A Moment Of Greytness

I see many kinds of dogs at my vet hospital, but some breeds are under-represented. I think we don't see enough Mini Schnauzers, or Greyhounds. The sight of an ex-racer sends my heart soaring!

Today was a good day, as we were lucky enough to have a Greyhound come in for vaccines. As I clipped his nails a few techs saw me hugging him and wondered aloud what is it about retired racers that grabs my heart. One tech even said they seemed "bland".

Well, yeah...anyone who owns a Grey knows the Look Of Fear that they all adopt once inside the vet hospital. Their eye bug out, they start to pant, they freeze and pretend they are invisible.

I dealt with that every time I took my girls to the vet. And I see it daily whenever I'm lucky enough to help examine a needle nose.

But that should not be what Greyhounds are judged on. I tried to explain to the techs around me how gentle they are, how silly they are (especially when squeakies are involved), and how wonderfully FAST they are. I told them stories about horrors at the track. I explained how they get socialized upon their retirement. I even said I had never met a mean one (unlike some other breeds that will not be mentioned).

I could tell that I didn't sway many opinions with my talk. As I led my sweet patient back to his mom, I petted him softly and pretended for just a moment that he was mine. I let my memories drift back to the days when my two girls brightened my day with their soft coats and cold noses. It has been one year since my special girl GiGi crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, and I miss her every day.

Readers with Greyhounds: give your dogs extra love and hugs today, for I cannot do that to mine any more.

What To Do When You're Not Doing It

Yesterday my boss told me that I will have to start coming to work on Tuesday at 11am again. That means no more having the whole day to myself until 4pm. This does not bode well for my studying, my writing, or my sleeping late.

Today I happen to have the day off, and after a fun filled day of shopping, flea markets, farmer's markets and bookstores, I am home by myself.

I should be doing my Business and Technical Writing homework. Failing that, I should be writing my novel.

I'm not doing either of those things. Instead, I'm writing this blog. Aren't I making good use of my time?

I guess not.

Here is a list of things that I end up doing when I know I have to work on my homework:

1. Check out FaceBook.

2. Check out Twitter.

3. Pet the dogs.

4. Fold laundry.

5. Chew on ice cubes and think.

6. Look at my "Writing Effective Communications" study guide and wish that I was never born.

7. Gaze longingly at the 4 books I just bought today and wish I could be reading them right now.

8. Go back to FaceBook to see if anything new showed up in my news feed.

9. Give the dogs a chewy stick and watch them eat it.

10. Call my best friend and tell him how busy I am and how I'm working hard on my writing.

As you can see right now, I'm actually very busy. Perhaps I will end this post while I'm on a roll, because I have so much to do.

As soon as I check my FaceBook just one more time......

Dumb Fish, Smart Pond

I was talking to Marsha today about her parents, and asked her if she felt proud that they were so smart. They were chemists. She said that their smartness did not help them at the end of their life, when they died in pain and wracked with Alzheimer's.

That took me back, because I just expected a simple yes or no answer. Marsha is always very philosophical.

That being said, I told her I wished I was smarter. I told her that in high school, I was a big fish in a little pond, I had many friends, got good grades, and felt a lot of self worth. Then I got into college and didn't pay all that much attention to my studies. I was too busy enjoying my freedom and my "grownup-ness", after all, in college no one is telling you what to do!

Back in my day, the guidance counselors gave you few options: go to college; become a nurse; work in an office; or be a mom. I went to college, but I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life. I worked a lot of "jobs", not careers. I eventually wound up working in an office, something I swore I would NEVER do. I kept an office job for about 15 years.

Recently, my life path has lead me to work as a vet tech. I find myself being the dumb one surrounded by smart people.

Marsha told me that just because you are a vet doesn't mean you are smart, it just means you are educatable. (See, more philosophy.)

I told her that I felt that so many people at my hospital were smarter than me and it was unnerving. I feel that my intelligence has diminished since I got out of high school, and there are times when I hear the vets talking that I feel like an utter moron.

I have to remind myself that they went to vet school, so they better know what they are talking about! I still wish I had done something better with my life 20 years ago, though. I would have loved to be surrounded by smartness when I was still young enough to really make the most of it.

I will have to be content with the knowledge that I have a rewarding career now, and not to regret anything that I have done (or not done) in my past. I just wish I hadn't let all my brains dribble away, because I really need to use them now.

Discipline is Needed

I have been reading more books on how to get published, and I have learned a few things.

1. You must write every day, no matter what you are going to do with it.

2. You must read a lot as well, good stuff and bad, because it all soaks into your head and helps you become a better writer.

3. You must develop a thick skin, because there is a lot of rejection out there. A story like "Harry Potter" comes along once in a million years.

4. Grammar, spelling and style are legion. You must either know how to spell or use a good spellcheck program. (This does not worry me, I'm a great speller.)

5. Finally, discipline and perseverance must be your strengths. Keep at it and don't give up, if you do, then you are not a writer, only a dabbler.

I still have a long way to go...I think the hardest part is writing every day. When I was younger I would write a few lines (or more) in my diary every night before bed. I wish I had that enthusiasm now, because it just seems that my daily life is not that interesting to write it all down.

However, the more I think about it, I was not writing it down because it was interesting..I was documenting everything that happened because I wanted to REMEMBER it. Sure, there was a lot more drama in my life back then, but now I can draw upon my life's experience and knowledge to create, not just document.

I will keep working at it.