MySpace-December 27, 2009-Christmas

Sigh.

Christmas has passed but the disaster of my living room remains.

So Christmas Eve, I went to school and left around noon. We didn't do anything at school. Just did some rearranging and redecorating of the rounds room. You know, typical food animal medicine. I bought a turkey roasting pan that I had forgot at Hy-Vee and Zach and I met up. We went to China Garden for some chinese and afterwards went our separate ways for some naked naps (a little NN), well mine was clothed. I talked breifly to Joe who thought he might head home that afternoon to beat out the winter blizzard. He called me again just before five and thought that he'd wait till the next day as originally planned because it really didn't look like there would be any blizzard afterall. I decided to continue napping and woke up about 7:30. I didn't do much. I laid on my couch and watched it pour down rain.

Sometime overnight, the temperature dropped and the rain became snow. It blew and blew. I sat around my house being on call and cleaned up for everyone (my parents) coming the next day. It was hard to tell how much snow we got because it was blowing so badly. Regardless, the grass was showing and thus while Christmas was white, it was more of an inconvience than pretty. Joe didn't know if he was going to come home or not because it had indeed blizzarded in St. Joe. He did decide to come home. I baked a red velvet cake from scratch and we went to bed. Before bed though, I opened the stuff from Jackie and Casey and got some socks, clothes and some very nice earrings.

Saturday, my parents came up and brought us their old love seat. It was super exciting to throw out the old one. Now I have a comfy place to take a nap. I remained on call and we worked on making dinner. Joe and I roasted a turkey. Joe made baked macarroni and  I made crecent rolls, carrots and cranberry sauce (*can opener* shake, shake, plop!) (That's how I make my cranberry sauce.). Before dinner though, we opened presents. My parents got us a popcorn popper which Joe was super excited about. My camera hadn't came yet but Joe insisted on telling me all about it. (He's really bad with surprises.) My parents also got Joe another Alton Brown book and ROCK BAND! Which I already knew about and am still very excited about. We ended up playing later before dinner. Joe also finally got his iphone (or well gift cards for it) from me.(EDIT: So Joe had sort of figured out his present prior to opening it. Casey was lording knowing about it over him. And then he caught me doing some math about it. Everyone was really shocked/impressed/surprised that I had got Joe an iPhone. I figured that since I had been dating Joe four years that it was okay. I did some math (which Joe caught me doing) and figured that up to Christmas, it was really only twenty cents a day for each that we had dated. Anyway, Joe had narrowed it down to an iPhone or some sort of iPod. I tried to fudge about it and I don't know how well I did it. Anyway, when he opened it, I still had to explain about why it was so hard to actually purchase one for him and then that I was declared by the guys at the AT&T store to be the best girlfriend ever! Joe apparently went in today to get actually get the phone and asked for the same salesman that helped me. He told them that he was sent by the best girlfriend ever.) My parents got me some books and cake pans and Joe got me a silver bird house necklace (sort of like Birdhouse In Your Soul) and a phrenology bust which might just be the best present ever. We had a good time and after my parents left, we played more rock band and Joe took a nap before he went to work.

It has snowed more and the dogs are enjoying frolicking about in it. They enjoy their new rope bones (mamas) and rope balls to. Like I said, the living room is a mess. I'm not sure where rock band is going to live. I'm not sure where I'm going to put the phrenology bust either. Its pretty large.

Its a shame I have to go back to school tomorrow.

I do get a break that I don't know what I am going to do with it. Do I go home? Or do I just hang out on the couch?

I plan on taking another cake decorating class at Hobby Lobby. This one will mostly be with fondant. Its on Monday nights, I just hope that I don't get called in during one!

Today, I have managed to write this blog, wash some laundry and sit around in my pajamas. I also paid some bills and balenced the check book realizing that we spent too much on Christmas! My evening doesn't look too promising either.

[EDIT-originally published to Blogger-12/24/11]

MySpace-December 14, 2009-VET SCHOOL FREAK OUT (originally titiled VET SCHOO FREEK OUT)

Its been nearly four years coming.
In six short months (exactly to the day!), I will walk across the stage at Jesse Hall, shake some hands, throw out some hugs and receive my diploma that declares, me, Leslie Susanna Pope, as a DVM. I will in fact be a doctor. I wish my diploma didn't have my middle name on it. My mom made me.

Needless to say, I'm doing a little panicking.

Well, more than a little.

So first, let's reflect on some of the earlier panics regarding vet school.

First, there's the joyous panic of being accepted.

And then the panic of Windermere. And if you read other entries in that area, the panic of the first day of classes and orientation.And then there was the moment when I started hating vet school.

So for all the tests and all the freakouts, I managed to make it through. I managed to pass every class and pull out of Ds probably more than once. (For sure, more than once!) I managed to make it to clinics for which I received my white coat. I went places and came back to school. Now very little stands in my way for graduation.

Today, I put on some makeup (and since everyone noticed its very apparent that I don't wear makeup often enough) and curled my hair, TWICE, and had my graduation picture taken. I ordered my gown-but it asked for chest size. What do I put? I put 40"-way bigger than my bra size but less than my overall size. I told them that I wanted LESLIE SUSANNA POPE on my diploma. Sigh.

NAVLE has been taken. And I apparently, didn't freak out enough about that. Maybe after I get the results back which isn't until February sadly enough.

I've applied (I guess) for my MO license but I don't know anything about taking MO boards.

I'm starting to apply for jobs. I've sent out three resumes and cover letters and have one more for a place that is hiring written. And plan on sending at least two more to places that probably not hiring but it couldn't hurt. I'm going to keep freaking out about this job thing until I have one. It might be a while.
[EDIT-originally published to Blogger-12/21/11]

MySpace-December 13, 2009-Merry Christmas to Me!

When I was a kid, my mom wouldn't let us buy anything for ourselves or buy anything for us as we got close to Christmas with the thought that we would get so much stuff then. As an adult, I still don't like buying things for myself close to Christmas or stuff for Joe either. That's why I sort of feel a little guilty for last night.
Last night, Joe and I went shopping for Christmas presents. I feel bad because even though we did get several presents, I didn't really get a lot to wrap. Anyhow, during our adventure at the mall, I decided that I was going to buy a new winter coat to replace the wool peacoat that I have had since 8th grade or so. It still fits reasonably well though the sleeves are a little short and worn. None of the buttons match since they were the victim of a loose corgi puppy about three years ago. Its still a good coat and I plan to donate it to Goodwill or something. Anyway, I bought this winter coat from Penney's. Its dressy and fits okay. For some reason, I don't fit into clothes very well. Apparently, my shoulders are those of a linebacker and thus not a lot fits across the shoulders. I constantly feel like I am going to hulk out of things.
So then, I had also decided that I was going to look for Dansko shoes. They have become very popular at school and I have wanted some even knowing that they were very expensive! Joe and I justified that I would need some shoes for wearing in the clinic and to slip on and off getting into and out of my truck in the field. I just really wanted to try them on and see how they fit. We went to TradeHome and they measured my feet and found me some shoes. As I walked around, they oiled my gross Eastlands (which I had bought with much reluctance because of their price though they have lasted a long time and I really love them!). They had sold me on a very simple pair of Danskos but I decided that the dull brown pair wasn't going to be for me. Instead, I very rapidly decided on a shiny dark burgandy pair of Sanita shoes which are almost like Danskos. I'm very excited about wearing them.
Needless to say, I've bought a couple of expensive presents for myself. The only thing that I have left (well, not the only thing really) is a vet school puffy vest. But that will have to wait until after Christmas. (Unless someone went to the vet school and the bookstore or emailed Ginny Dodam (dodamg@missouri.edu) about purchasing one. I would like a light blue I think. I think they are 10% off right now.

This weekend, Joe and I have been very productive. Yesterday, the house got a light cleaning and all of the Christmas decorations went up. I made Joe clean the closet beneath the steps with me with the understanding that things that go back into that closet would move with us whereever. I told him I didn't mind if nothing got thown out except that I wasn't going to let him keep the paintball stuff. We didn't throw out very much stuff. I posted some assorted kitchen things, an office chair that Bess refuses to use because its downstairs (and she doesn't do the perching thing like Roosevelt did), some gardening stuff and the paintball stuff on FreeCycle. I was instantly attacked with multiple (like two dozen) emails about the paintball stuff. The paintball stuff and kitchen stuff as well as the office chair were gone by yesterday afternoon. The garden stuff is being picked up today. We also cleaned up the back porch and all of the dead plants.

Bess does enjoy sitting on our laps downstairs preferably when the dogs don't bother her. Place her on the floor, dogs or no dogs, and she is instantly back up on the couch. She's a good cat. I think her asthma has improved, though I still need to take her into school for a recheck that was due weeks ago. I'm a bad pet owner.

[EDIT-originally published to Blogger-12/21/11]

MySpace-December 10, 2009-The Truth About the VMTH Part 2

In August, I wrote a blog about an article in the Columbia Tribune. This Tribune article was a one sided arguement about an MU vet that was brought up against the state board by someone that believed that after being vaccinated, his calves died. Additionally, the comments regarding the hospital went on to bash the VMTH. Recently, the paper wrote another article. This article (while still one sided) states that Dr.Schultz was cleared of any wrong doing. It also goes on to say that the farmer that filed the complaint is now considering legal action. In the article, it states that the farmer now thinks that maybe he was wrong about the medication given. But couldn't get any more information on it. (Umm...the bill?) He complained that there wasn't enough room on the complaint form online. (Umm...he couldn't call the state board?) Again, the article was one sided and never looked into contacting any further experts, including the third party vet that performed the necropsies on the calves.

Much like the first article, there was plenty of bashing the VMTH by what I can only assume to be FORMER small animal clients. Many of the people were just repeating what they had said previously.

SO AGAIN-
There is a reason that the vet school is more expensive. It is because we have board certified specialists and diagnostic equipment that other people don't have. It every vet in Columbia had an ultrasound, CT machine and MRI and had board certification in ANY area, then they wouldn't need to refer to the VMTH and they would be equally as expensive. These people talk about how they should receive discounts because they are the public and the VMTH is a public institution. Well, maybe they should contact their representatives in the Missouri state goverment. Maybe if the Missouri state government gave the vet school more money, we could reduce our prices. But the vet school is one of the lowest funded vet schools in the country! They talk about cosmotology schools giving discounts because people are learning. WE ARE NOT COSMOTOLOGISTS! We are future vets! Future doctors! Why should we be treated like someone that's cutting your hair?! Ugh! These people don't understand. It makes me so mad.

Those calves probably had pneumonia already. Yes, maybe the stress of vaccination killed them BUT maybe, they were going to die anyway because someone was a poor farmer.

[EDIT-Originally published to Blogger on 12/12/11]