MySpace-November 2009-Thanksgiving

I decided that I didn't want to go home for Thanksgiving.

My parents were going to order dinner out with my grandparents. Not from any place fun like Chinese or pizza but stupid Thanksgiving dinner. Joe was going up to St.Joe and I could have gone with him. But honestly, I didn't want to. I'm tired. I was on call Wednesday night till 8am and will be again on Saturday. I've been living in squalor since studying for NAVLE took priority over everything else. Now I can actually clean...haha.

SO I decided that I could make dinner. I knew that Laura would be in town since she is on surgery and that results in no life. I took a hunch that Jenn would be in town since she's from Pennsylvania and on equine. Rachel Ray happened to be on call. Peggy got weighed down with a patient so all of them (and Zach who was working so couldn't show up) came over for dinner.

Peggy brought some pumpkin pie and cool whip. Jenn brought some muffins and rolls. Rachel brought salad and Laura some random boiled shrimp which I don't think were appriciated as much as they should have been.

I eventually got up and baked an apple cake, did some cleaning, ran the dishwasher and then started preparing the feast. I baked two chickens. We destroyed one so the second wasn't needed but will be appriciated later. The chickens were glorious. I stuffed them with lemon, onion, garlic, celery and carrots. I oiled them like honeymooners in  Florida. When you set the oven to 450 and its full of crud, there will be smoke. Oven cleaner is high on the list for Wal-Mart. Forget other deals.

I made stuffing from scratch because Laura Goldman was too good for StoveTop. It involved letting bread get stale overnight, cutting it into large stale chunks, adding sausage that had been cooked, onions, celery, some random seasoning I had laying around, and walnuts, apples and dried cranberries left over from previous food making.

I made green bean casserole because well, we needed a vegetable. I made mashed potatoes. I made gravy. I mean opened a jar of gravy.

It was a good meal. We ate and complained about school, comparing cases and comparing clinicians and what a-holes they are. It was what Thanksgiving should be.

Tomorrow, I'll clean the rabbit cage. I promise.

[EDIT-Originally posted to Blogger on 11/26/11]

MySpace-November 23, 2009-Damn Those Rossies!

Back in May, I complained about the Rossies. More recently, I complained about someone from St.George.

Well. I'm back to complain about someone from St.George again.

So as we moved onto radiology, I was glad that I wasn't going to be on the same part as Jenny. Even seeing her when she came over from anesthesia was too much. (Couple in the times when I saw Selena and I was having a terrible time.) Kyle was the St. George student with us. There was a Rossie too, Scott.

Anyway, at first, I really liked Kyle. He was nice and smart. He seemed to help a lot. Then he sort of stopped. He was on his phone all the time. He refused to put on the lead and hold animals. When shots weren't perfect because the animal wasn't holding still or the animal wasn't positioned perfectly, he would critize us. He wouldn't help. Just complain. It was frustrating. What are you too good to do what we have to do? Eventually, he did help. I don't know, maybe one of the techs told him that he should more.

As we moved to anesthesia, one of his first questions was if we got done with our stuff, could we leave? It was implied that while we could, it would be better if we stayed around and finished by helping everyone else out. So for the first few days, Kyle stayed around but he insisted on asking incessently if we needed anything. It was annoying. It was frustrating. I can't think about what I need if you're bugging me! Eventually, Kyle would just give up and leave when he had his stuff done and he had made a vague attempt at helping others. Most days, Kyle and Scott would leave before me or the other two MU students. The three of us would be working on cleaning something and we would get to complaining. (That was really the best part!) I think it really just showed that MU students work alot harder than anyone from the Carribean schools.

Sigh. This has been a long block. And will be till its over.

[EDIT-Originally posted to Blogger on 11/26/11]

MySpace-November 23, 2009-NAVLE

How do you compress four years (or nearly so) of knowledge into one test? Its called NAVLE and it is six sections of 60 questions for which you have 65 minutes each. Its a bit stressful.
Today, I took the NAVLE.
So I think that I did okay. I mean there's so much stuff on it and I've been preparing for it for a while. After the first few questions, I pondered if it was going to get progressively harder. I don't know if it did. There were so many times when I wondered if I was even going in the right direction. I kept feeling that unlike VetPrep, I wasn't getting the full story or the answers offered to me were lacking some of the things. Such as answer A would be right but only if it inclued parts of C or if this happened too. Sigh.

I had grand plans about studying. I registered for VetPrep over the summer but was scared to get to far into it too fast, less I finish it way before the test date. However, in my conservation, I didn't finish. I think I have about 600 questions left. My grand plans for studying included an hour every night and two on Saturday and Sunday. An hour became an hour mixed with Facebook, blogging and FarmTown. House was on TV. The dogs really needed to be out. The Golden Girls were on. I fell asleep with the cat. I mean there were endless possiblites that would distract me from my appointed duty of studying. We all know that I'm bad at it anyway. As NAVLE drew closer, I told my friends 'NO! I can't go out with you I have to study!' And by study, I meant have good intentions for studying and ended up asleep on the bed with the cat. (Bess played a strong role in my distractions from studying.)

I can't do anything about it now. I can't go back. I have to wait to see if I did well. And if not, I need to find $500 and take it again in April.

I did however learn that while taking the NAVLE, you can't put your hands in your hoodie pocket. All of those things, those little innocent things, that you do when you're not thinking such as putting your hands in your pockets, taking down and putting up your hair, etc, you can't do. If you do, the proctor lady will come up behind you and tell you to stop. Then your concentration is broken.
When I got home, Joe asked me how it went. I told him about putting your hands in your pockets. About my friend from Cornell that got in trouble for putting up her hood. Anyway, he asked if not having common sense was a prereq for vet students. That was totally the wrong response. What sort of jerk says something like that? Joe. He says those things alot. Sigh.

[EDIT-Originally posted to Blogger on 11/26/11]

MySpace-November 1, 2009-David Sedaris and A Proposal For A Date

I just listened to a very melodic rendition of Baby Got Back on Pandora. We all know how much I love that song. Secretly, I do. Currently I'm listening to Lump. Bringing back all those seventh grade memories and not studying for NAVLE. (Though to be honest, this weekend, I've been good. Not great. Just good.) (And apparently trying to set my bed on fire with my computer cord!)

Anyway, last week, Joe and I made a trip to KC to see David Sedaris since when he came to Columbia in May, it was sold out by the time I found out about it. When I got out of school, which was later than I would have liked, I called Joe. And called him. And called him. He didn't answer. I was getting so frustrated! I thought he was asleep. I knew how he is. He had to be asleep. I grew furious.
Anyway, I get home and he's away. He has most everything done. I frantically change my shirt and we go. Joe has chosen not to dress up. He's wearing a TMBG hoodie with a wife beater on underneath. (Or was it a sleeveless shirt ala Neal?). It starts raining on our way to KC and Joe is getting nervous driving. And as we enter Downtown Kansas City, Joe is really panicking. He misses the exit. (Admittedly, the two exits were side by side.) He misses the exit to get back on. Eventually, we do have it sorted out kinda, and get to the show. We go up to our seats which are way high up. Joe is making grump face the entire night. I was really frustrated but couldn't let him ruin my night. I love David Sedaris and I paid about $100 for the two tickets.
Eventually, it became clear that even though he was making grump face, Joe had a good time. He was happy too that he wore his TMBG hoodie because it made him look like someone's heterosexual boyfriend that was dragged to the show. I didn't appriciate that comment because really? Whatever. He just looked sloppy. Besides, They Might Be Giants? That's exactly like David Sedaris.
So we got some hot dogs on the way home. Had a fight. And eventually, I went to bed.
The show was good. I'm glad I went but I don't think that I will be willing to spend that much money and drive that far for David Sedaris again. He is exactly what I pictured him to be-small, thin, very jockey like. I still think that he and I and Hugh could be excellent friends. The people that asked him questions from the crowd were tools but I probably couldn't have come up with anything better either.

SO I forgot to tell the story about one of the last days when we worked cows on therio. We worked these crazy Brangus heifers. Dr. Volkmann did very little allowing us girls to get the full brunt of mud and manure. Everything was covered. Dr. Volkmann got out his camera phone and snapped away. Including this little gem, where of course, I am looking the wrong way!

Anyway, when we were in the process of getting shit covered, the owner asked about what we wanted to do, etc. Upon finding out that I wanted to be a dairy vet, he asked if I was single because his nephew had a dairy farm and he was our age! I explained that yes, I had a boyfriend. To which I was told that if it didn't work out. We ended up going out to lunch with the owner which was super cool. He introduced me to his wife esp. since I could somehow get involved with the dairy farmer nephew. This isn't the first time that something like this has happened. There was the farmer in Aurora. Joe should watch out.

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger-11/2/11]

MySpace-November 1, 2009-NEW CAT VIDEO!! An Engineer’s Guide to Cat Yodeling (with Cat Polka)

All of the cat-engineer videos are incredibly funny. I suggest watching them. Okay, the one about Ginger for president, not that great but the original one, excellent. Just google or go to YouTube and type in 'engineer' and 'cat' and you should get it.

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger-11/2/11]

MySpace-November 1, 2009-HallowWeen and Some Randomness

I've always loved Halloween. Its always been one of my favorite holidays with Christmas being close behind it. It should mean a lot to both Joe and I since it was at a Halloween party that we met and drunkenly made out. Aww, the memories.

But as I grow older, my Halloweens seem to get progressively more and more boring. The bright spot to the 'season' if I can call it that is dressing up the pets and taking them to PetCo for the Halloween contest (see an earlier post for the results of that). Then on Halloween, I actually take them 'trick or treating' to the apartments of the various vet school neighbors and show off my handiwork a second time. I didn't even do that this year since wrangling Riley and Bess by myself would have been too much. Instead, I watched Night of the Living Dead back to back while I repacked my snowglobes. Exciting, I know. Not even one trick or treater. Which meant more candy for myself. But I've been eating it all along anyway. Trick or treat.

I just wish that I could have a Halloween where I would be exciting to dress up like a slut (since apparently that's how costumes for 20-30 year old women are) and get drunk. I want to have a good time. I should have gone to the med school Halloween party as a real doctor. Sigh.

Oh well, eventually, at least I know given the care that I put into animal costumes, I know that my kids will have the best Halloween costumes in the neighborhood.

In other news, I am starting to wonder if I even know how to study for NAVLE. Its only three weeks away and time to get serious but do I know how to compress four years of my life into studying for one big test? Each day on VetPrep, its one big disappointment and one big surprise (when I get things right). I just don't know what to do. And Facebook and its damn farmtown keep getting me distracted. Joe tries to make study suggestions (such as studying with others (which I HATE doing) but I'll still be distracted. And what does he know anyway?

Radiology is going fine. I'm getting a little tired of it. Monday, I'm on call. Sigh. So thinking about radiology here is a picture of what I look like when taking radiographs (x-rays for everyone else).

So that blue thing is the heavy lead apron we wear. That black blob in the area of my neck is the thyroid shield. And the green monster mitts where my hands used to be are lead lined gloves. They are very difficult to work with esp. when trying to hold something very small. Like a cat leg. This is the thing I don't get. We have all this new technology in all of medicine, yet no one has thought of a better way to make gloves to take radiographs with? Seriously? Nothing flexiable and light yet radation proof? Disappointing. Tisk, tisk.

I've been a little blog crazy tonight. I had a lot of things that have been going through my head. The cat says its time to make some biscuits so I better go.

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger-11/2/11]

MySpace-November 1, 2009-First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage, Then Comes The Baby Carriage

First Comes Love
I’ve known Joe for four years. In December, we’ll have officially dated for four years.  In four years, we’ve had our ups and downs. For as much as Joe and I argue and fuss with each other, in the end, we really do love each other. I love Joe for a thousand different reasons that don’t really make much sense. They are obscure things and fantastically simple things sometimes. But sometimes, isn’t that what love really is? Isn’t it really just loving without any reason? Like a dog? In the end, don’t we all just want that unconditional love? Well, at least I do. I’m pretty sure that if Joe and I aren’t there, we will be one day. Hopefully, sooner than later.
It’s a relief too that I’ve found love. Because if I had to go out and do it all over again, I probably just wouldn’t. That’s sort of sad but it is true.

Then Comes Marriage
Joe and I have been progressing nicely on an imaginary timeline during our entire relationship. We did a year of long distance, a year of living in the same town, a year of living together and as we are entering our fourth year together, one would wonder where it is going? Naturally, it should be a year of being engaged. Followed by a lifetime of marriage bliss. (And kids.) Yet, it hasn’t reached that point.
I’m starting to worry.
Joe has always been about getting married to me. Something that I found to be odd when our relationship was fairly new. And now all that excitement has died down leaving its own oddness. Odd especially since at one point it definitely looked like I wasn’t going to make it out of vet school without a different last name. This leaves me in an odd place. I can nag Joe about getting married which will only breed resentment (something that doesn’t need to occur since some days I think I’m already walking a fine line on being single) or just wait around for it. Well, honestly, I’m sort of tired of waiting around. I think I’m more worried. I mean honestly, is Joe really ready for a move to a different state? To move away from his friends, family and job? Just for a girlfriend? No matter how serious he is, I just don’t see that without some further commitment to our relationship that he can be 100% committed to moving away from everything he has known. Moving to Columbia was hard enough. Three hours. What about moving to Pennsylvania? Sixteen or seventeen hours away? Really? He’s up for that?
Key point here-I want to get married something bad and am seriously worried that its not going to happen. (Maybe I do too many nice things for Joe. Maybe he needs some toughening up to realize how good he really does have it.)

Then Comes The Baby Carriage
So what really started this all, was that Joe and I went with Jackie and Casey to see Baby Ruby. Beautiful Baby Ruby who is the most amazing little baby ever. I am terribly jealous. My ovaries hurt and my uterus is lonely for a boarder for nine months. Needless to say, I have baby fever.
And in a right world, I would be married and then have a baby. I want one! (And then I start freaking out because in reality (counting out the fact that Gabbi and Scott have been married for three years), I’m not even a year younger than Gabbi. I should be having babies too before things start drying up.

But wait! The real question is: WHEN DOES THE CAREER COME?
Somewhere in all that, I am supposed to establish (well, at least start) a career in veterinary medicine. Not just veterinary medicine, but large animal veterinary medicine which is a whole different beast into itself. Its physically demanding. Not something you readily want a pregnant woman to do. (Not that they can’t, but sometimes, they shouldn’t.) And there are long hours. And phone calls in the middle of the night. And let’s not forget the fact that in May, I’m only graduating. So I actually am working from scratch on establishing a career. Not something that will be made any easier if say, I decided to have a baby. That career, baby thing becomes rather complicated.

In an ideal world, I would be about two years younger. I would still be graduating. I would be getting married. I would have about two to three years to enjoy childless marriage bliss as I establish my career. Then I could have a baby and enjoy not worrying about wanting to take time off and getting to enjoy the joys of motherhood.

But let’s face it. That’s not happening. I firmly believe that what will come will come and it will all work out in the end. But let’s not forget that my left hand is still feeling rather light and my uterus is still lonely. (And well, I haven’t graduated and don’t have a job. Yet.)

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger-11/2/11]

MySpace-November 1, 2009-Christmas List

Every year, my mom asks me what I want for Christmas. Every year, she declares me too old for a Christmas list. Yet, still, two weeks later or so, she asks me for one. As an adult, I don’t think that asking for things (most things) outright, is very nice. I think that as an adult, other adult present givers should be able to think of things that the present receiver likes and gets something that fits accordingly. If I was getting a present for my friend Amberle, I know the exact things that she likes and could get a present for her. I think in fact, I’ve given her some rather nice presents in the past couple of years.

This year instead of flat out writing a Christmas list, I am going to instead write a list of things that I like and like to do. Of course, I have some exceptions that will make it on a list list. My friends and family that intend on buying me presents should perhaps compare notes. Does this come off sounding greedy or spoiled? Maybe.  But really, wouldn’t everyone rather have a present that they like rather than one that was crappy. Now if someone obviously put a lot of thought or work into an unrequested gift, then that’s totally cool and should be respected as such.

I also thought that since Joe is so hard to shop for that I would help everyone out there too. Honestly, I don’t think he reads my blog very much so I feel confident about putting out present ideas. Even if he did, I probably already told him about everything on the list. But talk to me first about these things, since I still have to buy Joe some presents too.

This is my list for Joe-

Pillows (He likes firm ones. The ones that he is currently sleeping on are gross!)
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies  (It’s a book. He likes to read and loves zombies.)
Rock Band  for XBOX 360 (Who am I kidding? Its really for both of us. And that way we can invite over our  (my) friends  and have ‘game’ nights. Of course, his XBOX has been rather finicky lately.)
GPS
Joe loves his dog. I think he would like a Milkbone cookie jar with Mary’s picture on it. (I have the order form and needed UPC codes.)
Cookbooks-esp. anything Good Eats/Alton Brown (But he has the first Alton Brown one-I’m Just Here For the Food.?)

As for me-

One of the few things that I am going to outright ask for is a digital camera. I always feel guilty that I don’t take more pictures. But I have been using Joe’s camera since we started dating. So here are the criteria for a camera for me-small (so I can put it in a pocket or purse), fast (so I can whip it out and take celebrity photos at a moments notice), easy to use (I’m a dummy.) and if possible, a cool color (maybe red, blue or dark purple).

I collect old (pre-WWII) veterinary and dairy text books. ( I have about 10. I can send you a list of titles and copyright dates if needed.)

I still like to write letters. (This is another one that I’m going to just lay it out there for. I need a small and interesting address book and some stationary.)

One of my favorite books as a child was The Patchwork Quilt by Adele de Leeuw. (Its an expensive, out of print book so I’m not really expecting it.)

Even though I am graduating from vet school in May, there are still lots of things that I don’t know. So I need some more veterinary textbooks. In particular, some about large/food animal surgery and food/large animal medicine. Ones that include equine would be well received. I think there’s a book fair this week at school so someone could just give me $200 or so and I can get some myself!

I like Asian things. (Maybe Jeremy Otto can win over my affection this way.)

I love ultra fine tip Sharpie markers.

 I like to do crafts, art, bake/decorate cakes and sew. (Thus I love Hobby Lobby.)

I like to buy clothes until my self esteem is crushed or I realize I have no money, at which point I feel really guilty. (My favorite stores are Penney’s, Kohl’s and Target.)

I like to read.

I like old, original photos and/or ads of dairy cattle, Shetland ponies, horses, etc.

I like odd, kitschy things like Western horse clocks from the '60s, phrenology busts, vintage horse paint by numbers, and vintage mah jong sets.(E-bay is awesome for this sort of stuff.  Check out the links.)

Like I said before (or did I), these are suggestions (for the most part) of things that I like that should get your mind rolling with ideas. Good luck!

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger-11/2/11]