2008...Already?!

It's the 31st. My new patient is a sweet Italian Greyhound named Giovanni that was hit by a truck! He's going to be getting surgery for some broken bones. Ouch! But that's what pain meds are for! Yeah! Now I'm at home relaxing a bit. Marcus is at work, Twinkie's patrolling our apartment as usual. Tonight after I'm done with my stuff at the hospital, Marcus is going to cook some dinner and Stacy's coming over. We're renting "Superbad" and the last of the Rush Hour movies that went straight to video. The Rush Hour flicks are guilty pleasures of ours, and both Marcus and I were so disappointed to find out that the latest installment went straight to video! Well, I guess it's time to make a New Year's resolution. Mine is to never take the boards exam again. Ha ha. That may not be in my control. What's yours? I checked out the top 10 New Year's Resolutions...most are predictable. P.S. if you're lacking a resolution, don't forget you can always donate! I just donated to Heifer International...great organization.

Pre New Year Updates

Wow. Time flies when you're away from your blog! So much has happened in the past few days. First, Stacy got engaged on Christmas Eve! Exciting! Then, I went down to New York (quickly) and saw my family, then interviewed at AMC. I think it went well, so that made me happy. It was stressful, but everyone was very cool. I went through a medical case and seemed to do well. I briefly got to see Terry-a and Steve, too. Of course, I've seen some movies. Marcus and I watched "This Is England", a good movie about a 12 year-old boy who gets mixed up with Skinheads. Right now we're watching "Bourne Supremacy" on TV. I'm back at the hospital, but it hasn't gotten really hectic lately which is good. My plans for the next couple of days until the hospital returns to a normal schedule is to try to relax and spend time at home.

Live Free or Die (Hard)

Don't you love that quote on New Hampshire license plates: "Live Free or Die"...it's so hardcore, so absolute, no room for compromise. I've always loved that quote! This reminds me of the movie we just watched, "Live Free or Die Hard". Good action movie! Love the Die Hard franchise. One of the few sequel based movie franchises that don't mess up a good thing. It's because there's no real story to keep going with, it's just the same guy put in some crazy, but different situation over and over again. But there's no real strain on the story line, because they don't need to keep building and building on it, like "The Matrix" series, which in my opinion really got bad with each sequel. Anyway, this morning I cooked coconut milk french toast with challah bread, then I made grilled cheese with ciabatta bread and extra sharp cheese. We cleaned up, and also watched "Violette", this french movie about a young woman who leads a bit of a double life. It was alright. Well, tomorrow I'm jetting down to New York, interviewing at AMC, then coming straight back to start back up at school...

Christmas

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it. Marcus and I grew up celebrating Christmas on the 24th, not Christmas day, so today's "the day" for us. But I'm no longer Christian, per se, so it's sort of just a gesture for me...but that's a whole other story. Don't you love this photo? It's Oki, a Shiba Inu, who belongs to some friends, Ron and John. I love this photo, it was on an evite they sent out once, and I had to save it. Anyway, last night we watched "Eastern Promises". I personally thought it was pretty weak in multiple areas. The most memorable scene was when one of the characters is in a Turkish bath house and ends up fighting these guys, with knives, completely naked. It was ridiculous. But Marcus and I had to give it up to the actor, Viggo Mortensen, who bared it all, in multiple angles and positions. Of course he's not 100% American-blooded, because there are not many major American actors who'd sign up to do this. Of course this actor is part Scandanavian, you know, where everyone's just prancing around naked (just kidding).

There Is No Snooze Button on a Cat Who Wants Breakfast

My first day off! All the surgery students worked it out so we all get five days FREE of the hospital over the holidays! It was my first day that I didn't have to wake up to an electric alarm clock. And notice I said electric, because there's always Twinkie the cat who feels the need to wake us up at 4A.M., 5A.M., and 6A.M. Everyday. So let's just say Marcus and I rarely get a full night's rest 100% the way through. Well, the past few days have been busy, but good. More surgeries, more opportunities to practice suturing techniques and all that good stuff. I overdid it last night wolfing down a LOT of brownies. Then I felt sick. Oh well. I went to the gym this morning. We watched a pretty bad movie with Ben Stiller called "The Heartbreak Kid". Don't even bother! We should have known better, but we really like Ben Stiller. We also watched the french film "La Pianiste", a twisted little story about a piano teacher who has a dysfunctional relationship with her mother and has submissive fantasies. The fantasies take a major turn for the worst. Interesting. Tonight we're eating at a french restaurant called Dijon. It's supposed to be good, we'll see...

Feel the Power of Drilling through Bone!

Tuesday night and I'm tired. Marcus is back in North America and tired, too but from jet lag and time changes. He had a great time back in the motherland and brought me great Swedish chocolate that I will devour. Well I'm now on small animal orthopedic surgery...and I LOVE surgery, especially orthopedics! Yesterday my rotation mate and I got to perform an extra capsular repair on a cadaver (a type of surgery used to repair a ruptured cranial cruciate ligament, or as you humans call it---the anterior cranial ligament or the ACL). It was fun and we had a surgeon at our disposal to walk us through it. Then today I scrubbed in on my patient's TPLO surgery, another way of fixing a ruptured cranial cruciate ligament. The patient is a 120+ pound Newfoundland, so let's just say it's really not a pleasure walking him with a sling and bearing most of the weight for him post operatively...plus he slobbers everywhere! Yuck. He's sort of a mess, but it's not his fault, he's a gigantic, furry dog. BUT the best part of my day was I got to use the power drill and drill through bone! His tibia...and a drill! And I also learned how to place screws and helped suture up his skin. Great fun! I told one of my friends how happy I was that they let me do it, and she said that surgery, especially having to drill through bone in no way excites her, but instead scares her....Now how could you NOT want to take a power drill to bone!?!

Wintry Mix and Overexposure

I just got back from brunch at one of my favorite local spots, the Elizabeth Restaurant. And once again I got to see my little friend "Prep", the pot bellied pig. Because it was cold outside, he was hanging out with some ducks, chickens, and a Golden Retriever in his warm barn. But we had to say hello to him! The weather is kinda nasty. I love the term "Wintry mix", it's so funny. Anyway, I have noticed recently that Beyonce is on every commercial known to man...it's really too much. I understand the concept of money, endorsements, publicity, but this is ridiculous! She's on this painful Direct TV commercial where she's singing and dancing about upgrading your service. Then there's L'oreal, then American Express, then Armani's new perfume. Come on, is this really necessary??? I like Beyonce, but this overexposure could backfire! Well, back to scouting out my movie watching possibilities for this afternoon.

C'mon, Everyone Likes Lara Croft

Saturday evening. It's been relaxing. I did a little housecleaning, did some laundry, attempted to watch pretty bad romantic comedies on TV, then ended up watching "Lucia Y El Sexo" through the Netflix website, which I really enjoyed. Then I watched a personal guilty pleasure of mine, "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider". I love that movie. Doesn't it sound like fun being a renegade archaeologist? Guns, travel, danger...FUN! Well there was a chance I would meet up with some friends at a bar tonight, but I haven't gotten any word, so it's likely off due to the impending storm. So my plans are to watch Hitchcock's "Psycho" which I'm looking forward to. I went to the gym last night, so I'm feeling good. You know that sort of "worked muscles" feeling, as opposed to the nasty blobish feeling. And I've been eating lots of salads these days, especially since Marcus has been gone and I don't enjoy cooking. He's traveling back to North America tomorrow which is great!

Snowstorms

The Ithaca region was hit pretty hard with snow today. But we were fairly busy at the hospital. We worked on a super cute 8 month old Umbrella Cockatoo. So cute! Yesterday at the zoo it was really fun watching the elephants get their feet radiographed. They really love their keepers and are incredibly obedient. They lifted their feet and trunks on command. One of them was even asked to lie down on her side so we could examine the bottom of her feet. We also examined a Golden Lion Tamarin and a Fennec Fox. Tonight I watched the beautiful film "Hiroshima Mon Amour". A little bit documentary, a little love story. The other day I was introduced to the disturbing, yet entertaining rendition of "My Humps" by Alanis Morissette. Even more disturbing and entertaining was that the head veterinarian of the service and the technician were the ones that brought it to my attention.

Tuesday Slump

Today we didn't have many appointments. We went to that man's house...the one with the Angelfish. Nice house! Gated, huge, had an elevator...you get the picture. Anyway, he's not sure if he's going to pursue treatment, but the mass looked like cancer. The recommendation was to have it surgically removed. Before Marcus left for Sweden, he got me flowers which have finally bloomed. The apartment smells so nice and the fragrance fills our entire living room. They're lilies, which by the way, can cause kidney failure in cats if ingested, so again beware! Speaking of lilies, my absolute favorite flower is the calla lily. It's been the subject of Robert Mapplethorpe's photography (a favorite artist of mine) and Diego Rivera paintings. I tried to watch Kurosawa's "The Bad Sleep Well", but I just wasn't in the mood, which was too bad. I think I needed something a little more mindless tonight. I briefly spoke with Marcus, who's having fun in Sweden. Tomorrow I'm going to the zoo. This is the same zoo that I spent a month at working with the reptiles and amphibians. It's a great place because it's not too big, so you can easily see the various exhibits within a few hours. And the collection is pretty impressive. We're going to take x-rays of the elephants' feet. That should be fun. Apparently the elephants are trained to lift their feet for the procedure. I love the zoo!

Holiday Cheer...Beware

Tonight I went to the gym, stopped by Wegman's to get dinner, then drove back to the apartment. At our doorstep was a pretty little poinsettia plant with a card! My first thought was, "what a sweet little gift"...and my immediate second thought was "this plant is toxic to dogs and cats"! So just as a friendly reminder, many things are toxic to our furry and feathered friends...so if you get a poinsettia for the holidays, place it way out of reach because it can cause gastrointestinal signs including hemorrhage and blistering. Holly is also toxic. I could go on and on. So beware! Anyway, tomorrow one of our patients is a prize winning saltwater Angelfish who apparently has some sort of mass on its operculum (flap of skin covering the gills)and eye. I'm not sure of the exact breed of fish, though. So that should be interesting. Last night after I blogged I ended up watching another french flick, "Under the Sand". Great story about how a widow lives in denial after her husband took a swim at the beach and disappeared.

Weekend Update

It's Sunday night, and I've been on call all weekend...when I'm on call I can never truly relax and feel free to do what I want, because I always fear getting paged. Well, last night Stacy and I tried to go socialize while I was on call. We watched "Awake", a really bad movie! I was intrigued by the fact that it has to do with anesthetic awareness but it's really not even about that. But that's besides the point. I got paged four times during the movie and had to make about 15 phone calls in the process!!! Frustrating. Then I was actually called in twice. Well, I spoke with Marcus, he's having a great time in Sweden. A few days ago I blogged about a "nature sounds" alarm clock that I got...it turns out that when I sleep heavily, I don't reliably wake up to the sounds of frogs and a rushing brook. So I returned that alarm clock, and I ordered the one that makes the cathedral bell sounds, because I know I wake up to them. Tonight there's not much on TV. I watched a french film called "The Bridesmaid" off the Netflix website. It was okay. It's about a man who quickly falls in love with a mysterious (and shady) woman and is obsessed with a stone bust that resembles her. I hope to go to the gym this week and catch up on some major housecleaning! Plus I really need to get into holiday mode, but without Marcus here and my being busy, it's a bit challenging.

My Latest Obsession

After saying I felt like a blob because I haven't been able to go to the gym in the last two months, I finally went last night and tonight! I feel great. Marcus is getting on a plane tomorrow to visit Sweden, specifically his home town and Stockholm, where his father's family lives. I'll miss him, but he's going to have a good time. I'll see him soon enough. If you've never made it to Sweden, you should (in the summer though). Great food, very environmentally and animal welfare aware, and fun times. Well, I've launched onto a new obsession: the alarm clock with sounds of nature. Ever since I stayed at a hotel in Syracuse the night before my boards exam, I've been on this kick. It's because the alarm clock in my hotel room had a church bell sound when it went off! So I think I need to retire my 22 year old (literally) alarm clock to try something with a fun wake up sound. I found one that actually had elephant sounds and bird chirping as alarms, but that clock was discontinued! Damn! So I think I'm getting this Timex model that has chimes and birds chirping as options. I'm so excited. I hope it's all it's cracked up to be. Or I would probably be safe without any alarm clock, since Twinkie loves to wake us up every morning at 4 A.M. and 5 A. M.

Cheese!

I got home from my first day on the exotic pets/zoo rotation at 5 P.M....but I also got to school at 6 A.M. to finish up my morning responsibilities on the horses I had in the large animal hospital. It's been a long day, but exotics is pretty chill and a lot of fun. I also got to see my "senior" class photo that's going to be up on the "Wall of Fame" (photos of previous graduates) in the veterinary school. They have every class from the very first veterinary class that ever graduated Cornell up till now. It's so funny to say that I had my senior photos taken, with the cheesy standard photo background and all... Today I dealt with a really cute albino rat and I have a Quaker parrot as my patient. He's very afraid of people, which is too bad. Tonight I'm going to try to chill out, even though I'm on call. Marcus went to Boston on business, but he's back tomorrow. So it's just me and Twinkie the cat at home. I really hope to have a little down time for the next two weeks...I feel like a blob since I haven't been working out lately. YUCK.

Another Sunday and Winter Has Arrived

Brrr...last night we didn't have heat and it was 50 degrees in our apartment! And no hot water this morning. I left the apartment at 6:45 A.M. to get started on my morning treatments and had no idea it had snowed overnight. Yuck! The good news is that the heat is finally working again and there's hot water. We watched "The Lives of Others", a German film about the Secret Police in East Berlin (before the Wall came down). It follows the surveillance of a group of artists and how it ends up affecting their lives. GREAT movie. Both Marcus and I really loved it. Now I think I'm going to watch a personal favorite of mine, "The Servant", which explores the relationships between the rich and the poor and even alludes to vampires. LOVE IT! You should check it out. Last night I roasted a whole garlic, unpeeled, in the oven for a while. Then we sliced up some fresh focaccia bread. And we cut open the garlic, took out the cooked cloves, crushed and mixed them with olive oil for dipping. Very delicious.

For the Girl or Guy Who Has Everything

Have you thought about holiday gifts yet? It's almost time. I myself feel a little old to be receiving gifts, but certain family members still insist on it... Which is fine, but this year I'm just going to ask for donations to my favorite charities. I've been making my modest donations to these organizations, but I figure if someone insists on giving me a gift, then why not donate... Who's on my list? The Morris Animal Foundation, which funds research aimed at protecting, curing, and treating companion animals and wildlife. Guiding Eyes for the Blind, an incredible organization that breeds and houses hundreds of seriously cute and talented dogs that are trained to be seeing eye dogs. They also sponsor blind individuals to spend a few months living at their facility so they can learn how to work with a seeing eye dog. I had the chance to work at this place for two weeks doing physical exams, blood draws, vaccinations, and surgeries. It was so much fun and really cool to see how these dogs can work with the blind and give them the ability to be independent. I also got to see people be matched to their dogs to be, which was exciting. The facility is up in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. I also donate to to the ASPCA, which as we all know has a great rep in terms of animal welfare and promoting shelter adoptions. Places I plan to donate to: Now I'm really into PALS, the organization I mentioned in yesterday's blog, which provides therapy for disabled individuals through horse riding. Heifer International, a great program: you donate money to allow people around the world start their own businesses involving livestock (dairy production), poultry (to sell eggs), and even bees for making honey! I also want to start with Kiva, where you can loan money to individuals in third world countries so they can start or maintain their own small businesses. So if you're stumped on what to do with all your cash, looking to ask people for different types of gifts, or looking to give different types of gifts, there you go!

When's the Weekend...

Today was crazy! I ended up taking on a new patient, this horse that came in on emergency the night before. Sad story. A barn that housed many horses caught on fire. Most died, but two survived and were brought to Cornell. I have one of those horses. It was pretty unstable, had many problems that developed throughout the day. So the internists were tending to her basically all day. As a student on a case, you're supposed to try to be on top of things, obviously help, do treatments and all that. But things were moving so fast, the head veterinarians were just dealing with the changing state of this poor horse. So I felt really out of the loop, not knowing what was happening. Then I still had my other patient, the very sweet Quarter Horse Biko. I really love Biko. He could be my favorite patient of all time! If I ever had a horse, it would have to be a Quarter Horse. Apparently, they tend to be laid back with great temperaments. In looking for an example of a Quarter Horse to show on my blog, I stumbled upon this organization that uses horses as parts of therapy for people with physical, emotional, and cognitive disabilities. Pretty cool. And there are little descriptions of their therapy horses, which are all very cute, especially the Quarter Horses. Anyway, later today, I had an appointment with a cria (baby alpaca) and that seemed to take a really long time. Alpacas are such strange animals...they make very strange sounds too. Phew...long day! But now I'm home, and hopefully it's going to be a quiet one. Time to watch some mindless television.

Sunday Afternoon in the Barn

Me a barn goddess? Hardly! Anyway, I'm on what feels like eternal treatment shift duty at the large animal clinic...students take turns working days or nights over the weekend and holiday, and I've been on 95% of the time. But no worries...must stay stress-free and with happy attitude. We've begun Twinkie's flea killing plan and we will soon deal with the tapeworm crisis. Last night we watched "No Country for Old Men". Beautiful cinematography, great, slow pacing (you have to be patient to watch this). But I got antsy and couldn't get comfortable in my seat, so I admit I wasn't as focused as I should have been. So basically, I'm going to have to watch it again, but I did like it. Although I feel like I didn't pay enough attention to be able to really discuss it. But I do recommend it. Marcus really loved it. Onto shopping: I think I'm going to get this hat. It's sorta silly that it says "Cornell" on it, but at the same time, it also makes the hat. Even if I do end up advertising my education...but I have the right...I mean, damn, I pay tuition!!!

An Occupational Hazard

A while back I blogged about Twinkie having tapeworms of a mysterious origin which we treated him for. Well I should have just checked a fecal sample under the microscope to figure out whether it was due to mousing or due to fleas in the first place (animals get tapeworms either from ingesting an infected rodent, infected raw meat, or infected fleas). As far as we know, we don't have mice at all, and we were convinced that Twinkie didn't have fleas because I've never seen flea dirt on him, I never retrieved anything with a flea comb, and I'm so careful about "bringing things home from the hospital". Well, I've learned my lesson. Earlier today I saw something suspect (in his feces) which prompted me to think that he maybe had yet another tapeworm infection!!! AUGH! So I went ballistic and ran a flea comb through his fur and brought a fecal sample to school. Under the microscope I didn't see any fleas on his fur, but I DID see tapeworm eggs from his fecal sample...the kind that are carried by fleas. I most likely am to blame for this, even though I try so hard not to bring any nasties home from the hospital. Ask Marcus, it's like the CDC in here when it comes to infectious disease prevention! So from now on our indoor only, solitary cat will have to be on flea preventative. And yes, cats and dogs can get fleas even from sitting by a screen door, and since cats are such great groomers, you're not necessarily going to see fleas jumping or flea dirt. I should take my own advice and maybe I would have realized that my own cat has fleas. Special thanks goes out to poor Stacy who had to hear about this all and help advise me on my crisis!

Countdown to Holiday Overload

I guess after today, the countdown to Christmas is on...and you know it can get a little scary with all the shopping madness, and the 4AM store sales. Well, after I went to the hospital this morning, I got home and got to watch a couple of movies. AMC is having a Hitchcock marathon, so I watched "The Man Who Knew Too Much". I really like Hitchcock, so it was a pleasant surprise. "Vertigo" was also on, but I wasn't in the mood. I wish I was because I haven't seen that one in a while. But I just wasn't feeling it at the moment. "The Birds" is on, but I recently saw that. What I really want to watch is "Psycho", but that may start too late for me to be able to watch the whole thing. I also flipped between "Mystic Pizza" and the first Austin Powers movie, which I personally love. The rest of the Austin Powers movies weren't so great. Speaking of vertigo, one of my close friends, Jennifer, is a boarded audiologist. But now she's in her first year of medical school down in the Cayman Islands. I've been talking to her and she's trucking along, but I sympathize...that first year is ROUGH...and I mean ROUGH. What's cool though is that I met her back when I decided to go back to school to do this whole vet thing and she was back in school so she could apply to medical school. We became really close friends and it's really exciting to see that she's actually on her way to becoming a doctor! Anyway, Twinkie's been sleeping all day long, and right now Marcus is cooking our "Thanksgiving dinner". No turkey for us, though. We're eating some fish dish. Then some pecan pie. Right now there's a show about Southern food...and damn, that stuff is good....

Back on the Blog Wagon!

I've missed my blogs the past few days! I'm back in the large animal hospital (horses, farm animals), but this time I've adopted a positive, carefree attitude which has really helped! It's incredibly liberating! Since I don't have boards to study for anymore (again, I hope I passed) and my applications are in, there's nothing more to worry about in the immediate future. So I decided that I should just make the most of my situation, and it's really worked out well! I'm so much happier. I'm also more comfortable with horses that aren't so nice. But I DO have a WONDERFUL horse as a patient named Biko. He's up in isolation though because he's Salmonella positive, but he's the best patient ever. He lets me do my thing which spans everything from oral medications, drawing blood, to...medications administered...yes, rectally. And he's so good about it all. Plus he likes it when I scratch his head. I even pick him fresh grass. All he asks is that I feed him...he's pretty demanding about his food. Well, I'm excited because the next few days while I'm in the hospital, but in between treatments, I'm going to start researching my "last hurrah" SCUBA diving trip with Stacy. We hope to take a little vacation either before or immediately after we graduate. Well, I better go. Me and Marcus are going to watch "300", which is Marcus' pick...

My Brain is FRIED

Yesterday I took my boards exam...it was a long exam and by the end it was painful! The night before I stayed at the Marx Hotel in Syracuse, this boutique type place, and ate really good food at its restaurant. I also discovered Lather products, which the hotel uses for its guests. I really liked them! I might buy some for myself. Anyway, sitting in front of a computer screen for 6 hours hurts. I REALLY, REALLY hope I passed the test. This is my licensing exam, so if you don't pass it now, you have to take the ($600) test again. But I'm trying to think positive...that I passed! Talk about random questions though...they spanned from stuff I knew, stuff I guessed on, to stuff I had absolutely no idea about... I was even asked about assessing a horse with narcolepsy!(Which by the way I think I got wrong). After I came back home from the test, we went out to eat tapas at this great restaurant here in Ithaca. I was so hungry though, I felt like I engorged myself! Speaking of narcolepsy, after dinner last night, Marcus and I watched "My Own Private Idaho" last night. I hadn't seen that movie in a while. I like it. It's a Gus Van Sant movie about a male prostitute with narcolepsy and his search for his long lost mother. Then we watched "Sideways", which we've seen before. It's pretty funny.

Lord Have Mercy

Damn I LOVE bakery products, specifically CHOCOLATE cake. GOOD chocolate cake, though. I love German chocolate cakes...and I love (good) chocolate in general...but there's no chocolate at home, I haven't been exercising regularly lately, and I need to learn how to control myself. I really need to get back into baking sometime when I have some down time...I found this beautiful German chocolate cake on the Dean & Deluca site. I wonder if it's any good. If you've never had the pleasure of trying this type of cake, I highly recommend it...I've always wondered about the origins of this cake, since German chocolate cakes have coconut in them, and well, coconut isn't indigenous to Germany! So I found out the details on good old wikipedia. Apparently it was invented in Texas. Who knew. Another great invention: the wonderful combination of peanut butter and chocolate. Whether it's Reese's or some high end chocolate shop's doing, it's a beautiful thing. Oh, then there's Nutella...Italy's answer to the chocolate shortage during WWII. Now that's genius. Love the Italians. Apparently the world can celebrate the joys of Nutella on Nutella Day: February 6. YA!

The Verdict On Bond No. 9's "Scent of Peace"

Marcus brought home multiple samples of Bond No. 9 perfume, including "The Scent of Peace". Unfortunately, I can't say I'm a fan. The grapefruit is muddled by a strong powdery-musky scent that takes away from the "refreshing" perfume I was hoping for. Plus, it's not very potent. Marcus also brought home some other samples, so on another occasion I'll check them out. I can't believe next week is Thanksgiving, basically because here at Cornell, we don't get to acknowledge holidays! We students get our tuition's worth, since we rarely get holidays off. But a holiday like Thanksgiving is one that the university definitely recognizes...but since I'm in the hospital, and will be on large animal internal medicine, I'm going to have to be in the hospital everyday dealing with my patients. Plus I'm on call on Thanksgiving. My hope is that farmers and horse owners will be too busy with their Thanksgiving plans to bring in their animals to the hospital (at least when I'm on call!). I just found a disturbing article on the origins of Thanksgiving, although should I be surprised that the Europeans came to the New World (by the way, that movie was great!) and destroyed the lives of the Native American Indians for their own gain? No, I guess not, but it's always disturbing to revisit the good old atrocities of American history that we're supposed to just apply "benign neglect" to...

Perfume, Perfume...

I love perfume. But as I've alluded to in a past blog, I have my particular favorites. I'm always up for trying out new scents that sound appealing, but the problem is that many of them just don't pan out: either they don't smell nice, or the fragrance doesn't last at all. Again, this is why I LOVE Thierry Mugler's Angel, because it's strong, and even over time, as the scent changes, it still smells incredible. But you either love it, or you hate it (although a couple of men in the past have stopped me in stores and asked me what I was wearing because they liked it, so it's probably pretty agreeable to most). I really love that perfume...I think I'm going to spritz myself with some right now...even if I'm in a fleece robe studying at the kitchen table! Ha ha. Anyway...there's a new perfume that sounds intriguing. It's called The Scent of Peace, by Bond No. 9. I'm not familiar with this brand, but it sounded really good: grapefruit and black currant. There's also some musk in it, which I'm a little weary of...Marcus is down in New York on business, so he said he'd try to get me a sample of it. Other than that, I'm trying to stay focused on studying for my big exam, learning derm at school, and looking forward to the thought of maybe being able to shop at H&M in Syracuse after my test on Saturday. But it's only Tuesday...

I Want a Bourne Marathon

It's Veteran's Day. I'm going into the hospital for appointments this afternoon. So I tried to study by taking review questions on Vetprep, which is this Q & A type program you can buy to try to prepare for boards. But the site is down! Oh well. So I'll study another way this morning. Last night "The Bourne Identity" was on TV. Marcus and I love the Bourne movies. I was surprised that even the last of the Bourne movies, "The Bourne Ultimatum" was great. But I get very weary of sequels, because every sequel is another chance to mess up a beautiful thing, you know? Plus, I don't like when people create sequels for the sake of it (money) versus a really good story that warrants it. I was disappointed that the end of the last Bourne flick seemed to suggest the possibility for another sequel, because it's not necessary! Or maybe they won't and it was just a tease. One thing I don't like too much is how the action scenes are shot in the first Bourne movie: sort of this accelerated-type action. This didn't happen in the subsequent movies, which was, in my opinion a good move. Speaking of good stuff, I was thinking about good sitcoms from the past...like "The Wayans Bros." and "Spin City". Good thing they're on re-run.

Sunday

Lazy Sunday...I love the weekend... I'm studying (again). Last night we watched
"American Gangster". Interesting story! I thought it was a little long, but in retrospect, I liked how the story took its time to develop. Good stuff. That comedy "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" was as a whole, sort of a disappointment...it had some holes in the story. But a lot of funny moments. There were a few scenes they could have cleaned up. But we laughed a lot. Yesterday I interviewed with a Long Island based practice with a great internship program...although I didn't necessarily "wow" them (probably because I never took the time to visit the practice), nor are they a top pick for me right now, the guy said I was strong interviewer with "presence". So that shocked me, and made me feel better. I hate interviews!

Is It Friday Already?

Wow, this week has flown by. I've been on dermatology, and it's great! Love seeing the nasty skin diseases, the residents are really cool, and I feel like I'm learning a lot...PLUS the hours are beautiful! Today, I didn't even have to come in. Another opportunity to study. I'm also getting my hair cut later today...and I will once again have the predicament of wanting a great, stylish haircut, but not wanting to even do more than comb my hair in terms of maintenance...never a functional combination. Last night I watched a french film about incest and murder. It was alright, and I wouldn't really say I'd recommend it. It's supposedly based on real life events. Tonight I think we're going to watch "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" on DVD. I love the guy from "The King of Queens"! Marcus and I always thought that if our cat Pete was human, he'd be just like him on that show...yes, we do think about these things!

Kung Pow

No not the food, the movie. I'm watching it right now on TV. But speaking of food, have you seen my GREAT recipe for a wonderful Cuban dish (to the right of the screen)? Back to the movie. It's just the kind of low brow comedy that I need! I think it's really funny if you like that kinda comedy. Too bad I'm going to miss the end, because today I start Dermatology. Although it's going to be a low key rotation, I'm really going to miss my "me time" (the last two weeks). I've been able to study so much, complete my applications, watch crazy films, and hang out. Last night I watched the french film "Blue", which was again, very solemn, but I really liked it. We watched "Transformers", too and the special effects were seamless! It was amazing. But there were a few holes in the story, and for me at least, the movie was a little too long. The cool thing is that I finally now know the deal with the Transformers...I never watched the cartoon before, so I never knew that Megatron is in fact a bad guy!

To Change or Not to Change

Sunday morning, and Marcus had been warning me that it's time to change our clocks. Now I hadn't heard anything about it, but then again, I don't read newspapers or watch the news much...But I really haven't heard anything about it! Anyway apparently it's time to change your clocks by turning them one hour back. You know, fall back, spring forward. We watched "Reign Over Me" last night, great, solemn movie, but it has its funny moments, too. It's about a dentist who runs into his old college roommate who lost his wife, kids, and dog on 9/11. Great movie, Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle are in it. Adam Sandler seems to do really well playing off beat characters in these types of dramas. He was also good in "Punch Drunk Love", which I personally really liked, as well. So in the movie last night, they ride all over Manhattan on one of those motorized skateboards, which is really funny...but they look like a lot of fun! I think I want one...on a disturbing note, while driving back to our apartment, we saw yet another hitchhiker....what is up with that?!? Seriously, I had never seen hitchhikers until we moved up here. It's the fourth one I've seen since we've moved. And why do they always look sketchy????

The "S" Word is a BAD Word

I recently got word that up here in Central New York we can be expecting snow as early as this coming Tuesday...I am not ready. Maybe it was the weird warm weather, or that I always go through this every year. The weather up here is so extreme...when is snows, it SNOWS. When it rains, it's like Noah's Ark is gonna crash through your front door. And the thunder and lightening always feels like it's right above your house. Thank you, Lake Effects. While exploring the Internet this morning, I stumbled upon the chronicles of the Quaker Parrots of Brooklyn. I've heard about this before and it's pretty interesting. A colony of Quaker Parrots have been living wild in Brooklyn for years. What exactly happened that caused them to be wild in this climate is not totally known, but there are theories. Last night I watched Polanski's "Bitter Moon". I really like Polanski, and I loved the extremes of this movie. And between Ithaca weather, the aberrant colonization of Brooklyn by the parrots, and Polanski's twisted story of co-dependency, this morning's theme is: extreme...the good, the bad, and the freaky.

Throwback Time

Happy Halloween! A few blogs ago, I mentioned Marcus' popularity during the parade a few years ago, so in commemoration, I included our photo from that day, which yes, ended up as a Christmas card. I love my french maid outfit because I made it. Sewing is cool! Speaking of which, last night I was studying with Stacy at a bookstore and saw the greatest book! The Apron Book. As some already know, I LOVE aprons...and find their domestic-ness incredibly sexy...especially the vintage ones! Saris are sexy, too by the way. Well, I better get to studying. I heard some disturbing news lately, about how people are trying to get politicians to pass legislation to stop the slaughter of horses for meat consumption in foreign countries. Then I thought, well, yes, it's disturbing that horses are getting slaughtered, but it's just as disturbing then, that any animal is getting slaughtered. The whole slaughter thing, even when done "humanely", is really something I struggle with...it's a major part of the reason why I became a vegetarian. It really bothers me that when an animal is no longer useful, it can get sold for slaughter...But I'm not going to go off on a rampage now. But I really want to visit a slaughter house, especially as a future veterinarian. Don't know if I'll get the chance to before I graduate. I did see a video on swine slaughter in class once...woah. Well, on a lighter note, happy candy collecting! I hope my New York friends are making it down to the parade...

Countdown to Halloween

It's almost Halloween. Marcus bought candy for the non-existent children that will knock on our door. I begged him to please buy candy I hate, so that I'm not tempted to eat it in times of desperation. I don't eat candy much, but I DO eat chocolate. Even though I am a choco-snob, when times get rough, my standards drop drastically. Marcus had bought some Hershey's Kisses, and let's just say there's not much left. Oh, well. I randomly stumbled upon this Britney Spears and Snoop Dog gem. I find it quite hysterical. Go Britney! You nasty! Well, better go, it's almost Oprah!

The Origins of Oi

I love that expression "oi" that the Brits and Irish use. I don't know why it's so amusing to me, but it is. Part of it is because it doesn't sound like an English word, so it's funny that English speaking people use it, but then again, it sounds really European. Apparently it's also used in a number of languages. And "oi" is also a sub-genre of punk rock that started in the '70's. I didn't know that. Well, last night I watched "In The Bedroom". It's about a young man who gets involved with an older woman who has kids and a violent ex-husband. I enjoyed it because of its pacing, the scenery, and the acting. I don't think I'd watch it again and again, but I'm glad I saw it. If you're in the mood for something solemn, I'd recommend it.

Is It...Perfection?

Marcus and I brunched with Stacy and Casey today. Great food! Then we came back home, and I was supposed to start studying. But then Marcus turned on the TV, and "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle" was on TV...I LOVE this movie! It's...perfect?! So I had to watch it before starting to study, I couldn't help myself. Last night we went to the movies and watched "Michael Clayton". I really liked it a lot, and would recommend it. I think it's directed by the same guy who wrote the Bourne movies. I really wanted to watch Ang Lee's latest flick, "Lust, Caution", but Marcus wasn't interested. I don't think he's a big fan of Asian cinema (I know, Ang Lee makes movies in America, but this one's Chinese). Speaking of Asia, Stephen emailed me an amusing New York Times Article about new crime preventing inventions in Japan. It's entertaining, but so telling of the japanese culture. I love the Japanese...I really do. Speaking of more off the wall J-culture, if you want a backdrop on which to laugh, even if you don't know what's going on, check out Tokyo-Decadance (not to be confused with the seedy J-flick "Tokyo Decadence", aka "Topazu"). When you click to get to "Tokyo-Decadance", a prompt comes up. Just click on "cancel" when they ask to install Japanese characters. Not needed to enjoy! Turn up the volume.

The Flies Won't Go Away

This is Musca autumnalis, a fly that transmits the eye worm, Thelazia, mainly to cattle and horses (in veterinary medicine)...and also humans, of course, but a different worm is involved. It's so gross I LOVE IT! But that's not the reason why I entitled my blog "The Flies Won't Go Away" this morning. It's because ever since the crazy warm weather started about 2 weeks ago, we've had an influx of flies in our apartment...all acting strange...I guess the temperatures have them all messed up. I don't know, but it's gross. Anyway, last night we watched the french film "The Page Turner". It was "blah". Can't say that I'm too excited about it. It's about a child who bombs an important piano audition because one of the judges distracts her. Years later the now young woman ends up working with the same judge and getting revenge by playing mind games with her. But what I can say is that the revenge was subtle; definitely not a style of American revenge flicks for the most part. So that was refreshing that it wasn't all about "you screwed me, so I'm boiling your bunny!", you know?

Autumn is Finally Here in Central New York

I went to the gym bright and early this morning and on my drive home I noticed how incredibly gorgeous the scenery was. The trees look like something out of a painting. Very nice in this idyllic setting. The color change in the leaves seemed to happen really suddenly. I've been running around taking care of all the materials I need for my internship applications, like getting letters or recommendation, working on my resume, a letter or intent, my transcripts, and all that good junk. I'm only now (1 P.M.) getting to studying today! Yikes...but the internship stuff is necessary, and I'm just lucky that I'm off from school and even able to take care of it. I've noticed since being home this past week that Twinkie keeps jacking my comfy seat in front on the computer where I study...as seen in the photo above. So now I have to drag in another chair for myself so I don't disrupt his multiple daytime sleep breaks! Sometimes having background music helps me study, or atleast keeps it bearable. It's been the legendary Led Zeppelin, traditional Indian music, and Ithaca College's radio station online, WICB. It's a great radio station! Alternative, jazz, latin, rap, sans the country and elevator jazz music. Love it. And by the way, up here people really DO listen to country...disturbing...This weekend Marcus is finally around, so we'll get to hang out. Stacy's boyfriend Casey (yes, Stacy and Casey) is coming into town all the way from Washington state, so we're all going to meet up for brunch on Sunday. My very talented and beautiful friend Karen Gayle is going to be in a play down in NYC! So if you're interested in checking it out, it's called "The Exonerated", playing from November 1-11.

The Great Expanse

Last night I was watching Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN. I really like that show, and by no means am I a news person. Then after I watched "Planet in Peril", a news documentary about global warming, deforestation, overpopulation, the polar ice caps melting, and the effects on the polar bears. Highly recommended! I missed the first part, but CNN is re-airing both parts of the series I believe starting tomorrow night and through the weekend. So after that show, for whatever reason I became temporarily obsessed with Greenland. I was perplexed as to who lives there, how they live there, and what it's like. So I went to Air Greenland's website to see how much it costs to go there. I kept trying to book a fake ticket, but couldn't get it to work. Apparently they make direct flights from Baltimore...random. BUT I found out some very interesting factoids about Greenland. Like: Greenland was once under Danish rule. It is not considered a European country. The largest city, Nuuk, has a population of about 15,000. Greenlandic people are of Inuit and/or Scandinavian descent. The Inuits invented the kayak. If you have the need for acute treatment, health care is free. The Greenlandic people are predominantly Lutheran. And of course as all of us know, unfortunately the ice caps are melting there at an alarmingly fast rate. It was very interesting for me...but it was late, and I had to just shut the computer off, because I would have kept going...and I don't know why! Then when we were trying to fall asleep, I started obsessing about Iceland, and asking Marcus a billion questions about it. Apparently, heating is free there because of the many geysers all over the country. Then I started up on Lappland, which comprises the northern most regions of Sweden,Finland, and Russia. Marcus trained up there when he was in the army. Finally, since he was trying to fall asleep this whole time, I stopped. We do want to go to Iceland one day, though. Speaking of travels, here's where I've been in the world so far...

VH1 in the Morning

8:15AM...I am about to embark on another round of studying. I was drinking my coffee and eating breakfast while watching VH1. I'm not a Maroon 5 fan, but I really found their new video "Wake Up Call" entertaining! It's modelled after a movie preview, with all the tantalizing "preview musts": an NC-17 rating, guns, cops, women, and sex. Ha Ha. Speaking of great videos, another GREAT one is The Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" ...don't like the Beastie Boys, but love the video! 60's cop show inspired, cinematography and wardrobe is perfect! Hmm, other ones are Eminem's "My Name Is" and "Without Me"...just because they're completely hysterical. Finally, there's also the remix of "It's All About the Benjamins" where Puffy, the Lox, and Lil' Kim crash a prom...be patient and the video gets entertaining. (Sorry you have to watch a quick commercial first...I couldn't find another version!) Well, I really should be studying, but before I go, here's a multiple choice study question I stumbled upon and just had to share because one of the choices is completely laughable (I hope you can tell which one!):"Many young (<9 months) rams in a herd develop swelling and edema around the head and neck. You diagnose Clostridium novyi Type A. What is the treatment? a)Surgical excision of the head (decapitation), b)Wound debridement and penicillin, c)No treatment is necessary, the disease is self-limiting, d)Cull or isolate affected animals".

Dreary Tuesday

I just finished my marathon of studying. Phew. Just watched Oprah, my guilty pleasure. I also spoke with my Cali-based cousin Norrel who had to evacuate her house because of the wildfires. Luckily she's fine, her neighbors are fine, and so far it sounds like her house was spared. I asked her when she evacuated if she grabbed the things she wanted to keep, in case her house did burn down, or did she think it was going to be fine. She told me she left her house assuming the worst...which makes sense considering the severity of the situation, but that's intense. I'm glad she's doing okay. It makes me wonder what I would be thinking if I was in that situation. I've been in some "situations" before and in retrospect sometimes my reactions have surprised me.

The Dentist, Sales, and Parasites

I finally finished in the large animal hospital. Luckily this morning, not too many of my patients gave me a problem. Brutus the 1 year old bull went to surgery today. It's one of a number of surgeries he's had because he tried to jump a fence on a farm and ended up ripping his prepuce (OUCH). And he's supposed to be a breeding bull, so I guess his owner wants to make sure everything is up to speed. Brutus had a breeding soundness exam the other day which consists of taking measurements of his scrotum, getting him to ejaculate (ya...a whole other story for another time), and assessing whether his sperm work and look the way they should under a microscope. And the theriogenologist said the results were normal, which is good news. So hopefully after his surgery, he'll lead a happy, prolific breeding life filled with tons of feed and good times! Other than that, I went to the dentist, I sold the two benches, and we're picking up our new coffee table tomorrow. That's exciting. I've been attempting to study for my boards exam...today was parasite time and after a while all the nasty tapeworms, roundworms, whipworms, pinworms, lungworms, fleas, mites, and lice blend into one super-parasite. AAAHHH I am drowning in a cesspool of parasites! Okay. I need to stop.

Priced to Move...and Haul out of the Large Animal Hospital

Sunday early afternoon. I had a day off from the Large Animal Hospital yesterday and that was great. I slept in, got some studying done, and went out to dinner with a bunch of vet school friends. And one of my friends brought her husband. It was funny because we were all complaining about our usual vet school issues and then he chimes in to complain about the fact that he has to hear all his wife's complaints. It's true though, I definitely give it up to spouses and significant others who have to hear it (on a daily basis) from people in stressful professional programs. Thank you Marcus for withstanding all this crap for so long...seriously! Anyway, I had to go into school today and almost every patient was being a pain in the @#$%. The colt started freaking out in the stall when I tried to medicate him and it got a little scary...then my other patient was being shady as usual, then another horse freaked out when I tried to give him his medications. The only one that was good was poor Northern Desert, the sweet Thoroughbred, and he would actually have good reason to freak out if he wanted to considering one of his eyes is practically swollen shut because of surgery. So this morning was frustrating. But that's okay. So now I'm studying again. I listed two benches we have (in the photo) on craigslist and we've gotten tons of responses. We figure we want to start getting rid of furniture way ahead of when we move back to NYC, because let's face it, we won't have tons and tons of space there (we currently live in a lofty three bedroom apartment)and because I really don't like them anymore. I love craigslist! We've sold a bunch of things on it, it's great. So hopefully these two benches will be outta here soon...and I am outta the Large Animal Hospital by tomorrow morning! YES! Of course until I have to return to it in a month...but that's in a month...

Hello Kitty!

I just thought about it, and Halloween is just around the corner! I love designing and sewing my costumes and going to the one and only Parade down in the Village. I hope my friends in NYC still go! Before we moved up here, we went to the parade with Stephen and Erwin and had a great time. Marcus was incredibly popular as Crusty the Clown (I'm talking dozens of people wanting photos with Krusty on the street, and shout outs to Krusty) and I was a french maid, which seemed to go perfectly well with the shady Krusty. I will likely not be able to participate in the Halloween festivities this year, but hopefully I can we when move back. I know a few of us wanted our own float for the parade....that would be hysterical! Well, anyway, it's Friday night. I am happy about that. Today my surgery patient was a very sweet Thoroughbred horse. His name is "Northern Desert" and he's very laid back. Then I had to treat the Salmonella alpacas in isolation and that's never fun. First, who wants to work with anyone who has Salmonella (that I can get from them!)??? And suiting up in the Tyvek outfit is annoying. Anyway, I'm almost done with the large animal hospital for now...but I will miss Brutus the Brown Swiss bull and Northern Desert the sweet horse.

Almost Friday...And It Can't be Soon Enough

I CANNOT wait until tomorrow's over. Then I'll just have to come in once on the weekend, once Monday morning, then no more large animal soft tissue surgery. Not that it's been all bad, because I've gotten to do some stuff in surgery and become a wee bit more "comfortable" with horses, plus most of the people in the large animal clinic are so nice and friendly, plus my rotation mates are pretty laid back...but I just need it to end. Won't get into it now, but let's just say that someone almost made me snap today. But onto more pleasant topics...Marcus finally returned last night from Canada. It's great to have him back home (even though he's leaving again tomorrow...But a man's gotta make a living, so I understand!). We watched "Dirty Filthy Love", a made for TV Brit-flick about a man living with obsessive compulsive disorder and Tourette's syndrome. I thought it was really interesting, with a great portrayal of a man becoming more aware of his condition. I'd recommend watching it. I'll get back to my regular blogging schedule, just need to shake this week off first...

Welcome Back to the Tropics, Apartment 7

WOOOO!!! I came home today and it was hot...like at my parents' house (and they keep ambient temps in the mid 70s at times)! The heat is definitely working now. Life is good again. And I had a great day at school! Still at the large animal hospital...augh, but I got to do part of a surgery...yeay!, and I LOVE surgery. It was a foal with an umbilical hernia, so we went in there, sliced it out and sewed it back up..well, it was a little more complex than that. The cool thing is that I got to do some of the slicing and suturing. And apparently my technique was pretty good. I am really interested in small animal surgery, and have been for a while, so who knows. The photo above is from my junior surgery last year. I'm still a student, so it's hard to tell what I'll end up doing, but I really do love cutting, suturing, using the surgical instruments, visualizing and manipulating the anatomy... it's all so cool! Well, it's also a ridiculously competitive specialty, to the point where some people don't get residencies. Another potential is anatomic pathology, again, probably because I like cutting (when you do necropsies), seeing the anatomy and seeing the disease, versus just talking about it. But again, I digress...I need to pass boards and graduate first, right? My sisters informed me that they've got new clients, a business down in Wall Street, which is exciting for their newly formed interior design firm. They just started up and they're trying to build clientele, so spread the word. They're on the move. On a random note, have you ever heard of time strips? GREAT idea if you're like me and are obsessed with expiration dates on food! Did you know that most foodborne illnesses in the U.S. are due to viruses? Hey, as a future veterinarian (and technically a guardian of the country's food supply...bet you didn't realize that about vets!), I have to know these things.

Saturday night at the Igloo

Brrr...the heat still doesn't work. Me and Twinkie are cold. Today I was once again at the hospital dealing with the horses, cows, and alpacas. I came home and started to watch "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer", but I just couldn't bear to finish it. It's set in the 1700's and the story's about a boy with an incredible sense and appreciation of smell. He ends up killing a woman and tries to capture her scent in a perfume. I read the book, which was so-so. While I'm on the subject, Fresh has some really great fragrances! I LOVE their Sugar Lemon, and their Pear Cassis. But I just went to their website and it seems as though they don't carry my Pear Cassis anymore?!? I hope that's not true...because I'm on my last bottle. They also make this warm milk and honey scent called "Mukki", and although I wouldn't want to smell of that, I love the smell of warm milk and honey (and I like drinking it)...it's so comforting! But my personal favorite is Theirry Mugler's Angel...it's strong, sickeningly sweet, and over the course of wearing it, the different layers are "revealed". But you either love it or hate it! Back to movies, I also watched "Hostel" the other night...I was really hoping to get freaked out because Marcus is out of town (I love getting scared watching movies by myself), but it was gory more than anything. I am craving chocolate big time, but there's none in our apartment...and we're 15 minutes from the closest grocery store...so I guess I'll have to survive....

The Emasculator!

Friday night. Today was a long day! Taking care of my patients both medically and farm-ly...like giving Brutus the bull his flake of hay and heifer feed mixed with beet pulp...I helped to castrate a horse and that was fun! We use a tool called the Emasculator...no joke...it's the tool in the photo and that's its real name! It has a cutting and crushing surface so you can cut off the testicles, and crush blood vessels to decrease bleeding. And when you crank down on it to cut, you hear it crunchin' and cuttin'! I was thinking about it and I feel as though my blogs this week have been a little gory, and potentially a little much for some. I was about to include a photo of a castration, but I decided not to! This weekend I have to be at the hospital doing treatments all day and Marcus is still gone fishin'. It's gotten cold and we've been having problems with the heat, so me and Twinkie have been sleeping in the bed together trying to conserve body heat. More later from Farmer Michelle!

Pigs and an Interview

Today I saw a Vietnamese pot bellied pig who walks on a leash and apparently sleeps in the house. That was interesting. Then I had an interview with a big veterinary corporation regarding internships for next year. I hope it went well. Honestly, I had the dates wrong and I didn't realize until the night before that I had the interview! Plus I had to run from the equine and farm animal hospital to change, look presentable, and collect myself for the interview. I wish I could read the interviewers' minds! But at the least, it was practice for more interviews in the near future. It's getting cold and we don't have our heat...better call the landlords! I'm going to bed soon. I just watched most of Ingmar Bergman's "Virgin Spring". So far, I really like it; it's set in Old World Sweden and is about a young virgin who gets raped. I don't have too much experience with Bergman's films, so I'm trying to get a better handle on it. I think I've only seen a handful of his stuff. But I'm tired, so I'm saving the rest for sometime this weekend. This week Marcus is up in Canada doing some fishing with a college buddy of his. I'm glad he's having some fun, but since he's in the wilderness, he has no phone reception, and it's a bummer not being able to say hello to him.

My Life as a Large Animal Vet...wacka wacka!

I'm on my new rotation: large animal (horses, cows and assorted farm animals) soft tissue surgery. Although it's laid back, I really don't feel comfortable working with horses, nor am I familiar with "horsey" terms, how to deal with horses, or anything. We all are required to learn about them in class, but for those of us who haven't dealt much with them outside the classroom, it can really suck! Well, my current patients are a Brown Swiss bull named Brutus, and a 950 lb. pig named Finn. Both are super sweet and super cute, so I'm glad to have them. The week is dragging on, though! Last night we got home to find out that our cat Twinkie (in the photo, the handsome redhead on the right with our late, great Peter) apparently has tapeworms...NOT COOL. We ended up getting him de-worming medications. What disturbs me the most, more than seeing wriggling little white worms in his feces, is how he got them. Cats can get these nasties from mouse hunting, ingesting a flea that happens to harbor tapeworms, or from meat that has tapeworm eggs in them. Well, Twinkie doesn't have access to the outdoors nor do we have any evidence of having mice...which leaves the option of the fleas. He's never had fleas, doesn't seem itchy, and doesn't have flea dirt on his fur. So sadly, maybe I had brought some from the hospital...or maybe he got a few when I brought him to the hospital for the day! Or maybe some of our meat at home had some eggs and sometimes we give him tiny pieces...AUGH GROSS. If you want to learn a little more about tapeworms and humans, click here. Sorry for those of you I've completely freaked out!