MySpace-September 29, 2009-Missing Cat

Roosevelt has been missing since Sunday night.

Roosevelt is known for escaping but normally he comes home after a few hours. Or he lets himself be caught. I can call him or you can leave the back door open and he'll see himself in.

Sunday, about 7:00pm, Roosevelt escaped. I tried to catch him and rapidly gave up. I left the back door open. About 8:30, Roosevelt had not returned. I went looking for him and saw him in the woods. I called him and he trotted off. I figured he'd come eventually. I called and called and called. At 9:30, I heard some cat fighting noise. I went outside and didn't find any sign of him. All night long, no cat. I slept on the couch with the back door open so he could find his way back in. But no Roosevelt. Monday, no Roosevelt. I called the local vet clinic. Today, I put up flyers and stopped by one more vet clinic. I put an ad up on CraigsList.  I went past the Humane Society-but they were closed today and tomorrow.

I miss Roosevelt. I miss him a lot. More than maybe I should. Some people say, 'its just a cat.' But would you say 'its just a baby'? or 'its just a dog'? I love Roosevelt. I love him alot and I have a costume to try on him. (He's going to be a penquin.) I really, really want him to come home. Luckily, he's microchipped so if he shows up someplace like a vet clinic or a shelter, he most likely will be scanned. I just worry about him being hurt some place and unable to come home. I HOPE that someone has found him and since he's so friendly has brought him inside. Maybe they'll see my flyer now and bring him back to me. I'm offering a reward. ($50)

I miss Roosevelt and am very sad about it.

(When can I get a new cat?)

Seriously, I'm sad but I love cats too.

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger on October 3, 2011.]

MySpace-September 28, 2008-Explaining Milk Fever

Milk fever is a disease that cows get after they calve (have a baby). It goes by a lot of other names but milk fever is what it is commonly known as. Basically what happens is because the cow (most often a dairy cow, but it can happen in beef cows, too) is suddenly producing so much milk, there isn't enough calcium for normal body functions. Some signs are nervousness, anorexia and muscle twitches. Often the cow is recumbent (lying down). There are different stages and severities to the disease.
So to explain the physiology of this disease, imagine the cow as a bank account. In this bank account there is money-which would be calcium. Its stored in bones mostly. Everyday, this money is being used for routine stuff-nerve functions, muscle contraction, etc. Those would be like buying food, gas, paying the bills, etc.
When the cow calves, she suddenly has to make a huge volume of milk. Like owing a huge gambling debt to the mafia. All of her money (calcium) has to go toward that debt (lactation/milk). She can no longer pay her everyday bills (nerve and muscle functions). Even though she's getting a huge paycheck (calcium in the feed), she doesn't know how to use it wisely and instead of being used for bills or saved away (in the bones), it all gets poured into the mafia debt as well (milk). The gas and electricity get turned off which would be like the signs of the disease.
So how do you prevent that? A low calcium diet is fed when the cow isn't making milk. Its like getting a very small paycheck. The cow has to figure out how to use the calcium (money) she is getting wisely. She can use it for bills (normal body functions) when she has it. Then when that gambling debt comes calling (lactation) she also gets a pay raise (a higher calcium diet). But she knows how to manage her money (calcium) wisely now. The calcium (money) in her account (body) and her paycheck (feed) is both being used for body functions (everyday bills) and for that nasty gambling debt (lactation).
If the cow comes down with milk fever anyway (or because there was no prevention) (i.e. can't pay its bills), it can be corrected in part by giving subQ or IV calcium-like getting a loan from a friend. This may be enough, maybe not-it just depends on how severe the problem is.
And now you know about milk fever in cows.
[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger on October 3, 2011.]

MySpace-September 24, 2009-Funny Websites

Back in April (the 9th to be exact), posted a blog about four websites that made me laugh. If you haven't checked out some of these sites, you should. I know Martha did and she spent an hour or so looking at CakeWrecks laughing histerically. And here are three more that I have recently found and love!

1) thereifixedit.com-This is about jury-rigged things around the house and on the road. I argue about the term jury-rigged because I always thought it was either jerry-rigged or jimmy-rigged. Some racist people would believe it was also something else.

2) www.peopleofwalmart.com -This is another blog about the crazy people you see at Wal-Mart. Some of the things are really bad, but if you are like me, you will find yourself trying to justify some of the things people are wearing. Additionally, if you spend a lot of time at Wal-Mart, you will also find youself thinking, 'If I saw that at Wal-Mart, I wouldn't think twice!' And then you realize, that you are just from Missouri.

3) thatwillbuffout.com-This is much like the thereifixedit blog and the ihascheeseburger site had a baby that was a car. I enjoy it but it gets old and very redundent sort of fast.

I hope you enjoy these sites! I know I do and pretty much anyone that finds them does too.

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger on 9/24/11.]

MySpace-September 22, 2009-Some School Stuff

Okay. I was taking Mary into school today to donate (sell) blood to ophthomology and I figured that we could look at her eyes too. Mary has been having problems with her ears since sometime in the spring which may or may not correlate to her learning to swim. And by problems I mean that they are filled with black, smelly wax. I said it smelled like yeast and Joe declared otherwise. Until he made pizza and realized that the pizza dough smelt familiar. Familiar as in like Mary's ears. And I had also declared Mary fat-well, ideal-and that we should stop feeding her canned food. Joe believed otherwise and just like the ears, I listened to him. Today, when Amberle, looked at Mary, she totally had a yeast infection in her ears (described as a mosh pit of yeast) and was rated a 6/9 body condition score. Ideal is 4 or 5. I don't know why I listen to Joe. I'm going to be the veternarian! I don't know why I like to insult Joe like this. Maybe is because I'm insecure. No maybe, that's exactly why.

That aside, I am doing as well as I can on ophthomology considering that I find the eye horribly creepy. Lots of yuck face was made that first week. I got an A on oncology. I like oncology. Even if when cows get cancer, they generally go to the slaugherhouse. Or you just lop out their eye. But the unfortunate part of this block, is that I am on with a girl from St.George which is the Ross for those that couldn't get into Ross. (Or so I understand it and am inclined to believe.)  This girl (who I will from now refer to as 'The South') is obviously from the south and had a heavy accent. She once made the comment to another person from the South that people hear her accent and automatically deduct a 100 IQ points; I wanted to tell it that it wasn't because she was from the south but because she was that dumb. Anyway, The South consistantly leaves earlier than anyone else and always has a cup of coffee in her hand. I don't understand where she finds time to get this coffee as I (esp. on oncology) rarely have time to sit down. It just doesn't seem that she cares much for caring to do all the little things that we need to do.

I got my grade back on soft tissue surgery and can only assume (right now since I haven't actually checked) my overall grade. C + A + C = C, right? So I got a C on soft tissue. And a D in the knowledge section. Overall there were some comments alluding to the fact that I can't deliver cases to the clinician well, don't know small animal anatomy, don't take control of my cases, etc BUT I did score high in compassion and communication with client. And isn't that really all its about? I mean you can be only a mediocore surgeon (providing you don't routinely kill things) but as long as you are honest and compassionate and have good patient care (another area I score high in), then people will like you. I know these things are true. I just feel a little disappointed. I'm pretty sure that I can actually identify all of the organs in an animal. I guess I really shouldn't sell that small animal anatomy book, huh? The other thing I don't get is that in surgery across the parking lot, I scored consistently high, like a B or better. And got like a 46% on the neurology section of small animal medicine but in the actual clinical block, in which in theory I should of done better, I got an A in neuro and a C in soft tissue and hard tissue anatomy. Really? Whatever. I can't worry about it now.

On another bright note, it looks like I am getting my spring schedule set. I believe that I have equine ambulatory moved to a place where I would actually get to see some things. So now I can arrange some preceptorships! My plan-First part of year-preceptorship in California to learn to palpate and then to DeSoto to work with our own vet (if he'll let me I haven't inquired yet) and then ambulatory, then a tour of Pennsylvania and New York searching for a job!

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger on 9/24/11.]

MySpace-September 19, 2009-Before He Food Cheats

Joe likes to cook.
Joe likes to cook for other people.
Joe likes to become obsessed with things.
Joe likes to make pizza.

Joe made pizza all last week. My friends and I enjoyed it. Joe however wasn't pleased with how it turned out-how the crust turned out-on some of the pizzas. So he spent the next week or so obsessing about it. How could he make it better. I was warned that pizza making and lots of it would ensue. It has also been mentioned that he would take these pizzas to work as I was going to Omaha for the AABP convention.

While I was gone to Omaha, I was in a foul mood the entire time. I'd call Joe because I was lonesome and then only get frustrated and get off the phone with him. It turned out that Joe had made the pizza. And he proceeded to give it to THE GIRLS NEXT DOOR!!!!!

While to most people, this would just be a gesture of being a good neighbor, to me, it was clearly not! (Joe had given some slices to them the first time he made pizza.) I declared it food cheating. First, these girls are 19 years old. TEN years younger than Joe; at an age where 10 years is still a lot. And these girls are the ones that have a friend that invited Joe to go upstairs with her (if you know what I mean). After giving pizza to the girls next door, he was rewarded with them giving him cookies.

I would go on to tell Joe that giving the neighbor girls pizza was not cool. (He didn't give it to the neighbor guys and probably wouldn't appriciate it if I gave it to them.) He would give some pizza to Nate (Amberle's boyfriend) and then after I told him it wasn't cool, more to the neighbor girl.

I shouldn't be upset. It was just pizza but for some reason I am upset. More upset than when he made out (made out may be too strong, but kissed is too weak of a word from my understanding) with slutty Amanda from work. (I was only upset that it was slutty Amanda and not someone better.) I think its the age difference. I don't know what its really about, just that I don't like him food cheating. I'm normally not the jealous type. But about this, I am.

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger on 9/24/11.]

MySpace-September 14, 2009-Showers

First I want to say that even though I am not a fan of the VMAs nor Taylor Swift, that Kanye West is an arrogant, rasist bastard. He may of said that George W. Bush hated black people, but he hates white people. What other reason is there for interrupting poor 19 year old Taylor Swift? What an asshole!!!

Showers are what I take when I say I am going to take a bath. In undergrad, this conjured up images of me wallering around on the dorm shower floor. Not a pretty sight.

That aside, Sunday, I went to Gabbi's baby shower. It was the first shower I've been to. My friends don't get married, they don't have babies. They are losers. Sure, I've bought a couple of wedding and baby presents, but have never been to a shower.

My friends are losers. And I want to have a reason to have a shower myself. That would either require a ring or a bun in the oven. A bun in the oven would also ideally require a ring too. (I'm sort of freaking out right now.)

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger on 9/24/11.]

MySpace-September 8, 2009-Unkept Mid-Year's Resolutions

I realize its way past the middle of the year.
I realize  that you should make resolutions at the beginning of the year to be forgotten and unkept by two weeks in. I looked for a blog documenting that I had done this, but couldn't find one.

Anyway, this summer, sometime close to the middle of the year, I had some thoughts and thought I'd keep them. I haven't.

Here they are and my current thoughts on them:

1) Starting September 1st-Study for NAVLE one hour each night, and two hours a day on the weekend.
Well, it started out strong but finished fast. Now granted its only the 7th so I have some time to make up but...My grand plan was to study for half an hour on VetPrep and then for another half an hour on something that I missed on VetPrep or an area in which I know I am weak in. (i.e. pretty much all veterinary medicine). On the first, I managed to get the half an hour of VetPrep done but yet can not pull myself out of the 61% hole I put myself in. Then I randomly chose a number (83, in this case) and started to read about the problem (choke  in horses) in Merck. I fell asleep in the middle of it and have yet to find the time to continue studying. Ugh. Its only NAVLE. Only the biggest test I'll ever take in my life.

2) Save some money and develop a budget.
The plan was once I got the student loan check and once I bought some groceries and some coffee tables to replace the one Joe broke the glass on, I (we) were going to develop a budget for the rest of the student loan check. See, I don't know when the next one will come or for how much it will be. And then there's the fact that we will be moving and evenutally I'd like new furniture and to get married and all that requires money. Now while we haven't been spending willy-nilly, no budget has been made and we're still spending the large portion of our (my) money on groceries. Joe is going to the Dave Ramsey Finacial Peace thing so hopefully, he will start getting some ideas on saving. (Joe wants me to make a note that he does buy my health insurance. Which is a lot. Which I haven't used. Which I should because I need to see the doctor and the student health center wants to fuck me because I don't know my student number that I haven't used since undergrad and got changed somewhere in vet school.)

3) Start going to church.
I decided that I wanted to get married in the Catholic church. While my reasons for this are horribly selfish, I also remember when I made a new year's resolution a few years back to go to church and how good it made me feel. Until I stopped going. Which happened rather quickly. So I told Joe that if we were going to get married in the Catholic church (which he has no objection to, I think) that WE should start going to mass even if he wasn't going to convert. (I wasn't going to make him but I think he was planing on it eventually.) Then I find out that you can't have the full, long Catholic mass without both parties being Catholic. I don't know if that changes the fact that I want to get married in the Catholic church or not, but nevertheless Joe and I haven't been going to mass.
And it totally makes my reason for wanting a big Catholic wedding a moot point (unless Joe converts).
My super selfish reason-I feel that I can only justify purchasing a wedding dress and making people purchase bridesmaids dresses if they wear them for a longer period of time. That longer period of time being the additional time that a mass takes.

4) That little red notebook that was on the floor.
This summer I got fat. Fat enought that I noticed it but not so fat that I couldn't still fit in the same jeans. Except maybe the 'rock jeans', which were a little too tight. But never my favorites.
We ate really, really well at SDI. And there was a lot of beer consumed pretty much all the time. Even I drank a lot.
So I thought that once I got back to Columbia, but maybe not when I was on surgery since surgery can be crazy, I was going to write down everything I ate for a week or two in that little red notebook previously mentioned. Then I was going to see the amount of calories consumed, what could be eliminated and what could be added (pretty much anything that grows directly in the ground that's not potatoes or wheat). And then I was going to record that and walk the dogs or at least Mary since walking Riley literally pulls my arms off. Thus I was going to lose some weight.
However, the notebook was on the floor until earlier today when I picked it up so the rabbit wouldn't eat it. I look like Dr.Zoidberg without his shell (unless I'm sitting upright which I should do).
One pants size would be nice. Two would be even better...but then I have to buy new pants so wouldn't it just be easier to wait until my current pants are worn out? Sigh. I'm fat. Damn all those foods I love.

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger on 9/24/11.]