Because I'm intimidating...

I posted the above map (Isn't my drawing lovely?!) to help illustrate this story to it's maximum potential.

So if you happen to know me in real life you know that I'm not the most intimidating person on the planet. Frankly I'm short, thin, and could still pass for someone in high school. However, today I apparently managed to scare a crack head toothless Indian half to death. Let me explain.

As you can see from my lovely map above the place that I currently work for happens to be located directly behind a "massage parlor" also known as a whorehouse. Many a gross and scandalous things have been witnessed by both myself and others over time. Things I'd rather not talk about. Needless to say their clients that hang out back in the alley aren't the most upscale.

Today I was coming down the sidewalk to bring in some of our rescue dogs for the night when I saw C.T.I. throwing rocks at the dogs we had in our outside runs from the alley. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Excuse me! Do we have a problem? What in the hell do you think you're doing?
C.T.I.: *mummble* growling, barking, annoying....*mummble*
Me: If I EVER see you throwing another rock at my dogs I will call the police and have you arrested you understand?
C.T.I.:*mummble*
Me: I do not care what your excuse is. These dogs are locked inside a run, they can not get out, they are not hurting you. You on the other hand are abusing my dogs by throwing rocks at them. Do you want me to throw shit at you for fun?
C.TI.: No *mummble* Bitch.
Me: (taking out cell phone) Either get out of here immediately or I will call the police.
C.T.I.: Ok lady

*cough* Trust me, I made this much nicer then it actually happened.

Anyway once I told my other co-worker about it she wouldn't allow me outside alone again for free that I might get shot. Once the vet found out he also went outside to confront the guy but apparently I had run him off. Apparently a screaming, swearing 100lb woman can be pretty scary. lol

In hindsight it probably wasn't my smartest move ever. Although now I kinda find it all very funny. I'm usually not the type of person who engages in confrontation but apparently a stupid person throwing rocks at defenseless dogs pushes me over the edge. Who knew...

Snapshots...

-Husband and I actually played rock-paper-scissors the other night in the car to determine who had to pump the gas. I won.

-I always order a Grande Chai Tea Latte when Husband and I go to B&N or Starbucks. It's not a difficult drink to make, you would think anyway. The other night, crazy girl at B&N first made my drink with coffee in it (WTF?!) then just gave me steamed milk. I was too deflated by then to do anything else about it.

-Working for a veterinarian does have it's distinct advantages. One of my kiddos was due for shots and instead of the nearly $200 fee it would have usually cost me for her annuals shots/checkup it cost a whopping $80. I may never leave.

-Monday nights now consist of Husband and I sitting on the couch yelling like crazy while watching American Gladiators. Talk about flashbacks to my childhood mixed with terrifying dreams about how huge they all are now... It's all very fun.

-This weather is really messing with whatever remaining immune system I have left. I don't really understand how we go from 70s to snowing in 24 hours but somehow it happens. I swear I wake up every morning feeling like I was hit by a semi but somehow manage to perk up by mid-afternoon. Either way it's getting old. I'm ready for summer.

-Furniture shopping sucks. You seem to be either hounded by sales people or completely ignored. Husband and I have been out recently and I have to say that customer service is non-existent anymore. It's somewhat unfortunate that I'm left with a few nice pieces of furniture but a very bitter taste in my mouth from the lack of good customer service.

-I'm also addicted to a teeny bopper canadian tv show called Desgrassi. I really need a life.

Saturday ramblings...

I keep thinking that something will come to me. That a really great articulate blog idea will materialize and it will flow seamlessly from my brain to the keyboard. Alas that is not the case. I've been an intellectual mess the past few weeks.

I don't really feel like my work-place drama has been resolved. If anything, I feel like the recent events are killing whatever remaining moral we may have had. We are under-staffed so things aren't running as smoothly as they were before. Plus add that to the fact that my scheduling has yet to be resolved and set in stone.

Most days I love my job. Although there are those days where I leave feeling so unsettled. I think about the 7 week old puppy who developed a heart murmur and had to be euthanized because it was the right thing to do. But then there are those moments that despite the fact that you KNOW it was the right thing to do you can't help but feel devastated. I asked one of the vets today if it ever got any easier, despite the fact that I already knew the answer, and she said no. She says that you learn to move on easier afterwards but it will never get any easier. I could barely look in the face of the woman with the puppy afterwards because I just didn't know what to say or do. I've always been a hyper-emotional person but I don't think I ever learned how to respond to other people's emotions. Maybe it's a skill I will be forced to learn now.

Husband volunteered for a what I consider a substantial deployment this summer. It's not even a for-sure thing but I find myself distraught anyway. I'm not really good at being a "military" wife therefore I'm always thankful he's just in the National Guard. Although he was offered a temporary position on base which we're both really happy about. It'll be for only four months but hopefully it'll give him the leverage to get a full-time position in the not-so-distant future.

Last weekend I went into OCD mode and reorganized 95% of our bookshelf unit. (I would have done it all but was entirely too lazy to balance precariously on a chair to get the top 2 shelves) I even threatened Husband with a swiffer duster when he suggested another way of doing things. This is yet another reason I should not be allowed to clean. Granted the rest of our house is still a mess but at least now my books are organized.

I had to drop one of the classes I was taking this semester. With everything that has been going on lately I should couldn't handle it as well as I had hoped. In doing so I also decided to put off getting into the tech program for a while. I think it all happened too much too soon. Besides to do what I'm wanting to do you don't even technically need to be certified in Oklahoma. This takes a little pressure off me for a while which is really nice. For now I'm just enjoying learning all the different aspects of veterinary medicine.

I'm sure I've blathered on long enough about nothing entirely relevant so I'll wrap this up. Until next time...

Told you!

An update on the job situation:

• After my pow-wow with the powers that be at my job I was able to salvage my job after agreeing to an hour cut, leaving me at around 20 hours.
  
• Did not realize that above event would make me feel so amazing and proud of myself. Kind of like that...
  
• Today our receptionist found out that she is indeed getting the other job she had interviewed for a while back.
• The practice manager just called to ask me if I would be willing to take over as a full-time receptionist considering the circumstances.
• Did small victory dance.
  
• I think practice manager now realizes why I fought so hard to keep said job. (Everyone but her knew about this potential situation)
  
• Everyone happy. Except maybe the practice manager.
  

I feel so happy. I feel vindicated. Things are going to keep getting better I can feel it.

How it really went down...

Yesterday was a bad day. Let me set some background for you: The vet clinic I work for is part of an association with three other clinics. Our particular vet clinic is not in the greatest shape financially speaking.

The practice manager approaches me and says she's transferring me to another clinic and I'm "not really needed here anymore". When I express concern over the fact that this clinic is in Bixby (30-45 minute commute) and I'm not sure I can afford it with my current salary she immediately snaps into the "well if you ever need a reference... we'll be leaving on good terms" crap. I was horrified. My back was against the wall. I told her I would think about it and left.

That began the day of frantic text messaging and hushed phone calls with my current co-workers who were equally horrified and didn't want to loose me. I must have cried my eyes out yesterday. I felt like that was all I could do. I know two girls, one particular, really stood up for me and tried to fight them on this decision. We all knew that if I went to this other clinic I would never be allowed back. I went to bed last night feeling like my life was falling apart.

This morning I went in ready for a fight. I cornered both the practice manager and vet into the break room and told them how I felt. I explained that I love the facility I'm at, I always refer to the staff as my dysfunctional family and I would do anything to stay there. I explained how I thought the way situation was approached was completely unfair giving the fact that I have given up a lot to be there for them whenever they need me. I reminded them how I've worked every holiday since I've been there and most weekends and never complained. I asked them why if they all "loved" me so much and thought I was such an amazing asset to the company would they be willing just to throw me away. I think I finally got my point across.

The vet finally stood up for me. I know that he's really putting his neck out on the line for me now but I feel like I deserve it. I'm not going down without a fight. I don't ask for much but I demand to be shown some respect and consideration.

11 days ago...

Did anyone think of a bad zombie movie when they saw my title? Maybe it's just me...

We are 12 days into the new year and so far I am failing miserably at whatever meager goals I set for myself. This is why I really should give up resolutions. They are nice thoughts but I don't think I have ever accomplished one.

Since I have been asked by so many people... I now present to you a description of what I'm going back to school for (taken directly from their website):

"Veterinary Technicians are essential members of the veterinary health care team. A Registered Veterinary Technician will support and augment the technical capabilities of many fields that involve animal care, including private veterinary practice, biomedical research, herd health management, teaching, zoological parks, and government services. Under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian, a technician may perform a variety of duties including: intensive nursing care, clinical laboratory procedures, radiology, anesthesiology, dentistry, surgical assistance. A graduate will also have an in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of animal husbandry, management, and nursing care for a variety of species."

More or less it means I will be assisting the "actual" vet draw blood, run lab tests, etc... I ultimately would like to work for the SPCA, Humane Society or some other rescue-type organization. It's not that clinic work isn't fascinating... because it is... it's just not where I want to be forever.

Going back to school has been... weird. Trying to juggle that and working full time has been exhausting. I'm only a week in and I'm stressing about being behind... already. Blah. Husband is having to tutor me in my math class. It's been years since I took a math class and the last one I successfully completed was some weird math class for liberal arts majors. I hate math. I think he hates trying to help me because I'm such a lost cause. lol I'm not sure about my other two classes yet. Only time will tell.

Things at work are pretty good. There are a few things still up in the air as far as my schedule goes but I'm trying to be patient. I have a hard time when things aren't written in stone but... that's life. At least I'm through with banking. That's what I keep telling myself.

Oh yea... New Hampshire you suck. You know what you did.

I finally managed to obtain a copy of Guitar Hero 3 for the Wii and Husband has been obsessively playing ever since. I played it once... Butthead.

I had more to blog about but I'm running out of steam. I've been awake since 5:30. Naptime.

It was bound to happen...

I mean c'mon... I work in a vet clinic. It was only a matter of time before I got bit.

It happened Wednesday morning. It was the meanest, ugliest, oldest, toothless, little snot of a chihuahua. I knew he was aggressive and thought I was handling it properly but apparently he was just too fast for me. 1 of the possible 3 teeth he still had managed to tear a hunk of skin off my pinky finger. I didn't think it was a big deal till the next day.

Woke up with a swollen finger and puss oozing out of the wound. Long story short. They made me go to their worker's comp clinic. Medicine was dispensed and I'm pretty sure I'll survive. But like I've been saying... it was bound to happen.

Among other things...

I had intended a much different blog yesterday but emotions were overflowing and that happens I suppose. I'm better today but emotionally very drained.

Christmas went well I suppose. Food was eaten and gifts were exchanged. I'm still not used to having split Christmas celebrations. Both sets of family are so different... I wonder if I'll ever get used to it. Among other things I got a pen tablet from my parents that completely caught me off guard. It's wonderful but unfortunately my cursive penmanship still sucks. Hopefully more time will be found to play with it.

I was disappointed when I tried picking up a copy of The World Without Us and B&N was completely sold out. So much for my 30% off coupon.

Husband and I saw National Treasure 2 this morning for $4 a person. It wasn't bad... I will say it's frivolous fun. And after yesterday... I sorely needed that.

Things will be settling down in the new year... I hope. I have enrolled in 11 hours in my attempt to get into the world of Veterinary Technology. My last day at the bank is Friday and I have mixed emotions about all of that. I'll be full time with the vet in the New Year but none of Husbands job prospects worked out so it's back to the drawing board there I suppose.

It's been both a painful and joyous year... but that's another blog in and of itself.

Christmas...

It's the things that you don't count on.

The things you never saw coming that hurt the most.

It's Christmas Eve and I had to watch two dogs be put to sleep today.

One was a product of animal neglect and abuse... the other was just sick.

Neither deserved it.

I should be happy but I can't be right now.

Merry freaking Christmas.

Thankful...

Thanksgiving, to me, has always been about unlimited mashed potatoes and cheesecake. This year there was no cheesecake so other things had to be considered. It was a busy day and now I'm tired. However, as with most holidays I'm feeling a bit nostalgic.

-Family is a complicated thing. I don't mean that in a negative way. I mostly mean that anytime you put a semi-large group of people in a room things are bound to happen. Distance, time and differences of opinion are always dangerous. Cryptic I know. It doesn't really matter though, above all else... I'm thankful for them.

-I didn't mind working today at the vet clinic. This time last year, working at DTV, I was distressed. I may be tired and worn out but it's a small improvement. I'm thankful to have at least a small portion of my professional life happy.

-I forget sometimes how wonderful my Husband can be. I think I take him for granted. However, when push comes to shove... he's the reason I get through "those" days. You know what I mean...

-The weather has finally turned to fall. It turned dramatically and caught everyone off guard but I'm thankful I can finally use my scars and sweaters.

-It's nice to come home to unbounded happiness. They may be loud and underfoot most of the time but the uncomplicated love they provide melts away the stress. I love the wet noses and barking more then I could ever love a material thing.

With all the chaos in day to day life it's hard to remember all the reasons you should be thankful. I know that lately I've taken a lot of things for granted but when you face how fragile everything really is... it makes you take pause.

The ability to focus on the positives and blur the negatives is something I want to strive for... everyday. Not just today.

Coping

Coping is a funny thing. It never fails to amaze me the things the human mind is and is not capable of handling. The past few weeks have been what seems like a never ending test of that for me.

When I started at the vet Husband was afraid of two things. My willingness to do the "dirty" work and my ability to handle death. The first is valid because I always make him clean up any bodily fluids left behind by our dogs, and well the second is valid because when I used to watch Emergency Vets on Animal Planet I would sob like a little child anytime an animal died. So far I'm handling both extremely well. So much so that he tells me if we have kids I'm in charge of any "clean ups". I think not. On the second note... I think I'm coming to terms with death. Being in a vet's office makes me more curious then emotional. When they put a 20 y/o cat to sleep the other day I found myself being happy he had lived a happy life and not focusing on the other half of the situation. I'm sure it will be different as time wears on but for now I'm dealing better then he expected.

Not to post a terribly depressing blog but I think dealing with death on an animal level makes dealing with it on the personal level easier. I find myself coming to terms with deaths in my past I had yet to find peace with. It's all very odd.

On the other hand... I'm not coping well with the extremely long hours. I'm working from 7:30am-6:15pm every day. No breaks. I barely get to eat. Tomorrow will be the first full day I've had off in over 2 weeks. I'm ready for it. I sobbed the other day while working at the bank. I couldn't take the pressure anymore. They are trying to arrange for my hours to be cut back down to part-time. They say if nothing else by Dec 1 I should be back to just 20 hrs a week. Blah. I want to quit but I just got my first paycheck from the vet's office and let's just say... it isn't much.

Still no word on Husbands job. The anticipation may kill us.

It's in the 70s and it's November. I'm not coping well with that. I want to sweaters and that's that.

I had fully intended to blog more, maybe later. I'm still exhausted.

Satan, thy form is cat

I met Satan today.
He is an evil hissing and spitting orange cat.

I was going about my business as usual this morning during my shift at the vet clinic.
That's when I met him.
He stares at me and starts growling.
I go to move him to another kennel while I clean his.
That's when he went psycho.
He latched onto my hand and started spinning around knocking all kinds of stuff off the shelves.
You would have thought I was trying to murder him the way he was carrying on.
I was bleeding pretty bad after finally getting him moved.
I bandage myself up, clean out his kennel and then it's time to move him back...

I think I'm being smart, I think I'll just throw a towel over him and he'll relax.
That's when all hell broke loose.
He starts hissing and screaming like angry pissed off cats will do.
I'm running around trying to corner him after he escapes the temporary kennel.
I finally get ahold of him, many scratches and swear words later, and that's when the rest of the staff comes running.
They said it sounded like a war zone back there.

My hand starts to swell and turn purple.
For the rest of my shift, everytime I pass his kennel I make sure to that little f-er exactly what I think of him.
How anyone could ever love that monster is really beyond me.
Cats are evil.
Pure evil.
They are Satan.

Exhaustion...

I'm exhausted. I'm that kind of exhausted in which every fiber of your being feels just worn out. My eyes hurt. My joints hurt. I even feel like my emotional well-being is hurting. I really need a hot bath and a good 3-day nap. I can't even really articulate why I'm so exhausted. The past two weeks feel more like a lifetime then any other two weeks I can remember. My sense of time is completely out of balance. Something could have just happened 5 minutes ago and I'll swear it was months ago. I'm amazed at the amount of things that have transpired in that small amount of time.

My job at the bank has been filled with drama. People are leaving left and right. The management is in complete disarray. I haven't gotten my next months schedule yet for the sheer fact that they aren't sure exactly who will still be working there. This makes starting my 2nd job with the vet a bit more problematic. Lucky for me they are understanding and willing to work with me. I'm actually having to start my 2nd job tomorrow because they had to fire someone today. Should be interesting to see how it all plays out.

In other news... my allergies are back with a vengeance. I think I'm on the verge of ODing on claritin D and ibuprofen. So far it's the only combination that is keeping me alive and somewhat kicking. I hate Oklahoma this time of year. Now if I manage to ward off my yearly sinus infection that I have gotten faithfully every year since 8th grade (that's 12 years for anyone counting) I'll be a happy camper. This time of year just seems to make me crazy. I'm sure Husband would agree.

And that's all for now. I'm off to gorge myself on pizza, medicine and some Dog Whisperer. Happy weekend to anyone who isn't working! lol

Breeding Misery...

Today on the front page of the Tulsa World they started a 4 part series on dog breeding in Oklahoma. Fascinating and horrifying at the same time. Below are links to the 4 full articles as well as snippets from those articles that I thought were interesting. It's a long read... go grab your coffee and settle down for a while.

Breeding misery

"Oklahoma is a puppy-mill state with some unscrupulous breeders neglecting their dogs, falsifying pedigree papers and knowingly selling animals with defects and diseases... Meanwhile, Oklahoma’s licensed breeders have been caught with substandard conditions at their kennels, according to records obtained... through the Freedom of Information Act. Between 2003 and 2006, nearly 20,000 animals lived in unsanitary conditions and substandard pens or suffered from untreated health conditions among other problems found by federal inspectors, records show."

"Oklahoma has become a puppy-mill state due to its rural roots. The state is in the middle of the ‘‘puppy belt,’’ a group of states that supply thousands of puppies to pet stores and buyers in other states each year."

"Within the puppy belt, the top five puppy-producing states are Missouri, Oklahoma, Iowa, Kansas and Arkansas, according to USDA records. The larger markets for these states are New York and California."

Records show USDA inspectors cited Oklahoma dog breeders with the following number of violations by category between 2003 and 2006:

Facilities and enclosures: 1,255 violations

Cleaning, sanitation, housekeeping, pest control: 335

Record-keeping requirements: 243

Attending veterinarian/adequate vet care: 167

Improper identification of animal: 110

Feeding/water requirements: 79

Miscellaneous: 44

Ten breeders and brokers, 473 USDA violations

"Shelia Gamblin recorded the most USDA infractions among Oklahoma’s 645 commercial breeders between 2003 and 2006, records show."

Specific examples of Gamblins’ USDA violations are:

October 2006: "Fecal matter and urine were standing on concrete runs. The dogs were having to walk around or through the waste. 59 dogs affected."

October 2006: "Excessive number of flies outside the enclosure and inside the building. Fly spray was being used but the flies were not under control. 213 adults and 69 puppies affected."

August 2006: "Dog #266 had hair missing all over face. The skin was crusty yellow. No vet had looked at the dog. Dog needs to be taken to the vet for proper treatment."

August 2006: "Staph infection has been diagnosed on puppies and some adult dogs. Dogs need to be re-examined by vet and written documentation of the diagnosis and treatment made available upon inspection."

Investigation finds issues in industry

• Oklahoma attracts unscrupulous dog breeders due to a lack of state regulations. Between 2003 and 2006, nearly 20,000 animals lived in unsanitary conditions and substandard pens or suffered from untreated health conditions among other items found by the USDA.


• About 40 percent of Oklahoma’s 700 commercial breeders and brokers were cited for two or more violations by the USDA between October 2003 and October 2006.


• Oklahoma’s dog-breeding industry is Internet-driven, with most of the puppies being shipped to out-of-state customers and pet stores.


• Efforts are being made to close a federal loophole on Internet sales. Currently, federal law primarily covers wholesale operations and allows unlicensed breeders to raise and sell an unlimited number of puppies directly to the public.


• Some Web sites are actually fronts for puppy mills or dog breeders with sick or poor quality animals.


• Puppy-mill owners routinely ship sick or genetically inferior animals to out-of-state customers who have little recourse once the dog is received.


• Oklahoma puppies shipped to other states are being deemed unfit for sale after being taken to a veterinarian for a check-up.


• Some Oklahoma breeders have lied about the pedigree of their ‘‘purebred dogs.’’ Some breeders have been fined by the American Kennel Club and had their AKC status revoked.

Definitions:

• Puppy mill: A dog-breeding operation that usually has a large number of small-breed animals kept in unsanitary conditions without adequate veterinary care for the purpose of breeding the animals continuously for profit.
• Puppy lemon law: A law that allows a consumer to seek a refund, replacement animal or help with veterinary expenses for a sick or defective animal purchased from a pet store or other source.
• USDA breeder: A breeder licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and subject to federal regulations that cover sanitation, pen size, veterinary care and protection from the elements.
• Hobby breeder: A breeder with three or fewer breeding animals used to provide animals for sale. Not required to be licensed by the USDA.
• USDA broker: A person licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to buy and sell animals in the wholesale and retail market.
• Purebred: A puppy that has a sire and dam (parents) that are registered with a dog registration organization that tracks the animal’s lineage and bloodline.
• Designer dog: An animal produced by crossbreeding two animals with pedigree bloodlines.

Network rescues animals in need

Last year, the Tulsa Animal Shelter euthanized 13,000 animals.

‘‘They can be like wild animals. They cower or hide. Or they snap or growl. It takes a lot of work to rehabilitate a puppy-mill dog.’’

‘‘Someone has to speak for the animals because they don’t have voices,’’ Steinberger said.

Tulsa Pets Website

Something has to be done... These animals don't deserve this.

On the subject of health...

I went to the doctor last week for arm weakness/numbness... They ran the standard blood/urine tests to make sure there wasn't anything fundamentally wrong as well as set up an appointment with a neurologist next month to check for pinched nerves.

I got the results of the tests in today and I'm a little surprised how healthy I am. My cholesterol is really healthy as is my blood sugar and to top it off no signs of anemia (something I had always been concerned about). So I'm happy. I know I could eat better and probably actually exercise but at least for now all health crises have been averted.

Husband's health is also doing really well. His last check-up showed that he has finally gotten his blood sugar down to a normal level so instead of going back in 3 months he gets to put it off for 6 months. Now if only we could start being more motivated to cook every night...

Monday I had to take one of the dogs to the vet because she hurt her paw. Or rather, she licked it obsessively and caused it start oozing and what-not... It was not pleasant but it reminded me how much I love our vet.

Pinched nerves aside... all is well.