the DVM life - Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

I don't know if I can say anything too thrilling about this week. Except I made cinnamon rolls that turned out very well.

There's also something in the works about hiring me at the clinic hourly, which could be pretty cool. (I'm just there a lot during the summer, I show up like I work there. At the end they give me a nice money).

One of our retired Docs has come back for the summer. He is a lucky, lucky guy. He sold the clinic and headed off to Mexico/Europe via sailboat. Spending days on a Mexican beach, or skiing in the Alps is a good way to be retired. When he gets done living the awesome life, he comes back and does the DVM life for a few months. Which is noticeably less glam.

It's an interesting contrast between him (30+ years vet) and our newest doc. I can't laugh because I'll be the newbie soon enough.

Some interesting medical things that week: ear ablation. We had a student from a middle school observing at the clinic that day. It made her a little woozy. Cool surgery! And for some crazy reason, the power went out during it. We had really crappy power that week. 3rd time it went out. The Doc had to finish some stitches via flashlight. I got to hold that flashlight : D What can I say, vetmed it hardcore!

Also some emergency stuff - new strain of Parvo potentially. Big pain in the arse.

I had a delightful train ride over to visit my Grandparents. I really enjoy seeing them, even though they're not particularly fond of my choice of career. Oh well. It was my Grandma's 75th birthday and her church was having a potluck. I'm happy to report my chocolates safely made the trip there, no melting at all!

The train over was nice, it was a little confusing though since I'd never been on a train before. Turns out that the train pulls up, you hop on, grab a seat, and the conductor comes through to check your ticket/give you a seat marker. It was fairly crowded on the way over and I shared a seat duo with a sleeping guy. I got to see lots of cool scenery and it was CHEAPER THAN DRIVING - especially good since gas is just insane.

When I got to grandma's I got a yummy grilled cheese. Then I chatted with my grandma and helped make dinner. I really like the food she makes. Each day they eat something different and that just blows my mind. It's awesome! My mom has always cooked food en mass, so it's 1 dish for 5 days. Having something new each nice is pretty special I think.

The next day we had a great time gardening. I helped put in petunias (I hope they're doing alright) and some garden plants. She has a famous garden full of yummy things to eat come later in the summer. I hope I can garden like her someday.

I really enjoyed the pace we worked at. Mom is always doing work at a manic speed. Grandma takes time to appreciate stuff, grab a bite to eat, get out of the sun and read a book. It was one of the nicest days I've had so far. Then after dinner (special hot dogs just for me, since I dont' get to eat them at home) we went over pictures from their trip south.

The next day was Church and the potluck. I think my Grandparents enjoy taking me to church. I like it too, even though I may not subscribe to all their views. In any effect, "Peace be with you" is always a nice thing. Who couldn't use a bit more peace, eh?

The potluck was also yummy. My favorites were scalloped potatos and a strawberry salad. And the deviled eggs I made with Grandma the day before. I tried every dessert there, of course! During the potluck, they had posters up of each person who turned 75. They also read a life story of each of them.

I found it very interesting. That could be me in 52 years. I hope I do something cool between now and then!

When we got home and rested, I helped my Grandma more in the kitchen - making a cake for a relative's birthday. I asked her: if she had the chance to re-live a year of her life, which one would it be?

She said it would be a year right after she married Grandpa. They decided not to have kids right away, to just take time to get to know eachother. She said they had a lot of fun enjoyed those years very much. I thought that was neat.

After my nice long weekend I headed back home via train. This time it was much less crowded, I got my own seat. Leather seat, mind you. Since I understood the train routine this time (and also had seen the scenery already) I roamed around the train. I found the dining car and ordered an OK lasange. It was just ok, but since it was on a train it was cool. I walked through all the cars, took lots of pictures, and enjoyed the trip. Trains and grandparents get a thumbs up.