scratchin' makes it worse...

So we have a cistern tank. It was a really affordable & environmentally safe route instead of drilling a well. (Who are we kidding, it was TONS cheaper and that's the reason we did it)
But, for reals, it is much more environmentally friendly. When you know that you have to fill a tank up with water you really watch how much you use.

But I also have sensitive skin. Skin that doesn't adjust well to water change. So the other day when the skin on my pits (yeah..i mean armpits) started to peel, I thought to myself, "hrm...this is weird". And then I proceeded to sit in this position on the couch and try and peel it off while Andrew looked at me like, "so this is the girl I am going to marry".


Well, then the other morning at work, I found a patch of poison ivy on my ankle. This is not related to the water, but is to the story. So I sat at my desk resisting the urge to scratch my ankle to the bone until it bled and scabbed over and created new, non-poison ivy skin.

Then, something started happening. My head started itching. Like, burning itching all over the back of it. I sat and poked at it with a pencil for awhile until it became too much.
And then it clicked. I bet it's lice. I KNOW it's lice. I've never had lice before but this has to be what it feels like. Oh my god I can feel them running around my scalp having a party in my dirty hair!
So, I did what anyone does when they are in trouble. I went to see the school nurse. (good thing i work in a school)

I went in, closed the door and confessed.

"I have poison ivy on my ankle and I think I have lice in my head."

She gave me the comb through and I sat in the chair waiting for her to say, "yes. Valerie. You are dirty and have lice. Leave my office immediately, trailer trash girl"

But all she commented on was my dry scalp.

I had Andrew give me a check last night and yup, the diagnosis is in: DRY SCALP SYNDROME.

So, there is my story. I have peeling pits, itchy ankles and a dry scalp.

I am irresistible right now. Simply irresistible.

teacher's pet

Today I rode in my first riding clinic. It definitely took my mind off of things for the day AND it means I have the best instructor, Andrew's mom Debbie. She is like the Yoda of horse training.

My bum hurts a tad but I am really excited about learning how to ride.

I drew a picture on microsoft paint of where I was hurting, but it just didn't turn out quite appropriate. Maybe one night I will expose some of my XXX microsoft paintings.

I rode shotgun with Andrew the rest of the afternoon helping with chores. We went to pick up straw, filled the water trough and hayed the fields. And then we had a barn night.

Barn nights are where we play some music, get down and dirty and work on both of the barns. I love watching the sun go down and the sky turn dark. It's so quiet up there. It's become one of my favorite thigns to do.

Olivia also came up to the barn to visit. (see above night-vision-ish pics from my phone camera). She is still warming up to the horses but she definitely did not warm up to Tarzan.

All this guy had to do was give her a look. He's one tough barn cat and he doesn't like anyone on his turf.

I'm off to stretch my legs and hope to be able to move in the morning. Night ;)