Doctor and Mister

Resolutions.

2012-01-01T19:22:00.000-08:00

I'm writing this on a Kindle Fire, so it will be short. I can see why twitter is limited to 144 or some odd characters. Typing with your thumbs is awkward; its like I'm all thumbs (heh).

First resolution is to update more than once a year (done! This isn't so hard.)

Next some stuff about studying and, umm, getting a lab position.

Also no new pets and no more debt. (Slant rhymes are good for resolutions, they add a sense of dignity.)

Happy New Year and good luck.

Puppy surgery

2011-07-28T05:30:00.000-07:00

Our puppy is having knee surgery today to remove a torn meniscus, and stabilize a torn ACL and luxating patella. Even though I know she needs the surgery, and even though I'm a vet and have done surgery, and even though the Mr. had a very similar surgery twice, I'm really nervous. It's surprised even me.

The Mr. has accused me of being more nervous about the dog's surgery than his...I didn't admit it to him, but I AM more nervous about her. He can make his own decisions, but the dog relies on us to take care of her. She's 10 now but still looks and acts like a puppy so I expect her to be around for at least forever more years.

Manual

2009-05-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

I can now officially, if not efficiantly, drive a manual transmission vehicle. And the whole feat was accomplished with no yelling! (Unlike my driving lessons in an automatic...my Mom and I did not mesh in the instruction category.) I've even been highway driving, and I'm only averaging about one stall a trip now (give me some credit, it's only been a couple weeks.) Soon, and very soon, I will rule the world.

Doing Our Part.

2009-04-26T14:04:00.001-07:00

Just this last week The mister and I were able to do our part in both stimulating the economy AND saving the environment. Two birds with one stone...pretty exciting. We got new blinds! Perhaps not the excitment I thought life would bring, but I can't help it. I love them. I think it helps if you know how the old blinds looked.

The Office.

The Bedroom. (The blanket was to block out the streetlight which was directly outside the window, since the blinds were both translucent and missing large sections.)

As you can imagine from those pictures, it looked like squatters were living in the house from the front. I didn't bother with pictures of the back blinds, since esentially there were none. The back of the house faces directly west, meaning that in the afternoon it was possible to sunbathe on the sofa. We covered the back door glass, as well. That's were the real energy savings should come in. Ok here are the after photos.

Cheers.

April showers!

2009-04-04T19:02:00.000-07:00

The weather took a literal interpretation of April showers, and it rained for 36hours straight starting Wednesday night. The bad news is that it rained on my day off. the goodnews is that I slept like a baby during the showers. I always sleep well when it's raining. The last two days have had utterly divine weather. drew and I spent today diggin up the other front flower bed and moving those hideous holly bushes.

It was just the right temperature to work outside all day and not get hot. Unfortunately we forgot that the sun still burns even when it's not blazing. I think Jody would be very disappointed in our performance. It's the yearly first-nice-day-of-spring sunburn.

Mister Misfire

2009-03-20T16:05:00.000-07:00

So the school finally did the Mister in. Ironically it was not the students whofinally got him down. So after curing out two administrators he declared himself on 'medical leave' and is resting up until after spring break. Or so he thinks.

I personally have a list of yard stuff I want done. Manual labor is good for body, mind and soul. The stuff we pretend is grass is growing again, and there are bushes to move. We'll see if he holds up any better against the no-see-ums.

Happy Green!

2009-03-17T17:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! The mister and I spent it with Steve at a Mexican restaurant (naturally.) There wasn't green beer, but I did consume a very livid colored maragarita. Sure we could have done the usual thing and gone to Savannah, second largest St Patty's fest in the nation, But we're old and have to work to support a Mexican food filled lifestyle.

Actually, Mexican was not my idea (shocking, I know.) But as someone who gave up cheese and cheese-products for lent, I found it a bit trying. Still guacamole cures a world of cheese craving ills.

Almost Misadventure

2009-02-07T17:15:00.001-08:00

The Mister's hate of his current position and fear of/poor luck with officers of the law were combined recently when he stepped into the hall to see what all the commotion was about. He was expecting to break up another fight, instead he was partially pepper-sprayed by the school officer. The officer was trying to subdue a student at the time.

Attempted blinding is a continuing theme. I'm not sure if I mentioned it in the blog, but you may have heard me refer to the 'Bleach Fight' earlier this year. The Mister was involved in breaking up a fight wherein one of his students attempted to blind another girl by throwing a water bottle full of bleach in this girl's face. Apparently the first girl had been carrying around the water bottle all day for this purpose. Fortunately, another teacher stepped in, and only a dress shirt was ruined. A third teacher was kicked in his tender bits while attempting to restrain the bleacher.

You're probably asking the same question I did initially: What could the second girl have done to trigger a bleaching? Of course you will soon realize that this is a logically dead-end question, since no sane, socially adjusted person would ever resolve on blinding a person with Clorox. The correct answer is that this girl is crazy as evidenced by her requiring a mask (I like to think of it as a muzzle) to prevent her from spitting on people as she was taken away.

Really, the first incident puts the pepper spray in perspective.

Newly Wed?

2009-01-27T17:47:00.000-08:00

Two people have commentedon my wedding rings in the last 24 hours. COmmented as in "I didn't notice you wearing rings last time I was here," and "Did you get a New ring?" It's weird to have someone comment about the jewelry now that I've been married for awhile. Probablly because I'm not as aware of it as I used to be. It's weirder still because both of these people have seen me many many times, and only ever met me after I'd been married.

Eh, maybe it's just because the rings are extra sparkly since they had their yearly shining-up in Knoxville while I was home.

Wii're Getting Fit

2009-01-15T07:03:00.000-08:00

The Mister and I have begun our new Wii Fit program. We even rearranged the Furniture to better accomadate the Wii Fit. My favortire part of the whole thing is that I routinely score better than Drew on the fitness stuff. Mostly owing to his lack of balance. My only weakspot is the darn Soccer Ball game (figures.)

New Year Interview

2009-01-11T18:52:00.000-08:00

This entry is a meme interview courtesy of Jill since I was having such a hard time saying Happy NewYear!

1. Do you make New Year's resolutions or goals? Why or why not?
I do make resolutions, although I try to keep them precise. I like the idea of starting the New Year with a clean, albeit arbitrary, slate. My resolutions are usually focused on things I’ve been meaning to concentrate on but that keep slipping to the back of the pile. I can’t say that I am definitively more successful than anyone else, although a couple things always stick.

This year my resolutions are: To resume my daily journal (which has been dead and unfinished for four years,) to try to keep my TV time under 2 hours daily, to make better use of all the art supplies I have (particularly the watercolors) and joint resolutions with the Mister: to apply to 5 Grad schools for next year and to keep the house cleaner.

So far only the house cleaning and the journal have been fully implemented.

2. Who is your absolute favorite cartoon character, and why?
This is tough. The cartoons I watch now are very different from my favorites when I was younger. I used to love Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Chip and Dale’s Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck, Tailspin, Duck Tales, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, The Tick, Disney’s Aladdin (can sing along!) And clay-mation Rudolph (Still watch it yearly, stop action ANIMATED, but not technically a cartoon I suppose.) Now I watch Animation Domination when it’s on with Family Guy and American Dad, Futurama and I have the DVR set up to record South Park.

I’m going to have to go with a tag team duo of Pinky and the Brain. I used to watch Animaniacs just hoping they would be on. Hilarious. (The Mister says his is Foghorn Leghorn.)

3. I've said many times that I don't know how people adjust to marriage without having lived together first. Was moving in with Drew, and not only that, but moving to a new city right after your wedding, a difficult adjustment for you?
Actually, Drew did live with my sister and me for almost a year before we got married. Originally he was supposed to share an apartment with some of our friends because my mother was not big on cohabitation. But the rent went up and he lost his roomies, so he came to stay temporarily…and we never bothered to find him another place. Everybody knew where he was staying, but my Mom never made a big deal out of it.

Moving in with just the two of us was great, because it took my sister out of the equation. I love her, but she is hard to live with( I should know, I've done it twice.) It’s amazing, but simply not having that third person in the house took significant stress out of the day to day routine. The new city was a little tough, but I knew a couple people already and we made some great friends. It’s been tougher this year because our entire social circle (seven of our friends) moved away within a month.

4. If I were vacationing in your area, what places would you recommend I check out?
In Beaufort, specifically, I would recommend visiting Hunting Island, the state beach only minutes from our house. I’d also recommend eating on the water front, esp. during the summer when there’s live music. If you like historic stuff there are carriage tours, boat tours and several local history museums. I like shopping on Boundary Street; there are a lot of local artists and the art shops are fun to browse. I would also probably take you to a drive-in double feature, it’s nearby, a great deal, and I love the drive-in. Oh and Bluffton has outlets; I never used to be a big fan of outlets but I love the Banana Republic.

In the more general area I’d recommend seeing Savannah and Charleston which are about an hour and a half drive south and north respectively. They are both beautiful cities and great for walking around; they both have a lot of historic homes, museums, etc. Really, too many things in those to places to list, but you should visit.

5. If your 13-year-old self time-travelled and met your present-day self, what do you think she would think of you?
Well, I don’t think she’d be surprised that I’m a vet and have a houseful of cats. She’d probably be relieved to see that I found a boy I like and who likes me without too much intervening grief. (I didn’t really date until well after I was 13, and even then I was awkward.) She’d be glad I made it to 5’8”, would be impressed with my travels and might be surprised at my interest in pathology. She’d likely be disappointed that my silliness has been much subdued recently and I don’t read nearly as much as I used to read.

Well then, Happy New Years! This will have to do rather than pictures since I deleted all my holiday photos only 24 hours into the New Year. It can only get better from there.

Christmas Cheer

2008-12-21T16:02:00.000-08:00

Merry Holiday Season! Christmas is turning out well here, the cats have so far left the tree standing and the palmetto looks even better this year with additional lights. I don't want to jinx it, but it even looks like the Christmas Cactus is going to bloom. That's like a Christmas miracle, considering that it was once a single cactus leaf.

The only preparations left are the Mister's shopping trip. He has yet to buy my stocking stuffers, and I expect a stuffed stocking.

Liquid Crack

2008-11-24T18:57:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again, that most delicious time, the time when eggnog flows freely. And I know that it will be flowing around here. Now I love nog as much as the next person, which means in small doses with a generous helping of grog mixed in. Not so for the mister, he would bathe in the stuff if he could (his words not mine.) I'm not sure it's an entirely healthy obbsession, and I mean more than just physically. Anyways, here's an easy recipe for eggnog pie:

Buy instant vanilla pudding mix, follow the directions on the box for making a pie filling but use eggnot instead of milk. Pour the mixture into a pie crust, and chill. Top with Cool Whip and serve. (At work they call this better-than-sex pie, I'm not sure I'd go that far, but it's very yummy.)

Who's judgemental?

2008-11-08T10:45:00.000-08:00

The mister has so far resisted efforts to get him on the blog. However, he cannot make it through a college football game for one of his teams without rushing to the computer at multiple points and posting on the respective team's message board. He has very recently determined to be a Vols fan, so presumably he will have to join their message board as well.

I'm not convinced that the Tennessee thing will last, since it is not an impassioned choice, but born of a desire to be in the conversation when people talk about the SEC. But it might be a good time for him to get on the wagon, what with the regime change coming and all.

Life in a Red State

2008-10-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

I thought of the perfect easy Halloween costume: stuff a pillow under my shirt and slap on a name tag that says Willow Palin. Unfortunatley I will beattending a fratty halloween party with people I don't know in a very red state. So, I'm a chicken, plus I don't want the Mister to have to fight anyone. I paid alot for that knee and I intend to see it stay in one peice (unlike the last time he got in a fight.)

2008-10-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

Zevon (the fat black cat) has a fat chine, and for a week I have failed to bring home a steroid shot for him. That makes me feel like a bad doctor, but on the other hand, maybe he should stop being a bad kitty and quit licking plastic (since he is obviously allergic to it.) Maybe he should also stop being a bully and stop sleeping on top of the printer.

Stifle joints

2008-10-13T18:54:00.000-07:00

I tweaked my knee in the shower this morning, and it's been bothering me all day. It doesn't hurt...exactly, but I am beginning to feel bad about all the jokes I made regarding the Mister's knee curse. See, his first round fantasy draft picks kept blowing out their knees, and then his trades to replace those injured players did the same...knee curse. But now I'm worried he may have infected me too, which stinks, because then I can't maintain my label as the healthy one. It might throw th balance of our marriage completely out of whack.

In better news, Clemson's Bowden curse has been lifted!

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

2008-10-06T15:24:00.000-07:00

I have Mario Kart (dancedancedancing in my chair!) It has inspired me try try reinstalling the mini nintendo wifi! Here's hoping it works.

Tommy's head on a platter

2008-09-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

Tommy has proven once again that having a team full of talent doesn't make up for sucking as a coach and play caller.

The Mister's take: "If Tommy Bowden were really a good christian man, he wouldn't drive me to drink every weekend."

I think he must spend the whole halftime choking on cream puffs in order to inspire his team to do the same in every second half. I don't even want to hear the bitching from my UT supporting cohorts, Tommy taught Phil everything he knows about failure to develop talent.

Bailout

2008-09-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

Obviously I should stick to portraits, I am not a comic. But, this is how I feel about the whole thing, like there's a big push to sell us a bill of goods. (What's up with the public's hat? I'm not sure, I made some odd artistic decisions.) Sure the economy has been crumbling for awhile, but suddenly we have only a week to act?Paulson says they've been considering options for months, but apparently only had time to write a three page proposal. (In the first draft the Fed looked even more like the joker. I know I can't believe this is a more finished version either.)

Heres my favorite bit: 'Paulson and Bernanke have both argued that companies may shy away from participating in the program if shareholder value was diluted, undercutting the plan's effectiveness.' Seems to me that if they're stable enough to refuse the money if strings are attached, then great. You know what really hurts shareholder value: bankruptcy and company collapse. (I'm not sure if the comic is even going to show-up dark enough, pencil doesn't scan well.) I just have a hard time with people who let the economy crumble into chaos, saying, "Trust, us, we'll get everything back in order is you just get out your check book and start writing." ( I also have a big problem with dude's two button suit. Tim Gunn would not approve.)

Okay I'm a graphic failure, but I'm a graphite winner!

My civic duty

2008-09-22T13:43:00.000-07:00

Jury duty has started off well (we were informed that technically this is a week long commitment...but probably won't last that long.) My only snafu was forgetting that I had a pocket knife in my purse. They didn't give me any grief in the morning, I simply handed it over. However, when I was released for the afternoon and tried to retrieve it, I got scolded by a different officer. He told that since I hadn't taken it back to the car, it was confiscated. Well, nobody TOLD me that I could take it out to the car before entering. I was reunited with my property by a more sympathetic female officer.

Apparently this week is special because the SC Grand Jury is in town. They're trying a clerk of court from the next town over for embezzlement. I wasn't picked for that jury, but I might have to go back later. The selection process is a complete mystery to me, although I'm sure there are studies showing trends on the sympathies of different genders, races, classes, and educational groups. I have to assume that's it since that's all I think they new about us (that and marital status.) The defense dissmissed 5 of the jurors called up, and I couldn't for the life of me find a connection. The prosecution dismissed one, but he was a stoner bartender (not stereotyping here, I spoke to him during the recess) so I wouldn't have wanted him either.

Most interesting moment of the day: Man gets transferred to another week because he has a cruise with his ex-wife planned for Thursday.

2008-09-11T10:56:00.001-07:00

Ring Ring!

-(Groggy) Hello?

Hey, sorry to bother you on your day off. Just thought you might want to know that raccoon head you sent off yesterday came back positive.

-Rabies!? Seriously?

Yeah. And now the guy is upset too. They're making him double quaratine the dog and he going to miss all of hunting season.

(Scene)

In other news I cut off all my hair again, and it feels marvelous.

Not exactly Charlotte

2008-09-08T17:37:00.000-07:00

This spider is the Mister's Dread enemy. It lives on the side of the house by the A/C unit and is roughly the size of my thumb. I wanted to take a picture of it next to my thumb for a good visual, but the Mister flipped right about then. I think if it were on the same side of the house as the bedroom I'd have to move it for his sanity. There must be two of them too, because they've been mating. There are two egg sacs the size and color of kumquats at the top of the web! (Don't mention that to Drew.)

Wrath of Hanna dying down, all eyes on IKE.

2008-09-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

Well it looks like Hanna blew herself out for the most part (like a certain other H I know...) The Mister is pretty excited because there's no school tomorrow, because they are forecasting high winds and they don't want the buses to blow over. That's almost a cool of a reason as when we got out for flooding.

Another tidbit I picked up at work: it costs the military $40,000 to bring in all the buses to be on hand in case they need to evacuate the marines here. It's another 75,000 if they actually evacuate. Jeez.

You can probably tell this is my first real hurricane season (last year doesn't count since there weren't any big storms.) It's so surreal to be planning for evacuation in the midst of the sunniest weather in a month. It's sort of a weird waiting game. I mean, the weather has been incredibly nice for the last week, really calm and cool-ish (for here.) I've been taking my lunches outside, because it rained all last month, and it could be weeks before we have nice weather again. I personally have no wish to be ridin the storm out. I don't do cold food and no baths.

Hurricane Hanna? How ironic.

2008-09-03T04:41:00.000-07:00

This has pushed all other topics out everyone's mouth. Which means at work I no longer have to discuss piercings and who was exposed to rabies, and at home I can forget Clemson's humiliation.

But Tommy better watch himself. For now, my deal of last year still stands. All will be forgiven if we win an ACC championship. Otherwise I'm coming after him, I could take him. He's just a little fellow and, based on his sideline demeanor, he gives up easily when faced with a fight.

That old familiar feeling

2008-08-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

I found myself staring longingly at the ads for anatomical pathology residencies again today. Sigh. I don't know if I'll make it another 3 years here.

The Mister is excited about his new time-released adderol, and now he's convinced I'm ADD, too. But then he says maybe I actualy have the opposite, since I can focus to the exclusion of all other things when I'm interested enough. I think he's just jacked up on vitamins.

Jury Duty

2008-08-25T18:39:00.000-07:00

I've got jury duty twice next month. Within a week of each other. I'm supposed to call the circuit court back tomorrow and see what they have to say about the matter. Frankly, I'm rather excited about the prospect. This will leave me with two 3-day weeks in a row, and I won't have to twiddle my thumbs at work during the slow season. I can twiddle my thumbs in a new and, therefore, exciting environment, an environment where I can do my crosswords in peace.

I'm super! Thanks for asking!

2008-08-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite shows in 'Project Runway' on Bravo 9don't judge me, I've seen you watching 'The Hills.') However, I don't think I'm thetarget demographic, based mostly on commercials like this:

Apparently this version was too subtle. Recently they've been showing a version which intros with a guy dancing to techno music and in which no one is allowed to wear sleeves. My other favorite is the gay Levi's commercial. It's wonderful because it is literally exactly the same as the straight version until the very end when a guy walks out of the phone booth instead of a girl. I had seen it before on the Logo network and I nearly peed myself when it came on during 'Project Runway.'

More on the drive-in (I'm a little obsessed)

2008-08-04T15:42:00.000-07:00

On Saturday the Mister and I saw another double feature, only since the two movies we hadn't seen were playing on opposite screens, we had to pay extra.

First up was "The Mummy yada yada..." I liked the original Mummy, and the sequels weren't total crap, plus they had 2/3 of the original cast. I know it's the fourth in the franchise, if you count the "Scorpion King" so I wasn't expecting much. Still, sequels of this caliber are usually released straight to DVD, yuck. The worst part of the movie was the son, I'm not going to bother looking up his name, but he was awful. Sure the writing was stilted, but his delivery was awful (and it may be nit-picking, but if his parents raised him in England, why is he so obviously American?) I'm not sure I can blame it all on him. The directing left most characters delivering lines like a fourth grade play, with each character pausing and waiting for the next to say their line. I think they hoped throwing in a couple of Yeti's and a lots of fighting un-dead would help, but I'm sensitive to films where the CGI budget is padded by leaving out the final rewrites of the script.

Fortunately our second show was better. "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" was terrific. Some of the Mister's students had said it wasn't that great, but I think that's because the film requires an appreciation and background knowledge of the series. The movie hearkens back to the early part of the series, leaving out the huge conspiracies and alien stuff that I found less appealing in the later seasons. It relies quite a bit on knowing the background of the main characters to understand the relationships and some of the undercurrents of the movie, which I was fine with, but may have hurt the younger crowds' enjoyment.

We had a half hour between the two shows because X-Files followed the The Dark Knight, which is a long movie. This led to a second raid on the concession stand and regrets.

Sadly it may be awhile before we go back. The next new show they have listed comes out on the 15th. It's the Clone Wars thing and I'm not interested. I saw the trailer and at first I thought they were making a Lego Star Wars movie (which I might have seen.) But already I can tell that Obi Wan's weird tin man jaw animation will distract me if I try to watch.

Rule of Thumb

2008-07-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

If they are selling dogs at a flea market, they are not reputable breeders.

Vacation

2008-07-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

The Mister and I survived our vacation, half was spent in New Orleans for my concert and half was spent in Charleston with my family. Highlights:

*Midnight showing of The Dark Knight before we left

*The soft-shell crab salad at Cochon our first night in New Orleans

*The lecturer for pulmonary radiographs. (I have a new rule, adapted from my rules for party hopping: never leave a room where you have a great lecturer for another lecture you only think might be good, and never stay in a room where the lecturer stinks, no matter how relevant you think the material might be.)

* Seeing the old 97's at The House of Blues. I'm not any kind of connoisseur, but I've been really into several of thier songs recently. When I spotted the schedule on Saturday, I had to go. The show was awesome; two hours of straight rocking out in a great venue. They closed with one of their most high tempo songs.

I had not previously known much about the band (I'm not that type of music fan, if I like it, that's enough. I don't really pursue the musicians.) But the lead singer is very hot, and as the gay guy next to me mentioned, he had very bouncy hair. I later attempted to run away and go clubbing with the gay couple. The mister would be quick to point out it's not the first time, but two times in 7 years does not a habit make.

*Picking up the Furminator for cheap at the expo

*Catching waves on Folly and visiting with the extended Family

Tomorrow its back to work and catching up on call-backs.

Maybe Mister Misadventure

2008-07-11T05:25:00.000-07:00

The Mister is having a second knee surgery today, since his knee continues to sweel like a balloon any time he does anything remotely physical, and the limp is still there sometimes, and his left leg is still 30% skinnier than his right. This time it supposed to be just a scope and it's supposed to be shorter. Also the nurse mentioned possibly just doing an epidural, which terrifies the mister, but would be my preference.

He's afraid because he doesn't like needles, and also because that one time I thught he might have west nile, he got a spinal tap and it hurt like the bejeesus, even doped up on Loritab. I'm for it because the last time he went under general his blood pressure spiked and he had intermittant fever for a week, and because the time before that he ended up with walking pnuemonia. I'm also pushing for no opiates because the ones that don't make him vomit make his crazier than a shit-house rat.

On the positive side, I will be using one of my sick-days on him (I rarely have a chance to use them on myself and then they go to waste.)

Misterless

2008-07-06T16:33:00.000-07:00

The Mister is out of town from now until Friday when he will return for a knee surgery and then leave again. He's getting trained up in the AP (teaching, that is.) So I've got four days to entertain and feed myself, and I'm not sure it's going to go well. I've been eating practically gourmet, well balanced, homemade meals. I just don't think I can go back to straight-up cheesy quesadillas (yes I know that phrase is redundant.) I may turn to my father's method of dealing with my mother's business trips when we were younger, namely pizza and dining out.

Entertainment is not as big of a deal, but I really wanted to go see Hancock and whatever the double feature is this week. However, I'm pretty sure that going to the drive-in alone is pretty high up there on the lameness scale, right between knitting at restaurants and collecting carosel statues past the age of 11.

No Friends

2008-06-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

Well, Wednesday is the end of our friends in town. C. is leaving which means all of the mister and my friends have left town this year. C. will be misssed at work, but it's particullarly hard to find couple friends, and with Matt and Jodi leaving, we will be all alone. Sure, a trip to Japan is awesome, but what will we do on Monday when we are bored?

The mister is currently enjoying his summer vacation, and is enjoying all of the soccer games on television. After Sunday he will be forced to find something productive do to between the hours of 2 and 6. This is bumming him out. Did I mention we cussed out Comcast and switched to Direct TV?

REM/ Modest Mouse

2008-06-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

It was the Mister's birthday weekend and in celebration we took a road trip to Atlanta to see the REM/Modest Mouse concert with Nick. I do appreciate the irony of engaging in my least favorite activity (long car rides) just as gas prices are reaching towards doubling their January prices, but it's not my birthday. It also turns out that Drew purchased the tickets under the sadly misguided impression that Atlanta was a 3 hour drive, rather than the 5 1/2 hours it really takes. Either way it was a blast.

We stayed in the Hyatt downtown and took the Marta to the amphitheater. Drew and Nick have been talking recently about trying to tour Europe next Summer, but I think they'll need a lot more practice with public transportation if that's going to happen. Leading them around the train stop and then getting them on the shuttle was an adventure, and every time we had to pass through any kind of gate, the Mister would get stuck, blankly waving his pass in space.

The concert was excellent, REM played a nice mix of favorites and songs from the new album and Modest Mouse rocked out. My only disappointment was that Modest Mouse didn't play longer, They had a 45 minute set and raced through it. It was obvious they were the opening act, which is a shame because I was almost more excited about seeing them. Nick claims they're going to be in Myrtle Beach this week, but I won't be able to go anyways, sigh.

We spent Saturday before the concert visiting the Coca-Cola museum. Sure its one giant Coke commercial, but you get free samples and it's a fun interactive commercial experience. They have a '4-D' movie ride with 3-D glasses and moving seats, which was too much for Nick and Drew now that they're old fogies. We had to proceed to the tasting room directly afterwards for a little carbonated beverage to settle the stomach. The Coke Museum was packed too, we got there around noon and thought the line was long, but it had doubled by the time we came out. It seems to be a big tourist attraction, and not just for Americans. There were a lot of foreign visitors, probably 30% of the visitors. It was sort of a nice scene, all those different people waiting together to get in. It seems that no matter are differences, the love of sugary carbonated beverages is universal.

TOP 10

2008-06-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

10 Reasons this week wasn't as tough as it felt:

1. It was only 3 days long.
2. My animals weren't any of the 6 I had to Euthanize
3. I filled my tank with $3.91 gas the day before it jumped above $4
4. The Mister
5. I get to go to the beach and hang out with Matt and Jodi tomorrow.
6.

7. I finally had the massage session I was given for my birthday.
8. I'm having sweet potato fries with dinner tonight
9. My favorite Chef won Top Chef (Suck it Lisa!)
10. In 3 short hours it is over.

Amen

Summer's here

2008-06-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

Spring died a quick death here in the lowlands. It appears Spring was walking home after a Memorial Day Barbeque, enjoying the bamy weather and cool breeze, when a Summer, joy riding in a convertible and swilling gin and tonic rann Spring down in the middle of a sandy back road. Everyone agrees that Spring will be sorely missed. So far Summer has shown no signs of remorse, and the eighty-five percent humidity and 100+ daily highs are continuing. But with the spring have gone the bugs, for now.

Cheater Blog

2008-05-29T17:37:00.000-07:00

I stole this from Jill and I'm posting posting it for 3 reasons: I enjoy lists, I enjoy books, and I, like everyone, enjoy talking about myself (hence blogging.) I will also steal her notes about these answers are about 'one book' and not 'THE book' and I'm trying to use different books for each answer since many could fit more than once.

1. One book that changed your life.
The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. It was yellow, ugly, and long (at the time) my first grade self was apprehensive, but it was the first book I absolutely couldn't put down.

2. One book that you've read more than once.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

3. One book you'd want on a desert island.
The Hymnal, (I'll forgo the obvious answer of The Complete Idiots Guide to Surviving on a Desert Island.)

4. One book that made you laugh.
The Complete Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

5. One book that made you cry.
I'm a sucker, Marley and Me by John Grogan

6. One book that you wish had been written.
Blood Lines: The stories of My Ancestors. (and I do mean mine.)

7. One book that you wish had never been written.
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. Should have been a short story. (I feel obligated to say that I have a compunction about naming books I haven't read, although there are many that I'm sure I would wipe out.)

8. One book you're currently reading.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

9. One book you've been meaning to read.
Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynn Truss

Now as a bonus, the Mister's answers:

1. One book that changed your life.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

2. One book that you've read more than once.
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

3. One book you'd want on a desert island.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Because I haven't read it yet but feel like I should, plus you could use it to beat something to death.

4. One book that made you laugh.
Marley and Me by John Grogan (This may be symbolic of something, I'm not sure.)

5. One book that made you cry.
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. *sniff*

6. One book that you wish had been written.
Drew Schneider: The True Story of a Multi-millionaire Porn-star Turned Professional Athlete

7. One book that you wish had never been written.
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

8. One book you're currently reading.
A Long Way Gone can't recall who wrote it

9. One book you've been meaning to read.
Look Homeward Angel by Thomas Wolfe

Happy Anniversary

2008-05-28T04:34:00.000-07:00

Exactly one year ago yesterday we officially became Doctor and Mister, and I have no regrets about my decision. The original celebration plan called for dinner at Bateaux, a super fancy restaurant in Port Royal, but I clanged my mind at the last minute. Instead we went to the beach followed by a homemade shrimp and grits dinner (made fresh with shrimp that were swimming around in the morning) and finished the whole night off with an 'Indiana Jones/ Ironman' double feature at the drive-in.

I thawed out the last of the wedding cake to have for dessert last night, but due to time constraints it'll have to wait for tonight. We got some blueberry jam at Barefoot Farms, so I expect it to be delicious.

In other news I recently cut bangs again, which isn't that exciting, except I think they make me look younger. I thought it might just be in my head because I haven't had bangs since I was a Freshman in college, but later the checkout lady grilled me on my age when I bought wine. I haven't had my ID questioned since the year I actually turned 21, and then it was because the renewal came in the form of a ghetto looking green sticker.

Three's the charm.

2008-05-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

They say things come in threes. I'm not sure that's always true, but it does sem to work for certain emergency presentaions. After my back to back enterotomy/gastrotomies last week I was wondering if number three would show up, and appaerntly today was the day. Fortunately, I didn't have to do this one. Naturally worrying about those two consumed my weekend (heyyyybooo.) all the increased cases comes with the territory as we're entering the busy season of veterinary medicine. It does seem unfair that it should coincide with the slow season for the mister, but I guesss someone has to keep the house clean.

We've actually been doing more cleaning lately since we are (still) with out wallets for the moment. Very disappointing, I had hoped to have them back today in time for 'Green Drinks,' But sady it was not to be. Also sadly, since Caitlyn is leaving, it looks like I will no longer have any weeks without on call work. But on the bright side I could use the money (especially with the truck...I don't want to talk about it.)

2008-05-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

I'm not gonna lie, it's been a disappointing start to my 26th year. I had high hopes since I would be heading back into an even number (I have very few superstitions, but odd numbers have always seemed vaguely sinister to me.) I even took most of my birthday week off, and things were going well, until the day of my actual birthday. The truck broke down just as we tried to leave Aiken (home of the in-laws.) I would go on to leave both our wallets behind and possibly lose my phone for good over the course of the whole weekend.

There is hope however.

Derby Day

2008-05-04T05:19:00.000-07:00

The Mister and I finally had a successful shindig. My Kentucky-native colleague wanted a Derby get-together, so we threw one together. And, unlike previous parties, everyone showed up (and not just a roommates drunken a-hole frat friends!) Of course, if it weren't for the mister I would rarely entertain; I'm overwhelmed by the thought of involved cooking and planning, but we had an impressive spread.

The menu included;
Shrimp on Grit Toast
Coconut fried Shrimp
Shrimp Cocktail (with homemade sauce)
Vegetable kabobs
Beef kabobs
A Large Amount of chips and dip
Derby Pie

We (I use the term loosely, but I did help peel shrimp) made everything but the last two. The aforementioned colleague made the pie (which was delicious.) If you're interested in recipes, check the food network site. Shrimp and Grit Toast was fabulous, it's a Paula Dean recipe, so you know it's horrible for you.

Once everyone left we finished the night at the new neighbors house and I finally got to meet the wifey. New neighbor is a weapons specialist for the marines, but he's super-friendly otherwise. So the night was an all around success, but now I have to address the wreck that was left in the kitchen (the other reason I would never entertain without prodding.)

have you noticed that I love to use parentheses? Also, I got to use my favorite punctuation in this post; hint, it's the semi-colon.

Cried Incredulous

2008-04-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

Upsetting revelation this evening: I can't find my copy of Pride and Prejudice. Think whatever you will of me, but it is one of my favorite books and it is nowhere to be seen. I've checked everywhere, even the stacks of books-to-read on my beside shelves and Drew's book shelf, to no avail. In the search I also noticed that my copy of The Princess and Curdie, which is not as huge an upset, but it does raise the question: which other books were lost in transition? (To be fair, it's possible that I sold The Princess and Curdie back to McKay's, but definitely not Pride and Prejudice.)

I'm not sure I can accurately express what a bummer this discovery is.

Your Job Sucks

2008-04-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

I amputated a Hamster's leg this morning, what did YOU do?

Made of old scripts

2008-04-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

I've been a little annoyed by the recent trailers for 'Made of Honor', mostly because I'm pretty sure they already made this movie, only with Julia Roberts playing the Patrick Dempsey role. But then maybe they aren't onto a bad idea. It'd be interesting to have Patrick reprise some of her other parts, only with a reversal of gender in the leading roles.

I was going to rant about how I rarely go to the movies anymore for a variety of reasons, but then it got me thinking I should take fuller advantage of the local drive-in theater. I stopped going when the radio fuse went out in the wagon, and really now that I have access to a vehicle with sound, I have no excuse. I mean it's a great cheap date, two movies and maybe dinner (albeit greasy burgers) for the price of a regular trip to the movies. The only negative is the sand-gnats, but that's pretty much the constant negative to outdoor activity around here.

2008-04-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

This morning I got up bright and early on my day off and had a root canal done. Now this is my first root canal, as well as my first experience with my new dentist, so I'm not sure how well I can judge the experience overall. I mean the procedure itself (sitting with your mouth forcibly jammed open for 2.5 hours while someone drills and files at your tooth) is pretty lame, but I thought it went well for what it was. Dr. W did a great job numbing my tooth, I barely felt it, and so far it still doesn't hurt. And although my insurance won't cover it, according to Matt I got a good deal (professional discount? Awesome!)

I was going to post our old-timey photo instead of rambling on about root canals (fun stuff) but at the moment I can't locate it, so You'll all have to remain in suspense.

Pathological Thoughts

2008-04-02T17:03:00.001-07:00

I've been revisiting the idea of a pathology residency recently. Of course I may be (read 'definitely am') romanticizing graduate course work and the writing involved. Also, there's no way to know if I will be able to tolerate my own research project. My one experience with research did not leave me completely unscathed, but it was particularly tedious and involved with minutiae. However, I've definitely come to the conclusion that corporate practice is not where I want to be in the long term.

I do love all the niftiness of pathological features, I was good at physiology and my pathology rotation was probably one of the most fun. At the least it gives me something to look into a pursue again. Maybe I'll end up going somewhere where I can do more surgeries or at least have the opportunity to buy into a practice. Or maybe Drew will become a famous chef and I can through off the shackles of academia to pursue my career as a not so starving artist.

2008-03-28T18:51:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter Folksos! I've been enjoying my spring break, or Drew's break which I took off as well. Where would a seasoned world traveler such as myself spend the exotic week of spring break? That's right Knoxville and Gatlinburg. And did I leave the beach to visit a land of cold and snow (yes actual flurries)? Absolutely. It's been wonderful.

Of course while we were in Gatlinburg we had to just embrace the red-neckery. It gets to be a little trippy walking by the same five t-shirt, candy, old-timey photo, pancake and craft stores over and over again. Sort of like you're walking in place while the background repeatedly scrolls past you. But we did get an old-timey photo, which I will hopefully have the means to digitally preserve here for future generations.

2008-03-02T15:16:00.000-08:00

Did I mention that I gave up computer time for lent? No? Well I'll see you again after Easter anyways.

2008-02-05T07:41:00.000-08:00

Nothing makes you feel grown-up(read:old) like buying a car (read: truck.)

Virus proof.

2008-01-27T12:35:00.000-08:00

If I get through this episode without getting sick it will once again prove the all conquering power of my immune system. There is research showing that people are more attracted to individuals who have a differing immune system than their own, which clearly explains why I would end up marrying someone with the immune system the strength of a wet paper towel.

Lets hope I never need a transplant.

Voting

2008-01-26T16:14:00.000-08:00

Well I had planned to vote in the Democratic primary today. (Especially important, since I live in a state that votes overwhelmingly Republican and it would be my best chance to make my vote count.) Unfortunately the mister got a stomach virus and spent the day voting for Ralph. Repeatedly. I had to work all morning and I was afraid to leave him again because he gets a little weird when he has a fever, sparking exchanges such as this one:

(I come in just as he's finishing a phone conversation. He hangs up then hands me the phone.)
Me: Who was that?
Drew: What?
Me: Who were you talking to on the phone?
Drew: I don't know. I didn't know them.
Me: Well what did they want, what were you talking about.
Drew: I'm not sure...what about the phone? Was it for you?
Me: No you were just on the phone, I wanted to know who it was.
(15 minutes later)
Drew: Oh yeah, I think it was my Mom who called and she wanted you to call her back. Hey, did you already ask me about that?

Crackhead. Later he told me he thought someone might have come by the house while I was gone and asked if the car was for sale. But he wasn't sure, maybe he imagined it. So anyways whoever wins the primary I was not directly involved, and I guess I can feel bad or good about it how I choose.

2008-01-23T18:28:00.000-08:00

So, last week was hellacious, and I can't quite pinpoint why. Everyone seemed to be having a bad week. And yes Wednesday was busy, but it shouldn't have hit me like a ton of bricks the way it did. Wednesday literally ruined Thursday and Friday. I hate to think that I've gotten soft living on the coast, but I think it must be the weather. Apparently, anything approaching freezing now causes me to cry. Hannah and Megan's visit did lighten the mood, if not the weather.

Then, Monday night I was called in for an emergency c-section on a bulldog that had been in labor for 14 hours since she had produced her first puppies, with no results. Shit. 14 hours with no puppies=dead puppies. So now it's midnight, I'm doing my first ever en bloc spay and Cesarean section with no surgical assistance and only one tech to open the uterus while I finish closing the dog. (Book says: Hand the uterus to your team, you have 30-60 seconds once it is removed to get the puppies out.)

But ,then, miracle of miracles, the first puppy she removes is breathing, and then the second...we were able to save five puppies, only losing the sixth that had been stuck in the birth canal all day. Awesome. The satisfaction of actually coming through the whole thing by myself, with a mom and 5 puppies to show for it, might carry me through the week. It certainly helped with the monster task of closing the huge incision I made. (That took at least as long as the rest of the surgery combined.)

Sometimes my job is really cool.

Squirrelly

2008-01-08T15:20:00.000-08:00

No matter hw much I do on my day off, at the end of the day I usually feel like I've gotten nothing accoplished and get an uncomfortable restless feeling. Speaking of restless: New Year's resolutions.

First continuing last years resolutions:

Write at least a letter a week and floss daily.

And for some new kickers:

Clean the litter box daily
Finish painting the house
Vaccuum weekly

So far my oral hygeine goals are coming along nicely.

2008-01-01T09:24:00.000-08:00

They rocked, they rolled, they had a happy New Year's.

So you probablly don't need that rabies shot...

2007-12-17T19:05:00.000-08:00

It's hard, really hard to break the news that a pet is dying. It's even harder to tell people who's pet comes in seemingly healthy for an annual exam, or shots, or this small little lump I just noticed that, by the way, your pet has cancer. And it's going to die. Soon.

I like knowing the answer, but it's hard when the person wasn't even asking the question.

John Stewart, you're out.

2007-12-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

I was going to write a detailed post about my love of "Project Runway," and my dis-love of Ricky, the sieve wearing contestant who should have been eliminated last week. Seriously, those dresses looked like something I wore for a second grade tap recital. Also, what's with the crying? I hate it when people cry profusely at the drop of the hate for inconsequential events. Unfortunately my loquacity was stalled by the sudden, devastating discovery that I no longer have Comedy Central. I cried (this dicovery is anything but inconsequential.)

It's not like I've been living with cable for 7 months and only now realized my lack, previously our package did include Comedy Central. In the last month our digital cable underwent some sort of update which changed the number and order of the channels along with our guide and info interface. I probably should have noticed the deficit sooner, but the writer's strike has delayed any searches for John Stewart.

This is the last insult. I didn't think that my hatred of Comcast could grow any deeper, but once again, I have underestimated the depth of their indifference. I said this was not inconsequential, and the fallout may well include a switch to satellite television, or at least the local devil Hargray. But first I'm going to call and vent my frustrations on someone in Bangalore.

Relief

2007-11-24T19:54:00.000-08:00

Tommy Bowden is trying to give me a heart attack. As Drew put it "You know that feeling when you slam on the brakes to narrowly avoid hitting someone? It's like that, there's no joy, just relief that the worst didn't happen." It looks like we will still be heading to the Peach Bowl, however, and that means there's a possibility of attending in person, which is super YAY!

Wii give you thanks

2007-11-22T19:00:00.000-08:00

Hosting our first Thanksgiving was not as stressful as it could have been. And having everyone over reminded me of all the things I'm Thankful for: good food, family, new friends, a husband who is an excellent cook, and of course my Wii. Playing with my sister-in-law reminded me of all the joy it brought when it first arrived in our home, and how lucky I was to find one.

This renewed appreciation has spurred me to attempt to fix my connection problems, something I've been pushing to the back burner. Hopefully I will finally be able to have Wii buddies, and then my mii's will have the chance to visit with their friends and family too.

Clemson, baby, why do you have to hurt me like that?

2007-11-19T09:51:00.000-08:00

Tommy Bowden had his chance at a pardon and a complete utterly Christian forgiveness for all the pains he had inflicted over the years. My hopes were raised to a supreme level with visions of ACC Championships and BCS bowl game hopes. But all that was required for the pardon was to get to the ACC Championship, there was no stipulation about outcome. That's how far my hopes had expanded a natural generosity of spirit.

Instead I used the lord's name in vain and put a curse on the House of Bowden. I don't want to talk about it further, except to say that if all of my frustrations are not taken out in a vicious brutalization of USC this Saturday, I may be forced to break Tommy's knuckles. Or at least Tommy's knuckles in effigy.