Introducing the star, The Star!

After graduating from THE top ranked college in veterinary technology in December 2009, I immediately started my career at a large animal clinic working as the evening technologist.  I love working 2nd shift, mostly because of all the patient care. Responsible for all the patients once the clinicians, residents, and students leave, I monitor the patients and provide treatments as needed. So yes, I'm like an ICU nurse. The only disadvantage is the hours. Working 4pm- 12 am pretty much guarantees lonely days while all my family and friends are at work.  Also guarantees I will miss dinners and hangouts while I'm at work. Last fall to combat the loneliness feeling, I convinced Miata Guy getting a dog would be a great idea. We checked out several used dog stores over the coarse of a few months. During those few months, we test walked many different mixed breeds and we felt hopeless. Dog after dog either peed all over the visitation rooms, had diarrhea, or were on hold. Sigh. Then we meet her, The Star! We knew right away she would fit perfectly in our home. We rushed to complete the necessary paperwork after overhearing another couple's discussion about wanting adopting The Star. Had we waited one additional minute and the energetic and intelligent year old pup would have not been sticking her head out my car window a week later. The Star picked up clicker training immediately and we have had fun training her every since.

Below is a video, one of many to come, of how awesome The Star is and how we have grown to love her!

I've been Kogering

Miata Guy and I share similar thoughts and feelings on shopping. A passion that is non existent unless the trip evolves around a hobby. After many attempts to avoid a shopping trip the past week, there was no way around it. So on Sunday, we laced up of best pair of walking shoes and braved the 10 different stores all anxiously waiting to take our money. Approaching 5 hours into our trip, we entered our last store, Payless (or you may know it better as kroger). With list in hand and determined to be in and out in under 5 minutes, we raced through the store grabbing items not available at aldi.  Unfortunately, the frozen peas pods were hidden under the frozen corn which cause us to go over on time. As we walked out with bags in hand, Miata Guy put a sticker on my shirt. You know the one you got when you were a kid, with the 3 smiling face and the phrase that says "I've be kogering." 

During the month of July, I am working 3rd shift. My work requires that you not come and go in your uniform. So when my shift ends I must change into "street" clothes. As I headed out the door at the end of a long shift, I conversed with those arriving at work, subordinates, equals,and super-ordinates. Not until I arrived at home and changed into my night clothes did I realize the sticker still stuck to my shirt!

Mortified! Thanks Miata Guy!

I am Now an Adult.

Surely there is a moment in every kid's life that your level of responsibility has increased, and you are entering a new stage in life. By law, you are an adult at the age of 18. For most, its hard to look back and think that you were actually an adult at that point in your life and you definitely have grown since then. This gives you no place to pin on your time-line of life, the point at which you have truly reached adulthood. The question at this point is: "When am I truly an adult, legally, (the easy part) and mentally?"

For now, I have no idea what to tell you about where to place your book mark labeled "Adult", but for me, I know exactly where to put mine. I am calling myself an adult at the very moment I bought a weed-whacker. Adulthood equals weed-whacker purchase and operation. I live in a dwelling which actually charges about $45 per month more than the adjacent dwellings, but I have to mow the grass. To make the job look nicer, I decided to purchase a weed-whacker. While operating it for the first time, the engine buzzing, smoke bellowing, grass and weed clippings flying, this sudden feeling of adult-hood poured over me. It was like nothing else I'd felt before. Before, everything was always a feeling of accomplishment. This was more like a feeling of responsibility. I knew as a kid that only adults (or younger guys working for money) owned and operated weed-whackers. So the moment I realized I was a kid who was owning and operating a weed whacker, I knew I had become an adult.

If you took a physic class

"If you took a physic class," is a phrase spoken from Miata Guy when an inquisitive question from myself is asked. The phrase gave birth almost a year ago when Miata Guy and I went on our first camping trip together. I purchased a compass for Miata Guy to carry on our hikes. Thrilled with his gift he asked "do you know how a compass works?" Oh course, I didn't know.  "Well, if you took a physic class....." Over the course of the next few days any questions I asked received the response of "Well, if you took a physic class...." This hasn't changed over the course of this year, which causes me to stop and think some days.

 

Today I thought, do I really want to know why all the pots and pans used from dinner and the cake are on the stove top full of water while the cakes are baking in the oven?

Well, I guess if I took a Physics class, I would know.

Afoodamtive Action

All my life I knew I was Mexican. I was born in Mexico. I had Mexican friends. I even spoke Spanish! For most of my life I was very confused though. Tonight, before I was eaten, I felt like a kid, like myself, but with an Italian family, black friends, and attending school with white kids. Even though I was destined to be a Mexican chicken taco, Lama Lover had me chopped up and cooked on a grill, then sauteed in oregano, red wine, and garlic. I was then served with sauteed onions and green peppers! Aren't those supposed to be with Fajitas? Anyway, then came the taco, with tomatoes, cilantro, cheese, and lettuce. It was truly an experience only known, now by myself, and inter-racial kids growing up with friends from one race, going to school with another, and attending family reunions with another.

I was really yummy though... Miata Guy wanted two of me!

Exactly Half

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Early in our relationship, Miata Guy did not share very easily, especially when it came to food.  And who could blame him, he's a man after all.  Asking him for a taste/bite of a delicious treat is like asking an alcoholic for half his beer. Yesterday, as we were surround by his former coworkers for dinner at steakhouse with exceptional food but poor decor, I definitely thought the Chocolate mousse we were sharing for dessert would be gone before I finished my first bite. To my surprise Miata Guy shared the entire slice evenly. The chocolate's richness erased all my frustrations from earlier in the day! Now if I could only get him to share half the garage :)

Sure hope this callus forms fast

Today, Miata Guy and I traveled to my hometown for a bicycling tour.  We meet up with my one of my best friend's (tree hugger) brother (guy on a bike).  The ride was definitely a challenge, at least for me.  My current town of residence has a relatively flat terrain and this "getting fit" woman was not fond of the gently rolling hills.  As Miata guy calls it, I put the hammer down as best I could and powered up the hills.  I pushed myself along the flat roads to stay above a predetermined set goal speed and cadence.  You can't lose weight if you don't sweat a little : )  I feel extremely proud of my efforts today.  I rode 36 miles in under 3 hours.  I never dropped below 8mph climbing hills, 12.5 on flats, and kept my cadence higher than 75. This was a great test for my goal for the end of September, 60 miles in one day, which I feel is completely obtainable. Only my butt stands in the way.  Towards the end of the ride today my butt began protesting loudly through pain and numbness about having to sit on a tiny seat for a few hours.  Even with a gel seat and padded shorts there was still no reasoning.  My hope is as I continue to ride a "callus" will form and put an end to all the protest!

Miata Guy and I at the start of Tour De LaPorte 2010