Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Curtis's Update

Life is going. I am in my last week of my emergency medicine rotation. What an adventure this has been. But I am learning a lot and seeing just as much. Probably more than I care to remember. Due to patient confidential, no details. Sorry

But on another note, I finished up my last two interview. The first was in Kentucky for a PMR program. Love the area, will how can I not with the Red River Gorge an hour away. Sadly that program is second on my list at the moment. The program was great, but more of an inpatient feel and I would like more outpatient. One thing that came out of it was that Audrey and I got a little vacation out of it. For us finding this time together is rare and we take full advantage of it.

My second interview was in Beaver, PA. Cute, did I say cute, little town 40 north of Pittsburgh. This interview was in a family practice residency. It would be an excellent environment to learn in. I would be ready to handle just about anything if I took this spot. But I not sure how good of a match it is for me. I have till the end of this week to decide on my ranking order for the MD match.

My ranking for the DO match is done. That was easy with only one program, PMR in Lansing.

I leave Saturday for my wilderness medical elective in the Tenn. I am excited, but this will mean I won't see Audrey for 4 weeks.

That it for now. Later.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

back in the saddle, again!

now that i am back at school, all is not so horrible:) lifeis actually pretty good (and here i had been worried). hmmm the sectional updaye (much like a sectional sofa, and equally squishy)

(today i apparently like parentheses)

i am currently on spay/neuter. an awesome rotation where we get to do just that with dogs and cats. it is uber fun and i enjoy doing real surgery again instead of being a retractor/restrainer for other people. it is also nice that many of the animals we do surgery on are shelter animals and this will go a long way toward getting them adopted. there is very little beurocracy on this rotation.

I PASSED BOARDS! (i am so smart. look at my brain shine... oh wait, that's my greasy forehead...)

this weekend was MVC, or the local vet conference in lansing. i got to see some great presentations and see lots of friends from other classes. more importantly, i started interviewing for jobs in the michigan area. most of these jobs will probably be filled before i know if i'm staying in this state, but it was good to get out there and see what is available. there were a couple i am actually excited by and want to go visit. just think, soon, people will pay ME to stick my nose and fingers where they don't belong (ears and butts, respectively... you sick-o's!), instead of the other way around...

so... life is good.

curtis is on emergency right now, and while his shifts are, thankfully, reasonable, he has a lot of 6pm-2am shifts which means that we never see each other. next week he is leaving for his externship in wilderness medicine (read here: camping and backpacking and rock-climbing... oh my!). he'll be off enjoying life for a month and i'll be here sticking my arm deep into the uncharted waters of ambulatory equine medicine... i am so jealous. eventually, i know i will see him sometime before graduation.

most of my friends are gone right now, it is pretty lonely.

the official numbers!
days until graduation: 95 (today is over, right?)
spays/neuters this rotation: 5
number of carrots i ate for dinner while chatting: 35 (it's a LOT)
phone conversations tonight: 4
age of my nephew stephen: 1 YEAR OLD! (happy birthday!)

reveling in the love of family and friend time (in person or on the phone).... happy happy

now all i have to do is go to the store so there is milk and breakfast for tomorrow. hehehe, i'm a slacker!

toodles! audrey

Sunday, January 21, 2007

aud's vacay log

ahhh, home again! there is no place furrier!

winter break was awesome... got to do christmas with all three fams~ whoopee!

went home to Mass/NH after ophtho and arrived just in time for the huge Hannukkah party! too tired for words, Christmas was a smaller, quieter affair this year. once we had regained our momentum, we went hiking, to the human body exhibit at the museum of science, and all around boston in our continuing trek thru the freedom trail. left boston with temps in the 70's (why? why did we leave a warm and happy place?)

curt's fabuluos parents braved the cold, 20 degree weather to pick us up at the airport and fill us up with warm, tasty food.

early the next morning, curt drove me back to the airport for my flight to florida. yes, i went on vacation without him! no, i don't feel guilty. he's been troipsing about the country on interviews without me, and now i am merely returning the favor... hehehe. so, i met up with carrie, one of my good friends from vet school, in orlando for a week of R+R. we went to seaworld, epcot, animal kingdom, ripley's believe it or not museum, la nouba (fantabulous show from circ du soleil), the magic kingdom, horseback riding (i see no animal trend here, do you?), the makahiki luau, food at wolfgang pucks, and even a movie on the one morning it rained... not to mention plenty of time poolside and lounging in the hottub with a frosty, alcoholically enhanced chocolate milkshake.... mmm, heaven!

carrie's aunts are wonderful, and gave us a timeshare at this fancy hotel for a week to make the trip affordable, as well as the most perfect seats for la nouba. we could see the performers glisten (certain people don't sweat) and see details from the costumes... and there was a long trampoline that came right at us!

needless to say, it was difficult to leave heaven behind, since the temps had just climbed back up to nice warm 80's... but i dutifully flew home to the 17 degree weather and icestorms... michigan is not my favorite state right now... AND i know what i will do with my life when i fail out of vet school or run screaming from it to never return again (whichever). i am going to go train dolphins and swim with them every day in shows at seaworld! i am only 6 credits away from the degree, and they'll probably give it to me for all the work i've done in vet school! mwah hah ha ha ha!

a couple relaxing days at home, then i went down to kentucky with curt for another of his interviews... it went well, and i really like the lexington area. they still have 4 seasons, but you can plant a garden in february... there are hills, mountians, the red river gorge (good for rockclimbing and camping). we were going to camp after, but an approaching ice storm made us think better of trying to drive home on icy roads and i am now cozy on the sofa, asphyxiating on belle's hair. i love being home!

and now for the official counts:
breakdowns with crying about having to go back to CVM (only during this break): 9
days until graduation: 103 (including weekends)
number of days off left before graduation: 0

we have posted new pictures for the year! go see them at www.msu.edu/~dyercurt
there are lots of people we visited that we don't have good pics of, and lots of people we haven't seen that we have no recent pics of. if your pic is missing from our frigde, and we didn't get one in the mail this past month or so, send us one and we'll add it to the collection of happy faces!

loving you all.