivalent of the middle finger -- kicking backwards and no forward motion. I could stand to use the whip more effectively (note floppy hand), of course...



On a whim this week, I decided to "rediscover" my spurs. Vive la difference! Suddenly we have a marching walk, a trot that is bouncing me out of the tack, and a canter that moves right along all by itself (albeit leaning one way or the other). I have to find a way to keep him sharp without extra equipment but this is a reminder of what he's capable of. There are many transitions in our future, methinks.

Bob is doing better!

Well, it's Saturday, and I thought I'd interject that Bob's skin is looking a ton better on his new meds, Targretin. Because it never rains but it pours, he has learned that he has a torn miniscus in his left knee, and that is bothering him alot -- not the pain, but the inability to dance! Bob is an avid contra dancer and he's quite good at it.

I guess those are the kind of problems you want to have. The ones that money, and modern medicine, can fix :-).

Riley and Harv, silver and gold

Not a recent photo, sorry, note winter coat!

Years ago,  Harvey was my riding horse and Riley was just a young pup. I was enjoying both horses, but perhaps I was enjoying Riley a little more. With Harv, I had goals that I wanted to achieve, and the fun was tinged with the usual worries about soundness, ability, and success. With Ri it was different. It was so fun watching him grow up -- there was no pressure to achieve anything, there was nothing to do but enjoy his antics and cuteness.

The tables turn...
Well, now the roles are reversed. Ri is my riding horse, Harv is my buddy.

Like tonight -- I finished my ride on Riley. It went well overall, but we are having an ongoing conversation about the canter frame specifically, and the First Level frame in general. I want it, he has to be convinced, and it is clear he finds the whole thing a bit tiresome.  After the ride, he forgives me. Ri gets his flake of alfalfa and I rub his ears for a bit before I leave.

Then I get in the car to go see Harv. At the moment there are no worries about him -- is it bad to say that my time with Harv is more "pure enjoyment" right now than Ri? The tables have turned!

 Harv's weight is good, his summer coat gleams, and he is happy in his situation. When I get to the barn he is usually either napping or munching something. Tonight, it is the latter. Since it's rained for days, and the indoor is empty, I lunge him a little. Bob observes that Harvey loves to work on the lunge-- he looks so pleased with himself trotting around, neck arched and showing off. Tonight I can feel it too. At some point Harv shifts into a walk and starts to sniff the ground -- he wants to roll.  I don't know if the barn frowns on this breach of horsey etiquette, but there is no one around to object.  I stand by while Harv has a long, delicious roll, and then pulls himself up with a big shake. After this, there is nothing to do but take him out for hand-grazing in the twilight.

One is silver and the other gold
I like the challenge and the ups and downs of riding toward a goal, but I can't tell you how it lifts my spirits to see Harv enjoying life and looking good. It really is a little like a drug, or maybe a glass of wine. Feeling good about both of the boys, but my old guy is my everyday gift. I knew this would be a good summer for him. And for me too.

Is anyone here surprised?

Horses chose "Exit, stage right, to the pasture!"

From The Horse magazine, report on a study of horses and work ethic...

"König von Borstel and her fellow researcher Julia Keil, BSc, of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna in Vienna, Austria, created a study in which horses were given the choice of more or less work. The team trained 18 warmblood horses in an arena set up with a Y-shaped entrance. If they took the left branch of the Y, they would work two circles before the rider dismounted. If they took the right branch of the Y, they would work only one circle before the rider dismounted. Once the horses had been trained sufficiently in that pattern, the riders dismounted and the horses were allowed to make the choice themselves: right branch or left branch?

As it turns out, they didn’t seem to choose either one, König von Borstel said. In fact, their favorite choice was usually the exit."

"For a social, prey animal, it’s not surprising that horses will generally choose feeding and social contact over locomotion,” said Uta König von Borstel, PhD, researcher at the University of Göttingen in Germany."

Warden Hill

 In the last year, it seems like many horses have been lost  to illness, old age, or accident.  Some have been  owned by friends, some by acquaintances, and some by people I know of, but don't really know. Each time my heart has ached, because I have an inkling what the owners are going through. I know I'll be there at some point. We all will have to say goodbye someday.

Then last night someone posted to the Dressage list on COTH that they had lost their heart-horse. I don' t know what made me think of it, but years ago, in the seventies,  The Chronicle of the Horse used to publish poetry.  I remembered saving one particular poem in a journal I kept in high school. I dug through my bookshelves and found my journal and the poem. As I re-read it for the first time in years, I cried.   It is a wonderful poem and I wish I had known the writer. I did find an obit for someone by that name who was a poet and foxhunter. Wonder if that was her...

Warden Hill

A packet of poppies for Warden
Poppies are flowers for forgetting,
aren't they?
Rosemary remembers, they say.
Warden, I will plant a bouquet
of both kinds.

You never liked light flowers moving
in any sort of wind.
Warden, it's
all right.
These poppies are not white.
They will grow only fetlock height.

Remember:
The rosemary seeds I plant for you
will grow too gray, too stiff for wind.
Never mind.
Sleep welll.
I will grow you a warm farewell
of poppies and of good spice smell
Warden Hill,
Sleep well.

Lynn Stefenhagen

And cannnter!

Some canter work here.. Sluggish but he hangs onto it fairly well. Sometime I'll show you the left lead...

June 2013 Riley footage...

So, you no longer have to wonder what rein creep or posture issues I mentioned in the last post. I didn't get much ride time in this winter, so that's my excuse. Ri looks pretty good here, I think, all things considered.

 

Swimsuits for horse lovers

And this one is age-appropriate for everyone!

 t

Laokoon: Show jumper

It's hard to tell from the action shots, but IMHO this horse has unusual conformation for a sport horse. What an amazing jump! He has lots of good points -- great shoulder, neck ties in beautifully -- but also an awfully long back, and  somehow it seems like if the saddle was removed, the wither would be the lowest point on his body :-). Obviously he's not hindered. My point is not to criticize this amazing horse -- but I guess you don't need perfect conformation for performance.

Sondheim: Stallion eye-candy

Formerly Sailor Moon, this Oldenburg stallion was purchased for top dollar and imported to the U.S. (California). He is now named Sondheim, and is he not lovely? What is also nice is his score of "9" for character at his stallion licensing, and his rider stated in a recent article that he is "a blast to ride." That's what you want to hear!

Cassiopeia -- all heart!

I've got Riley from High Point Hanoverians in Chestertown MD. I'm no expert but I have seen a lot of babies at breed shows and farms since 2005 -- got caught up in the breeding world, reading and learning as much as I could for someone who will never breed a horse. I always felt that the HP breeding program produced exceptionally beautiful and rideable horses -- not that I'm biased ;-). If you look at their stallions, all have high scores for conformation and rideability, and the babies just seem to have an "elegant type" that comes across consistently.  I always check out their site this time of year -- found ah filly by Coeur D'Amour/Mon Dieu/Rohdiamant is a looker, and given the siere's name you've gotta love that big heart-star.


Have to share!

Do pink gloves make your hands softer? I'm about to find out...

I don't know if my riding will improve but I will look down when I ride and think of cotton candy for sure. These gloves are gorgeous! You can buy them at the Riding Warehouse for $55. They come in tan and black for those with more manly (or less girly) tastes.

Riding Warehouse

Riley update: It's all good

After a few false starts this spring, Riley is coming along and we're back in consistent work. It is so. fun. I feel progress, although I feel compelled to fix some of the issues that I'm bringing to the table: posture issues and stabilizing my upper body, eliminating "rein creep," relaxation, sitting trot, and Oh, I could go on.

We took footage of my last lesson and while Riley was looking good, I was all over the place. Watching him go so well with me up there flapping around like I'm trying to take flight made me realize how kind he is!

One amusing incident I'll relate -- we had a cold snap a week or so ago (gorgeous blue skies and windy), and Ri was a bit jumpy. I was walking him around the indoor which has side and end doors that open. Well, he spooked at something, I let go of the reins, and off he went right through the open doors. Just outside, two boarders were embarking on a trail ride, and one of them had the presence of mind to block his path. Riley, with nowhere to go, noted a potted ornamental grass plant and proceeded to pull it right out of its container. He was working his way down the stalk when I came and grabbed his reins. He looked so cute standing there, happily chomping on the long grass with a clump of soil dangling from it. Relief and amusement!

My favorite musical freestyle: Bonfire

I have the VHS video of their world cup performance of this freestyle. It never fails to bring a tear to my eye. The commentators said that they hired musicians to match the footfalls of Bonfire -- which may be a regular thing now, but apparently it was not back then. There is just something about Bonfire that is special - what a horse.

The making of musical freestyle

If you've ever wondered how a "high end" freestyle gets made, this might give you some insight -- the music of Tommy and the Who.

Who's Anton? - Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén & Don Auriello's London 2012 Freestyle - by Slings Music Cast from Cees Slings on Vimeo.

A much better day!

Here is a spring 2013 video of the same horse and rider as yesterday (Kathleen Raine and Breanna), a much better day!