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:
Tips for Eventers Living in Itty-Bitty Apartments in the City: The Magic Number Edition
Happy Election Day, Eventing Nation! Wait, what? You didn’t realize it was Election Day? If you’re one of the few EN readers who somehow missed/escaped the barrage of TV/radio/internet banner ads or telephone pollsters (hey, I even get them here in DC) and don’t know where you’re supposed to go to vote, click here. And remember, just like closing dates, you need to be in line at your polling place by the time polls close to ensure you get to vote. If you’re concerned that your vote doesn’t count for anything, please know that those of us who live in DC appreciate your help in selecting our neighbors (and the Congress who will decide our fate) for the next few years.
As is typical in the lead up to a Presidential election, the front pages of my favorite newspapers and their corresponding websites are filled with charts, graphics, and interactive tools that detail every mathematical scenario that could lead a candidate to the magic number of 270 electoral college votes. Electoral college nerds like me typically spend election night in a bar (too dark to ride after work now anyway…stupid Daylight Savings), transfixed not by the Equestrian Ryan Gosling in the corner, but by the report of returns in key states, quickly recalculating the wins needed for our candidate to pull off the big two-seven-oh.
The funny thing is…I’m one of those people who proclaims to be terrible at math.
And it’s true, I AM terrible at math. I was never good at the math problems that pitted Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith in two cars pursuing different routes from City A to City B, and all hell broke loose once numbers started being replaced by crazy symbols in Calculus…but put me in a shoe store with a sale? Aw heck, I could calculate the cost of those Louboutins…with the tax rate for at least 5 different states AND determine the cost per wear in a maximum of 45 seconds. Same thing goes for that heavyweight turnout blanket or that pair of breeches I’ve been eyeing in the Dover sale catalog. And in the worst case scenario, I can calculate how many times I’ll need to eat Ramen Noodles to cover the vet bill. So I can’t be all THAT bad at math…which leads me to this week’s tip.
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Tip for Eventers Living in Itty-Bitty Apartments in the City #14:
If you have find yourself having trouble solving simple arithmetic in your head, just pretend you’re converting your dressage score into penalties, calculating your total speed faults time penalties, or determining the number of rails you have in hand going into Show Jumping. Advanced students in equestrian math can choose to up the ante by calculating exactly how far you can drive the truck and trailer on a quarter tank of diesel at a rate of 50 mph.
