Ozempic comes to Wellington?

12 hours later

Barry and Galatea are turned out at night wearing a fly sheet to protect against biting insects that can transmit some serious equine diseases.  However, Barry’s fly sheet did not fit him well and was rubbing the hair off his shoulders.  I found a really nice fly sheet on sale that fit him.  As you can see, it was not to his liking.  Unable to undo the buckles he proceeded to rip the attachments right out of the sheet.  Suffice it to say he is now going naked.

There is an old adage that you can never be thin enough, rich enough, or have enough silk blouses. If Melania or Ivanka Trump come to mind, you are spot on. This past weekend I watched a slew of older adult women riders trot past the judge’s box with thighs that looked about the size of my calves.  I commented on the overall gauntness to the judge.  She then whispered that it was rumored that half of Wellington was on Ozempic and the surprising (to me) fact that it also affected muscle. That sent me straight to Google, where I learned that it does indeed cause a loss of lean muscle mass (~14% or 15 lbs) as well as fat.  Plus, it also causes ‘Ozempic face’. Google that for some examples when you are bored.  The rapid fat loss applies to the face as well, leading to hollowed temples, more wrinkles, and sagging skin making you look older.  Which explains why advertisements by plastic surgeons are now not just showing how they can make a 60 year old person look 30, but also how they can fix Ozempic face.  Oy. 

Polo is in full swing (pun intended), with a game every Sunday. Last year, Susanne Branson and I attended a match and sat with the plebeians in the stadium seats on the west side of the field.  It did not diminish the fun. However, the east side of the field is lined with large pristine white tents where you can actually tailgate - significant step up in society. This past weekend, Laura’s barn family ditched the breeches, cleaned up, dressed up, and took our place on the east side of the field.  The ticket cost actually is quite economical because you can get 12 tickets/tent and better seating.  Nothing raucous goes on mind you.  Unlike football, you can only set up 2 hours in advance and you have to clear out within an hour of the game’s end.  Prosecco/champagne/wine is poured rather than beer (although I spotted a few cans).  The barn did a potluck, but quite a few of the other tailgates were fancy catered affairs.  Let’s just say no one unloaded a grill, there were no turkey legs in sight, and no aroma of barbeque wafting through the air.  I had a good time, though people were clearly not there to watch the match. I got to meet quite a few of the husbands, including a husband who used to ride hunter/jumpers.  Such a man is a rarity and a ‘prized catch’ for female equestrians.  That said, it can be more difficult to convince your mate that you really, really need another show coat, saddle pad or horse.

One of the catered set-ups

Today as I did my best to stay warm and dry in ‘cold’ rain, I was thinking of all of you navigating highs in the single digits prefaced with a minus sign. I was also getting multiple notifications from my ring camera that "persons were detected" which all turned out to be sparrows huddling on the ledge outside where it was warm in the sun and sheltered from the wind. It made me feel even worse for you.