Since I've been off clinics, I've caught up on a boatload of records, sorted out some research and ACVIM case report details and basically gotten my academic life in order.
A classic American novel that is a classic for a reason. Beautiful prose, a dark tortured captain unflinchingly seizing his destiny with both hands, and a DIY how to slaughter a sperm whale chapter; who could ask for more?
This post is an attempt at a break from equine herpes virus stress world and a throwback to when I had a life outside of the VMTH.
I am in love with the Chris Robinson Brotherhood. It's composed of about half of the members of the Black Crowes and is folk/rock/jam band tastic. I have seen them twice at Harlow's in Sacramento with Adam and some of my resident mates and they have totally rocked it both times. It helps that the venue at Harlow's is small and intimate. Though as Chris Robinson pointed out, the decor is reminiscent of a cruise ship.
My absolute favorite song of theirs is "Tulsa Yesterday" though "the Last Place That Love Lives" (technically a Black Crowes song) is a close second.
Youtube or various pirate sites are the best places to find their music: no CD/tracks released yet.
As for books, I am waist deep in Moby Dick. The beautiful prose is still a fair trade-off for the fairly monotonous essays about various aspects of the whale (including 3 chapters on whale representations in art throughout history)but I've been reading approximately 1-2 pages a day before falling into a sleep-coma. Though I am now fairly certain I could butcher a sperm whale with the help of Melville's DIY chapter if it ever came down to it.
PS- I definitely don't mean to sound bitter about my job; this is what I signed up for. What a learning experience. Some people go their whole careers without seeing a case of neurologic EHV-1, and I have 4. And in the past 3 weeks I've done 4 LS taps, 3 AO taps, put 3 horses in slings, and did a BAL and TTW on a respiratory case. But I could use some sleep, and when I am working on 8 hours of sleep in 3 days I find it harder to suffer fools.
Isn't it crazy how small someone can make you feel? How stupid and insignificant? Even when you know that you are right?
I had an argument with a resident in another department about my treatment of a peri-parturient hemorrhage mare. Though I did everything right, and the mare survived and is doing amazingly well, somehow this woman has made me feel stupid in her self-righteous declaration of what I should have done. All of her suggestions could have endangered the life of the mare, and were actually contraindicated. I tried to explain this without making her look stupid (we were in front of students and I didn't want to be as unprofessional as she)but now I wish I would have better held my ground.
I am a non-confrontational person by nature, but I need to stand up for myself more.
And after 6 emergencies on Sunday and a jam-packed first day back on in-house medicine, I'm exhausted.
I'm not really a rose fan. They are lovely as cut flowers and all, but there are others I prefer. And as part of a flower garden, they require a lot of effort and pesticides and rose food and such that in my opinion is really not worth it. However, the mint green 50s style house Adam and I are renting has a whole bunch of roses.
And now that I am basically responsible for these roses I feel like I should do my best to take care of them-mostly because I am afraid the old lady who lived here all her life would likely haunt us if I let them die. Which left me with a dilemma- how do I get rid of aphids and black spot without using pesticides? Surprisingly, it was inexpensive and super easy. I found these recipes on a website about organic gardening:
Against aphids and whiteflies:Garlic Oil Spray
10-15 cloves of minced garlic 2 tbsp. mineral oil 600 ml water 1 tsp. liquid dish soap Soak garlic in mineral oil for 24 hours. Strain garlic out and add 600 ml water and 1 tsp. liquid dish soap. Mix thoroughly and spray rose plants with the solution. This solution will also kill spider mites and whiteflies.
Fungicide for Mildew and Black Spot 1 tsp. baking soda 1 liter water 1 tsp. soap flakes (I used organic goat soap given to me by one of my clients) Dissolve baking soda in 1 liter of warm water. Add soap flakes to help solution cling to leaves. Remove infected leaves from plant and then spray top and bottom of remaining leaf surfaces to control spread of the disease.
Only apply these sprays every 5-7 days.
Both of these sprays worked really well after just one application! You may be asking yourself why I care about not using pesticides- I have lots of reasons, but here's one of them. Mostly I just don't believe in screwing with the environment so I can look at pretty flowers. Try it out and let me know what you think.
It's been busy in the Equine Field Service office! Or more correctly, in the giant diesel Chevy that is my mobile office. Why, you ask? It's foal season! Here are some of the kid things I've been dealing with recently:
All currently happy and healthy! Doesn't get much better than that!
In other news, Adam and I are spending my last weekend off before 7 or so weeks of work/on call in Carmel. And now a job for you, loyal readers: any favorite places to visit/restaurants that can't be missed/hiking trails/scenic views that you recommend?
I really liked this opinion piece in the NY times about the Civil War. Why the Civil War you ask? This past Tuesday was the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War at Ft. Sumter. And in this time of polarizing politics I believe in learning from our mistakes.
I also think that as soon as I finish Moby Dick, I'll tackle the Complete Civil War.
In other news, I have a meeting with my faculty advisor about my NMS grant proposal today! Excited to get this thing off the ground, and more importantly, off my to-do list.
So...all geared up for a thrilling night of grant-writing.
Chammomile tea...check!
Inspiring music courtesy of the Empire Records Soundtrack...check!
23 papers about neonatal maladustment syndrome and de novo synthesis of neurohormones meticulously read and cross-referenced and filed..........oh crap.
I vaguely remember them being in the back seat of may car. I am on call tonight so I drove the field service truck home.
So... as I attempt to re-start (resurrect?) this failure of a blog, I ask to myself "Self, what's the point?"...
I really don't know. This is not a knitting blog (shoutout to knit-tastic cousin Annie). I do not craft. I don't cook particularly well. I am not devoted to any small children. The only thing that I am really any good at is veterinary medicine, and I think UC Davis could potentially fire me if I talk too much about my individual patients. (I will, however, say that I floated 3 mules' teeth today. For info on floating, see this video of someone else doing it). Though I have quite strong political/environmental convictions, I'm not very good at expressing them (thank you last 4 years of reading scientific papers and medical textbooks).
I do, however, like stuff. I mean I like the hell out of some stuff. And I usually have an internal soundtrack. Today's soundtrack was brought to you by the Traveling Wilburys, a supergroup comprised of Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison.
As for stuff I like: I really like this great band Among the Oak and Ash. Very Appalachia/folksy/Americana. The frontman is Josh Joplin. Check them out on the Mountain Stage on NPR. A note to my Republican readers: you will not turn into a socialist by watching a Mountain Stage broadcast. I can personally guarantee no liberal overtures in this concert.
I'm also really really liking my new LL Bean boots. I am firmly of the belief that cold feel are bad for the soul. Until recently, however, I was NOT of the belief that Northern California turned into a 6-inch-deep-mud-pit-puddle-ridden-crap-fest that could penetrate my poor beloved Ariat leather cowboy boots in under17 seconds. Everyone who spends any time outside should get these, they are amazing and warm and comfy. Here's a link to them featured in another blog I like, except this girl makes them part of a cute outfit. Order a size down.
Hope all 2 of my readers like the new format/theme.
It's been a difficult 6 months. New place, new job, new friends (and old friends who have trouble with time zone math). New expectations. Apparently when I accepted my residency I was supposed to magically acquire a boatload of knowledge. This did not happen for me, so I am currently struggling through giant textbooks with bible thin pages and feeling like I'm running to stand still.
As always though, I am still finding time to read novels. "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski and "the Magicians" by Lev Grossman were both particularly good. Warning: "the Magicians" was quite gritty. Don't believe the review that compares it to Harry Potter- it's way more "Catcher in the Rye".
It's also been a particularly hard time for the family. It's strange calling it "family" when it's just the two of us. I try to put things into perspective and remember all I'm thankful for (dogs, Adam, Ellen for weeding the garden and helping me clean when that seemed so very important to me for some reason, everyone who came to the memorial service, sunsets on the sacramento river delta, foals). And I know when I see my dad again, it will be in a place like this:
which is far, far better than a wheel chair. But it's hard to stay in perspective all the time.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
trying to re-start this whole thing. will do my best. stay tuned for updates.
"But yield who will to their separation,
My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation
As my two eyes make one in sight.
Only where love and need are one,
And the work is play for mortal stakes,
Is the deed ever really done
For Heaven and the future's sakes."
Moby-Dick or, The Whale by Herman Melville
