Update time!

Riding: Rode Boo again tonight - he's really begun to calm down over the past month. Still really frisky, still a baby (uses the rail to lean against, and clocks my foot every time on the rail unless I'm paying attention), but absolutely awesome. Just gotta learn to relax and trust him and myself... "You just gotta get your head to line up with your emotions, and then mesh that with your body, and you're set. You're strong enough to do this, it's just the confidence," saith Davee. Speaking of Davee, she wasn't in such good shape today - not only did she break up with her boyfriend last night, but one of her welsh ponies at the other stable nearly broke her arm earlier today. So her arm's in a sling, she can't ride, and she can't type or write for a while... talk about a tough break. :( But she should be back up to speed in a week or so, barring some unforeseen tendon damage.

Games: D&D session later tonight... and I've begun playing Magic:the Gathering. Quite entertaining card game, really. I missed out on a lot growing up... Anyway, I managed to whale on Dan, shutting him out in 4 games, even though he originally said, "Don't be upset if you lose the first several games... it's normal to lose a lot as a beginning Magic player." Poor Dan. He was a good sport about it, though, and he did say that he wasn't playing quite as tightly as he would against another seasoned player. And if the last one had lasted any longer, I think I would've lost - he had some good cards right at the top when I finally finished him off. Yaay for the black/red 'Deck of Destruction'. -grins-
The only downside? Lots of people around here are Magic players, and so they watch the game, and often want to give advice. This is fine with me, as long as it's not "*I* would do this, because ---", but that's usually the most common form. I was on the verge on quitting a game in progress and leaving at least once because I felt like I wasn't playing - everyone else was playing it for me and not allowing me to learn. There's nothing more frustrating than that to me... I'm not an idiot, I can see the possibilities, and I'm thinking them out while you're telling me what to do. Maybe I'm slower and less experienced than you, but I'm not stupid, and I learn best by trying my own strategy and seeing what works, and I feel like it's an insult to my intelligence to have people constantly telling me what they would do if they were playing. They aren't. I am. I know perfectly well they mean no harm, and I welcome advice or possibilities for strategy when I ask for it but the other is extremely irritating to me. And I try to tolerate it, but sometimes I will crack and lose my patience.
Moral: Don't tell people how to play their games. Ask if they want advice or help with strategy, but if you want to play, find another deck of cards and do so!