MySpace-August 24, 2009-The Day After Tomorrow

Everytime The Day After Tomorrow is on TV, I watch some if not all of it. I always think two things too. 1) Jake Gyllenhaal is a hottie! and 2) what would I do if this really happened?

So this is what I would do.

If I had been in my old apartment, I would stay in my bedroom since its the smallest room and faces the east so the sun comes in in the morning. Here, in this apartment, I would go into Joe's room because it faces the south, has the smallest window and the bathroom is attached.
I would first, fill the tubs and sinks with water. I would move the rabbit, cat and dogs into the room. I would bring up cooking utensils and all of the towels and blankets from downstairs. I would bring up the futon matresses. I would bring up all of the books and wooden furniture. When I would have ran out of room, I would leave the furniture in the hallway. I would bring up all of the food and dog food.
From my room, I would bring in all of the paper products and books. All my clothes, all the blankets, towels and pillows and the futon mattress too. The wooden furniture would go into the hall.
Now that I have secured myself into Joe's room (this assumes that he is here and helping me with all of this), I would put a sign on the front door, my bedroom window, and Joe's door so that if anyone came around looking for survivors, they can find us.
I would rig up something so we could build a fire without burning down the apartment. And so we didn't sufficate from the smoke, I would figure out some way to funnel most of the smoke out a small crack in the window. I'm thinking something with the BBQ grill
or a metal trash can and the dryer vent hose for the smoke.
I would pad the walls-in particular the window and door-with the futon mattresses as insulation. Blankets and pillows and excess clothes would be stapled on the walls for insulation too. We'd have to have a hammer or a hatchet so we could break down the furniture to burn it.
I would stuff the rabbit's cage with hay and cover it with blankets so he could burrow deep into it. I would cuddle with Joe and the dogs and the cat near the fire in lots of blankets and as many clothes as I could put on. If the dogs and cat couldn't stay with us (near us), I would cram them all into Mary's cage and cover it with heavy blankets near the fire. But I think the dogs would help keep Joe and I warm..
Other people could come and stay in our place if we thought there was enough space. BUT they would have to bring food and blankets and things to burn. More people, closer we could get together and keep warm.
I would hope that this would be enough to keep us warm and alive. Of course, someone would eventually have to find us (or us find them). And the house roof couldn't collaspe or we'd be screwed.

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger on 8/28/11.]

MySpace-August 24, 2009-What To Do With Excess Vegetables

I realized the other day as a dozen or so tomatoes set going beyond ripening on the kitchen counter while a half dozen or so banana peppers rapidly ripened on the vine, that Joe and I really just grow vegetables to say that we are growing them. To be capable of doing it. We don't eat them as quickly as we should if we do at all. We enjoy just knowing that we managed nature in our own little way with a couple pots of peppers and a couple more of tomatoes.
Looking at the vegetables on the counter, I thought what should I do with all these tomatoes? Take them to school with the label of 'not poison' on them, but then I remember that I really like gazpacho soup. Its also known that I don't particularly like vegetables but I ate this soup this summer and really liked it. I made it once already and Amberle said it tasted like summer. Here's the recipe as found online and with my changes in italics:

Gazpacho

6 large tomatoes-don't use overripe ones because it makes it too watery and too red
1 large cucumber-peeled, seeded and finely diced
1 large green pepper-finely chopped
1 medium red onion-minced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or 2 tablespoons cider vinegar)
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped (to taste) (omitted)
2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped or 2 teaspoons dried (omitted)
salt and pepper to taste (and garlic powder)
tabasco sauce to tasted (omitted) (worchestershire sauce to taste)
one banana pepperTo peel tomatoes, submerge them in boiling water for 15 seconds. Place in colander and rinse under cold water. Skins should slip right off. Core tomatoes and gently squeeze out seeds. (This part sucks and takes the most time.)
Chop half the tomatoes coursely and puree the other half in the food processor. (I puree all of them in the blender. This is why you don't use overripe ones too.)
Combine puree and chopped tomatoes in large mixing bowl. (Well, everything is already in the blender and pureed.)
Blend remaining ingredients with tomatoes. (In the blender and mix so one thick, uniform constency. Trust me on this one.)
Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

You could make it following the directions but when I ate it, it was one consistancy and very yummy! There was also flavored oil and a boiled shrimp on it. That was good and pretty too.
[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger on 8/28/11.]

MySpace-August 15, 2009-The Truth About the VMTH

On Tuesday, the Columbia Tribune printed an article about one of the food animal veterinarians, Dr.Schultz, at the VMTH. Click Here To Read It. I also strongly suggest reading the comments and hope that you see a pattern with them.
In defense of Dr.Schultz-he is one of the few clinicians in the hospital that realize that once we students graduate, we will be faced with a completely different world. A world in which there is a limit to client money, there is a limit to available testing and diagnostics, where there is a limit resources and knowledge. He practices more in the manor of a general practioner and for that he should be praised. He isn't trapped in the clinical world of the referral hospital like many of the clinicians (mainly small animal) are. Additionally, I don't think that it is unusual for a veterinarian to be reported to the state board. Yeah, it sucks and your actions as a veterinarian are being scrutinized BUT its probably just someone you made angry. And you can't please everyone.
The article however is very one sided. The university and vet school obviously can't comment on the situation. They spoke with an animal behaviorist from K-State?!?! What would an animal behaviorist know? What about an animal scientist or another veterinarian? What about someone else from Missouri? (Granted, that could be skewed or they may be unable to comment.) Essentially, the article took the word of the man making the complaint as the final word. No questions asked. What he said was right. There wasn't any mention of the condition of these calves prior to being examined. 'Inherited stress syndrome'? Maybe the guy misunderstood and what was really said was 'inherent stress syndrome'. Its not uncommon for a calf to get so stressed out from vaccinations and being worked that they die. Especially if they had some underlying condition such as pneumonia. Also, unless the necropsies were done in the field, they were most likely not done by Schultz. He probably observed them. There was probably a team of students and two pathologists or so actually doing them. We also do not make a habit of releasing the necropsy reports to the owners. The referring veterinarian gets it and then it is there job to interpret and relay the findings. The referring DVM in this case was Schultz!
Anyway, in reading the comments, you may have noticed a pattern. The pattern is general whining and bitching about the VMTH. I'm not saying that these complaints are unfounded. (See later.) But did you also notice that the people complaining are complaining about the small animal hospital and generally not the food animal or equine hosptial? They would have never had contact with Schultz! And all of the people supporting the hospital in general were food animal people. That is one thing the hospital does right for large animal clients-the prices are fairly reasonable when compared to general practice vets. (Except if you actually have a horse in for surgery or a severely sick horse, then its gets a little pricey.) I know we had a horse colic at a horse show in Columbia and Dr.LaCarruba came out and the cost was comparable to what our vet at home would have charged. This is probably why consistanly the food animal section outdoes the other sections.
So here's the truth.
The College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hosptial is just that. A TEACHING hospital. In a TEACHING hospital, there are students, interns and residents that all are trying to learn. If you have a problem with inexperienced people trying to learn on your animal, take it elsewhere. One of the reasons that animals are taken from the owner and taken to the back for procedures that a regular vet may perform in front of you is for that very reason. If you were a student attempting to perform something for the first time in front of a worried owner, would you want to do that in front of them or in private where you could get instruction and less pressure? This is also why things take so long. In addition to the student performing an examination, the examination is repeated by the intern, resident, clinician and anyone else that shows an interest. There is time for questions, differential diagnoses and potential tests to be ran. A time for the student to be taught and to learn. I think it is however the responsiblity of the student to instruct their client that because it is a TEACHING hosptial that things take a little longer. Sorry. Its just how it is.
Additionally, where at the regular veterinarian, they would have techs perform some tasks and essentially everything would be done by one person, here there are different departments each responsible for one aspect of patient care. At a regular clinic, the same tech may draw blood, start the test on it, assist with x-rays and watch the animal in the kennel. At the VMTH, there are very few techs relying on students to draw blood which is submitted to the clin path department for analysis. Radiology takes x-rays and a radiologist looks at them, not the same vet that saw the animal initially. (Yes, at the VMTH, the same vet will look at the radiographs too but a radiologist also sees them.) Then there is an ICU department where an entirely different set of people watch the patients. These reasons add to the cost and the time.
In addition to being a teaching hospital, MU is a referral hospital, meaning that the cases that were too difficult to solve in general practice are sent here. We have specialists in lots of different areas when it comes to small animal medicine. Board certified surgeons, radiologists, cardiologists, oncologists, optholomolgists, etc. It costs money to pay these people and to have the diagnostics that are useful for them. What good are they if they don't have the equipment needed to solve the difficult case. You pay for the expertese that is there. You pay for the 24 hour care and attention.
All that being said, I do think that there are times when things are too expensive. And even worse, some clinicians don't get it. They just assume that if you are there, you have money. Its not always the case. I had a case like that and I wish I could have done more for the guy and his dog. And I really wish that the clinician didn't make him feel like a bad person for not having the money.
I also think that extra tests are performed when not needed. I do however understand that in part, its for the learning of the student. Sometimes these tests are done without permission but in leaving you pet with the VMTH, you essentially have left them there with the intention that the best will be done for that animal.
When a client feels that they are having difficulty communicating with their student or veterinarian, it is an individual case.
Clients don't understand the sometimes frustration of the students too. We as students are treated as hired hands yet we aren't paid. (We actually are PAYING for that treatment!) WE are expected to do the dirty work, work the long hours with little help or appriciation at times. WE can't always get ahold of the clinician and can't get our questions answered so we can't always answer the client questions. For some students (myself), this is the most frustrating part. WE can make decisions in care without running it past the clinician yet if we can't get a hold of them...Additionally, for all the harping on logging conversations into the comm log, clinicians don't do it leaving a student looking dumb when the client asks about something the clinician mentioned to them but not the student.
The VMTH has its flaws. I complain incessently about it. I know however that even when I am frustrated that there probably is some learning value unlying it all. If people can't see these things, then they shouldn't bring their animals to the VMTH.

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger on 8/23/11.]

MySpace-August 13, 2009-Sew Little Time

Or I think I hear my mother's voice.

I have a lot of things to do. School and everything too. But its the cleaning of the house, my various sewing projects and studying for NAVLE that really get me.

Somewhere I think I hear my mother's voice telling me that if I do a little at a time each day that eventually it will all be done. Somehow I don't buy that. Somehow I don't believe that in addition to school and eating and sleeping that there is enough little bit at a time to finish everything.

As far as my sewing projects, there are a lot of things I want to make. In addition to my major project, I would also like to make a stuffed cat and have the material for several dresses. However, one dress is a summer dress and since summer is close enough to being over, it will just have to wait till the spring. And then I have to make some animal costumes for Halloween. I really like sewing and wish that I could get more done.

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger on 8/23/11.]

MySpace-August 9, 2009-Sweets and Meats

We all know my obsession with meats not being used in ways that they normally should. Such as with the infamous bacon doughnut.
I (Joe) have managed to find yet another one of these meaty creations. Yesterday afternoon, Joe and I went to the Ragtag to see Food Inc. Joe said that I didn't like the movie mostly based on the fact that it didn't give me something to get mad about. He might be right. BUT they didn't really take on the dairy industry-they visited a Stoneyfield organic producer and only mentioned rBST in the sense that Wal-Mart wanted milk produced without it in response to its customers demands. (Yet, most of these customers are misinformed about rBST AND Wal-Mart also wants to know the carbon footprint/environmental impact of the dairy industry. I'm sure they want it reduced and the best way to do that is with rBST. Stupid hypocritacal Wal-Mart.)
ANYWAY-Joe went out to get a drink and came back to whisper in my ear that in the lobby at the snack bar there was a chedder bacon ice cream sandwich. And of course, we were to try it.
After the movie, we got one (ONLY ONE! I declared!) to share. It was good but not terribly impressive. The ice cream was vanilla with bacon in it but the bacon was barely noticable. The cookie was a shortbread type and was seemingly too dry and flour-y. I would have preferred to have the cookie to be very soft such as with a real ice cream sandwich or very crispy like a cracker. The cookie was orange giving the suggestion of cheese but like many of a cheese cracker that flavor was missing. There was also a faint taste of maple but a strong taste of pepper and celery salt.
Joe and I debated the ways that ths could have been made better and declared that perhaps it all laid in the cookie. The texture wasn't right and the pepper wasn't a good way to go. Joe also suggested that the maple bacon was overbearing but I argue that the maple flavor is needed to tie in the sweetness of the ice cream in with the bacon like with the doughnut.
Anyway, I'm glad that I tried the bacon cheddar ice cream sandwich even if it wasn't as delightful as the bacon doughnut.

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger on 8/10/11.]

MySpace-August 5, 2009-I [Heart] New York City

First, I must apologize for the lateness of this blog. So many things have come up since the trip but I had jotted some notes down and hope that they suffice to jog my memory about the events that occurred. Second of all, I apologize for the use of ‘NYC’ as we all know my own hatred for abbreviations. I’ll try to keep them to a minimum.

I <3 New York City because…
The Planes That Take You There Have Propellers.
At least from Syracuse, they do. Estella and I skipped out of class around four on Friday afternoon (I think it was July 17^th). But to be fair, I think that class was getting out early anyway and we stayed around to receive our awards. We drove to Syracuse and ate some dinner at Subway before going to the airport. Once it was time to board the plane, we walked down the gate, down the stairs and out onto the tarmac. At this point, I turned to Estella and said, ‘Estella, this plane has propellers. Propellers, Estella!’ We handed our ‘carry on’ luggage over to someone that put it in the bottom of the plane, climbed the stairs into the plane and took our seats near the propeller. There was this guy across the way that was a bartender for his own bar on Long Island. We talked to him a little bit and once landed (the flight went well), he told us some places to hit.

I <3 New York City because…Everyone is Really Nice.
I think it’s a common (and still maybe true for others?) misconception that everyone in New York City is rude. But that being said, once off the plane and luggage collected from the runway, Estella and I made our way towards the area in which we would board a bus that would take us to (or at least close to) our hostel. However, they don’t tell you how much the bus trip costs nor do they tell you that you need exact change as in the form of change. Estella and I got on the bus, quickly realized this and the driver simply told us to put in what we had. I put in $2.05-twenty cents short of the normal fare. We rode and we rode and we rode and Estella probably asked the driver four or five questions in this time. He told us that we just couldn’t get off where planned because of a gorge or something so he gave Estella a transfer for another bus. She then asked for a second transfer for me. That’s the nice thing about Estella. She’s not afraid to ask. However, sometimes, she asks the most random people-such as bums and sometimes, if we just thought a little harder, a solution would present itself. Anyway, we got off of our bus, found the place for the transfer and got on the bus. Eventually, we had to get off of that bus and we hiked it towards our hostel.

I <3 New York City because…
Our Hostel Was in Harlem.
Estella neglected to tell me this little fact until after the point but what difference does it make I thought. President Clinton has offices in Harlem. Here’s the thing though, once finding our hostel it was the nicest place I’ve ever stayed in. Our room was on the fifth floor. There was a door into the hallway and then a long hallway with individual rooms off of it before it opened into our large room with several sets of bunk beds. There was a kitchen with brand new appliances but they weren’t working. The roof was a hang out area, the basement had a TV room and a kitchen and the mainfloor had a game room with pingpong and pool and smelled suspiciously ‘international’ (i.e. like body odor). It also had computers that you could pay for internet access on and free bagels during the week. We didn’t get any of these. After arriving, Estella and I thought it might be nice to see Times Square at night (it was like 11pm) even though it had been raining. In the elevator these kids asked us where we were from ( I think they were from Australia) and when answering Missouri, I essentially was told that I was not exotic enough to be staying in a hostel. Once we stepped outside, it wasn’t just raining, it was pouring and thunderstorming. We asked some guy from Denmark where the subway was and explaining what we wanted to do, he suggested otherwise. Two guys tried hitting on us and tempting us to drink with them in some shady room. We passed and went to bed instead in preparation of our long day ahead.

I <3 New York City because…
I Think I Saw A Drug Deal.
Saturday morning, the plan was to get up early, walk through Central Park as much as possible and then go to the Broadway district where we would stand in two separate lines (me for Chicago and Estella for Phantom of the Opera) for student rush tickets. We headed out passing Obama’s Chicken and Biscuits and made our way to Central Park. It literally was a green island. Somehow we ended up walking through the woods. Along the way, we encountered a guy that wished us a good morning and just beyond him were some other guys talking in hushed tones. I think the first was the lookout. (Even drug dealers are nice!) After we were clear of them, Estella and I looked at each other and she said that she thought we had just witnessed a drug deal. We continued on through the park wandering aimlessly until we realized that time was running short and it would be best if we made it to the subway. We bust out a map and then was asked by some lady if we could be helped. She directed us to the subway and there we went. (Another event of kindness.)

I <3 New York City because…
Of The Subways!
We figured out how to purchase our day passes and waited for a train. By the time the third train rolled in, we wondered when ours would. With that third train, the conductor (or what I assume to be like a conductor) yelled at us to get on because it was the only train. So we did and I was excited about the whole mess. It was so much fun. I was to get off at a different stop than Estella so I got off alone and found the street.

I <3 New York City because…
I Went To Starbucks.
Once on the street, I realized that I still had some time and was rather hungry. I went into a Starbucks and ordered a muffin and a strawberry banana smoothie. One sip and I remembered that I hated bananas. I don’t think I had ordered anything from Starbucks before since I’m not a coffee drinker nor am I  even really a warm beverage drinker. 

I <3 New York City because…
I Bought Broadway Show Tickets by Myself.
After figuring out which direction on the street, I needed to go (admittedly, I went the wrong way at first), I found the theater and stood in line for student rush tickets. During my line stay, I learned a lot, such as that the tickets had to be paid for in cash and there was a two ticket limit. There were lots of texts to Estella in her line as well. Eventually, I did manage to snag two tickets for Chicago and Estella met me there.

I <3 New York City because…
Of Times Square.
After Estella met me in front of the theater, we walked to Times Square. Everything was bright even though it was morning. We went to the M&Ms store and got some souvenirs from various places. We saw the Naked Cowboy, which was something that Estella had never heard of though I don’t know how since even my mom had. I didn’t get my picture taken with him though. There were lots of great snowglobes in these souvenir stores but you can’t take snow globes on in your carry on luggage. AND it costs money to check bags (plus there is that whole baggage claim thing too) so I thought about mailing said snowglobes but how? I asked where there was a post office and once we went to it to make sure it was open and would be for a little while, we ran around buying packing tape and snow globes to run back and send three home to Joe. There were so many more that I could have gotten but this whole ordeal was already taking too long.

I <3 New York City because…
Of the View from The Empire State Building.
Initially, Estella and I were not going to go to the Empire State Building because it was like $20 to only go to the 102^nd floor and the observation deck. (Or is it the 86^th floor?) We walked towards the building anyway and were on it before we realized eliminating our chances of seeing the whole thing. Unfortunately, I also at this time developed a harsh blister on the top of my foot from my flip flops but I would soldier on throughout the rest of the day with only minimal complaints. At this point, we decided what the hell and stood in line for the Empire State Building. Then we stood in some more lines, then some more. Eventually, we did get up to the observation deck and it was fantastic! You could really see forever it seems. The Chrysler building, the Statue of Liberty and on and on. It was exciting and beautiful.

I <3 New York City because…
Of the Broadway Shows!
After the Empire State Building, we made our way back to Broadway for the Chicago show. Our seats were way over to the side but in the third row. This skewed our viewing but the show was fantastic. I’m pretty sure that our seats were at the correct angle for crotch viewing in both the female and male actors. (If you’re into that sort of thing.) I’m not into any musicals which are probably why I got this one confused with Moulin Rouge. (I think the movies of both came out about the same time.) I really enjoyed the show. After the show, the streets were crowded for what seemed like the first time ever that it was markedly noticeable. We went and ate at TGIFriday’s in Time Square which made everything expensive. We met up with one of Estella’s friends from Georgia and worked our way towards what we thought was Battery Park, Ground Zero and Wall Street. Picture taking ensued. Estella’s friend ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant while we drank margaritas.

I <3 New York City because…
Of $4 Cab Rides and Foreign Films!
Once parting ways with Estella’s friend, we made our own way towards a movie theater in what we had deduced to most likely be in Grenwich Village. After going several blocks the wrong way, we finally corrected ourselves and headed towards the movie theater for a showing of Dead Snow, a Norwegian film about some medical students that take a relaxing break skiing in a cabin in the mountains before being attacked by zombie Nazis. When we arrived at the address, there was no movie theater. The movie was starting very shortly! Was it really west instead of east? Holy Crap! Estella hailed a taxi and we climbed in telling the man the address, no sooner than we had taken off were we there. Had we thought about it for just a few minutes longer, we would of realized that once the numbers ended as east (or was it west?) they would start over counting down. We were only like two blocks away and we paid $4 for the cab ride. We got to the theater and paid for our tickets and found seats in the small theater. There were a surprising number of people there given that the movie was 1) foreign, 2) about Nazi zombies, 3) the time of night, 4) it had been playing for several weeks already. The movie was about as you would expect a movie about Nazi zombies would be. It was gory, it was inconsistent, it was funny, it was fantastic! After the movie we went home because even the next day, we had an early start.

I <3 New York City because…
Of the Statue of Liberty.
Sunday morning, we woke up early and checked out of the hostel leaving our possessions in the ‘safety’ of the community game room. We got on the subway and headed for Battery Park. Once there, it was really getting close to 8 am which was what time our tickets for the ferry to the Statue of Liberty were for. Luckily though, we had tickets and were able to quickly make it to the line for the ferry. We were security screened, put in another line and then put on the ferry. Estella and I found some seats on the uppermost deck from which we could have seen a lot had not everyone been standing. Three Navy ships were coming into the harbor as we made our way over to the Statue. The Statue of Liberty is surprisingly small but it is a great thing to see. We had tickets to the observation deck and after a more rigorous security screening, we climbed a lot of stairs and stood in the base of the statue. The view was fantastic but I think the view of the Statue from other places on the island was better than actually being on it. After that, Estella wanted to head back the mainland but I wouldn’t let her. She sat while I explored Ellis Island first. I don’t know what I thought Ellis Island would be but it most certainly was not it. I don’t think that it was worth my full amount of time that I spent. We headed back for the mainland and decided that it was probably time to make our way to Chinatown.

I <3 New York City because…
In New York, China and Italy are Right Next To Each Other.
We arrived in Chinatown and no sooner had emerged on the bright, hot sidewalk than we were accosted by little Chinese ladies asking us if we wanted to buy knock off designer purses. ‘Gucci? Gucci?’ No. We wandered around Chinatown looking for some sort of official looking entrance that wasn’t just McDonald’s written in Chinese. We asked a cop and he gave us directions (which were wrong because nothing like that exists!) and he was very rude too. Ruder than the drug dealers! Estella was looking for a Japanese lucky waving cat and we found several varieties and sizes. Mostly gold glittery cats that were pretty cartoonish and similar to the one that I have. These did not satisfy here and we went to Little Italy where we would meet Estella’s friend from Georgia and her fiancé for lunch. Wandering down the closed off street in Little Italy, every restaurant had sidewalk seating and someone that was trying to get you to eat at their place by shoving a menu in your face. We finally settled on some place and waited for Estella’s friends to arrive. When they did, I ordered some fish because it also came with pasta and salad. The fish was cooked in white wine and still had that distinct flavor which was too strong for me. And by pasta, they meant buttered noodles. At any rate, it wasn’t that terribly expensive. After talking and having waited for a lot, it was time for us to go. Estella’s friends walked us to the subway and we went back to the hostel. However, the train that we got on didn’t stop where it should have to our surprise and some guys told us where we should get on and off instead. (So nice!) We did eventually make it to the hostel where Estella had also left a jacket in the room. We got on the subway for a short ride to the bus which would take us to the airport. When emerging from the subway, we stood around looking lost, when someone asked if we were looking for the bus. She directed us towards the stop and I swear that she offered her hand out like she was going to take our hands like little kids.  After being on the bus for what seemed like a while, Estella was like do you think that we are on the right bus? I assured her that I thought so and she confirmed it with the driver. Like I said, Estella isn’t afraid to ask anyone anything. We caught our plane, which was another propeller plane for Syracuse and the same bar owner guy was on this flight as well. We didn’t sit near him but talked to him again in the airport. We were glad to be home even if we knew the next day of class would be rough. (Aren’t they all?)

I <3 New York City because…
I Saw A Rat On The Subway.
I don’t really remember when this happened but in one of the numerous times that we were on the subway, I looked down to the tracks and there was a rat walking near the wall. Estella and I did some many freak outs and I wondered how many rats would come pouring out of this hole had I thrown a bagel into it. (Within viewing distance of course!)

I <3 New York City because…
They Film TV Shows and Movies There!
On two separate occasions I read notices posted on light posts about not parking there on certain days of the week because filming was going on. The movie was for something called Moring Glory and the TV show was for Gossip Girl.

I <3 New York City because…
They Don’t Want You Feeding The Pigeons.
I saw a sign for this in the park. The reasons they gave were that they left behind leftovers for the rats, they spread disease and they tore up flower beds.

I <3 New York City because…
There Are Mariachi Bands on the Subway.
Much like the rat, I can’t remember specifically where we were going/coming from but these three Mexican guys dressed up in cowboy outfits get on the subway. There was one with an accordion in front of me and I thought how cool it was. Then suddenly him and his two amigos (that have guitars) start singing and playing. The lead singer would go around later with his hat off looking for tips. I couldn’t help but give him a dollar because he was so fantastic. This event and the rat were probably the two best things about the trip. Well, everything else was great too!

Things I regret about New York City was not getting a hot dog or nuts from a street vendor, not going to any of the World Trade Center Memorial Museums, not taking a picture of the fire station at Ground Zero, not taking a picture of me measuring scrotal circumference at the bull statue at Wall Street, and not buying the glittery pig piggy bank in Chinatown. I guess those are things I can put on my list for next time.

Unfortunately, on Sunday, while in New York I learned that I am way too fat. It was because I wore shorts that day and with all the walking, my legs rubbed together and caused some chaffing. Very disappointing.

All and all, New York City was a lot of fun. I managed to see most of the tourist attractions in two days. I walked a lot and figured out the subway for the most part. I got lots of cool souvenirs and pictures. I loved New York City so much that I am considering opening a feline practice called Here Kitty, Kitty. I already have other branches located in Boston and potentially LA. Its cool.

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger on 8/7/11.]

MySpace-August 5, 2009-WaWa what? Preceptorship in Amish Country

Today was my first day at on my preceptorship at Gap Veterinary Associates in Gap, PA, right in the heart of Amish country.
 I went out with Dr.Harvey  (Nate) (I feel really weird calling vets by their first names but if that’s what I remember…) and we dropped off some drugs and looked at some down cows and pulled a calf at one farm and then at another we looked at a cow with a possible LDA but couldn’t find a ping. For lunch we went to WA-WA which is a gas station at which you can get a sandwich. Not just get a sandwich but order it via touchscreen. It was weird and cool all at the same time.
Dr. Harvey was really nice. He graduated from Penn in 2003 (and you could tell) after that he did five years of internship/residency there. He was eager to teach.
In the afternoon, I went out with Dr.Kohut (Nick) who I am staying with. His wife is a super energetic little thing that is super talkative and nice. (Quite different from my last experience.) Anyway, we had a uterine torsion and delivered that calf followed by a cow that had a fever and was just ADR. We couldn’t find really anything wrong with her other than having a fever. Then home before five. This practice lets you go when all the calls are done, which is nice because as learned at SDI, why wait around?
Tuesday, I went out on one call for some preg checks and a mastitis call before being sent back to the office to meet up with Nick for several more herd checks. We also did some dehorning which just leads me to believe that I need to figure out what I like and go with it. (These little hand held things seem too small even though that aspect of it is nice.) There were some umbilical hernias and Nate was called to repair one via surgery instead of just banding it like you would for tail docking or castration. I helped with the surgery and actually did quite a bit. It was fun and as usual, I am a dirt magnet and came away bloody, iodine-y and muddy/poopy. While there, someone from Land O’ Lakes came out and introduced themselves, when told from that I was from Missouri, he remarked that I didn’t even have a Southern accent.
The week would continue with me finally seeing a DA surgery. This practice does it laying down-a left paramedial approach. This could be easier for me since I have such short arms.  I also helped to clean out a cow that was carrying a dead calf and had been carrying this dead calf for like a week. The calf was literally soup. And somehow, I ended up with it on my leg. Friday night, I met up with a slightly less dead calf in a cow-while dead this calf was still connected. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get all of the calf out of this cow and left to see if we could on Saturday, but still couldn’t.  Also on Saturday, we did another DA surgery but this one was without gloves.
Anyway, there are several things that I wonder about and hope to sort out some answers as the week progresses. Is a practice with five male veterinarians considered an ‘old boys club’? Have they had females work for them before? Are they open to it? Would their Amish clients be okay with it? What about when that female vet was pregnant and working? What about then? Only one Amish man remarked about things that women couldn’t do (because of strength) and I countered that with having smaller arms there would be things that I could do. I also later found out that one of the vets did not take me out on his calls because there was a lack of bathrooms and that male students could just use the gutter.
The practice doesn’t have any diagnostic equipment nor an autoclave which I find weird. Would they be willing to get one? No ultrasound either.
Apparently at one point, Nate spent some time trying to give some management advice to a farmer and was scolded for it because it took up time in his day. The practice theory/method is to get in and get out. Even though I don’t want to be or become a consultant, I still think that if a veterinarian identifies a problem that they should discuss solutions with the farmer for it even if the solution is simply-‘here’s the number for someone that could help. You should call them.’
I’m not sure that I would want to work in a practice that doesn’t allow its associates to even discuss problems and solutions (does that make me a hypocrite since I don’t want to be a consultant?) with the farmer or doesn’t have at least an autoclave. I mean come on!
I wonder what I could offer up to a practice such as this. Would even my minimal amount of interest in consulting be too much and lead to frustration on everyone’s part? Would wanting to branch into equine be considered a negative if I became solely responsible for it? Would they be willing to purchase needed equipment?
Essentially, it boils down to this practice being somewhat primitive.  Instruments were sterilized via cold sterilization and while a valid method, autoclaving probably is better. Cows DO have an amazing immune system and contamination when doing surgery in a barn in almost impossible to avoid, but wearing gloves would certainly help decrease this and any possible complications. Using a CB radio is still a valid method of communication, but if I use it, I want a handle. (I think ponygirl is suitable, ten four.) I think this type of practice is slightly more primitive than I would like to practice in. I understand that the difference between a real world practice and the university is huge, like Grand Canyon huge. However, there are things (such as gloves) that can be translated into practice. I still want to practice in the area, still want to practice in an area that has small farms and where the farmer/owner is involved. I don’t mind IVing calcium, cutting DA s or pulling calves. That’s the type of practice I want to enter into. As stated before though, I also suppose that I want to give the farmers some information that will help them whether or not they listen.
Amish country looks pretty good still. And I won’t be using my $100,000+ education to educate someone that barely finished 8^th grade how to do something that took me four years to learn (not including undergrad). Yes, I’m talking about teaching the Hispanics. No, its not racist if its 1) the truth and 2) I wouldn’t want to teach anyone regardless of who it was. If some Amish guy wanted to learn how to roll and toggle (something I don’t know how to do), I would suggest he finds someone else to teach him. (And not just because I don’t know how, but because I find it possibly unethical in addition to cheating myself.)
[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger on 8/7/11.]

MySpace-August 5, 2009-Some Things I Thought Of

When on our Mid-West trip, some of us broke away from the group and ate at Arby’s instead of McDonald’s. Gerald and I were the first to get our food and assumed that we were going back to the vans. We started out to the parking lot and realizing no one was following us looked back and found that people were eating inside. Gerald and I decided that we would just sit on the curb and eat in the parking lot like losers waiting for everyone else to finish. While we ate, the seagulls began to swarm and circle above us. I noted this and Gerald and I then talked about how funny it would be if one just swooped down and stole the roast beef sandwich out of my hand. I thought it would be even funnier if it the sandwich was so close to my face that I actually ended up with a bite of feathers instead. It was like a cartoon. It is so funny that cartoon type antics are so ingrained in our heads that it allows us to envision them readily.

While on the trip, I found out that Riley tested at risk/affected for degenerative myelopathy. Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a disease where the dog is struck with an ascending paralysis. It starts with weakness in the hindlegs followed by inability to use them and then progresses upwards. It is similar to Lou Gehrig’s disease. It has a late onset (like 7 to 11 years old) and is very common in corgis. I had decided to get Riley tested after having a positive patient while on neurology. This makes me really sad. I do realize that it doesn’t mean that Riley will be definitely affected, just that she could be. So for now, I am saving my pennies so that I can afford any further diagnostics if she would start having problems and to buy a puppy wheelchair. If something would happen to Riley though, I know that she could have the potential to help other dogs and even humans with DM.

My mom called me on the last day of the trip to let me know that her cat, Abbie was neurologic that morning. Her initial text didn’t say a lot so I assumed that it must be something like hepatic encephalopathy since Abbie’s liver has been funky for a while now. I did call my mom back and she said that she noticed the cat knuckling over in the hindlimbs that morning and being overall weak. She took the cat to the vet and he offered a referral to Columbia for a workup and potential surgery after some radiographs he took showed bony lesions around the spinal cord. At this point, he must have been thinking about intervertebral disc disease, which is what corgis and long dogs get (and German Shepards, but they get everything). The cat had weak to absent pain sensation in the hindlegs to. However, I first thought of a saddle thrombus even though it wasn’t the classical presentation (ice cold hind limbs, screaming in pain). Mom said that the vet thought there was good blood flow there. Anyway, he took some blood for a thryroid test and to check liver values which were elevated and it did come back that the cat was hyperthyroid. He put the cat on dexamethasone to hopefully alleviate some of the swelling around the spinal cord. Abbie hid under the couch downstairs after coming home and when my mom checked on her later, my mom found her dead. Some other differentials include heartworms (though I don’t know how the hindlimb weakness plays into it) and hyperthyroidism causing heart problems causing hypertension causing clots. This could play into the saddle thrombus as well and I’m pretty sure that kills cats too.

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger on 8/7/11.]

MySpace-August 5, 2009-SDI Mid-West Trip

[EDIT-please see the entry dated July 25, 2009 for the same blog-LP-8/7/11]

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger on 8/7/11.]