Soloshot 3

So last fall when Kate brought her Soloshot down and let me use it, I kicked her and stole it and that's why we're not friends anymore wanted one. Disclaimer: Kate still has her soloshot and we are definitely still friends.

Solution: Buy my own

I really wanted one, and this spring I decided to save for it by selling things on TackHunter, an app that lets you sell your horse stuff. They take a cut but they also provide you with a shipping label, so cool! I also took any spare change/random dollars I found and put that, as well as their checks, in a box.

I was pretty close to being able to buy it, but then I moved and bought a horse trailer. So I deposited those checks and used the cash for my horse's shoes.

Soon, I was wanting it again to record my lessons at Tanya's barn last month (but huge thanks to Peony for letting me basically steal her Pixio for a month!!). So I thought about how I could let myself buy it. Sure, I still could say that the money technically is just sitting in my savings account, but just impulse buying it sounded like a bad idea. I wanted to feel like I earned it. I dunno why I'm like this. I've also decided that the only way I'm replacing my mostly disintegrated snaffle bridle is to win one at a horse show next year since they let you earn points that you can spend in their little store.

Screenshots because gifs weren't working, oh well!

For those of you who don't know, I finished my MA coursework in 2015 but have not yet finished my thesis. There are many complicated reasons beyond this. My adviser was a little... less supportive throughout school than would have been helpful, my thesis got changed from an experiment to a systematic literature review at the last minute, and I got a job that I hated so was super burnt out and put it on the back burner.

When I quit that job, I worked hard to finish it, and so Fall 2016 I was ready to defend. I had practiced my defense a ton, bought new clothes to wear for it (and all the conferences I now go to), and had taken a half day off of work at my new job despite not being allowed to yet (first month of working there). The night before my defense, one of my committee members said he wouldn't pass it no matter what and was kind of a dick about it.

I immediately talked to my adviser and he said we could do it in spring. I didn't go to my defense. And by this point, I was really scared, and pissed off, and frustrated. For all of 2017, I didn't even touch it. I was so defeated. I had ABT on my resume and my job only requires a Bachelors so the MA coursework was just a bonus.

Come spring 2018 and my frustration shifted from defeat to that feeling of I'm going to fucking do this thing even if I have to cut a bitch. I did the coursework, I have a fully written thesis, I'm passing this thing NOW.

Hey that's my house

With a much lighter workload and spending like, half the time in the car that I used to at my new job up here, I got to work. Luckily my adviser has been AMAZING this spring and summer. He also let me know that the committee had gotten together and decided that a systematic literature review was sufficient after all (despite them telling me it was... then it wasn't... now it is? is it??). I put in the MANY hours to update the thesis, make it a bit more robust (erm first draft got like 80 pages added to it, sorry adviser!), and sent it in to my adviser, who is editing it now but gave me the go-ahead that it was ready and I should put together my defense.

And then I ordered myself the Soloshot (actually Soloshot was ordered early because the 25x went on a major sale, but I sent it to my parents' house so my mom could keep it until I finished, I knew she wouldn't relinquish it until it was done and this is why she's the best). I could have forced myself to wait until I actually had the degree in hand, but honestly I love presenting/public speaking so the defense wasn't the hurdle.

I grabbed it on Saturday when I went down to teach and got it working on Sunday afternoon! I'll do a full post on how it is to use, and probably a detailed comparison of the Soloshot vs Pixio once as I get the hang of it. But if you saw the drop in price in the 25x and are thinking about getting it, do it. It's been tracking really well, super easy to use, and is very quick to set up- I've been using it in the mornings before work.

We took it easy this day but he still looks pretty good!

I'm so excited to have it! One of the things I've struggled the most with at my new barn, which is generally an amazing place to board, is the lack of mirrors. I could go months without a lesson if I have mirrors or regular video. I think it's going to be SUPER helpful for so many things, including the lead changes. And of course, regular media for the blog! I've been using it all week and still need to figure out a video editing software, but it's already been so helpful and cool.