Friday, July 31, 2009

I Did My Job

Yesterday was a very fulfilling day. Thursday is surgery day at my clinic, and I help prepare the pets for their spays, neuters, and other surgeries. There was an older dog that was having a dental procedure done, and I noticed that her recovery cage did not have a heating pad in it. I mentioned that to the vet, and went to get one. I know that during surgery, the anesthesia impairs the body's ability to thermoregulate itself, and I also know that senior dogs feel the cold more. I was especially interested in this case because I knew the pet was older, and I have a soft spot in my heart for the seniors.
I got a warm feeling inside knowing that I made a difference in that pet's recovery. I'm not patting myself on the back, I'm just saying I did my job.
Later when she was in recovery, she was not feeling well. She had vomited and was whining a bit. I went over to her cage and petted her, while I told her she was a good girl and would feel better soon. She stopped whining and settled down. From time to time I stopped by her cage to make sure she was still ok, and to pet her. What I did was invisible to her owners, but I was not doing it for them...I was doing it for the dog. I think of my own pets when they had surgery, and hoped there was a kind vet tech around to make their scary hospital stay a little bit better. If so; they were doing their job.
I get so much more out of being a vet tech than I used to working in an office. There is no greater feeling in the world than seeing a healthy dog leave the vet clinic, or knowing that you helped a cat in pain. I wish I had gotten into it sooner in life, but there is no room for regrets. I just have to make sure I make up for lost time and give my patients the best care that I can.
I'm just doing my job.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Cut It All Off



For the last few days I've been giving serious consideration to cutting my hair, and this picture is kind of the style I'm thinking about. It would be kind of drastic because my hair is all one length and it reaches my shoulders. I really hate having it in my face, so I wear it tied back constantly. I also don't go out to clubs like I used to so I don't need to have a really stylish cut. (Not that this isn't stylish, but I don't have to worry about looking hot at a club.)
In my field of work longer hair gets in the way, and can get dog slobber on it quite easily. There are many vet techs that have short haircuts, and to me that is very practical. I'm at the age now where I'm comfortable in my own skin and no longer want to be a slave to doing my hair (flat ironing in particular) every day. I'm going to my salon this Friday to talk to my stylist. When I return to work at the end of August I would like to just wash my hair & go, and not worry about it hanging in my face or looking stringy. I may not get it cut right away (yeah right, who am I kidding) but would like a 2nd opinion from my stylist anyway.
I'll keep you posted!






A Hibachi Dinner

Last night my best friend and I went to eat at a new hibachi restaurant by my house. There was not a soul in the place! I almost felt bad for a moment, having the chef come out and perform just for the two of us. As we watched our dinner being prepared, my friend started urgently whispering to me "do we tip this guy?" I said no, you just leave the tip at the end like every other restaurant. During the course of the meal he asked me THREE more times if he should slip the chef a few bucks. At this point I started thinking some things.
1. I actually never considered tipping the chef.
2. Didn't I ever take my friend to a hibachi before? I thought I did but he was acting like it was his first time.
3. If the tip gets left to the waiter (who only brought the drinks, hardly any work at all) then he should split it with the chef.
4. Finally, maybe the chef gets paid well and doesn't need the tip.

After some more frantic whispering I convinced my friend to leave the tip at the end of the meal like he would normally do.
The food was delicious, by the way. As we were finishing up our meal a large party came in and was seated by us. Then a couple came in and was seated at a different table. I would have ignored their arrival except for the fact that she called the waiter over and asked for "Diet Coke, in a kid's cup." Lo and behold, their child was up in the front of the restaurant with her hands in the koi pond trying to catch the fish. That caused me to think some more:
1. Why is that kid drinking DIET Coke? That is wrong on so many levels.
2. Can somebody please yell at her to stop harassing the fish? Where is the discipline?

At that point we were getting ready to leave, and as I passed the poor koi in their disturbed sanctuary, I gave the kid a hard stare. She ignored it.

Who would have thought that a simple dinner would result in a blog post? I never knew my meals were so interesting.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Good And Evil

How wonderful a world this is that we can have both good and evil exist side by side. Well, almost side by side...I'm the only thing separating them! 
My neighbors on the left side of me (or the right if you are facing my house, not sure how you are supposed to face when describing neighbors) are totally evil. They try to cut down our bushes and trees, come out of their house to stare and see what we are doing, even if it's a mundane task like mowing the lawn or picking up dog poop, and park in front of our house even though they have plenty of space in front of theirs. The neighbor on the other side of me is such a pleasant person! He keeps his house neat and clean, plants flowers yearly, parks in his own driveway, minds his own business and is generally quiet. 
See what I mean about good & evil? 
This past Sunday, the woman of the house came by while I was vacuuming out my car to say hello and GIVE ME A GIFT. There was no reason for the present, she is just a good person. She gave me a hanging basket of flowers (just like the ones she has hanging on her fence) and told me she made it just for me. We usually speak in passing, about our gardens or flowers, but I never dreamed she could be so creative and thoughtful as to give me a floral gift.
I love flowers!!!

The only thing my evil neighbors give me is a headache. They are currently trying to sue me over growth of tree roots, and obviously I can't blog about that because it's happening now. Rest assured I will give all sorts of details once it's all finished.

Anyway, there you have it. Good and evil in the same place. 
Flowers on one side and stink weeds on the other.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

High School Reunion


Thanks to FaceBook, I have re-connected with many of my old high school classmates. There are still a few that are not on the website, but that cannot be helped. Anyway, an informal class reunion developed out of our virtual conversations with each other, and that reunion took place this past Friday. 
As the day grew closer, I felt myself falling into the trap of not wanting to go. There were so many excuses! I had to drive all the way to Bayonne, I had to work the next day, there were things to do at home, the list went on and on. I had committed to going, however, so I got dressed (that was an adventure, I changed clothes 4 times before deciding on an outfit) and got in the car. 
There were about 18 of us that showed up, and the wine and conversation flowed freely. (I didn't drink, I had Coke all night.) The majority of the girls were not the ones in my clique in high school, but we all got along greatly and there was no awkwardness. I found myself wishing I had been friends with them in high school...but perhaps we were all different people back then. The time for petty games was gone, and we bonded over things like struggles with money, recalcitrant husbands, and health issues. I discovered that our class of 1982 had conquered cancer; a few of us had passed away; some were struggling with cancer now; and we were all united in helping prevent our high school from closing. (Our school is in grave financial danger and one of our class almost singlehandedly took the reins and formed a committee to save the school.)
I discovered the class of '82 was resilient; hardworking, yet still self conscious. We have grown into strong, intelligent women and we are all proud of our accomplishments. I'm very glad I decided to go to this reunion, as I thoroughly enjoyed my evening and had to drag myself away after midnight. As the night was ending we all promised to get together again soon, even making it a yearly thing. 

Perhaps the toast that I gave before dinner sums it up perfectly: "To old friends, renewed friendships, and to growing old gracefully!"

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Baby Back Rib Potato Chips


As my husband & I went to get a sandwich at WaWa, he noticed a new display in the front of the store. It was filled with flavored potato chips from Herr's. The flavor that caught his eye was "Baby Back Ribs". I figured, what the heck...they were only 99 cents. 

They are delicious! They taste exactly like ribs. I know that may sound gross, but if you shut your eyes and ignore the crunch, you would totally believe you are eating baby back ribs. 

I was unable to find this flavor on the Herr's website, but when I Googled the flavor I found out that they are discontinued. How awful! I would buy them to eat with a sandwich or even just by themselves. 
We live in a great country where there are potato chips with every flavor known to man. Of course, we are also a fast food nation and obesity is rampant. It's hard to eat healthy when you are tempted with all these quick and easy snacks with a variety of flavors. Herr's sells chips with flavors like boardwalk salt & vinegar, buffalo wing and Philly cheese steak. My husband is interested in trying the cheese steak ones.
Needless to say, I'm typing this post with greasy fingers from our new snack...and planning another trip back to WaWa to get more before they are all gone.





Monday, July 13, 2009

Learning A Lot

I've been on my externship for over a month now, and I can honestly say I'm really learning stuff. Each paper I have to write, each time I take an X-ray, every time I look under the microscope, I gain knowledge. The microscope is really not my friend, it seems like everyone can find Giardia or Coccidia except for me...but the other day the tech told me to "look under the 'scope, there is things to see", and I found a parasite that she missed! She told the vet that I was able to locate a tapeworm egg and that scored me BIG points. The tech jokingly told me that I got an A and she got an F for missing it. That did a lot for my confidence. 
And today I got to draw blood on a real live (not sedated) dog! I hit the vein and got the job done. 

At times I struggle with X-rays. I have had to take and re-take shots because the dog moved, or I didn't collimate correctly, or because I had the pet in the wrong position (THAT'S awkward). I will get better with time and practice. The good thing for me right now is that I finally got my old job back, and I won't have to take X-rays there. I plan on volunteering at my local ASPCA or another vet hospital to keep my hand in, however. It will look good on my resume also. 

Today I received my very own stethoscope. I was hoping to receive it as a graduation gift, but alas, I needed it to complete my externship. That is ok, that leaves me room for another cool gift after I graduate!

All in all, things are going well and I'm very pleased to be learning all that I am. I'm also pleased to be going back to work with my old vet. She is the best, most patient person ever. 
You will certainly be hearing about her once I get back to work.