Without going into the horrid details, we (meladuck, jnadiger, and I) ended up talking about horses today in class. Jnadiger spent some time in his youth learning how to ride and tame the beasts, and he recounted a particularly memorable episode last semester in one of our writing classes. The short version: he broke his arm and it scared the nurse. Believe me, it was much funnier when he told it.

Anyhow, today in class, he told the short version of the story of his horse, from the time that he came to own it to the time that it was sold for parts. I could have retold my family's story about owning a horse, but I wasn't sure of the details (dates and such), so I decided to save it until now. However, now that I'm at home, I really don't feel like dragging out all the old photo albums (although that would be sooooooo much fun), so I'll retell the tale without all the details.

When we were kids (and I'm talking young...barely walking, probably not going to school kind of young), my sister received a pony for her birthday. Yes, apparently nothing was too good for the Planned One. She had a room full of French provincial-esque white with gold trim furniture complete with a pink canopied bed. She had many horse toys including a few ride-on horsey things. I, on the other hand, grew up in what had been appointed the sewing room. I didn't have to share it with a Pfaff, but still, the knowledge was damaging. And all I wanted was a pet monkey. I didn't care what I slept in as long as I had the pet monkey. Meanwhile, princess had a canopied bed. Anyhow....

She wanted a pony and got one. Many of the relatives came over and they built a barn for the pony. She was too young to take care of it, so that chore fell to both of my parents. My mother did the light stuff such as feeding it, my father did the heavy stuff, such as mucking out the barn, brushing, bathing, etc. The dog, god bless him, just learned to live with the horse, and to ignore it when it ate his dog chow.

The horse lasted for quite a few years. It was somewhat round...it was overfed and under-exercised. And it was around people all the time, so you would think that it would have been more pleasant. It couldn't have had an easier gig. But, it was slightly crazy, as some horses are. It got out a few times, and we had to chase it down. It made the dog and cat's lives kinda difficult. It ate the fence, the barn, and several trees which my mom actually wanted to keep. It was big and expensive to keep. And, one day, when it was having one of its spooky moments, it ran over my sister, stepping on her head. Luckily, she wasn't hurt. But I don't think that the horse was around for much longer. I have no idea if it went to dog food and violin strings as jnadiger's horse did, but it did disappear. And for that, I was happy. Because then there would be room for my monkey.

It never appeared. Such is the lot in life for the unplanned. We are relegated to the spare room, shunned and petless. You can weep for me now or at a later time when it's more convenient. The choice is yours.

PS: My aunt totally acknowledges this lack of pet monkey, and gives me something monkey-related for every birthday and Christmas. I can't tell if she's being nice or mean.