We then bought a cat cardboard condo.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Amazing Weekend
Joe and I had an amazing weekend. There is a little bit left still! A little bit for me to watch the beginning of this season of The Walking Dead.
Yesterday, we went to the fall festival at The Apple Castle in New Castle. It was super crowded which is a vicious cycle of frustration for both of us. We got a big bag of apples, some baby ears of corn and cider. Then we went to Pat Catan's and finally ate some really, really bad Chinese food. Luckily, I didn't get sick. After a nap, we had a bonfire. We ate hot dogs and s'mores. I went to bed.
This morning, I woke up early and went to the store so I could fetch some apple cider vinegar to make apple butter from all of our apples. Of course, when I was unpacking groceries, I found a bottle of apple cider vinegar in the pantry. :(
Anyway, I did some very lazy cleaning and baked these amazingly easy pretzels.
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/hot-buttered-soft-pretzels-recipe
I enjoyed way to many of them while drinking coffee, reading and sitting on the bed with the grown up cats. Mary was on the floor alternating between laying and whimpering at the closed door where the kittens are.
It's been a fantastic weekend.
Yesterday, we went to the fall festival at The Apple Castle in New Castle. It was super crowded which is a vicious cycle of frustration for both of us. We got a big bag of apples, some baby ears of corn and cider. Then we went to Pat Catan's and finally ate some really, really bad Chinese food. Luckily, I didn't get sick. After a nap, we had a bonfire. We ate hot dogs and s'mores. I went to bed.
This morning, I woke up early and went to the store so I could fetch some apple cider vinegar to make apple butter from all of our apples. Of course, when I was unpacking groceries, I found a bottle of apple cider vinegar in the pantry. :(
Anyway, I did some very lazy cleaning and baked these amazingly easy pretzels.
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/hot-buttered-soft-pretzels-recipe
I enjoyed way to many of them while drinking coffee, reading and sitting on the bed with the grown up cats. Mary was on the floor alternating between laying and whimpering at the closed door where the kittens are.
It's been a fantastic weekend.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
No Emergency Service
So last Friday, one of my last appointments of the day was a recheck from the emergency clinic. Sometimes these are easy-remove sutures, discuss the vomiting that's been over for a few days-and sometimes its a bit of a mystery even if we have the discharges and the record.
As I've said before, we are not an emergency clinic. We are a clinic that does emergencies. My skill set is not that of an emergency veterinarian. Add in the fact that I don't have the overnight staffing for something super critical. And add in the fact that I work all day and also do large animal calls. Needless to say, it's difficult to see every emergency that there is. Luckily, after 11, we send the small animal emergencies over to Girard in Ohio which is about 45 minutes away.
Back to the recheck appointment on Friday...
One of our nicest and most accommodating techs went in with the recheck. She ended up not being able to finish because the client was being so rude-she first answered her cell Phone while the tech was talking to her and then she's went on a rant about not having emergency hours.
As it turns out, the last time we had seen the dog was three years earlier on emergency. We were not even this woman's regular vet. And subsequently the sheet from the emergency clinic had been faxed to their regular vet. Why wasn't she there? Most likely, because the regular vet clinic could not fit her into their schedule. So I entered the room with no information and the owner wanted all sorts of answers. Answers for questions that I had no answers to since I wasn't even sure what had happened.
Obviously, the dog had some stitches and her eye was stitched partially shut because according to the owner it was 'bulgy'. I'm assuming it was proptosed...i.e. popped out if her head. But I don't really know. I decided she needed to comeback in a week anyway. I think we'll call the regular vet for the records then.
Anyway, since the owner had given the tech some trouble regarding our emergency service, I decided to confront her about it and reiterate our policy. The client starts going off on how all of these clinics are associated and all sending emergencies over to a clinic like an hour away. I was like no, we're not associated with any of those clinics. That we were the only clinic in the county to offer any emergency service. (The clients regular vet doesn't do any emergency work. I know cause I see a lot of things for them.) I explained that I was one of three vets that do emergency service 365 days a year. I explained that I worked all day and was still on call for large animals after 11. I explained that it wasn't fair for me to work that much, that it wasn't fair for the client and pet I saw at 3am after working all day nor was it fair for the client I saw the next morning at 9am after seeing emergencies at all hours of the night.
The owner said she understood but why weren't we open? If you understood, why are you asking me that question? I'm not sure you do understand.
Then she said that if her dog had been any worse then it wouldn't have made it to the emergency clinic. Honestly, I wanted to tell her that if it was that bad, it probably wouldn't have made it to me and even if it did, it probably would have died anyway. Or I would have sent it to the emergency clinic anyhow.
She should be glad she even has the emergency clinic. And that she has us. Maybe she shouldn't of offered one pork chop to four dogs.
As I've said before, we are not an emergency clinic. We are a clinic that does emergencies. My skill set is not that of an emergency veterinarian. Add in the fact that I don't have the overnight staffing for something super critical. And add in the fact that I work all day and also do large animal calls. Needless to say, it's difficult to see every emergency that there is. Luckily, after 11, we send the small animal emergencies over to Girard in Ohio which is about 45 minutes away.
Back to the recheck appointment on Friday...
One of our nicest and most accommodating techs went in with the recheck. She ended up not being able to finish because the client was being so rude-she first answered her cell Phone while the tech was talking to her and then she's went on a rant about not having emergency hours.
As it turns out, the last time we had seen the dog was three years earlier on emergency. We were not even this woman's regular vet. And subsequently the sheet from the emergency clinic had been faxed to their regular vet. Why wasn't she there? Most likely, because the regular vet clinic could not fit her into their schedule. So I entered the room with no information and the owner wanted all sorts of answers. Answers for questions that I had no answers to since I wasn't even sure what had happened.
Obviously, the dog had some stitches and her eye was stitched partially shut because according to the owner it was 'bulgy'. I'm assuming it was proptosed...i.e. popped out if her head. But I don't really know. I decided she needed to comeback in a week anyway. I think we'll call the regular vet for the records then.
Anyway, since the owner had given the tech some trouble regarding our emergency service, I decided to confront her about it and reiterate our policy. The client starts going off on how all of these clinics are associated and all sending emergencies over to a clinic like an hour away. I was like no, we're not associated with any of those clinics. That we were the only clinic in the county to offer any emergency service. (The clients regular vet doesn't do any emergency work. I know cause I see a lot of things for them.) I explained that I was one of three vets that do emergency service 365 days a year. I explained that I worked all day and was still on call for large animals after 11. I explained that it wasn't fair for me to work that much, that it wasn't fair for the client and pet I saw at 3am after working all day nor was it fair for the client I saw the next morning at 9am after seeing emergencies at all hours of the night.
The owner said she understood but why weren't we open? If you understood, why are you asking me that question? I'm not sure you do understand.
Then she said that if her dog had been any worse then it wouldn't have made it to the emergency clinic. Honestly, I wanted to tell her that if it was that bad, it probably wouldn't have made it to me and even if it did, it probably would have died anyway. Or I would have sent it to the emergency clinic anyhow.
She should be glad she even has the emergency clinic. And that she has us. Maybe she shouldn't of offered one pork chop to four dogs.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Homesteading
So you may very well know that Joe and I have a dream of raising a family on a farm where we would be come somewhat self sustaining. I'm not talking totally hippie. We'll still have TV (probably), eat out (though Joe would like to ban fast food) and drink soda. But there would be no composting toilets. And we probably wouldn't be all doomsday preppers...though we would probably purchase a generator at some point.
Anyway, keeping along this vein, two weeks ago we went to the Mother Earth News Fair held in Seven Springs, PA at a big mountain ski resort. It was nice to get away for a weekend. It was horrible weather though-cold and raining through most of the weekend and I was terribly underdressed. We really should start watching the news.
I didn't have a great time as witnessed by my Twitter feed. There were some good livestock presentations though somewhat basic for me and even for Joe. There was a live chicken slaughter presentation. There were booths upon booths promoting all sorts of weirdness and some not so weird-goat milk soap, composting toilets, clock repair, bee keeping equipment, hemp products, everything organic, farmer-law organizations, anti-circumcision movements, etc...
We didn't really take part in many of the booths. Joe bought some goat soap and I bought a big jug of soap made from recycled vegetable oil because I liked the thin consistency. I think that Joe and I both suffer from awkwardness when it comes to talking to people/taking samples for things we're not really interested in.
My biggest regrets-not riding the ski lift to the top of the mountain. I had another one but have since forgotten it.
Next year, I'm sending Joe and DE. I think DE will appreciate it more than me.
Anyway, keeping along this vein, two weeks ago we went to the Mother Earth News Fair held in Seven Springs, PA at a big mountain ski resort. It was nice to get away for a weekend. It was horrible weather though-cold and raining through most of the weekend and I was terribly underdressed. We really should start watching the news.
I didn't have a great time as witnessed by my Twitter feed. There were some good livestock presentations though somewhat basic for me and even for Joe. There was a live chicken slaughter presentation. There were booths upon booths promoting all sorts of weirdness and some not so weird-goat milk soap, composting toilets, clock repair, bee keeping equipment, hemp products, everything organic, farmer-law organizations, anti-circumcision movements, etc...
We didn't really take part in many of the booths. Joe bought some goat soap and I bought a big jug of soap made from recycled vegetable oil because I liked the thin consistency. I think that Joe and I both suffer from awkwardness when it comes to talking to people/taking samples for things we're not really interested in.
My biggest regrets-not riding the ski lift to the top of the mountain. I had another one but have since forgotten it.
Next year, I'm sending Joe and DE. I think DE will appreciate it more than me.
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