EN blogger finalist Yvette Seger is back with more Tips for Eventers Living in Itty-Bitty Apartments in the City. Yvette will always be remembered for the famous Insane Walmart Ride, and we welcome her contributions to Eventing Nation.
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From Yvette:
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Tips for Eventers Living in Itty-Bitty Apartments in the City: The Rules for a Truly Happy Hour Edition
“So a girl dressed up like a horse walks into a bar…”
Me dressed as DQ Rafalca…if she wore a smoking jacket and 4 ½” Michael Kors stilettos. With leg warmers. In the office. And yes, our carpet is heinous.
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Hey there, Eventing Nation! I hope everyone had a good Veteran’s Day weekend! We have had some darn skippy nice weather down here in the Metro DC area, and even though I didn’t have today off, the fact that most of my clients are Feds made it seem like a day off (if I squinted my eyes and just didn’t check my work email account). After a full week of all work and no riding (boo on you, stupid Daylight Savings!), I made up for it with a lot of time in the saddle AND a nice full day of scribing at the Maryland Horse Trialsstarter trial on Sunday. AND, I got free lunch and earned the equestrian equivalent of a “Golden Ticket” (cross country schooling pass) to boot. #Winning.
I don’t know about the rest of the EN readership, but gosh darn it…I really struggle around this time every year. The event season is done, there isn’t enough light for me to ride after work, and when I do ride, I’m wearing so many layers that I look like the Michelin Man. While my natural tendency is to bury myself in online shopping work during these days of minimal riding, I also try to use this time to catch up with my non-horsey friends and rekindle my social mojo. I won’t lie – the first few weeks are really awkward! After 9 straight months of yammering on and on about whips, spurs, gags, Sore No More, studs and breastplates, I find it a little challenging to talk about things that do not have an S&M undercurrent revolve around horses. And while I’ve found that “did I mention I ride horses/have a horse” is a good conversation starter with city folk whose only interactions with Equus caballus may have occurred during a childhood summer camp or with the tent stabling outside the Verizon Center during the Washington International Horse Show, I speak from experience when I say that it doesn’t take very long for it to get weird. Which leads me to this week’s tip…
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Tip for Eventers Living in Itty-Bitty Apartments in the City #15:
I recommend that all eventers exercise caution when discussing horse-related topics with non-horse people during happy hour. While “safe” topics include basics about your horse and our crazy sport, there are just some horse-related topics that will make you seem exceedingly weird and may likely lead to a meeting with HR…for instance, it is never, ever, EVER appropriate to discuss sheath cleaning during happy hour. I don’t care how much you’ve had to drink, or if you’re attending a happy hour occurring during the Worldwide Convention of Sheath Cleaners (hopefully there is no such thing!)…it is NOT a normal discussion topic. If you broach this subject, particularly with coworkers, expect a hangover worse than if you had drunk a whole bottle of tequila.
