I'm not feeling well

[Howard4567@aol.com]

Ever since I met that Angie girl I've been feeling kinda sick.  Yea, she did 
try to injure me, but I won't hold it against her.  All I can say is if the 
South would have recruited women like her into the service during the Civil 
War there would be two Americas now.

Actually I got some kind of flu thing.  From the kid most likely since I 
don't work much.  And I hate to fly so the only real new "people contact" I 
get is from these endurance rides I go to.  Did I tell you all about the 
women who tried to tie me up at my last ride?  Too much!  That's why I'm 
slowing down on the stories; too many people come looking for me at these 
rides and I like keeping a low profile.

So, even though I'm quite ill, I'm gonna try and list the top ten things I am 
thankful for this Thanksgiving.  Kinda hokey, I know, but since Angie's on 
some kind of sabbatical, I'll give it a whirl.

10) I'm really thankful that Angie aimed higher than she intended.  Besides 
riding horses, being short can really come in handy for other things.  Not 
that I want any more kids, God knows I've done more than my fair share to 
keep the human population going.  It's just that I've taken the family jewels 
with me everywhere, no matter where I go, and I'd feel kinda lonely without 
them.

9)  I'm thankful that some of my kids actually want to come visit me over the 
holidays.  They know they have a nutty Dad and like to share him with their 
spouses/boyfriends/girlfriends, so that they can prove to them that they 
really did have a crazy childhood.

8) I'm thankful that I still have enough strength, after all these years, to 
get my fat butt up into a saddle.  Without the joy of riding a horse I swear 
I'd just wither up and die.

7)  I'm thankful that I still have a sense of humor (as twisted as it might 
seem to some).  Without one I have no idea how people would be able to cope 
with some of the tragedies they experience in everyday life.

6)  I'm thankful that I have a Grandmother who is still living.  She's a true 
Southerner (born in the rural Mts. of Virginia) and is in her 90's.  She's 
comin to see me tomorrow for Thanksgiving.  She's an incredible woman and is 
still able to silence a large group of people talking in a room when she has 
something to say.  God bless ya Grandma.

5)  I'm thankful I still have a house and a barn.  After two hurricanes this 
year and one helluva fire the summer of 98, there were lots of days I thought 
they'd all be gone.      

4)  I'm thankful that I was able to survive 20 years in the Air Force.  When 
I joined in 74 I was a crazy, mixed up kid who had done everything he could 
to avoid Vietnam.  When I retired I was proud to have known alot of men and 
women who did serve there and everytime I see a flick like "Saving Private 
Ryan" I can't help but cry.

3)  I'm thankful to be an owner of horses.  To know them is to experience a 
spirituality that most people miss in life.  It's an experience that 
transcends that of normal human existence.  They become, not just a pastime 
or a hobby, but a way of life.

2)  I'm thankful to have gotten to know a lot of you here online and also in 
person.  Whether we end up liking, or not liking, each other really doesn't 
matter all that much.  We have one thing in common that goes beyond that; a 
love of horses.

1)  Finally, I'm thankful for my wife.  For putting up with all my 
peculiarities, especially when it comes to endurance riding, training, taking 
our precious child with me on these adventures, and all the things that come 
with living with a smart ass.  

Happy Thanksgiving everyone

cya,
Howard      


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=