This is quite fun: http://www.popularfront.com/snowdays/

 I'm currently taking a Vet Assistant class at community college. Why?

1)  I've always been interested in veterinary medicine, and have wanted to explore that interest for some time. And for the first time since I was in my 20s, I have a work schedule which actually allows for getting to a night class on a regular basis. (BARELY allows it some days, but I can do it.)

2)  I'm hedging my bets in terms of possible future job-hunting. I don't plan to leave my current job any time soon, but there's always the possiblity of the company going under, or of having to move and not being able to find a place close enough for a reasonable commute.

3) I'm mulling over the idea of trying for a Veterinary Technician degree, and if I can pass this course it would be useful in getting accepted. To clarify that:  a Vet Tech is roughly the veterinary equivalent of a nurse, and to be one you have to get accepted into a program at an accredited college and earn a 2-year degree. A vet assistant is the veterinary equivalent of a nurse's aide, although in many practices they do everything a Vet Tech does other than draw blood. Passing muster in the non-degree Vet Assistant training is a step up in being included in the approximately 30% of applicants who are accepted into the Vet Tech program each year.

So anyhow - part of my grades in the classes I'm taking now are based on participation in written discussions. Each week, the instructor posts one or more discussion topics, and the class is expected to discuss them a la Usenet.

Being me, I usually put a fair amount of time and effort into my discussion posts, and the questions often make me stop and think about things. So I had this "Hmm!" moment the other night that with some editing, they'd be decent blog material, as well....

You have been warned.

1 week's discussion topic: "Have you ever had to restrain an animal? Describe your experience if you have."  In vet terms, of course, "restrain" means "hold the animal so the vet can treat it without anybody getting bitten or scratched".  Here's my response:

I've been holding my own animals at the vet for years - sometimes with help from a vet tech, but mostly on my own. Plus, I do my own nail clipping, dental scaling, and most anal gland cleaning, and on quite a few occasions, I've held or helped to hold other people's animals for first aid, grooming, and occasionally shots. Last but not least, while it's not quite the same as doing vet work, I've had to physically restrain other people's out-of-control dogs on numerous occasions – sometimes dogs belonging to clients, when I was doing dog-walking, and sometimes in order to protect my own dogs or others from an aggressive dog (usually at the park).

So responding to this week's discussion question took some thinking about occasions that might have been particularly memorable or interesting… and also made me stop and think about why and how I started being the one handling my animals at the vet most of the time.
Thinking back, I realized that the handling got started because of Laddie, the dog I had when I was between 11 and 22.
Laddie was an intact male, half Chow and half Golden Retriever, with the trainability of the Golden, but the classic one-person, one-family temperament of the Chow. I could do just about anything with him (including teaching him all sorts of tricks), and he tolerated and somewhat listened to other members of the household. Anyone else pretty much got ignored - as long as you didn't mess with me.
However, he did NOT like to be petted or handled by people he didn't know; anyone who tried got growled at. If they persisted, he growled louder and showed his teeth. If they still persisted, took what he considered liberties, or threatened him, they got bitten – he would give one hard pinch with his teeth; didn't usually break skin, but it would leave a good bruise.

 Only exception to this was very small children; he seemed to understand that they were "puppies", so to speak, and he was the soul of patience with my niece Jenny when she was a baby and toddler.
All of which is a long-winded way of getting around to why, at the age of 13 or so, it worked best for ME to handle him at the vet's. And from there, it just evolved naturally that I started handling my other animals, too.

 
In terms of memorable occasions, the most memorable, unfortunately, are the times I've held my own animals for euthanasia. Those experiences, I don't really want to revisit at this point – other than to mention that with Laddie, who was the first I dealt with myself, it took three shots instead of one.
It wasn't at all painful or unpleasant for Laddie himself, and it didn't upset me (oddly enough), but the poor vet was completely freaked out and shaking like a leaf by the time he finally stopped breathing. Looking back, I realize that she was young – probably late 20s or early 30s – and it was probably the first time she'd had a euth not quite go to plan.

The other most memorable occasion I can think of was about 9 years ago, when my cat Gwydion was about a year old, and got a urinary blockage. At the point I got him to the vet, it had probably been about 24 hours since the poor guy had been able to pee, and his bladder was very very full.
The vet examined him, and was able to feel the blockage in his urethra. She gently tried to break it up, but it wouldn't budge. She turned to me and said, "I hate to say it, but I think we're going to have to keep him here and do surgery. Let me try just one more time." So I got a good grip on him,  and she reached under.
Now, I swear Gwy had somehow understood her, because as she rolled her fingers over the urethra, he got an intense look of concentration on his face and PUSHED REALLY HARD – I think he actually grunted.
The stone popped out, and with the most incredible look of relief I've ever seen on animal or human, he peed… and peed… and peed… and PEED: all over me, all over the vet, it puddled on the table, filled up to the lip, and ran over on the floor, and STILL he peed. My shirt was soaked, my pants were soaked, there was cat pee in my SOCKS even… and I couldn't have been happier.

I didn't even mind the looks I got when I stopped in the 7-11 on the way home to buy fresh cat litter, still squishing in my shoes, and reeking.

However, if I do end up working in a vet's office at some point, the story above is why I plan to have at LEAST one change of clothes or scrubs available at all times….

I can't seem to QUICKLY  figure out how to embed a video on my profile, and I don't feel like fooling around with it, so I'm posting links to my current favorites here.... check 'em out, or not.

The Hauntening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFRhs3-pP8w

 A fan's tribute to the character of "Doc" from "Combat!", played by the Emmy-nominated Conlan Carter - and to all combat medics, past and present: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLlwLPw99Bo

The mirror scene from "Duck Soup"... Groucho Marx is "mirrored" by one or both of his brothers (I can't remember if it's Chico or Harpo), disguised as him....  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy3FnA3mJHE

Chico plays the piano (too bad the sound's a bit out of synch):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khJaHNocYK0

And the boys (Zeppo too!) impersonate Maurice Chevalier:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhDMh21-gXU

Last (for now), but not least:

What if goD was a DJ? (If you only watch one, make it this one!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3GFayShs58

Forgot this one - beware, you may pee yourself laughing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm54cH8dg_Y

As a minor computer geek, I've been reading various articles about Microsoft Vista (and have already come to the conclusion that I won't be "upgrading" my Windows XP unless and until something I really need won't run on it).. at any rate, I found this article Vista's built-in firewall  interesting:

Screen Gallery: When is a firewall not a firewall? When it's Vista's built-in firewall by ZDNet's David Berlind -- Configuring Vista's firewall isn't easy. In fact, it's so difficult that the Windows Firewall is actually worse than having no firewall at all. Mere mortals shouldn't bother configuring it.

Yeah, this is one of those dumb quizzes.... but I liked it because it accurately pegged me as an autodidact. And the questions are actually somewhat interesting.

Link:

http://www.gotoquiz.com/do_you_deserve_your_high_school_diploma

My results (low, because I suck at geometry and math):

Borrowed this from Syd...

1.      Where were you when it turned 2007?

In front of the TV with my S.O., his kids, and 3 dogs, watching Times Square.  

2.      How did you get the idea for your MySpace name?

It's my name.  ;-D  My "screen names" on other groups are usually either "Sionnach" (which is my last name in Scots Gaelic), or Cimawr, which means "Big Dog" in Welsh. 

The Big Dog thing is a old, old in-joke having to do with the fact that I train and compete with my own dogs, and used to work as a professional dog exerciser (handling off-leash packs of 6-9 dogs), which makes me the "big dog" in terms of pack authority… but I'm a small person (just under 5' and around 105 lb).  It's also a reference to the U.S. marshal character played by Tommy Lee Jones in "The Fugitive".

3.      Do you believe in karma?

      Yep.

4.      Has the death of a celebrity ever made you cry?

Hmmm….. not that I can recall, although I've been sad to hear of some deaths.

5.      Do you own an iPod?

Yes, but only because I got it for free. And it's only a

Shuffle.

6.      What was the first thing you thought when you woke up today?

Cool, I woke up before the alarm went off.

7.      What do you do for a living?

I'm currently unemployed, as my previous position ended at the beginning of September. I have made my income in the following jobs (in chronological order):

1.      Starting at age 14, babysitting, petsitting, and barnwork.

2.      Just after graduation from H.S, cashier at Sunny's Surplus

3.      "Circulation Assistant" at the public library.

4.      Child care worker.

5.      Manager of a local bookstore -this one lasted nearly 10 years, until Borders killed us.

6.      Customer service rep (returns, repairs, complaints, service writing, and minor tech support) and temporary tech admin at CompUSA. Nearly 6 years.

7.      Office Manager for a local car repair shop. 3.5 years. I took this job because it paid well, and it was supposed to be my last (e.g. permanent) job, supplemented by #8,  but I had NO idea when I was  recruited/solicited by the owner that he was a "recovering" addict. The business eventually failed because he "relapsed" several times, eventually killing himself with an overdose about a year after I left his employ. A sad waste of a good person.

8.      At the same time, working as a professional dog exerciser. Originally, this was also supposed to be permanently evenly split with hours at the office job. However, the office job kept taking more and more hours, and eventually I let the practice die through attrition. I LOVED doing this, 'cos I got to hike outdoors with dogs for several hours a day, and work on training them to boot.

9.      Administrative Assistant and HR rep for a civil engineering firm. Lasted 2 years. Position ended because they could only keep on one admin, and the other had been there 9 years longer…never mind the fact that she was thoroughly unprofessional (spent hours on personal phone calls, came in and left whenever she felt like it, wore skin-tight T-shirts and flip-flops, etc.) and had less computer skills than I did. Oh well. (Yeah, I still have a bit of sour grapes on that one. :-D)

8.      What will you do tonight?

Take my dogs to agility practice (agility being the sport where the dogs do obstacle courses at high speed) and chat with my friends there; hopefully see my S.O. later in the evening.

9.      What's your favorite memory from last weekend?

Hmmm… nothing specific, other than enjoying hanging out with my S.O. and his kids.  No, I lie… the feeling of satisfaction I got at single-handedly finishing one section of our on-going briar-clearing project, and his reaction to what I'd accomplished.

10.  What are the last two digits of your phone number?

Ok, this one's too dumb to answer.

11.  What was the last thing you ate?

A toasted whole wheat bagel with cheese slices.

12.  What was last thing you drank?

COFFEE.

13.  What was the last movie you watched?

Does watching the second half of "Talledega Nights" with my S.O.'s kids count? (We all enjoyed it.)  Or should I count watching all of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" the night before?

14.  What/Who do you dislike at the moment?

What? Being out of work, and even more so, job-hunting.

Who?  "Recruiters" who call me about non-existent positions and waste my time and gas with useless "screening interviews" because they need to keep their "sales" numbers up. They're scum.

15.  What food do you crave right now?

I'm not hungry at the moment… just had that bagel.

16.  What did you dream last night?

Don't remember dreaming, last night… other nights this week, I did.

17.  What was the last TV show you watched?

Erm. Really not sure because I don't watch TV at home, so the last time I saw it was last Sunday… oh yeah, I think my S.O. was watching "Battlestar Galactica" then, and I was half paying attention.  OTOH, I DID download and watch the most recent episode of "The Office" on my computer just a couple of days ago.

18.  What is your favorite piece of jewelry?

My silver earrings that are made out of antique spoons.

19.  Name someone on your Top Friends who is like you:

I hain't got no "Top" friends, 'cos I only have three friends. ;-D Of the three, I'd have to say my niece Jenny is most like me.

20.  You're playing blackjack. You're dealt a jack and a seven. Hit or stay?

Greek to me – I know nothing about blackjack.

21.  Who last text messaged you?

My sister Carrie. We mostly tm because she lives overseas with a 5-to-6 hour time difference.

22.  Are you on any medication?

Not regularly. Occasional ibuprofen is about it.  

23.  What side of the bed do you sleep on?

It varies constantly, depending on which bed it is, who/how many I'm sharing it with, and who's getting up first or got into bed last. At my house, it's two dogs, sometimes one or two cats as well. At my S.O.'s house, it's me,  him, and up to three dogs.  

24.  What color shirt are you wearing?

     Dark red.

25.  What is your favorite frozen treat?

Scotland's favorite treat! (in-joke)  For real, ice cream.

26.  How many piercings do you have?

Five, all in my ears.  Two each lobe, one cartilage piercing in the top of the right ear.

27.  What's your favorite store?

Any bookstore, especially secondhand. Any decent thrift/junk/secondhand store. Bonus store, the big thrift store in Newark, DE… gots lots of clothes, AND books, AND junky junk.

 Tool and hardware stores.

 Trader Joe's 'cos I love their wasabi peas and triple-ginger cookies.

Favorite online store is EBay… world's biggest thrift store. ;-D Second favorites are NewEgg and Amazon.

28.  Are you thirsty right now?

No.

29.  Who's someone you haven't seen in a while and miss?

My sister Carrie (she lives in Wales), my sister Amalia & my nieces and nephew (they live in Richmond CA). 

My ex, who's now married to the woman he really loved, who was married to somebody else when he and I were together.

 When we WEREN'T dating each other (which was about 75% of the 14 years we knew each other) we were always good friends, and he was the greatest for giving me advice from the male perspective, specially about whoever I WAS seeing at the time. I don't miss him as an S.O. (luckiest escape of my life!!) but I still sometimes miss him as a buddy.

30.  What did you do last night?

Talked to my S.O. on the phone, walked my dogs, played HalfLife 2 and Zen of Sudoku on the 'puter, surfed the 'net, read the forums on Geocaching.com, faxed some more resumes and cover letters, got my laundry together.

31.  Do you care what people think about you?

Yes and no.  I care, but not so much that I'll go along with things I don't agree with, or keep my mouth shut when I think something's wrong. Or to put it another way, I care more about my integrity and my self-respect than whether people think I'm "nice". And if they can't deal with my eccentric, non-conformist ways, their loss.

32.  Have you ever done something to instigate trouble?

Depends on the definition of "trouble", but I'd have to say yes.

33.  When was the last time you had work?

I last had PAYING work on Sept. 1.

34.  What are your font colors on AIM?

I don't do IMs.

35.   Where do you live?

Towson, MD, although I also spend a lot of time in Cecil Co.

36.  Are you aggressive?

I can be, under the right circumstances.

37.  Mobile phone network?

Tracfone.

38.  How many friends do you have on your list?

Currently four, if you count the Tartan Terrors. 

39.  What is the thing that you would most like to change about yourself?

Physically, my eyes – being way nearsighted is a pain – and I'd like to regain a bit more flexibility and muscle tone.  Also wouldn't mind an off-switch for PMS. ;-D

Personality-wise, the tendency to sometimes say more than I should, a tendency to wax pedantic, and I'd also like to be less resistant to change. Last but not least, sometimes I let things pass, meaning to re-address when I've cooled off, but then don't get around to addressing them later even when I really should. 

40.  . What size are your feet?

Mens/Boys 4; European 34 or 35. Not sure what that translates to in "ladies" shoes.. a 5 maybe?

41.  . What do you smell like right now?

Shampoo because I just went on a job interview.

42.   What is your favorite color?

Dark blue.

43.  Do you like mustard?

Yes, all sorts of mustard… different mustards for different foods. But ketchup is the king of condiments.

44.  What do you tell yourself when times get hard?

Even this shall pass away.
 

45.  Would you ever sky-dive?

Don't think so. I prefer my risks on the ground. 

46.  Do you sleep on your side, tummy or back?

Yes, Yes & Yes.

47.  Have you ever bid for something on eBay?

Lots of things, including my D70 and my f2.8 lenses.

48.   What do you think of Cary Grant?

He's best in older comedies, especially those with Kate Hepburn.  Funniest line: "I just went GAAAY all of a sudden!!" (Bringing Up Baby)

49.  Do you enjoy giving hugs?

I love giving and receiving IF I'm in a hug mood. I have my times where I vahnt to be alone.

50.  Would you consider yourself to be fashionable?

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

51.   Do you own a digital camera?

Two. I have an HP point-and-shoot, and a Nikon D70, which is a full-featured "prosumer" SLR. My primary lens is a Sigma 28-70mm F2.8, primary tele/sports lens is a Sigma 70-200mm HSM f 2.8; knockabout lens is the Nikon 18-55 AFS "kit" lens for DSLR. I also own two Nikon film SLRs, a manual macro lens, and a classic Nikon 50mm f1.8 auto lens.

52.   What celebrities have you been compared to?

None that I know of.
 

53.   Who is your favorite Star Wars character?

Han Solo.

54.   Does it annoy you when someone says they'll call but don't?

Depends on who it is.

55.   What are you allergic to?

Food coloring and dyes; a lot of perfumes; pollen. Prolly cats too but I don't care.

Passive-aggressive behaviour, especially by proxy (e.g. people who use their kids or dogs as part of the aggressive element).

Insincerity. One of the reasons I love my S.O. is that he's blunt as hell. I HATE people who act nice to your face and attack behind your back.

56.   Are you a jealous person?

Somewhat; I AM a Scorpio, after all.  Plus I've had some bad

experiences.

57.   Do you ever feel guilty after eating meat?

No, but I prefer, if possible, to eat animals that were naturally raised and humanely killed.

58.  . If you were born the opposite sex, what would your name be?

       My parents had picked "Philip" as their name for a boy. 

59.   What are you listening to now?

My Ipod.

Current song: "Blackleg Miner", Richard Thompson. 

Previous four songs: "I fall to pieces", Patsy Cline; "BEER!!!" by Psychostick; "Lili Marlene", Marlene Dietrich; "Matty Groves", Fairport Convention.

Next four songs:  "Redneck Rampage", Mojo Nixon; "Whiskey in the Jar", Metallica ; "Folsom Prison Blues", Johnny Cash; "Lewis Bridal Song", The Corries

60.   Have you ever been in love?

Been "in love", been in lust… nice when the two coincide, even better when they combine with REAL love, e.g. friendship, shared values and interests, companionship, and accepting the other's imperfections (even when they're driving you batshit).  Any relationship that's going to work long-term will cycle in and out of all three states in various combinations.

... not that I've got all that much to say, other than it's been a year of memorable experiences, from the lows of a near-miss-with-death experience in April and the death of a dear friend's mother in May, to highs of putting some long-sought-and-worked-on titles on my companions-in-fur, to quiet happy times with friends and family...

blwyddwyn newydd dda to all..