The World According To Madeleine

I haven’t posted in a really long time, and too much has happened for me to talk about it all in detail, but my Daddy’s wedding was great, I played in it, I did pretty well, I got to know my step-cousins, and they’re really interesting and fun to be around, the next week I went to chamber music workshop, a couple people from my school were there, two from my grade, one a year younger, and one a year older, they were pretty fun to hang out with during lunch and before the concert, the director was awesome, he was so animated, and I loved his directing style, you could always tell where beat one was, unlike our school director, and he was funny. I also tried wakeboarding, it was hard, I couldn’t seem to get up, but next time I try I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to do it.

I will talk about my horse show in detail though.

The show was Twin Cities in Berrien Springs, which was at a really nice fairground. Before we could go we had to pull Alaska’s mane and trim her whiskers, which she really doesn’t like. She would trow her head up and back up really fast, since I’m a slow mane puller, Sarah, a speedy quick mane puller, finished for me. We left trimming for the next day, the big clippers she hated, but when we used little ones she was fine. Then we had to wrap our horses, which she stood really well for, then we loaded them into the trailer and left for the show. I did really well schooling, I got really good distances to the fences, all the strides right, and I had a good pace. Alaska was an angel about being in the show ring and warming up, she wasn’t spooky at all. Showing the next day wasn’t quite as good, my first two jumping classes were too fast, and I didn’t get every lead. I still did a really good job, I won two classes, one over fences, and a flat class. I was told that Alaska and I were the picture of what horse and rider should look like, Rob told me that it was the best that he’d seen Alaska on the flat, ever. He’s not the kind of trainer that just randomly hands out compliments like that. Hearing that was better than winning the class, but Rob said if I hadn’t there would’ve been something wrong.

After that I hosed Alaska off and then went to watch Cheries ride in her jumping classes, jumpers is always fun to watch. Her classes were the last of the day, so we left afterward and went to Applebee’s with everyone, then back to our hotel room Mom and I were sharing with Cheries, who is really nice and like everyone’s show mom, she was really helpful, and I’m pretty sure she was there for all of my classes.

The next day was not quite a great as the first, actually, it was much less than that. There was a single diagonal fence that I had a really hard time with, every time I refused at it, then I had my last class, I was determined to get over that stupid fence, I was mad and wanted that fence. The course started on a four-stride line, the first fence was bad, and I wasn’t going to get to the fence in four strides, and I knew it, so, instead of sitting back like I should have, I dropped her right in front of the fence. I got what I deserved, I fell off. I even have a video of it. At least I didn’t refuse the single diagonal, I was disqualified before I could get to it.

Track season has ended. Track was a lot of fun this year. Everyone pretty much seemed to get along, or they just left you alone if you didn’t like each other. All the seventh graders were awesome, I made a lot of seventh-grade friends, who I’m going to miss an awful lot next year. I’m hoping that they’ll all join the the cross country and track team when they join the rest of us in high school. In addition to making a lot of friends and just generally having fun, the girls team was great, we won a lot of meets including the Wolverine Conference Meet at the end of the season. I met people, we won a lot, and I found my race. Speaking of my race, my PR is still 2:54, but at a relay meet my split might’ve beaten that, if not it tied, I’ll just have to look at the video again to check the time. Also, at the conference meet, I ran the 55 hurdles, and I managed to finally three-step the hurdles, except for the last one, where I lost speed and panicked, it slowed me down, but I won my heat.

Also on the running subject, cross country training is starting this summer, and hopefully I’ll be able to go to training camp, that sounds like a lot of fun. Cross country next year just sounds fun, we get to run the game ball to homecoming, and we’ll do this thing called the twenty-four hour marathon, where the whole cross country team goes to the track and one person runs a mile, then another, and it goes on for a day. That sounds like a lot of fun, but for people who don’t like to run it sounds like torture. Thank goodness I like to run. The coaches seem nice, and they say that all the runners are nice and we all end up loving each other. Extra bonus.

When my dad was a freshmen in track he ran hurdles. He was pretty good. The school was small, the track team was small, so the kids did a lot of strategic switching events depending on who they were against. They were at a meet with a school that had a lot of strong hurdlers, and the coach didn’t think my dad would do that good, so he switched his event to the 800, which he never had run before. He won, and one of the upperclassmen said to the coach, “Lang found his event.”

Our first track meet was a while ago, on April 20. Dad said I should run the 800 and the 400, I thought he was crazy. I decided not to say anything and let my coaches decide what I would run. Of course they chose the 800 and the 400 (and the 200 hurdles). Since I had no choice, I had to find out how the heck I was supposed to run the 800. I asked Dad, and he said that I had to start out at a really fast run, not a sprint and that it should feel too fast, I should stick with the first three or four girls, ad then when there was 200 meters left, start picking up speed and start passing them. Accelerate around the curve and then be running as fast as you possibly can on the straightaway.

Right before the race I felt like I was going to throw up I was so nervous. The gun went off and I started faster than I thought I should’ve. There was no one in front of me. Hmmm… a variable in my plan I didn’t expect. I thought that the girl behind me would catch me after I ran out of energy and slowed down, but I didn’t slow down, I did everything right, and I won. I got a time of 2:54, which is really good. After I ran I felt like I was going to die, but after that feeling passed I felt really good, the 800 is a really fun race. Aftewards Dad told me that he thought of that upperclassmen when I ran.

Since then we’ve had a couple track meets, and 2:54 is still my best time, but I’m doing pretty good. I run the anchor leg in the two mile relay, and every race my team has ran we’ve come in second, even at the invitational.

I guess Dad wasn’t crazy after all.

On Christmas, it didn’t snow. Not even a little. Now, only a couple days from Easter, it’s snowing, some is even sticking. It’s supposed to snow the next couple days too. Michigan…. has the strangest weather in the world. Earlier this week I rode in a t-shirt and my head and back were sweating, the next time, it was freezing. Not cool, Michigan, not cool.

Speaking of easter, where did the easter bunny and hiding eggs come from? Think about it. Strange tradition, eh? Christmas too. Tree inside, lights outside. Then there’s Valentine’s Day, created by Hallmark. Stupid card companies.

Scott suggested that instead of riding horses, I just get a couple gerbils. Hmm, no. Gerbils are smelly and small and a tasty snack for kitties. They do cost a lot less money, but I’ll stick with horses.

Track has been hard. Run a lot, no time to stretch, sore next day, walk like old person, can’t run. It’s fun though. I like running, I like being around my friends.

Eight chickens have died this week, Pollock got out and got them. Trick Chicken and Doris died. My chicken and my other favorite. Very sad, I cried. I don’t know who the other six are. I don’t want to go into the chicken coop to find out.

Sprig break started today. I don’t want it to. All but one of my friends are leaving, or have already left. I want to be at school where I can see everyone. Six hours into spring break and I’m already lonely. I need my friends.

New Modest Mouse cd, it’s a good one. We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. I would recommend it, but not for people who don’t want their kids listening to songs with swear words or don’t like or are offended by profanity.

I’ve been riding Alaska more. I still like her, but turns are very hard. I can fully understand what Trevor (owner) meant when he said that Alaska is so big it’s hard to turn. Makes me sad that Guy won’t be at the barn anymore. I’m pretty sure he’s moving to a western barn. I think he has too much potential as a hunter/jumper for him to become a barrel racer. *sigh* I’ll miss him a lot. I don’t even know when he’s leaving.

Thus endeth my short post.