Fall Term 2012, Week 10: All Downhill from Here

Well, I finally made it! This extremely stressful term is over. I'm just taking a quick break before the Physics final at 6, and then I will be truly done. I'm leaving for home in the early afternoon tomorrow, so hopefully, I will pull into Minneapolis just a few hours after dinner. I am so looking forward to being with my family and my dog, working a little, and shadowing more! Even though my application has been submitted, I think it is still important to continue my shadowing, so I can accumulate more hours in case I don't get in this time around. That and I don't want to forget what the world of veterinary medicine is like. I begin to miss it at times. I miss the clinic cats and getting to watch cool surgeries and meeting dozens of friendly people and pets when I go to the clinic. I don't get nearly enough animal contact while I am away at school. As you can see from the past 10 weeks, I really don't have time!

That said, this week was both busy and fantastic, a great way to end the term. I found out that I got an A on my third Physics test, an A- on my second Immunology test, and an A on my second Biochemistry test. I even improved a couple of percentage points from the first exam, which really surprised me. I can't believe that I am done with Physics, probably for the rest of my life. It wasn't always easy, but overall, it wasn't too bad.

Both the Immunology presentation and the Biochemistry poster session went well. I was surprised in both cases because I was honestly a bit nervous. You can see our finished poster below. Our professor liked the smiling dinosaur. I got my grade for it after the Biochemistry final (which was surprisingly manageable, as was the Immunology final)--a solid A. Once again, I've been worrying for naught.

Glucansucrase is the "dinosaur of periodontal disease" because it is a very old enzyme that can cause cavities when bacteria use it to make biofilms on the surface of teeth using sugar from our diets.

My Cadaver final also went pretty well. My partner and I struggled a bit in a few spots, but our instructor said that we did fairly well all around.

Our fundraiser on the Quad was overall a success. More people showed up than I had expected, probably because we kept pestering the campus community with emails. But it was all worth it. I think we made like $24, which is awesome. It's for the zoo, so I'm pretty happy with it. We got a cool piece of artwork out of it, too. Check it out!

 Thursday was perhaps the best day of the week because I was done with my homework in time to attend a meditation session with Sarah. It was really relaxing, and we got some hot chocolate afterwards.

Friday was pretty good, too, but that was when I had to start studying for finals. I ended up staying up till close to 3 AM, but everything before that was really fun. I went to Hannah's choir concert then went to Whitey's with Hannah's parents (who are like my second parents and who I hadn't seen in forever!), Sarah, and Devon. I had a delicious pumpkin malt. I really love fall!

After a couple of weeks of having our table at the College Center, we didn't collect as many donations for Make a Difference Day as I had hoped. But it was okay because I got a very nice donation from a family member, plus some students donated more money, so we were able to fill in what was missing at the dollar store on Friday. It was fun to pick things out and even more fun to put together the baskets, which ended up looking really good! However, the best part was when we got to deliver the baskets on Saturday. We didn't go to any specific women's shelter. Instead, Heather and I took all 10 baskets to the RNA home office in downtown Rock Island. I thought the building looked pretty impressive from the outside, with its grand stone facade and beautiful brass-framed double doors. Yet that was nothing compared to the interior. We entered in a beautiful lobby with plush couches, a chandelier, and richly decorated carpets. Wood paneling was literally everywhere. We met the CEO of RNA, which is an insurance company. She took us to the fourth floor to show us where we could drop off our baskets. The lunchroom was on this floor, and I was absolutely amazed at the view of the river, Centennial Bridge, and Davenport that was afforded by the wide windows. They really let in a lot of light, too, making for a very cheery atmosphere. If only it were not an insurance company, I would totally want to work there. The mission of RNA is to empower women to achieve financial success, bodily health, and the like, of which I am very in favor. Oh, well. It was nice just to be there for a little bit.

Other than that, I've just been preparing for finals and next term. Like I said, home awaits me very soon, and I cannot wait! I badly need the mental break from school, and actually getting away from the school environment is really the best way for me to recharge. I'll blog if I have any cool vet adventures, so check back at the end of next week for an update!

Fall Term 2012, Week 9--Now Back to Your Regularly Scheduled Blog Post

I think this is the first week in awhile when I have actually managed to blog one time two weeks in a row. I like this.

Anyway, there's not too much to report. Everything's basically the same as always. I'm feeling a little worried about the tests that I took in Biochemistry, Immunology, and Physics these past two weeks. I've felt really off my game, and I'm afraid that it will come through in my test performance. I think I'm experiencing a little bit of mental overload, but I don't even know why. If I can't take 10 weeks of a subject now, how am I going to take 15 weeks of many subjects in veterinary school? Maybe it's just this unique set of classes this term. This is what I will tell myself. There's no reason why this term should have been as hard as has.

On a lighter note, Circle K started its Baskets of Hope item collection this week for Make a Difference Day. I worked the table two days, and both days were pretty slow. We got absolutely nothing the first three days. We did get some promises from some students and faculty that they would make a contribution, though, so that will be nice. I got a couple of dollars from a friend to go toward our dollar-store shopping trip this Friday. And on Friday afternoon of this past week, a woman stopped by and donated two blankets, some candles, and an assortment of personal care items. Another student dropped off some note cards. So we are slowly making progress toward being able to make up a fairly good number of baskets to deliver! It will be very rewarding to see the looks on the faces of the women at the shelter when we bring them these items in a week!

On Monday, when I went to check my mail, I was surprised to find a package slip in my mailbox. I had ordered some textbooks on the Friday before, so I knew it couldn't be them. Perplexed, I headed to Sorensen Hall to the Bulk Mail office to retrieve my package. I was so excited when I saw that it was from home! I rushed back to my room to open it. Inside was a cute note from Mom plus some end of the term food supplies to help get me through the next 11 days: instant oatmeal, pitas, popcorn, tea, crackers, granola bars, hot chocolate mix, almonds, and pasta! Mom knows me so well. I feel so loved and privileged to still be receiving care packages from my family as a senior. I figured freshman year I would get them because it was my first time really far away from home for an extended period of time, but now, I am so well adjusted to college life that I almost cannot remember what it felt like to be that awkward freshman girl.

Friday was actually a pretty great day too because one of my Winter Term books arrived (the lab atlas for Microbiology or "Micro," as I shall refer to it), and I got to see one of my guy friends that I don't see often. He gave me a big hug, and we chatted for a bit before I had to run to class. That night, Sarah and I went to a showing of The Dark Knight Rises that OSA was playing in Pepsico. They had chairs set up on the courts, plus free popcorn with yummy toppings like candy corn, M&Ms, and peanuts (plus free pop and water). It was a great night! I enjoyed the movie; I thought it was better than The Dark Knight. It was just so chock-full of A-list actors, and the plot was really good.

This morning, I went to a professor's house with a couple of other girls (who happened to be sisters) from Circle K to spread mulch on a path through his wooded property. I actually enjoyed it because, as you might expect, I love doing things that produce tangible results (this is part of the reason why being a vet is so appealing to me). The path looked so much better when we were done! The professors grandsons like playing the woods around the path, so we were doing something pretty important. They actually came for a visit while we were there, and they seemed pretty happy with the improvement. The boys (twins) built a makeshift version of Eeyore's house from Winnie the Pooh, and their mom told us that they call the woods "Heffalump Hollow," which I thought was pretty cute. What was even better was that they brought with them a beautiful Husky named Carusa, who was very sweet. This is why I love Circle K. We even got to see some deer bounding through the woods, which was very cool. As a side note, there was an owl sleeping in one of the trees in our backyard this morning. It was awesome! (I like owls, if you can't tell.) Anyway, we did that for about two hours, and then the professor wrote us a check for Circle K for our time. So, it was like fundraising and volunteering at the same time!

Tomorrow is finally the re-scheduled Cardboard Regatta from Homecoming. I hope our boat doesn't sink into the Slough, but in all likelihood, it will! Most clubs don't make it too far before the thing capsizes. That thing has to hold a full-grown man and woman! Sarah is riding in the boat for Scandinavian Club, so I'm sort of looking forward to seeing her fall in. (Oops...sorry, bestie!)

I can't believe that we are heading into the last week of classes for this term! I know I say this a lot, but it just always astounds me how quickly the term flies by. Before too long, I will need to start looking for a place to work during the six months between graduation and vet school (hopefully) and scoping out grad schools to apply to as back-up in case I don't get in to vet school. I would have my Biology degree, so I could get a legitimate science-based job in the interim, which is kind of cool.

After this week, I will finally be done with my Biochemistry poster, Immunology presentation, and Cadaver final (we are taking it a week early, which is good because otherwise I would be here until at least Thursday of Finals Week, which is always a real bummer).

Since I didn't do much this week that lent itself well to photos, I will share a picture from the night we watched Armageddon for BBB.

Most of us were doing homework instead of really watching the movie. Hence, the books. What? We're busy Biology students!

Well, that about sums it up! The next time I post, I will have only a few short days until I am home again! I'm ready for a break! I want to get some more hours at the thrift store because I need the money, and I'm also looking forward to shadowing more with Dr. J. Ciao, i miei amici!

Fall Term 2012, Weeks 6, 7, and 8--Uh, Where Am I?

Is this the right place? Is this my blog? I almost forgot what it looked like. I think I still remember how to do this...

Hello again, finally! I got quite the homework break this weekend. I just have some small reading assignments and general preparation for a presentation on immunodeficiencies in Immunology, so I actually have time to update you on my life for the past three weeks.

More or less, I have heard back from all of the vet schools to which I applied. They have--as far as I know--received all of my materials and are processing them now. So, for the present time, all I can do is wait for my interview invitations to come in, which will probably arrive in December or possibly early January. I'm happy with that.

Our campus-wide Symposium Day during Week 6 was fairly successful. The speaker could have been a little more dynamic. Lots of students had their phones out, ignoring him. I felt sorry for him. Later in the afternoon, I got to go off campus to pull weeds at the Quad City Botanical Center, so that was pretty cool. Unfortunately, they shoved three groups of students onto the same bus, so we had to sit basically three to a seat with some people resting in the aisles. Not the best planning. However, I got a sweet black t-shirt out of the deal, so I was mostly satisfied with the day.

I found out that week that I got an A- on my first Biochemistry test, so I'm pretty happy about that. I also found out recently that I got a 98% on my second Physics exam, so I am even happier about that. Thirdly, I got a 96% on my first Immunology exam (after extra credit). So, all in all, even though I am still quite overwhelmed with everything, I don't have too much to worry about academically.

I have been pretty busy planning the Circle K fundraiser for the fall, which is a paint-balloon and dart fundraiser where students get to throw darts at balloons filled with paint that are attached to a blank canvas. Obviously, the balloons explode when you hit them, creating a really cool look. It's modeled after that scene in The Princess Diaries. We will hopefully be holding it in a couple of weeks. We were supposed to do it today (Saturday, October 13th), but the Homecoming Festival got moved indoors, so we couldn't.

On the weekend after Week 6, Sarah and I went to Bishop Hill with the Scandinavian Department and some of the international students. That was pretty fun. We stopped first in Andover, Illinois to view the renowned Jenny Lind Chapel, which has a very rich history. It was finished in 1854 by order of Lars Esbjorn, one of the founders of the Augustana Synod that would eventually morph into the ELCA. He was also the first president of Augustana College, which started in Chicago in 1860 before moving to Paxton in 1863 and then finally Rock Island in 1875. Anyway, the church was not used as such until 1870 because it was needed as a cholera hospital for the intervening 16 years. As such, the church lacks a steeple because the lumber was needed for coffins. It is quite a charming little place despite its morbid past. It's very quaint, with that old-building smell of wood and brick. The basement is home to many interesting Swedish artifacts (like traditional clothing and even a stamp for making hard tack, that infamously bland cracker-bread) as well as numerous portraits of the Swedish Nightingale herself.

Stained glass at the Lutheran church.

The organ at the Lutheran church.

More pretty stained glass.

The steeple of the  Lutheran church.

SARAH! She kind of didn't want me to take a picture, but that hat was just so cute on her!

The Jenny Lind Chapel

After touring the chapel, we walked across the street to the Augustana Lutheran Church. It had quite an impressive steeple and amazing stained-glass windows, which were installed in the 1880s.

When we finished our quick tour of the Augustana Lutheran Church, we got back in the vans and headed to retired faculty member Elma "Mooch" Gay's house for treats and a break. She has quite a lovely countryside home just on the border of some corn fields. Part of her land is even classified as a wildlife preserve by the State of Illinois.

After our little pick-me-up, we actually started on our true way to Bishop Hill, a small Swedish-American community founded by one Eric Jansson, who (like most immigrants) was seeking religious freedom when he came to the United States. However, there is some debate about whether he and his group were truly being persecuted. Anyway, he quickly became a very creepy character, the leader of a strange cult in which he professed that people could only come to God through him. So very, very wrong.

Now the town is an interesting mix of real and made-up Swedish heritage. Each year during the fall, Bishop Hill holds a harvest festival. There is a sort of nontraditional sausage stew they serve there as well as fresh kettle corn, music and dancing, arts and crafts, kids' games, and a petting zoo. We only had about an hour and a half to wander around while we were there, but Sarah and I managed to walk through some cute little shops as well as a Heritage Museum, where we viewed some furniture from traditional Swedish-American rooms and some artifacts donated to the museum from Augustana College's collection.

All in all, I'm glad I went because even though it took me away from homework, I realize that I learned a lot about another culture, which is just as important to my education as anything I do for one of my classes. Sarah and I want to go back again with Devon, maybe around Christmastime.

The weekend after Week 7 was so incredible. The Andy Grammer concert was beyond amazing. Even the opening act was great. It was Chris Wallace, whose name sounded really familiar to me when I first heard it announced. Later, he told us that he used to be the frontman for the band The White Tie Affair, which made me so excited. I love that band so much! He is quite the spitfire and has a great voice. He even sang one of his White Tie Affair songs for us, which I really enjoyed. But Andy Grammer was even better than Chris Wallace. He is such a fun guy, and his voice is so fantastic. He said he enjoyed playing for us because we were so insane and happy to have him there. He had just finished opening for Train, and as the first of three opening acts, not many people were around to hear him. But we were all there to cheer for and listen to him. It was probably the best concert I've been to because I went with my friend Lauren, it was free, and the music was so good. I mean, Fall Out Boy back when I was 16 was also great, but I paid a lot of money for a ticket, and the atmosphere wasn't as nice as it was to be at my own school with my own peers that I see on a daily basis (versus complete strangers).

The pre-show stage set.

On that Sunday, I got to help run an informational booth for the animal shelter with Heather. We took a shelter dog named Trixie with us to encourage people to donate to the animal shelter (and to maybe get them to adopt Trixie or another dog or cat). Trixie was such a good girl for us, and she is a real sweetheart. She is a five-year-old Lab mix who was originally adopted from the animal shelter as a puppy after her mom had her and her siblings in the shelter. Her family had to bring her back when they moved; they just couldn't take her with them. So I hope that Trixie can find a home that can keep her this time soon.

The sweet Trixie.

 This week, I was able to register for my last set of classes at Augustana. I really, really cannot believe it. Time goes so fast. Nobody tells you to appreciate your first three years. Every day now is precious to me because once I leave, I'll never be able to do the things I can do all the time here (like workout at Pepsico for free; see movies for free; walk across campus to hang out with Sarah, Devon, or Hannah; and so much more). But I don't quite have to worry about that yet. I still have some time to soak it all in. Anyway, next term, I am taking Animal Communication (which I am so, so excited for), Human Physiology, and Microbiology! I am very happy that I get to take Micro because it is absolutely required for admittance to the DVM program at the University of Minnesota, which is my very tip-top choice for vet school. Obviously. I'm happy that I'll only have those three classes to worry about instead of three full classes and two one-credit classes (which can be sort of hard to keep track of because they're only once a week and so tend to fall by the wayside until the night before, when I remember I have to do something for them). Also, my maternal grandfather worked for many years as a microbiologist for the CDC, so I can talk to him about my Micro class. That will be quite fun, I think!

On Monday, I went to Longfellow Elementary to participate in our annual Reading Is Leading event, where students on Mortar Board read with students and encourage scholarship through that activity. However, there weren't a lot of kids there, so I was relegated to the arts and crafts room. It wasn't too bad because I got to hang out with some girls that I know pretty well, and we made leaf rubbings with the kids (all three of them boys). One of the boys I recognized as the kid who went onstage during the Mike Super magic show and tried to get Mike to guess his card.

Last night was the annual Sing and Homecoming Coronation. The Sing competition is where the Greek groups all get up and do musical numbers that have to do with Augustana, Greek life, and college life in general. They were all really funny, especially the Sigma Pi Delta sorority, which did a bunch of Aladdin songs. The men's musical fraternity Phi Mu Alpha did throwback theme songs, including the Pokemon theme, which was pretty great. However, the overall winner was the Rho Nu Delta fraternity, which did a Michael Jackson medley with some great dance moves.

Just today, I helped Heather run the Circle K table at the Homecoming Festival. It was pretty fun. We sold $25 worth of crafts to benefit the animal shelter, and we got to talk to a lot of alumni and even President Bahls! In addition, the Collegia Classica club was right next to us, so I bought a piece of baklava from them for $1. It was fantastic.

Later, I celebrated Hannah's birthday with her by crafting at one of her friend's houses. We practiced origami for most of the time while munching on pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. It was a very nice time, especially since I never see her anymore except in passing in the library sometimes.

So, that was pretty much the last three weeks for me. These next two weeks should be pretty interesting. For Circle K, we are starting to collect items like personal care items and school supplies in order to make Baskets of Hope to donate to a local women's shelter on Make a Difference Day (October 27th). It's a Royal Neighbors of America event in which we want to participate because RNA is like our sponsor, and we get $25 for our club if we made 10 baskets or more. We are running it for two weeks, so I really hope it's a success. I have my third Physics exam, too. On Saturday, Circle K gets to do some paid yard work, so I will for sure be participating in that. And on Sunday, Student United Way is hosting a Tying for Comfort service project where we get to make tie blankets for the American Red Cross. I need more service hours for Mortar Board, so I'm going to go. I hear there's free food, so that's always a good motivator.

All right. I guess that's a wrap. TTFN. But before that...autumn pictures!

I love that this picture captures basically the whole rainbow: the reddish purple of one tree, the orange of another, the yellow of a third, the green of surrounding trees, and the blue sky.

This is the tree across the street from us. I love how it's ruby-colored on the outer fringes and golden within.

More Apologies

Hey all. I want to apologize again for missing a week of blogging. Things have just been way too hectic. I feel like any time taken out of my work time will hurt me down the line, so I can't even justify blogging right now. Everything with me is fine. I'm still having fun while getting my work done, and I continue to have all those crazy college adventures you've all come to know and love in the year since I started blogging seriously. My hope is to do another double blog post on Sunday (October 7th), but we'll see how that goes. If anything really earth-shattering happens, you'll know, but right now, I'm a bit overwhelmed.Thanks for understanding! You guys are the best.

Fall Term 2012, Weeks 4 & 5--Two-fer

Because I didn't have to write about week 4 last week, you are going to be treated to a double blog post! Lucky you! You're even luckier because I will try to just include the highlights so that this thing doesn't stretch on forever.

On Tuesday of Week 4, my aerobics class got to send a special Happy Birthday message to our instructor's guy friend Domingo, who lives in the Dominican Republic. Kind of ironic. But anyway, she happily showed us his picture and gushed about how attractive she thinks he is. Then, we performed one of our Zumba routines for him and videotaped it so the instructor could send it to him. I felt really silly, but if it made her and him happy, I'm glad I could be a part of it.

During Cadaver last week, we got to dissect the posterior thoracic wall, observing the intercostal arteries and veins as well as the sympathetic trunk near the spine. We noted the azygous vein and greater splanchnic nerve, as well.

On Friday, I submitted my Lincoln Laureate application, so it is currently being reviewed. I probably won't find out whether I have been selected until late October or so. In the afternoon, I checked my mailbox, and waiting for me was a package from home with a book and some DVDs in it. I love my family.

The book on the right is from home. It's The Rise of Nine, the third book in the Lorien Legacies series, of which I Am Number Four is the first (they made a movie of it). The book on the left is Vet Tails, a collection of short stories from a small-animal vet that I found on the library website and ordered from Joliet Junior College to be delivered here for me to check out.

 Later that night, Sarah and I went to see the Olin movie again. This time, it was Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, which was an okay movie. I really enjoyed the last half-hour. Before that it was kind of stupid and ridiculous because everyone in the movie was just doing drugs and stuff. But it got poignant near the end when the main character goes to reconnect with his estranged father and seeks his true friend for the end of the world. After the movie, Sarah and I went back to her place to watch more Big Bang Theory, but I didn't stay long because I had to get up the next day for Mutt Strut.

I would say that Mutt Strut was a pretty decent success. We sold about $50 worth of items. The day was very sunny and warm, and I got to pet lots of dogs. I even bought myself a cute dog magnet from among the wooden magnets we were selling. Probably my favorite part of the day was watching four Dachshunds riding in a red canvas wagon. I called it the Wiener Wagon. I also liked rocking out to the music they were playing with my fellow vending-table partner.

My new puppy magnet!

Wiener wagon! They were so happy!

I did a lot of studying that weekend for my midterms, so that took up a lot of my time, too. I think all of my midterms went well, though, so it was worth it to spend all that time going over notes and such. In fact, I got my Physics midterm back on Friday (as in, two days ago), and I got 90%! Normally, I would think I could do just a bit better, but it's mechanical physics, which is not really my strong suit. Plus, 85% in that class is the bottom line for an A, so I think 5% above that is pretty great. I will take it without complaint. I'm still waiting to get my Immuno test and Biochem test back, but if they went as well as Physics, I'm not too concerned.

Luckily, this past week was much better than Week 4. I didn't stay up as late as I had to Week 4, so I felt a lot less stressed. Not much happened during the week. Yesterday, I didn't have much to do because I thought I'd be going to Bishop Hill. It turns out that the Fall Festival isn't until next weekend, so I had to quick find something else to fill my day with. I did have a bit of reading to do for Immuno, but I felt like I needed to reward myself for a busy couple of weeks. I figured first, though, that I should volunteer since I probably won't be able to next weekend when I actually go to Bishop Hill. Luckily, there was the Walk for Babies, which is like March of Dimes only in the fall instead of the usual spring time period. I helped set up tables for passing out water along the route and basically sat in Westerlin (a residence hall) until 11 AM, which was when people were supposed to start coming around. I guess the power went out in certain campus locations earlier on Saturday because the lights were all off and the dining hall and C-Store at Westerlin were closed. A bunch of confused freshmen and sophomores were wandering the halls asking each other if they wanted to go to the College Center for breakfast instead. A security guard had to come disable some alarms that were blaring. It was a pretty comical scene. The power eventually came back on, but by that time, it was near 11 AM, so my Circle K companion and I headed out near Pepsico to start getting ready for the walkers. I walked into Pepsico to toss out some plastic from unwrapping the ice and bottled water for the walkers, and while I was inside, the whole group of walkers passed by. I was gone 30 seconds and missed the most important part of my job! Figures. I have such bad timing...

On Saturday night, I went to a magic show with my junior friend Sarah (it's funny because both she and my best friend Sarah both have last names that start with "Ma," so I can't even distinguish them that way, and I don't know their middle names, so that doesn't help, either). Anyway, it was mind-blowing! The magician was Mike Super, the winner of the TV magic competition The Phenomenon. He is fairly young--I'm guessing just a couple of years on either side of 30--and hilarious. It was like going to a comedy routine on top of a magic show. But this guy is good! He took a dented, empty Coke can and fixed the dents before re-sealing it and filling it back up with Coke. Amazing! He also had us help him shatter a pitcher with our minds. Another incredible trick was when he took a napkin, folded it into a bird, and made it dance on his hands and on his arms. He then refolded it into a rose. He lit the rose on fire, and when the blooming flame subsided, a real rose had taken its place! Perhaps the most incredible thing was a trick where he performed voodoo on a sophomore boy. He took a piece of the boy's hair and tied it to a voodoo doll. Then he did a weird dance and "connected" them. When he tapped twice on the doll's shoulder, the boy could feel it on his own shoulder. When Mike lit the two hands of the doll with a lighter, the boy could feel his hands warm. What's more, the boy showed us his palms, and they were singed! How did that happen?? The scariest thing was that Mike took a pin and poked it into the doll's stomach. The boy immediately leaped up from his chair because he could feel it too! I'm wondering if he was somehow hypnotized. Dad explained a lot of the illusions to me, but it was still a great show.

Later this evening, I am going to a Hobbit Birthday Party with Sarah and the Tolkein Society. We are celebrating Bilbo and Frodo's birthdays, which are both on September 22nd in the books. I'm looking forward to food and laughs with the crazy nerds of the Tolkein Society.

Well, that about catches you up with my life. Tune in next week for an exciting account of my trip off-campus for the Fall Harvest Festival and much more! I leave you with a picture I took this morning while I was out for a run near the house (which I've decided to call 39 House because the first two digits of the house number are 3 and 9).

A Quick Note

Hey all! Sorry I wasn't able to blog this weekend. Life has been so crazy I can hardly stand it. I hope to get a combined Week 4-Week 5 blog post up this weekend when I might actually have time to catch my breath. Those midterms, I tell ya...

Fall Term 2012, Week 3: Quality over Quantity

Although this past week was a shorter school week than most, owing to Labor Day, it certainly made up for that lost day. The result was a week no less busy than any that has come before, and that baffles me completely. It felt like a normal week even though it was only four days long. How does that work?? But I'm wasting time contemplating something that cannot be contemplated.

This little blog post was brought to you by way of a study break. I wish I didn't still have things to do at 8:30 PM on a Sunday, but such is life. It makes me a bit nostalgic for my high-school days, when I would have time to do all of my homework on Friday night and then was free for the rest of the weekend. Granted, I didn't have much of a social life then, and I guess I still don't, but those were simpler times. Anyway, onward and upward, as the saying goes.

Secondly, happy Grandparents' Day! I am blessed to still have all four of my grandparents, and they are all incredible people who have supported me from Day 1 (as in, the first day of my life in this world). How much more can you ask for? Not much, my friends, not much.

I also need to give a shout-out to my amazing mother, as today is her birthday! I won't say how old she is because I suspect she would not like that very much. (Even though you don't look it, Mom.) I'm hoping she's curled up on the couch watching a good movie or relaxing with the Sunday paper right now, maybe sipping some tea.

I will attempt now to summarize my week's events without going into excruciating detail because, quite frankly, it takes too long, and also, you probably don't want to hear all of the minutiae of my life.

Tuesday was my first BBB meeting of the year. I was hoping it wouldn't take too long because I basically had to go straight there from aerobics and straight from BBB home to shower before Circle K. Gotta love Tuesdays. To my joy, it was quite abbreviated. We were basically just informed of some changes to the membership requirements and such, and then we were free to go.

In Cadaver on Thursday, we spent a lot of time dissecting the heart. Our heart was pretty mangled from previous dissection, but we were still able to see some of its more important structures, including its coronary arteries, left anterior descending artery, chordae tendineae, papillary muscles, and some of the valves.

In general, all of my classes are still going well. I just continue to get more comfortable with everything and to gain confidence again in my ability to manage my time effectively and to do well in my studies. I know none of you doubt me, but I'm always afraid of what might happen if I got too cocky.

I'm basically done with my Lincoln Laureate application at this point. I just need to revise my statement of interest. Dr. S, my letter writer, told me that she submitted the letter early in the day on Friday, so I am very happy about that. I just went to Cool Beanz, the local coffee shop, to get her a gift card as a way of thanks. I'm hoping she enjoys it!

Friday night, I went to the free movie showing again at Olin. This week, it was Snow White and the Huntsman, which I have wanted to see for awhile because it was supposed to be pretty good. Well, it was okay. I enjoyed watching it with Devon and Sarah, and it was a good way to have some fun on a Friday night, but it definitely is not the best movie in the world. Kristen Stewart is just not that great of an actress. After the movie, I went over to Devon and Sarah's apartment, and we talked for a bit before watching a few episodes of The Big Bang Theory. Man, I forget how much I love that show until I watch it again. We also made some cookies and ate those while we watched our show. Good stuff!

On Saturday, I got up and went for a run. Feeling a little silly, I decided to run near Lincoln Park so that afterwards, I could swing on the swing set, my favorite piece of playground equipment. I thought I would be artsy and take a picture to remember my little adventure, and this is what I got thanks to Instagram (I think I used the "1973" filter, if you're curious).

I call it "Nostalgia at the Park."

 In the afternoon, I volunteered at the East End Neighborhood Fair, a little carnival at St. John's Lutheran Church just seven blocks from school. I spent an hour running a game where kids threw beanbags at ducks and tried to knock them over. They got six tries to hit all six ducks, and the prizes ranged from tattoos (for one or two ducks) to plastic rings (for three or four ducks) to plastic High School Musical headsets, Chicken Little toys, or little bottles of bubbles (for five or six ducks). I don't need to tell you how worn out I was after just that short amount of time. There was never a break in that full hour. The kids just kept coming! Some of them came back four or five times, trying to win one of the big prizes. For some reason, these silly lip-shaped kazoo things were a big hit with them (there were a few in with the plastic rings). Some of the kids hardly threw the bags at all and stood like six inches away from the ducks, basically knocking them over with their hands. Others wanted do-overs when the beanbags accidentally got stuck in between the ducks or if the kids accidentally threw two beanbags at once. Of course, I am a pushover and let them do whatever they wanted. After all, it was just supposed to be a fun way for the church to give back to the community and probably raise a little money, and I'm not one to be mean to children, even if they aren't my favorite things in the world. I was jealous of the people who got to run the petting zoo, though. I mean, come on! I'm pre-vet for crying in the mud! I didn't even get to pet the animals. Sad day. But, luckily, the hard part lasted only that hour, and then Heather and I got to help tear down and such. That wasn't so bad. I guess I did feel good about helping the kids have a good time. It was never about me, anyway. Heather did manage to get a picture of me working the game, but unfortunately, it is not up yet, so I will have to get back to you when I see it.

Later that night, I went to my third Second City performance with Sarah and my roommates. It was hilarious, as usual. I missed it last year because I was in London (boo hoo, right?), so I wanted to make sure I saw it one last time this year.

Today I had my first Mortar Board meeting of the year. We were briefly reminded about what Mortar Board is and what we as members must do, and then we broke off into our respective committees. The Fundraisers discussed doing a possible "Trick or Treat" fundraiser near Halloween where people could send their friends messages and "tricks" or "treats" in their campus mailboxes. We did something similar in Circle K last year, and I'm proud because I was actually the one who suggested the campus mailbox thing for Mortar Board (someone else thought it would be cool to do it for Halloween). All in all, I think I'm really going to like working on the committee, especially since it gels so nicely with Circle K. Plus, I can steer both groups away from doing things that the other group is doing, so we avoid stepping on other people's toes.  Yay.

I'm looking forward to this upcoming weekend. I finally get my first paycheck of the school year, so that's pretty cool. On Saturday, I get to be one of the drivers for Mutt Strut, an event benefiting the QCAWC. I guess the FIV room is still closed, which makes me really sad. I wonder who could be so sick still...Anyway, Mutt Strut is where people bring their dogs to the QWAWC, and they walk with their dogs. I assume they get pledges, kind of like March of Dimes only it's for animals. I and my fellow CK-ers will be selling those crafts we made (I'll be working the vending table) and working some of the games. I am excited to see dogs and hopefully pet a lot of them! Oh, man. The things that make me happy. Unfortunately, I will be studying for three tests next weekend, but Mutt Strut should hopefully make up for.

In a couple of weekends, I am going to Bishop Hill, Illinois, a small town about 45 minutes from campus with a Swedish influence. Sarah and her Swedish Language classmates are going for the Fall Harvest Festival, and Sarah invited me along. We wanted to go to Bishop Hill last year after Sarah had such a great time with her Swedish class, and now we have our chance because they're all going back. It is going to be so much fun! We also want to find a week to go to an apple orchard because I don't think I've been to one for a good four or five years or so. Now that I have an awesome means of transportation, literally anything is possible! We could even go to Chicago for the weekend if we wanted to. Ooh. That would be fun.

Thanks for reading again! I hope you found this post much less cumbersome than the last one. I'll try to keep them short and sweet from here on out. Ya know, all the necessities with a bit of Hannah Wit thrown in for good measure. Until next week!

Fall Term 2012, Week 2: Work Hard, Play Hard

Happy Labor Day to everyone out there!

I have delayed my normal posting until today because of the extra day in my weekend. Once again, it was a very busy week, and this weekend has been very relaxing and much needed. However, I felt much better about everything this week than I did last week. I am becoming even more used to the dynamics of off-campus living as well as even more accustomed to my schedule of classes and activities and working out how to fit homework in between all of them.

I am still really enjoying all of my classes. In Immunology, we have been studying innate immunity, something that we are all born with, and we are just now transitioning to acquired immunity, something our bodies develop as we encounter pathogens throughout our lives. In the class, we have group quizzes each day (well, those days that aren't devoted to review or exams), and so far, I really like my group. Unfortunately, we have to switch groups halfway through the term, but I'm sure I will find some other cool people to work with when the time comes. Also, I can't remember if I told you yet or not, but part of the class involves end-of-the-term group presentations on some immunological topic. My group will be covering immunodeficiencies, so I'm looking forward to that. It will be tad difficult because the groups comprise seven people, and it's no picnic trying to arrange a group meeting where all seven college students can make it. We're all so busily involved in other things. But necessity is the mother of invention, so I'm sure we will work out some way to get our work done despite our other obligations. We always do.

In Physics, we are just starting to cover velocity, acceleration, and force, all very basic concepts. I had forgotten since high-school physics that mechanics is actually the most difficult part of physics for me, probably because it is the area of physics that most fully contradicts popular beliefs about the way the world works. For instance, if you throw a ball upward, at the top of its path, its velocity will be 0 m/s, but it's still accelerating due to gravity. Most people would figure that something that is not moving is not accelerating, but that's just not the case. Things like that. I had my first lab of the term on Thursday, and that went pretty well. I worked with a girl who is in my Biochemistry group (see below), so I'm glad about that. It always helps to have a friendly, familiar face.

My partner and I got a little farther on our cadaver this week. We removed the anterior thoracic wall and dissected some of the internal thoracic (mammary) arteries on the posterior aspect of the ribcage. Then, we removed the lungs and identified various vessels embedded in them, namely, the pulmonary arteries and veins in addition to the primary bronchi. We also learned to distinguish the right lung from the left lung (the right lung is larger with three lobes, and the left lung is smaller with two lobes--due to the position of the heart more to the left in the chest). This week, we will be doing a more complete dissection of the heart and identifying its major external and internal structures. Obviously, my least favorite part of Cadaver Lab is the smell of the embalming fluids. I could even detect the distinctive odor on the camisole I was wearing under a fairly thick t-shirt when I went to take a shower afterwards. Ick. But it's just one of those things that only bothers me after I leave the lab. While I am in the lab, I don't mind it so much because I am concentrating on my work and trying not to make my cadaver look like shredded chicken.

Personal Finance is going okay, too. I submitted the early draft of my cash-flow assignment to the professor, and he said it needed some work. I was disappointed because I thought I had followed the guidelines well. I was afraid that I was not understanding the assignment and that I would do poorly in the class as a whole because money doesn't make much sense to me. However, I looked more carefully at my work and discovered a few discrete areas of error, which I was able to fix quite readily. The assignment isn't due until next Tuesday, the 11th, but I think I'll submit it again tomorrow to see how much work I still need to do before the deadline.

Finally, Biochemistry is looking to be much more manageable than I thought. Although it is strongly chemistry-oriented, its principles are fairly straightforward. I have noticed that it draws a lot on Organic Chemistry, so I guess I'm glad I paid attention in that class. Right now, we are learning about acid-base chemistry and proteins, especially enzymes. That is kind of the major focus of biochemistry because proteins control almost all biological processes in living systems. I'm hoping this class will help me understand Human Physiology more when I take that class next term. So far, I have aced both of my quizzes, although one of them was a Cell Biology review quiz. Still, I'll take it. I happily found a group to work with for an assignment called PEP--Parenting an Enzyme Project--where we will study an enzyme and then make a poster about it to share with the class during the last week of the term. I am not too worried about it because I am a poster-making pro from last year, when I had to make one twice (once for Botany and once for Molecular Genetics--my Senior Inquiry class). I'm sure you all remember those good old days. Anyway, our enzyme is glucansucrase, which bacteria use to turn the sugars that we humans ingest into long chains on the surface of our teeth (called a biofilm). That's not a really good description, but it's accurate enough to give you some idea of what we will be doing this term. Coincidentally, the other two people in my group are also pre-vet students, so I can assure you we will have one awesome poster!

This week was my second week of proctoring, and that went pretty well again. Like I said before, it's hard not being able to do homework, but I do stay pretty busy, especially toward the beginning of the period, so I don't mind too much. I'm actually looking for more work on campus because I'm going to be a little cash-strapped this year (well, when am I ever not cash-strapped?) than I expected. The school recently introduced restrictions on the number of hours students can work per week (no more than 10), so since I am already working four hours a week, I need a job that will get me just six more hours per week. Even that would make a big difference.

This week was also my first real Exec Board meeting for Circle K, so I had to give an update about how our fundraising situation looks. It was a little nerve-wracking, but I really enjoy being "behind the scenes" and having more say in the organization than I have in the past. On Wednesday, I participated in my first service event of the year, which was making crafts to sell at the QWAWC (Quad City Animal Welfare Center) Mutt Strut on September 15th. I am already signed up to be a vendor at our table! I made a couple of tie blankets and a couple of cat toys, so it was pretty fun.

Now on to the fun stuff! I found out on Monday that I have been nominated for the position of being Augustana's 2012 Lincoln Academy Student Laureate. The Lincoln Academy is a prestigious organization that recognizes significant contributions to the state of Illinois, either by native Illinoisans or simply by those who have lived in Illinois for an appreciable amount of time. I guess being at Augustana for the greater part of the past three years qualifies me as an Illinois "resident." Anyway, there are lots of other students nominated, too, so it's a competition. I have to submit another letter of recommendation (I feel so bad), plus a current CV and a statement of interest. One of my vet-school letter writers has graciously agreed to write me another letter, so I'm hoping I'll have a pretty solid application. Augustana is full of plenty of amazing people, though, so the competition is going to be fierce. I should find out sometime in October or early November, which is about the time I might start finding out about vet-school interviews, too. So much waiting!

I'm continuing to really enjoy Aerobics, even though my schedule gets really packed when I add it in. It's just really something that I don't think I can ever compromise on because physical fitness is really, really important to me. I get such great satisfaction out of every workout session, and I know that it helps me stay focused and charged and relieves a lot of the stress that builds up on me everyday.

On Wednesday, Hannah invited me to have dinner on her at the College Center, and I was so grateful for the fresh vegetables after not having them for awhile. We had a great conversation, and I felt so much better about things after getting some encouragement from her. I tell ya, that girl helps me think straight sometimes.

On Friday, in order to relax, I decided to go to Olin to watch The Avengers for free. I went by myself, but I was delighted to meet up with my friend Tyler and some of his buddies when I was there. He gave me a hug like he always does and said he wanted to sit by me. We proceeded to have a very nice conversation until the movie started. It is always better to have friends to watch movies with you! I really liked the movie, by the way. I thought it was a little light on plot, but it's one of those summer blockbusters, so I can't complain too much. It's really funny and has Jeremy Renner in it, so it's gotta be good.

On Saturday, I absolutely had to go grocery shopping because I ran out of fruits and vegetables. I had gone almost a week without fresh ones, and my stock of raisins was out. Two of my roommates were gone for the weekend, taking their cars with them. And Sarah and Hannah were also gone, and they would have been my ride, too. So, needless to say, I walked to Aldi instead of Hy-Vee because Aldi is closer. But I am so glad that I did! I bought all of my essentials for just under $30! Go, me! Aldi has cartons of blueberries right now for just $1.49, and I paid the same amount for a gallon of milk at Aldi as I would for just a half-gallon at Hy-Vee. Four roma tomatoes are just $0.99, too! I don't know how I'll ever be able to go back to Hy-Vee now...Later in the evening, for some entertainment, I went to see another comedian. Now, Augustana usually does a really good job with who they invite, so I'm usually pretty stoked. But this guy was not funny at all. His main shtick was to talk about all the drugs he did, how he's a recovering alcoholic, and how bad his love life is. Sex and drugs. That was his deal. He didn't even have any good routines. He just talked to the audience and tried to come up with funny things to say that weren't really that funny. I was very disappointed, but I guess that's what you get for Labor Day weekend entertainment. One cool thing about Saturday was that I was sitting at my desk doing some homework when a hummingbird flew past. I think it was a female ruby-throated hummingbird because she was a very muted olive green with a pale beige stomach (kind of funny that she's a ruby-throat with no red on her). I was happy enough just with that momentary glance, but an hour or so later, she was back and hovering right in front of my window! She "stayed" there for a good five or six seconds. So, I think I have a new friend! Mom and Dad encouraged me to buy a hummingbird feeder, and that's what I was going to do today, but the hardware store was closed. I will have to go back next weekend, maybe.

This is basically what my little hummer friend looks like. Photo courtesy of rubythroat.org

I didn't do much yesterday except clean the bathroom and my room plus work on some homework and go for a run at Pepsico, so it was your average Sunday.

Today I had to trek to Walgreens to buy a carbon monoxide detector for the house, and then I realized we needed more toilet paper, too. I found a cool purple water bottle while I was there, and it was only about $4, which is great because my blue one was getting really old. The blue paint was chipping off in patches, and it looked really ghetto. Of course, when I got back, I got text from my landlord saying we already have two CO detectors in the house. Now, where they are, I don't know, because I've looked everywhere for them, and I don't see them. But I guess I trust her. So I'll have to go get my money back whenever I make it back to the hardware store (since Walgreens and True Value are so close together here).

Anyway, that's enough about this week. I'm sure you're tired of me yammering on about every tiny detail of my existence here. I guess I just have a lot to say.

I don't need to tell you how busy this week looks. I'm sure you already assumed it was. It'll be nice to have the shorter week, though, even though I'm just coming off a three-day weekend. The first BBB meeting of the year is Tuesday, so that will be my busiest day because I'll have to go straight from Aerobics to the meeting and then basically straight to Circle K after that. I might faint after that, but we'll see. Not much else is going on during the week, but Saturday is something called the East End Fair, where Circle K will help run games, a petting zoo, and face-painting for kids. You can guess where I want to work. I'm not the biggest fan of kids. Then there's a Second City performance in Centennial at 8 PM. Second City is like the Chicago version of SNL, and indeed, many Second City alumni went on to SNL, including Tina Fey. Anyway, it's sketch comedy, and it's always really funny. Sunday is my first Mortar Board meeting of the year, so that should be interesting, too. Also, in about a month, musician Andy Grammer is coming to Augustana for a concert. I am so stoked because he is such a great artist! His music is fantastic! Give him a listen if you haven't already. He sings those songs "Keep Your Head Up" and "Fine by Me" that have been playing on the radio, at least in the Twin Cities. I'm so lucky!

Keep it real, peeps!

Fall Term 2012, Week 1: Fast and Furious

After a week of frustration, we finally got internet installed at our house off campus. That is why I haven't been able to give you any updates. Well, that and the fact that my homework load has been through the roof this first week of classes. I was pretty overwhelmed until about Thursday, when I started to get things under control and started to get back into my groove.

So far, I like all of my classes and my professors, especially my Immunology professor. She is very funny and intelligent, so she's a really great person from which to learn an admittedly detail-heavy subject. Biochemistry is going to be a challenge, but it's nothing compared with Organic, so I'm not too worried at this point. My other classes are generally going to be very manageable--Physics, Personal Finance, and Cadaver lab. I and my partner are doing the thoracic region on our cadaver, and I basically spent all of the lab time on Thursday cleaning fat off the pectoralis major muscle. Yes, my life is utterly glamorous, and it's okay for you to feel a little jealous. It happens. That was obviously sarcastic, but you get the idea.

Now that I am back in my element, it is so good to be back at school, seeing all of my friends and doing something productive with my time everyday. Not that summer was a waste. It's just that I was only actively doing something about three or four (or maybe five) days a week at most, and that tends to wear on me and drive me crazy after an extended period of time. Anyway, I'm sure you're dying to see some pictures of the house, so I will gladly oblige and show them to you.

My comfy reading chair.

My work desk.

My dresser and flat-screen TV with built-in DVD player (yay for movie nights!)

My lovely bed.

Our living room.

Our kitchen/laundry room.

Our dining room, which is basically the same room as the kitchen (just 180 degrees turned around from the last picture).

The view from the window in front of my desk.

Let me back up a bit and give you kind of a story of this past week. On Saturday the 18th, I woke up around 5 AM to leave by 7 AM with Mom and Dad to come down and move in. It was quite the production, and long story short, we arrived close to 2 PM. It took a long time to set up, and I would have to say it was one of the most difficult days of my life because I was so tired and I felt bad about dragging my parents through it, too. For dinner that night, we went to Arthur's Deli with my roommate Danielle and her family. Then, we went to Hy-Vee to buy me some starter groceries--thanks, Mom and Dad! My parents stayed overnight at a bed and breakfast called Top O' the Morning, to which they want to return when we come back in May for my graduation ceremony. On Sunday morning, we went to Target for some last-minute things, then I said goodbye to my parents and finished setting up my room.

Later that evening, I went over to Devon and Sarah's apartment after a Circle K meeting and talked with them for a little bit before dinner. Devon gave me an awesome coaster as a very late birthday present, and I already love it! I like to drink tea a lot during the colder months, especially in the evenings when I am working on the computer, so it will be just perfect. To be honest, talking with them really made me miss living with them in Heimdall. I like my roommates, but I guess I didn't really appreciate how nice it was to be roommates with Devon and Sarah until they were taken from me. I'm just glad we can still hang out and stuff. Like I've said before, I was so blessed to meet them and become friends with them, and I know that all of this happened for a reason. That's what really helps keep it all in perspective.

Devon drew on the back of the coaster: Hunger Games, Big Bang Theory, and Heimdall! Dedicated to all of our great memories from last year. :)

The front of the coaster.

Monday was busy with my new classes plus having to go to the Office of Advancement to sign a thank you card for the donor of one of my scholarships. Monday was a great day, though, because Hannah came over for dinner. We made veggie fritatta (my first attempt), and it was delicious! I really enjoyed talking with her, too. She has such a good outlook on the world and life, so I always get a lot out of our conversations.

Love that face!

 Tuesday was the first official Circle K meeting of the year, and we had 91 attendees! Most of them will probably not continue on with the group, but such a large number is promising. I am excited to fulfill my duties as Fundraising Co-Chair, and I'm also excited that this year, we get cool membership baskets just for paying the $20 dues like we normally would.

I was happy to learn that Aerobics classes are being offered again this term on days that really work for me--Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:30. I went to the first class on Thursday, and it was so much fun! I can't wait to go again on Tuesday.

On Friday, I went over to visit Sarah and Devon again, this time to watch The Hunger Games on DVD because Sarah had just bought it at Target. We also played the Big Bang Theory trivia game, which Sarah dominated at because she's a freak like that. Just kidding. Anyway, yesterday was pretty great, too, because the three of us plus Hannah went to a dueling pianos show. It was really a lot of fun, and everyone really got into it, singing along with all of the songs and dancing. The best part was when one of the pianists played "The Circle of Life" complete with the African-yelling intro. You know that I'm talking about!

So, that pretty much brings us up to speed with today. I just wanted to quickly fill you in on everything that has been going on. I'll have more time next week for more details about my classes and things, but for now I have to go make myself some dinner and then do some computer-based homework (I feel that it's necessary since I don't have an excuse anymore).

Have a great week, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Summer 2012--St. Francis Veterinary Clinic Visit #11: The Long Goodbye

Alas, Wednesday was my last day of the summer to shadow at St. Francis. I made gluten-free peanut butter cookies for everyone and wrote a thank you note as a way of expressing my gratitude for everything everyone did for me during my third summer at the clinic. Everyone seemed to enjoy the treat, and a couple of people even said that they owed me lunch or a treat for what I had done for them over the past 12 weeks. However, I do not feel that they owe me anything at all. Shadowing is its own reward, as is the experience I gain in veterinary medicine as a result.

Anyway, I definitely got my figurative money's worth on this last day, observing a total of six surgeries in addition to several appointments. To start, I watched a feline neuter with all four paws declawed--NOT GOOD. Second was a canine neuter, very routine and not particularly exciting. Next came a canine dental, one of the shortest I have ever watched. The fourth surgery was another feline neuter with a wound repair thrown in for good measure. That one was cool because I got to write down some things for the vet--namely, where each wound was located and what we did to it (stitched, bandaged, etc). I also got to hold one of the paws for awhile while Dr. K stitched the skin together. We took a lunch break after that fourth surgery before what we thought was the last one, a canine cystotomy. Dr. K was thinking of taking the dog home with her and trying her out because she might want to adopt her. It's been awhile since Dr. K had a dog, and she thinks it's time for a new one. I got to take pictures during the surgery, which involved removing one large (nickle-sized) stone from the bladder. I actually thought it was pretty big, at least one of the biggest that I have seen. But everyone else was really unimpressed. They said that the stone looked much bigger on the radiograph, perhaps because it was almost as big as the bladder itself!

After that surgery, I followed Dr. J to a couple of appointments and made up some puppy packs before I found out that we would have yet another surgery! This one was kind of an emergency because the dog had an oral abscess that had worked its way around the eye and up into the cranial area. It looked really extreme until Dr. K lanced it and was able to draw a lot of the fluid out. The fluid seemed to resemble saliva, so the doctors weren't really sure what happened. After they were done with the dog, I got to sit with her while she woke up and hold a warm compress on the eye to help the abscess drain a bit more.

In addition to my normal surgical activities, like anesthesia monitoring, taking temperatures, helping with intubation and extubation, restraining, and the like, I also got to give a subcutaneous injection to one of the surgery dogs under Dr. K's supervision as well as administer an IV antibiotic just before surgery (through the catheter that one of the techs placed). Later in the day, I got to help give subcutaneous fluids to a febrile cat, while one of the techs held her. I was able to watch Dr. Jill drain a purulent (pus-filled) wound on the cat beforehand, too.

So, all in all, it was a very eventful day. I said goodbye to all of my kitty friends and the humans at the clinic and left feeling like I really made a difference that day. I know I will be back when I come home for Fall Break, but that is a long way away, and many things will happen to me before then. One parting thing that I learned today was that veterinarians worry about job security just as much as anyone else. I was expressing to Dr. J my concern for my father, who is applying for a permanent position at his company. He seems very unsettled, and I really think a full-time, permanent job would be so good for his well-being and general attitude toward life. Anyway, Dr. J said that she wished she lived closer to her place of employment and that she's often thought about seeking a position closer to home. However, she told me her fears that any slow business or troubles in the practice that might arise would probably cause her to be let go first because she would be the newest doctor and thus have the least leverage in the clinic. I think this is a good thing for me to know because a veterinary medicine degree does not mean that I will easily find a job and does not excuse me from the normal functionings of any business, including money matters, interviewing, performance reviews, and the like.

I head back to school on Saturday, and hopefully the internet will be up already. If so, I can get some pictures up and post about my first impressions of the house. From here until early November, I'll mostly be posting about academic things. Hopefully, I'll have some vet-related things to talk about, but we'll see. Senior year, here I come!