u/madcats323

I’ve got a client in custody and we’ve been waiting on a report from a specific agency. It was referred back in February and the agency has had multiple excuses for not having it. I’ve been objecting and pushing for an OSC and judge has not been happy with them but has held off.

Today they asked for more time and basically blamed the judge for not asking correctly (I’m paraphrasing and keeping it intentionally vague).

Judge blew up. It was glorious. I despise this agency. They are always late, never take accountability, and almost never approve the services they’re mandated to provide. And blame everyone else for it.

Judge tore them a new one on the record and told them if they don’t have a report next court date, they will be facing sanctions.

So satisfying. Good start to the day.

We all know that but I'm doing a rewatch and really analyzed it this time. It does everything you need an introduction to a show to do and more.

It starts with the telegraph clicking, which is interesting and tells you that this is a show set in the time of the telegraph.

Then there's the sudden train whistle and the cut to a steam train, as the iconic music begins. And again, you understand that you're in a different time, a time with telegraphs and steam trains.

You see Bates on the train, looking out the window, you can see it's early morning, and then the sound of the telegraph comes through and the telegraph operator is getting a message and now you know that something has happened, but you don't know what.

Then, as the music swells to a finish, you get your first sight of the house, and the title comes up on the screen.

You see "April 1912"on the screen and Daisy walks along the corridor, knocking on the maids' door to wake them. If you know history, you might guess what the telegram says by the date, but maybe not.

And then you get a flurry of activity as the house wakes up, but what's so incredible about it is the way you get a quick and natural introduction to the entire staff. Who they are, what they do. Daisy with her buckets of wood and tinder, Mrs. Patmore bustling around the kitchen, Mr. Carson taking charge of William, who is told to get the board ready to iron the papers, the maids cleaning the rooms, Thomas with a tray cleaning up glasses from the night before and sniping about William, Mrs. Hughes giving directions for the day. Boom, just like that, you have the downstairs sorted out.

You see the difference between the servant's areas and the family's. Daisy is afraid to turn the lights on, nice touch. And then you see the upstairs family, starting with Mary languidly getting up and touching a bell, which results in the downstairs jumping to take care of the important people.

Everything is quick but organized and controlled. It's such a fantastic depiction of what it must have been like for people in service.

What I love about it is the focus on the downstairs. Throughout that first scene, the family is largely absent and what we see is the flurry of work that goes into what is essentially getting them breakfast. Then the music becomes calm and we see Robert descend the stairs like a conquering hero, and you then meet the family.

It's one of my favorite episodes of the entire series and largely because of that fantastic opening scene.

I love animals. I have animals. So naturally, internet algorithms thrust lots of animal stories my way. That’s annoying enough, just because I post pictures of my cats doesn’t mean I want to see every heartwarming cat story in existence.

But it also means that I get really disturbing, sad, haunting stories about abused animals in my Google feed, my social media accounts, everywhere.

I don’t want to see that shit. I know it exists. I support more stringent laws regarding it. I contribute to organizations that fight it. But I don’t want to be inundated with depressing stories about animals that have been harmed, even if they have a happy ending.

I hate forced content anyway. That type really annoys me.

I’m considering hoof boots for my mare but I’ve never used them and it’s been quite a few years since I last researched them.

What brands/types have you used that you’ve been happy with?

Cavallos were the go-to last I checked but I’m wondering if that has changed or if there are specific styles that are better than others.

I appreciate any suggestions.

For those who don't know, the Tevis Cup is one of the most well-known endurance events in the world. It's a 100-mile endurance ride over some very challenging country.

In 2020, the ride had to be cancelled because of Covid, and the organizers had the bright idea of putting on a virtual event. It served to keep the ride in the public conscience, raise money for trail maintenance, and give equestrians something fun to do during lockdown.

For a fairly minimal entry fee, you ride (or hand walk) your horse for 100 miles in 100 days. The virtual ride ends the day the real ride ends. You log your miles on the web site and it's just done on the honor system - no one checks your miles. Honestly, I think the people who are logging 20 miles a day are lying through their teeth but it's no big deal because you don't win anything. It's just a fun fundraiser (you do get a t-shirt or medal if you finish)

I've been doing it for the past couple of years. I like it because it gives me an incentive to get out there with my horse. I work long hours and it's really tempting when I get home to just loaf on the couch. But most days, I tell myself that I can at least put a mile on, and it usually leads to several miles.

The first day was April 23rd. It occurred to me yesterday to wonder if anyone here is doing it.