"I Hope You Have The Time Of Your Life ..."

I think I'm ready.
... or, as ready as I'll be.

I packed my suitcase with enough jeans and t-shirts to satisfy a demanding week in dry, dusty Idaho. My other bag's got the entire contents of my bathroom stuffed inside. I'll be bringing along my school backpack to catch up on the work I'll be missing while I'm away, and my purse, which has my wallet, iPod and some ChapStick.
My garment bag is hanging up downstairs, containing both coats, my white shirt and breeches, ascot, and gloves. I polished my tall boots and now they're stashed away in their bag, along with my dressage girth.
Oh! I just remembered that I haven't packed my spurs yet. Must get those out of my truck and in the boot bag.
... my whips are propped in a corner with the other stuff that will be packed in the morning. My lunge line sits on a side table nearby. My top hat is in it's box, sitting on the floor below the garment bags.
Outside the front door is the wash bucket and groom kit. We've got more mane-and-tail rubber bands and VetWrap than I know what to do with. But between three horses over seven days, I'm sure it'll all get used up.
We've got six bales of local hay in the bed of the Silverado and will run by to pick up more at the barn tomorrow. I can't forget to make up grain bags for King to make things easier when she feeds the horses at home while we're away.

Now I'm sitting here at the computer, charging my iPod and listening to Flogging Molly. I need to make sure my music doesn't die on me during the trip. I wonder how long it'll hold it's charge. An eight hour drive home would be unbearable without my music. If all else fails; thank the Lord for XM Radio.

I won't be posting again before I go.
I may write something on music.is.life, just to give you all one last update. That is, if I can find a song worth posting about.
But on this blog? This is it, folks.

The irony of my post title just became apparent to me.
Because I used the same lyrics that are in this post's title in a post I wrote last November.
I was just getting to know Bob back then; we were just starting our lives together. Even then, my dream to ride at Nationals was still strong. Back then, though, the goal was Youth Nationals in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Ten months ago, just the idea of making that dream a reality was beyond my conception.
Now it's happening. For real.

I'll talk to you all in a week.
It's time for Bob and I to go make this dream come true.